Although the luster of mountain biking has never dulled for Andy McKenna, it’s been several years since he’s ventured back to the foreboding mountains of Torridon where he once thrived as a mountain bike guide. The time has come to confront his foe.
Andy’s enlisted an inspiring ally to take on these Torridonian giants: In Episode 4 of the ‘Evolution Stories’ series, Small Steps to Big Things, Andy teams up with ultra-endurance adventurer Jenny Graham in one of their beloved bothies to plot rides and chat about the ingredients for living life and setting world records.
When erratic health takes its toll on your abilities and confidence, when your favorite place in the world to ride mountain bikes seems way out of reach - where can you go to find and rekindle the vital spark that’s needed to conquer the epic terrain of Scotland’s Northwest Highlands?
Jenny’s a late bloomer to the world of cycling - she’s a single mum who waited until her late thirties to test her mettle - beating the round the world record for the fastest female circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle in 124 Days and 11 hours in 2018.
As well as a capable adventure athlete, broadcaster and author - she’s one of the humblest, funniest and most down-to-earth women Andy knows. An intriguing mix of steely determination and a casual ‘why not’ attitude towards big things that would stop many from daring to dream of them. Jenny is the living embodiment of what can be achieved in life by taking small incremental steps - physical and mental - to take on fresh challenges in sports and life.
This story transcends epic cycling achievements—it’s a beautiful journey of laughter and warm conversation between pals. It's a story for everyone about personal around-the-world challenges and how to take small steps to overcome the bigger things we face in life. Andy hoped a tiny drop of Jenny’s infectious spirit would flow into him and restore his mountain mojo—but did it?
Andy’s adventures are powered by our DEORE XT groupset and the powerful EP8 drive unit.
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