So excited to share this story with all of you. Picture this, 20 years old, hardly any money, dropped out of University, second hand bicycle setting off on a cold rainy morning to cycle across South Africa. If you want to see how this journey changed my life, have a read.
This is the story of humble beginnings. Told by sports scientists and cycling coaches that this journey would be impossible to breaking a guinness World Record cycling from Cairo to Cape Town 4 years later. See why I do what I do.
You can follow this link and purchase your copy on amazon now: GO BROWSE BOOK
Two Wheels and a Chain: Keegan Longueira's first book available on Amazon
On 2 March Keegan Longueira rolled into the Waterfront in Cape Town South Africa, on his second hand bicycle, ager cycling the length of Africa, Cairo to Cape Town in just 59 Days. He beat the previous record held by dutch cyclist Robert Knol, the previous record was 71 Days.
Now the real adventure begins. "Its not about the adventure, its about the stories afterwards that make peoples hearts come alive," said Keegan about his brand new series of talks on the Cairo to Cape Town expedition.
"Usually people write books, we want to revolutionize that, we want to make the audience feel like they are there on the bike with me," he said.
Keegan has spent a good part of the month in the recording studio, re living the entire experience, day by day. The grueling process was finished just in time before he left for the DRC on a medical mission with Operation Smile. The talks will now be mastered and put into chapters which will be available soon. The audio series will be launched on iTunes, sound cloud and the Android Playstore within the next couple of months.
"This is an incredible project and we are proud to be part of it," said Mr Jean Michel Masson owner of Masson Media who committed their media team to the project.
"I really can't wait to get this out there, people can listen in their cars, on their phones, iPads and anywhere they want, I love the freedom in that!" said Keegan.
Attached are the links to the Trailer Video and Audio sound cloud link, explaining the project.
With so much going off, it's so easy to step back and realize you have drifted so far off your original path its scary.
The problem with my life is that it is so public. Everything that happens or I say I am open about and let people know. It trying to create a transparent, truthful and open man I have created a man who stands in front of a firing shad all day being blown to pieces. In my transparency, my faults are clearly visible which leaves me left in the dark while stores and comments spread like wild fire. It hurts more than anything to know that the reason you do things is being viewed by others as anterior motives.
I watched the small extract on Riaan Mansers and Vasti's documentary the other day on carte blanch. They had such an incredible journey across the Atlantic! The truth and love I saw in Riaans eyes when he finished the journey in New York was unbelievable. There is something very special about Riaan. Through his life as an adventurer he has chased freedom, hard ships and love in everything he does. Perhaps Riaan doesn't even know but so called "Adventurers" actually criticize him for what he does. Some hate everything he stands for and its so sad to see a war on words happening between adventurers.
I take my hat off to the two of them who trudge through trouble every day even when not out on a trip.
Back to the drawing board for me. 5 Months left and I don't have one visa, my flights are not booked and all my sponsors and friends are not on board. Scary stuff.
What a day! Book Launch in Witbank, then off to a talk and book signing at the Methodist church in Boksburg.
The day started in absolute chaos as I awoken quickly only to look at my watch and realize I had 20 minutes to shower, eat and prepare my things for my book launch that was to be held at the mall. The frantic start to my day was unsettling but once arriving with my books at the coffee shop, I knew that nothing mattered but the book and welcoming guests that came to see me.
I could sit and complain for days on end about the people that didn't come round to support me for the final Official launch but do they matter? Yes it hurts when friends don't show up in support of something you have worked so hard on for three years but in the end of the day it shouldn't matter. Today was definitely like that. Having many young children from school and some good friends coming round to purchase their copy of my new book was so special to me.
I just love handing over that memoir, that collection of words from three years of memories and experiences on my bicycle. Its more than just a book, its my life.
After a pretty good turn out, we packed up, thanked our hosts and shot off, Johannesburg bound, for our next event. The Methodist Church in Boksburg is the home congregation of one of my good Friends Chris Els. We met him at his house and then travelled with him to the church where we set up before the ladies arrived. It was a ladies fellowship event that seemed to happen quite often with the amount of intimacy shared between the ladies.
I was incredibly excited to be there and spoke genuinely from the heart about Operation Smile, my involvement and some of the lessons I had learned on my bicycle trips to Cape Town. I shared with them my plans to cycle from Cairo to Cape Town to which they seemed quite nervous, yet excited about.
I want to thank the congregation for the opportunity to speak to them as well everyone who came out and showed their support.
Starting as a dream in the pipeline, the Cairo to Cape Town dream is really starting to take shape.
The trip will be a Guinness World Record Attempt at being the fastest man from Cairo to Cape Town on bicycle. Today we joined forces with David Grier and Miles for Smiles and will be continuing our partnership with Operation smile.
So far I have done 6days of training for my next adventure! Most rides I am doing with my full touring kit on which is quite tough! Will start looking for some more big hills at some stage to train for the rolling hills of the cape and eastern cape.
In between all this, I am trying to get my business of uts feet, finish writing my book and study my bcom!
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