Creative Chit Chat - Dundee

Mark Beaumont is an adventurer, broadcaster, author and Rector of Dundee University. Probably best known for beating the world record for circumnavigating the globe by bicycle. Once in 2008 after graduating from university and again in 2017 in just 78 days, beating the existing record by over 40 days. Surprisingly, our chat focused very little on the cycling and record attempts themselves. I think this was somewhat refreshing for Mark. I really wanted to get beyond the end product, if you like, and get to know how he has built a business and a sustainable career from adventuring. How Mark describes his first round the world record attempt definitely carries a formula that he has perfected and used over time. Not necessarily in the sense of performance but in how he chose the challenge and created a narrative around it. He is very much an opportunist and realised that the world record for circumnavigating the globe by bicycle had not been attempted many times and therefore could be beaten. He describes it as