Alaina Beacall

By Victoria Heywood

Alaina Beacall

Alaina Beacall is part of Cycling UK's 100 Women in Cycling 2018 list because of her epic solo cycling adventures for charity.

Alaina Beacall started cycling 'seriously' just two years ago, when she joined Cycling UK Merseyside after a few years as a commuter cyclist. She now describes herself as a 'long distance adventure cyclist'; her first big trip was in 2017, cycling solo from Nordkapp in the Norwegian Arctic to Croatia. She covered 100 miles per day for 5137 miles, raising over £5,500 for Syrian aid.

Alaina is set to take on the Trans Am in June, a 4300-mile race coast-to-coast across ten US states. She’s aiming to complete this in less than 30 days, a minimum of 145 miles a day entirely self-supported. This time, she's raising money for Asylum Link in her home town.

I love the mental and physical challenge. It forces us to realise that the only limits are the ones in our head - we are capable of anything if we just believe it and try.

Alaina Beacall

Alaina says of her love of cycling, “It's two-prong really. Firstly, the all-encompassing feeling of freedom and peace; nothing else matters but the stunning and varied scenery you are surrounded by all day and night. Secondly, I love the mental and physical challenge. It forces us to realise that the only limits are the ones in our head - we are capable of anything if we just believe it and try.”