Liam Garner was 17 when he stood at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, pointed his bicycle south, and started pedaling. On Jan. 10, 2023, 527 days later, he arrived in Ushuaia, Argentina. He’d cycled 32,000km through 14 countries, becoming the youngest person ever to do so.
“Someone recommended me a book about a man who biked from Oregon to Patagonia. So I read the book and I kept thinking to myself, ‘Wow, if that guy can do it, why can’t I do it?'” Garner told the BBC after completing his journey.
Scenes from Liam Garner’s 32,000km journey. Photo: Screenshot, the BBC
Garner was able to camp from Alaska all the way to Central America. After that, he stayed in hostels and strangers’ homes as he worked his way through South America.
“Nothing is more important than hope. I can’t explain the way I trust and love this world,” Garner wrote in an Instagram post after rolling up to the water in Ushuaia.
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A bunch of scars
As you might imagine, Garner faced a few difficulties along his journey, most of which took him over the Pan-American Highway. Yes, there were the everyday aches and pains with which every long-distance cyclist is familiar. But Garner also had his passport stolen, was robbed twice, suffered strep throat and a nasty double ear infection, and had his tent ripped to shreds by a street dog.
In Colombia, he experienced a gnarly over-the-handlebars crash that left him with 40 stitches, a detached ear, and a month of recovery time.
“Thankfully, there was no permanent damage besides a bunch of scars,” the teen said.
Garner recovering from plastic surgery to re-attach his ear after an accident in Colombia. Photo: screenshot, the BBC
So what’s next for Garner? Well, he’s not just going to hop on an airplane, that’s for sure. According to his Instagram feed, Garner is currently backpacking north, hoping to walk the whole way back home to Los Angeles.
What’s more, he’s doing it in the company of his partner Chloe, a woman he formed a relationship with as he was biking from Alaska to Argentina.
Ah, to be young.
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