Warning: Prolonged exposure to adventurer Dave Cornthwaite can lead to wanderlust and an unquenchable thirst for your own adventures as well. Want proof? I’ll simply point you to the newly launched website for Vanessa Knight at NessKnightBlog.com. You see, Ness recently accompanied Dave on his 1000+ mile swim down the Missouri River, serving as part of his support team. While Dave spent countless hours in the water, she followed along on a stand-up paddleboard, reveling in the adventure of the trip. Now, just three short weeks after the conclusion of that journey, she’s ready to start her own.
Today, Ness will set out from the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and start a 2000-mile long cycling journey to San Francisco. The Arch was the ending point of Dave’s expedition but it will now serve as the launch pad for her own adventures. Over the next couple of months, Ness will be riding across the western United States, making her way to the finish line in San Francisco. She’s undertaking this ride not just for the adventure itself, but as an ongoing effort to raise funds for the Coppafeel organization. Coppafeel is the non-proft that is raising awareness about the importance of early detection in combatting breast cancer.
One of the more remarkable aspects of Ness’ journey is that the entire thing came together in just a week. Seven days ago she knew she wanted to do something to extend her adventures in America, but wasn’t quite sure what. She thought things over for a bit, and after a little consultation with Dave, Cycle USA was born. They spent the next few days collecting gear, including a second hand Cannondale bike, and now she’s ready to hit the open road. She even launched her website and Twitter account in the past week, which are both ambitious feats in and of themselves. I’m told they’ll both come in handy down the line however, as she is already planning future expeditions that include swimming the Thames and stand-up paddling the Murray River in Australia.
In the video below, Ness provides a brief introduction to her cycling journey and how it all came together. You certainly have to admire her spirt of adventure and it should be fun to follow along on this ride.
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Adventures like this are very inspiring. I can only imagine the hardships Ness will face on the road. I hope we have a mild winter.