On June 19, after biking day and night for nearly two weeks, Sarah Ruggins reached her goal: Nordkapp, Norway. She had ridden Europe from end to end (see map) faster than anyone in history.
Ruggins took up cycling after a disease made it hard for her to run. Her rides break records, and they help others get access to bikes.
A Bumpy Ride
At 15, Ruggins was diagnosed with a rare condition that prevented her from walking. Her recovery took many years, as she relearned how to use her body. Unable to continue running races, she turned to cycling.
In 2023, Ruggins bought her first bike. She trained for racing by lifting weights and working with coaches. Preparing was “a full-time job,” she told TFK. This summer, Ruggins started her One Way North journey in Tarifa, Spain. She rode through nine countries in 13 days, 20 hours, and 27 minutes to reach the northern tip of Europe. The longest she slept was four hours; most nights, she slept 90 minutes.
Ruggins’s races have raised more than $100,000 for the nonprofit group World Bicycle Relief. It gives bicycles to people in remote remote far away from populated places (adjective) areas without buses or trains, combating what’s called “mobility mobility relating to the ability to move (adjective) poverty.” In 2025, the group gave out nearly 100,000 bicycles. Some help kids get to school.
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