Nancy Sathre-Vogel and her husband were career teachers when her two 10 year old boys came up with a plan. The family had always done bike rides together and even long bike rides but nothing like this cycling journey. They were on the pursuit of a cycling adventure and a modern day exploration of cultures and countries.
This was their motto: “What would you do if you were not afraid?” – Nancy Sathre-Vogel: Author, Cyclist, Teacher and Mother.
The family put a plan together for them to sell everything they owned, rent out their house and ride their bikes from Prudhoe Bay Alaska to the southern tip of Argentina, 17,285 miles. They were hoping to do it in 2 1/2 years, it took them 3. They camped most of the nights and also relied on friends and strangers for shelter and food.
This conversation is unique for a few different reasons compared to most of my other guests because Nancy and her family had a definitive end point. The tip of Argentina. This dramatically changed the conversation when we discuss this part of the journey.
In this episode we cover…
Bear attacks.
Logistically how does a family of 4 bike 17,000 miles.
What was it like pedaling out on that first morning.
What was she most afraid of?
How did they plan to eat, sleep and have enough water.
The kindness of strangers after their water filtration pump breaks.
Homeschooling from the road.
The emotional ending of the trip in Argentina.
Their tough decision literally of ‘now what’. What does a family do with an infinite number of options?
Getting back into a normal life in Utah.
How did the boys, now 13 years old, handling getting back to a normal routine?
Nancy Sathre-Vogel has written a book about their journey titled, Changing Gears: A Family Odyssey to the End of the World.
Show Notes
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