Man Completes 2,800-Mile Australia Scooter Challenge

A man has completed a challenge to cross the width of Australia on a non-electric kick scooter. Bob Brown from Saltash, Cornwall started his journey in July and travelled about 2,800 miles (4506km) from Perth to Sydney, where he finished his trip on Monday. He said he hoped to break two Guinness World Records - to become the fastest person to cross the country on a kick scooter, while also being the first to travel the route by three different methods, running, cycling, and scootering. Brown said "after a lifetime packed with adventure, at 57-years-old I wanted another epic adventure before I got too old". Brown's is no stranger to the country and hoped to raise £5,000 for three charities - MacMillan Cancer Support, St Luke's Hospice and Children's Hospice South West. In 2001 be became the first Briton to run across the country covering 3,000 miles (4828.032km) in 60 days, before in 2003 he cycled the route becoming the first person to have both run and cycled across Australia. "I wanted to raise awareness of the need for youngsters to get off their screens and devices and to seek out adventure", he said. He said he got injured while completing the challenge. "On day five my wing mirror got clipped by a passing vehicle and I skidded onto the hard shoulder" but was "relatively unscathed". "Also on the last day, with just 20km to go, I had a serious fall when my handlebars broke going down a steep hill", he added. Despite the complications, Brown completed the challenge in 31 days, four hours and 10 minutes. He said he had submitted his documentation to Guinness but had to wait to see if the organisation would officially recognise his achievements. Follow BBC Cornwall on X, external, Facebook, external and Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to [email protected], external.