8,000 Kilometres on an Elliptigo

Emma Timmis and her love of Stoopwaffles

Emma Timmis won the National Adventurer of the Year in 2015 for running nearly 4,000km across Africa, from Namibia to Mozambique — the equivalent of 94 marathons in 89 days. But her adventures aren’t just focused on running. She’s also cycled from Manchester to the Dolomites in northern Italy, and was the first person to roller skate the length of the Netherlands.

This summer, she’s planning to cycle 8,000 kilometres across Australia’s Red Centre, solo and unsupported, on an elliptigo — a bike that looks a lot like a cross-trainer on wheels.

Here she is on her best and worst eats in the wild:

Best: “I love salted peanuts mixed with raisins. They’re juicy and sweet and salty, and they hit the spot after all that sweating. Oh and Stroopwaffles — I ate far too many as I skated across the Netherlands.”

Worst: “Being on expedition is really a time that you need good nutrition, but it is often neglected. In the past, I didn't worry about nutrition as long as the calories were there, so I ate plain oats running through Africa and cheap dehydrated pasta on the Alpine Walking Track in Australia. Most of my expedition diet has seriously lacked protein and fat, and I’ve often regretted it.”