Jack ‘UltraCyclist’ Thompson smashes Everesting world record
This article originally appeared on Velo News
Professional ultracyclist Jack Thompson has set a new world record for most the Everests climbed in a calendar year, climbing one Everest per week for 52 weeks.
An Everest, also known as Everesting, is akin to climbing the elevation of Mt. Everest -- 8,848.9m (29,032ft) -- in a single effort, with no sleep. The effort must be made on the same hill or mountain.
Thompson, an Aussie who is based in Spain, has had his accomplishment officially verified by Everesting.cc. His new record bests the old record of 42 Everests in a calendar year.
Related: What does it take to ride one million vertical meters in a year? We asked the guy who's trying
Thompson’s new world record was completed in the context of another extraordinary feat; as part of his "1,000,000: A Space Odyssey” project, he completed a supplemental average of 2,068m of elevation gain per day in addition to the 52 Everests in order to reach one million meters climbed. The distance is equal to two and a half times the height of the International Space Station.
One of Thompson’s primary goals for the project was to drive mental health awareness. He has been candid about his life-long struggles with depression and cycling’s healing influence in his life. Throughout the Space Odyssey mission, Thompson sought to spark more conversations about mental health and remind people that “it's ok not to be ok.”
Related: Meet Jack Thompson, the cyclist who just set the world record for most kilometers ridden in a week
The Everest world record is not Thompson’s first attempt at big and bold accomplishments; in 2020, he also broke the Guinness World Record for most kilometers ridden in seven days - 3,505km (2,177.9 mi), and in 2021 he rode the Tour de France route in 10 days.
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