KATE MOLONEY set off on a bicycle from Ireland for her native Australia yesterday and is planning on pedal power to get her much of the way home.
The 27-year-old headed west from Strandhill, Co Sligo, towards Ballina, Co Mayo, instead of east towards Europe and Asia. She then headed south to Galway for a charity fundraiser tomorrow.
Next she will cycle to Cork, take the ferry to France, then cycle to St Petersburg, where she will board a train for Beijing, then cycle to Hong Kong.
A former top Australian body-boarder, who has been working as a waitress in surfers’ paradise Strandhill since last June, she is determined to return home over 20 countries without flying.
When she planned the trip she was all set to travel 17,000km alone but she has been joined by four compatriots who will cycle part of the way, Bradford McCartney (27) and his sister Erin (20), from Brisbane; Cameron Rees (28), from Sydney; and Dan Treasure (27), from Brisbane.
Kate and her friends were seen off by the Innisfree Wheelers’ Cycle Club. A website (www.katescycle.com) has been set up for two charities, Sustrans, a sustainable transport charity, and mental health aid group Grow.