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On Wednesday 10th October, Elspeth Beard came to Eton to recount her experience of being the first British woman to motorcycle around the world.

Having found school and university difficult, she pursued her passion of motorcycling which led her on to the adventure of which she came to speak on. Purchasing a 1974 BMW R60/6, and with only £2500 to take her through the 35,000 mile journey, she proceeded to teach herself how to care for and repair the bike, an effort which proved invaluable during her journey. Setting off across the America’s for what would end up to be more than a two year journey, she described the challenges and rewards one might expect from such a daring and unique adventure.

Elspeth’s passion for adventure and her ‘just go for it’ attitude shone through throughout the talk. She described how traveling without detailed plans or ideas enabled her to immerse herself in every country she visited, often staying with locals rather than tourist packed motels. Her resounding message was that of determination, as she reinforced the idea that where there's a will, there’s a way.