#279 Joe Barr: World-Champion Ultra-Endurance Cyclist

Joe Barr is a 63-year old ultra-endurance cyclist who has been racing bikes his whole life. He is a 1986 Commonwealth Games medalist and has amassed hundreds of medals and trophies in different cycling disciplines throughout his 45+ year career.

In 2004 Joe retired from professional cycling but after his young son, Ross beat cancer in 2008 he returned to the bike to fund-raise for a respite centre in Ireland focused on providing care for families going through the cancer journey.

Since then, Joe has become a multiple World Record holder and Guinness World Record holder. He was the World Ultra-Cycling Association Champion over 500-miles (2017, overall) and an age category winner in the toughest race of them all, Race Across America.

His ability to endure on 2-wheels through day and night, to constantly find a way forward despite severe obstacles is unparalleled. His challenge, like so many others however, is to take that experience and translate it effectively to life on 2-feet.

In this episode we caught up with Joe to talk about:

• What he eats for breakfast
• How he outsources his brain to his team on long-races
• Incredible encounters with wildlife, nature and strangers while cycling across America
• The “why” that fuels him when things get tough
• Stepping out of the fish-bowl of mainstream sport
• Why his “second-career” has been exponentially better than his first
• How endurance racing transformed him as a man
• And what he’s got his sights on for the next chapter of his journey.

Check it out.

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https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/team-joe-barr-endurance-cyclist

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