Daniel Paul Burton (born December 4, 1963) is an American bicycle enthusiast from Eagle Mountain, Utah,[1] and the first person to complete an expedition from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole by bicycle (though not the first to cycle to it).[2]
Daniel P. Burton | |
|---|---|
 Burton at completion of first bike ride from coast of Antarctica to the South Pole | |
| Born | Daniel Paul Burton December 4, 1963 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Public speaker and entrepreneur |
| Known for | First person to bike to the South Pole |
| Website | epicbiking |
Burton began his expedition, "The South Pole Epic",[3] on December 2, 2013, at Hercules Inlet and arrived at the South Pole on January 21, 2014.[4]
Background
editBurton was a computer programmer by trade.[5] Twenty-three years into his career and out of shape in his 40s, Burton went to get his blood checked. His cholesterol levels were poor, his blood pressure was high and he was a bit overweight.[1] He started to mountain bike and in 2008 established a bike shop in Saratoga Springs, Utah, called Epic Biking.[6] He finished the LOTOJA Classic six times and wanted to do more. He decided to set out on his Antarctic ride to inspire people and to encourage donations to the American Diabetes Association. He also wanted to ride in honor of his mother, whose high cholesterol contributed to her death on November 30, 2012.[1]
South Pole
editBurton began riding fatbikes, which are fortified bikes with wide tires that are intended for sand, ice and snow. He became interested in Eric Larsen's attempt to travel to the bottom of the world in 2012. Larsen made it a quarter of the way before turning around.[6] Training for a year, Burton set off on his expedition December 2, 2013. He started at Hercules Inlet and rode 775 miles (1,247 km)[7] on a Borealis Yampa fatbike[4][8] until he reached the Geographic South Pole.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Allred, Cathy. "Eagle Mountain man first to ride bike to South Pole". Daily Herald. Archived from the original on July 4, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- ^ Biking Bis, Utah Man First to Ride to South Pole
- ^ "Expedition log". Epicsouthpole.blogspot.com. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
- ^ a b Salt Lake Tribune, Utah man sets a world record biking to the South Pole
- ^ Daniel, Burton (2015). South Pole Epic. ISBN 978-1-5054-1697-8.
- ^ a b Stewart, Lis (May 19, 2014). "The end of the world': South Pole cyclist seeks to inspire others' fitness goals". Go Skagit. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- ^ "South Pole Epic by dpburton at Garmin Connect – Details". Connect.garmin.com. December 3, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
- ^ Borealis Yampa
External links
edit- South Pole Epic Blog
- Official Page, Everyday Epic
- TEDx talk at Hill AFB, 2014
- Story Untold podcast interview Archived 2020-11-28 at the Wayback Machine, 2019