We root for all women pushing boundaries. Whether they achieve an incredible sports performance, expand their work horizons, rock motherhood, or juggle all these things at once: we see you and we salute you. This International Women’s Day we want to put a very special female in the limelight.
The woman we want to kick this tour de force off with goes way back in time. 1894, to be precise. The name Annie Cohen Kopchovsky might not ring a bell, but we’re sure you’ll remember her from now on. Annie was the first woman to cross the globe by bike. As many stories do, this whole adventure started in a pub after a few drinks. A guy from Boston bet another guy that no woman could ever travel around the world by bike. Annie stepped forward to prove these fellas wrong.
She was a married woman with three children under the age of six at the time and therefore not the most likely candidate in that day and age. But she went. She cycled from Boston to Chicago, sailed from New York to France, and later on from France to South-East Asia. After a bike tour through China, she reached Japan and set sail again to the United States. When she arrived in the bay of San Francisco she jumped on her bike again to return to Boston to return fifteen months later after the journey of her life started.
This Annie not only had impressive leg muscles but also quite the brains. She figured she could attach an advertisement to her bike to make some money along the way and gave lectures about her adventures while cycling through France. What a legend. So the next time you’re fighting the headwind (or the patriarchy) - channel your inner Annie.
Want to read more about remarkable women? Read our blog on Marianne Vos; world champion winning cyclist
About Swapfiets
Over Swapfiets
Swapfiets is 's werelds eerste ‘bike as a service’ bedrijf met een circulair businessmodel. Opgericht in 2014 in Nederland, groeide de scale-up snel uit tot een van de meest toonaangevende leveranciers van micromobiliteit in Europa, met inmiddels meer dan 280.000 leden in Nederland, Duitsland, België, Denemarken, Frankrijk, Spanje en het Verenigd Koninkrijk. Swapfiets streeft naar meer leefbare Europese steden, een 100% circulaire productlijn en wil in 2025 klimaatneutraal zijn. In oktober 2022 trad Swapfiets officieel toe tot de B Corp gemeenschap om hun missie te verstevigen.
Het concept van Swapfiets is vrij eenvoudig: voor een vast bedrag per maand hebben Swapfiets-leden altijd een werkende fiets. En zijn er onverhoopt problemen, dan wordt de fiets binnen 48 uur gerepareerd of direct vervangen zonder extra kosten. Swapfiets is in Nederland beschikbaar in meer dan 50 plaatsen. www.swapfiets.nl
Contact details
Related topics
Related news
Pedal Your Way to a Healthier Mind
This Mental Health Awareness Month, discover the multiple benefits of cycling for your mental health
Own the City, Not the Bike
You don't have to own everything: discover our fresh-off-the-press campaign here
Through raindrops and snowflakes: 5 reasons why cycling year round does wonders for your health
We get it: when the rain hits and temperatures drop, the outside world suddenly seems way less inviting. It’s the season of hibernating with pumpkin spice lattes and Netflix marathons. But guess wh...
Easy, breezy, e-Bike
We might be biased, but E-bikes are so good. What is better than arriving at your destination? Easy. Arriving at your destination faster, easier and less sweaty! Luckily, we have what it takes to m...
Rebels with a cause: the double denim riders bike for a better future
As you may know by now, Swapfiets is here to stay. We care deeply about durability and luckily, we’re not the only ones. Besides our love for blue, we share the same values, goals, and aspirations ...