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Joy Ebaide Udoh
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Joy Ebaide Udoh, a Nigerian cyclist and advocate for the disabled and women’s rights, has had her Guinness World Record application rejected and erased despite completing a remarkable solo motorcycle trip across 20 African countries.
PRNigeria reports that Ebaide’s story began on April 5, 2024, when she made an application to the Guinness World Records seeking to set the record for the Longest Solo Motorcycle Journey in Africa by a Woman.
Ebaide set off on her historic expedition on March 8, 2024 on International Women’s Day, riding a 250cc motorcycle from Kenya. Over several challenging months, she traversed thousands of kilometers across diverse terrains and borders, becoming the first African woman and the first with a disability to complete a solo motorcycle tour across 20 African nations.
At 23, Ebaide survived a horrific car accident that left her paralysed from the waist down. After enduring multiple surgeries, including spinal reconstruction with rods and screws, she defied all odds by relearning how to ride, this time on a motorcycle.
After completing her journey, Ebaide submitted an application to Guinness World Records, seeking recognition for the “Longest Solo Motorcycle Ride Across Africa by a Woman.” She paid a priority processing fee of $1,000.
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But shockingly, Guinness rejected the application, stating that the record category was “not recognised,” and questioned whether the journey was “personal enough”, a vague dismissal that hinted at the need for an additional £10,000 commercial consultation.
“I had no corporate sponsors. I planned and funded the entire journey myself and they made it seem like my story didn’t count unless it came with a price tag”, Ebaide told reporters.
To make matters worse, when she logged into her Guinness account the following day, her application had been completely erased, with no reimbursement, no explanation, and no record of her attempt.
However, the move has been met with outrage from supporters across Africa and the diaspora, who view Guinness’ actions as tone-deaf, dismissive, and discriminatory.
“They erased my story as if I never even applied, as if it never happened, like I don’t exist,” she said.
“For a moment, It broke me, I felt unworthy, undeserving, like my story doesn’t matter”. She cried out.
“But I’m not broken. I’m even more determined now. If Guinness won’t recognise me, I’ll write my own legacy”, she added.
Despite the rejection, Ebaide said she remained determined as she has announced the season 3, a solo motorcycle ride from South Africa to Kenya, this time, to raise awareness and funds for orphaned African girls, a cause close to her heart, as she grew up as an orphan herself.
She has also created a new movement, a legacy platform for Africans and by Africans which she launched on her birthday, 27th of April, an initiative aimed at transforming the future of African youth.
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