Growing up on a Northern Wisconsin farm, Bridget McCutchen felt freedom.
“I like to joke I was raised in a field by cows and a dog and part of it’s a joke and part of it is reality,” McCutchen says. The reality is McCutchen has always had an adventurous streak.
McCutchen was homeschooled and ventured out from the farm near Ashland for the first time at age 19. She traveled across the country on her motorcycle to Washington and worked on a tall ship called the Lady Washington. She’s been in a few movies like “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Star Trek.” That experience helped McCutchen realize that adventuring wasn’t some unattainable goal that only the coolest of the cool people could do.
McCutchen’s next odyssey could also change her life. At age 21, McCutchen set out to become the youngest woman to travel around the world on a motorcycle. Her goal was the “Guinness Book of World Records.” To claim that record, she had to meet the following criteria: travel at least 24,900 miles, cross the equator at least once and do it all on the same motorcycle.
McCutchen’s travels took her west from Wisconsin and down to the tip of South America. From there, it was a boat ride to Morocco, up through Spain and across Europe. Navigating geography and political terrain was the biggest roadblock. McCutchen has family in Ukraine. One of her cousins was killed when Russia invaded. She avoided both countries on her journey.
McCutchen also took along an abundance of curiosity and ambition.
“It’s a beautiful world and I want to go see it,” McCutchen says. “I want to be the best version of myself. I want to help other people realize they can do the same thing. I really want to inspire other young women like me.”
Fourteen months after discovering her newfound freedom and independence, McCutchen motored back into Ashland, Wisconsin. After logging 50,000 miles and traversing 45 countries, McCutchen came back a changed person. She says she’s become a lot calmer. A lot of things don’t bother her the same way they used to. She feels more certain of herself than she did previously.
That calm confidence emerged from uncertain and often challenging times during the trip. McCutchen admits there were times she was scared. But she also believes fear can be healthy. It tells you when you’re in situations that are dangerous. When asked what was the driving factor that got her through it all, McCutchen said stubbornness.
The gravity of her accomplishment is still setting in. Now it’s up to the “Guinness Book of World Records” to determine if she set the record.
