Amanda Coker
Amanda Coker is an American ultra-cyclist and the current record holder of the World Endurance record for distance in a calendar year.
Career
Coker first began riding alongside her father, Ricky, as a teenager, and found success as a racer, placing sixth in the time trial at the junior national championships in 2010. She later enrolled at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado as part of a collegiate cycling programs.In 2011 Coker was hit by a distracted motorist. The crash threw her and knocked her unconscious, leaving her with brain and spinal injuries. After recovering, she resumed cycling in 2015.
On 15 May 2016 Coker began an attempt to set a new record for distance covered over the course of a year. Riding a course in Flatwoods Park in Tampa Bay she rode a day on average. After 130 days of riding she had covered, beating Billie Fleming's female record of which had stood since 1938. In April 2017 she surpassed the previous overall record of set by Kurt Searvogel. In May 2017 she completed the year, setting a new record of, beating the previous record by over. During the attempt, her longest ride in a single day was, completed on the penultimate day.
After setting the new record, Coker continued cycling, seeking to break the record for the shortest time to cover. For 77 years that record was held by Tommy Godwin, who set off in January 1939 and reached the mark in May 1940, after 500 days of cycling. On July 11, 2017, Coker reached, after 423 days of cycling.
On October 23, 2021, Coker set a new road record of 512.506 miles in 24 hours, and became the first woman to break in 24 hours riding solo. During the record attempt, she also broke 10 other WUCA/Guinness World records for other various durations and distances.