Student cycling 150 miles to graduation ceremony

Student Veronica White has embarked on an epic journey across more than 150 miles of coast, moors and serious hills as she cycles to her graduation – with her best dress for the ceremony safety stored in her paniers.

Veronica is covering 40 miles a day on her bike from Exeter to Penryn, passing Dartmoor, Bodmin Moor and ending in the Roseland Peninsula and a ferry ride.

The University of Exeter PhD student, who is investigating the future of farming, thought it would be appropriate to travel in an environmentally-friendly way to pick up her MRes degree in Sustainable Futures.

She also hopes to cycle around the country as part of her current research, interviewing members of farming communities next year.

For this trip she is accompanied by her boyfriend Brett McKim, who has just finished a PhD in physical climate science at the University of Exeter. They have chosen to go at a leisurely pace, stopping at beauty spots, pubs and farm shops on the way.

The couple left Exeter on Sunday, reached South East Cornwall on Tuesday and hope to be in Falmouth on Wednesday, a day before her graduation in Truro Cathedral.

Veronica was based in the university’s Cornwall campus for her master’s course but is now studying in the Exeter campus for her PhD.

She said: “We’ve having such a lovely trip. We’ve spent time in Fingle Bridge and Mevagissey and camped on Dartmoor. It’s been hilly, so there’s lots of climbing on the bike but we’ve left enough time to detour to beautiful places near the National Cycle Network route.

“Of course because of our research we wanted to reduce our environmental impact. But this is also a great way to see this wonderful landscape and plan for my research next year, when I’ll be travelling around the country via bike to collect people’s visions for the future of farming.

“This is a good way to start training and build up my confidence cycling on country lanes and never-ending hills –  being on a bike really makes you feel the landscape.”

Veronica, who grew up in North Carolina and the Netherlands, has had to train to be able to cover the hills between Exeter and Cornwall. Her bike was purchased second hand from the Exeter charity Ride On and serviced especially for the journey at the BikeShed in the city – with mechanics delighting in joking with her that trains run between Exeter and Cornwall. Veronica and Brett will be travelling home by rail.

Veronica, whose PhD is funded by the South West Doctoral Training Partnership, said: “This is such a lovely way to travel down to celebrate a special achievement. I’m excited to graduate in a cathedral and hopefully my dress will stay safe throughout the trip on the bike to Cornwall. Luckily my mum is bringing me some shoes I can wear for the ceremony as I couldn’t fit anything else in my panniers.”