[upbeat acoustic guitar]
- I grew up on a farm in northern Wisconsin.
I like to joke I was raised in a field
by cows and a dog.
Part of it's a joke and part of it is reality.
Hey, Harry. [clicking tongue]
- Angela: The reality is
Bridget McCutchen has always had
an adventurous streak.
- Growing up, I had a lot of freedom.
I'm really grateful for the way I was raised.
I was home-schooled.
It really let me decide
who I was as a person
before the world told me who I was supposed to be
or how I was supposed to act.
- Angela: And then, at age 19...
- I left the farm for, really, the first time.
- Angela: Going from one horse
[clicking tongue]
to an entirely different kind of horsepower.
[driving rock music]
Bridget hit the road on her motorcycle
and headed for the West Coast.
[motorcycle engine purrs]
- I worked on a tall ship
called the Lady Washington.
She's been in a few movies.
Like, she was the Interceptor in Pirates of the Caribbean.
She was on Star Trek.
That experience really helped me realize
that adventuring wasn't this unattainable goal
that only the coolest of the cool people could do.
It pretty much changed my life.
- Angela: Eight months later, Bridget returned to Wisconsin
in search of open water.
- I worked for the cruise boats in Bayfield,
and now, I work on the Madeline Island Ferry.
You're welcome.
- Angela: Bridget is working towards
her Captain's License.
- I really enjoy driving the boats.
- Angela: But her maritime career will have to wait.
There's an even bigger adventure calling her name.
- I will still be 21,
and hopefully, by the time I finish,
I will just be 22.
[playful rock music]
- Angela: Bridget wants to set a world record
as the youngest woman to travel around the world
on a motorcycle.
- The countries in yellow are countries
I may be going to.
Countries in green are countries
I know I'm going to.
Probably flying or shipping the bike over
to Morocco and up through Spain.
I think not being able to do it
scares me more than anything that would happen.
- Angela: To claim the Guinness World Record,
Bridget must meet the following criteria.
- I have to go
at least 24,900 miles.
I have to cross the equator at least once,
and I have to have the same motorcycle
the whole time.
They have like 30 pages of really detailed requirements.
And then, at the end,
if Guinness thinks it's good enough,
then they'll confirm the record.
My mother's immediate reaction was...
And my father was like...
My dad is really excited about it
and my mom is really concerned about it.
- Angela: To help alleviate some concerns...
- This is custom, this plate, right?
- Angela: Bridget retrofit her bike for the journey
with the help of Northwood Technical College.
- It's thoroughly the most expensive thing I own.
- Angela: Navigating geography and political terrain
might be the biggest roadblock.
- I was going to go through the Ukraine
and visit my family.
It's kind of upsetting what's happening there.
I was planning to go through Russia
and that is no longer an option.
- Angela: Despite those obstacles...
- Bye, Bridget!
- Bridget set out in August of 2022
with a family memento in tow.
- It's supposed to ward off, like, evil spirits and gremlins.
[bell ringing]
I love that noise. [bell ringing]
This is from my grandmother.
I think it was from her brother in the Ukraine.
I'm scared I'm gonna lose it.
So, yeah, [rings bell]
demon be gone bell.
- Angela: Bridget will also take along
an abundance of curiosity and ambition.
- I mean, it's a beautiful world
and I wanna go see it.
[upbeat music]
That's a big part of it is just wanting
to go see the world.
Riding a motorcycle, to me,
is the best thing in the world
and it gives you a sense of freedom and independence.
I really want to inspire other young women like myself.
- Angela: She's driven to set a world record.
However, success will not be measured in miles.
- That was such a gnarly trail!
I think it's going to start out
with completing the trip and getting the record,
and I would not be surprised by the end of it
if it is completely different,
because I guarantee you,
I will not be the same person when I come back.