Scooternoga

He rode across Poland from Zakopane in the south to Sopot in the north. 10 days, 735 kilometers. Rode another 317 kilometers, non-stop, from Gdansk to Rewal in 35 hours and 30 minutes. 

On a scooter...without a motor...

Let that sink in for a moment. I imagined him on a scooter like many kids have. In The Netherlands this was more a hype thing, but in Poland tons of kids go to school riding them. Every time it is a funny sight when I pass a school near our place in Warsaw, there even is a special section for them. The man I am about to ask some questions did not go to school riding it, he covered amazing distances and set records which are just jaw dropping. 

"That was the longest day of my life."

Interview at Radio ESKA, a big channel in Poland

Meet Tomasz Banach (36) from Sosnowiec Poland, also known as Scooternoga ("Scooter leg" in Polish). Read how he achieved these amazing records, his heart for charity and his goals for the future.

Tell us a bit more about yourself Tomasz

I have a wonderful family, my wife and two very active kids. I work in the travel industry and  love many kinds of activity, starting from running to riding on a scooter, that’s why some people started to call me "Scooternoga."

How did you get to the idea and when?

I have been playing basketball for 12 years as a professional player. After that I did not quit activity an kept my body in good shape all the time. 

When my son got a small scooter from his uncle in 2015, I bought the same one next day to accompany him outside. Then I figured out that I could do some kind of challenge on the scooter: I decided that in 2016 I would ride across Poland and become the first man achieving that. After succeeding, I did another project in 2017, which was also connected to charity. 

Is it a special scooter?

Not really, the size is like regular ones but it is adapted for adults and I bet on very durable stuff.

How do you figure out routes? It must be a massive challenge to keep it safe. And how do you navigate during the trip?

Yes, that was pretty hard to organize. During the trip in 2016, many friends got involved for help. I slept in their homes and they transferred me to from the point where I finished each day, next day early morning they drove me back to the same location to proceed my trip. I use a special type of navigation also. In 2017 I involved some close friends who loves bikes. They joined me on that non-stop trip to support me, carry food and water. Without them the project was impossible to be successful. 

Did you have many technical breakdowns?

I would say no. The scooter was very well prepared, navigation did not fail either. I still cannot believe that I did not have any breakdowns at all.

What is the strangest thing which happened? And the most special thing? 

The special thing that both projects ended with success. I am still very happy that I achieved both of my records. In 2016 I was surprised that my legs were in such good shape. I expected that it would be the hardest aspect. In 2017 I knew that the weather might be bad. 

It was raining a lot and I did not know that it could influence my feet that much. They were soaking wet through the first 20 hours, which was painful. I was close to quit but fortunately it stopped raining after 20 hours and I was capable to finish my journey.

What is the hardest, the physical or mental part?

During my preparations for both projects I stayed focused on both. I just could not forget to take care of my body, many many training hours. I could not forget about mental part either and tried to imagine what may happen to me, how I will feel after couple of days or hours or how to do it safely and return back  home without any injury.

A happy Tomasz after finishing in Sopot (2016)

Is there an international "scene" of people like you? And national?

Two guys from France rode around the whole earth in almost a year a couple of years ago; I have got a friend who does trips to the Middle East, riding across countries to meet with people there, take great pictures etcetera. I treat my trips as a sports challenge, which is a little bit different.

What is your next goal? And your dream, when is the "circle round?"

As I do a lot of sports activity I might try to prepare myself for some kind of challenge for sure. I am thinking about combining riding scooter, running and skipping on a jumprope during a future project. Of course it will be charity challenge again. But I have to think it over, some time in the future.

The charity Tomasz supported (and will keep supporting) is called "515km dla Iana." Ian is a Polish boy with autism, which does not allow him to develop properly. The man behind the charity, father Piotr Wróbel, literally calls it their fight against the disease. It is a fact that with extensive therapy big results can be achieved. As you can understand, treatment is expensive, so Piotr chose to start the fight: He walked 515km from Katowice to Gdańsk, raising funds for rehabilitation. This year he is walking from Mysłowice to San Marino - 1088 kilometers, a huge distance. Me and my wife are following his progress via the Facebook page and admire him. Despite numerous setbacks he remains strong and positive. Have a look on the page yourself and donate some money if you can miss it. If you are generating income in in Poland, please consider this charity to  transfer 1% of your tax payments.

Both Tomasz and Piotr are inspiring men with a heart made of gold. Bless you both.


©All photos used are owned by Scooternoga and 515km dla Iana and cannot be used elsewhere without their permission.