On 21 July 2013 Grant Lottering’s heart stopped after smashing his body into a rock wall at over 40 m/ph during a cycling race in the Italian Alps. He had to be defibrillated twice at the scene to get his heart going. The accident shattered 22 bones in his body and he had extensive internal injuries and bleeding. Doctors told him he survived death but that riding his bicycle again would be impossible. Grant talks about his experience of dying and using his 2nd chance at life to be relevant, addressing audiences world-wide and raising millions in funds for underprivileged children through his annual solo extreme-endurance Im’possible Tours across the globe.
Lottering has repeatedly demonstrated perseverance in the face of adversity and founded the first of his annual Im’possible Tours in 2014 after his near-fatal accident in Italy. Only 11 months later, after six surgeries and close to 100 rehabilitation sessions, Lottering was back on the bike for the first Im’possible Tour in 2014, finishing the race that nearly claimed his life.
The second Im’possible Tour took place in 2015. Lottering became the first South African to complete a solo, non-stop 420km ultra-endurance ride through the northern French Alps in under 24 hours. In 2016, Lottering did what many considered impossible and set off on a non-stop ride through the length of the French Alps from Nice on the French Riviera to Les Saisies Ski Resort, one hour south of Geneva. He covered 962 km in 46 hours, climbing 19 600m over 21 of the most ruthless Alpine mountains in all cycling folklore over two days and nights of riding.
He has since traversed the entire French Pyrenean and Alpine mountain ranges in one 72-hour effort in 2018 and completed a single, non-stop, 1 314km mountain bike ride in 2019 from the Eastern Cape to the Western Cape in 66 hours and 12 minutes. Health and safety concerns forced Lottering to put the brakes on his #xtremeSA2020 Im’possible Tour after cycling for 45 hours and covering 842km through the Eastern Cape Highlands in non-stop wind and rain. Still, he was back in January 2022, where he successfully completed his eighth Im’possible Tour in aid of charity where he traversed the 750km Cape Cycle Route from Plettenberg Bay to Stellenbosch in 37 hours which was by no means his longest tour, but without doubt the hardest ever due to the extreme heat and terrain.
On the 4th of June 2022 Lottering completed his 1st Im’possible Tour in the USA, conquering Southern California in a solo 986km, 51-hour and 40min ride from Shaver Lake in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Big Bear Lake north of Los Angeles in aid of Laureus Sport for Good USA, climbing over 18,000m.
What makes his accomplishments so remarkable, is that he has undergone 12 surgeries between 2013 – 2018 as a result of his accident. In addition he was diagnosed with cancer in 2016. His remarkable story of survival and overcoming has attracted much media attention, locally and world-wide, reaching over 90 million people through broadcast, print and online media. He gives God the glory for the life he is able to live today.
He has shared his story ’From Death to the Top of the Alps‘ with audiences in over 12 countries around the world. Inspiring audiences to fly high in the face of adversity, he is living proof that one can achieve unbelievable levels of success while persevering in the face of challenges and storms. Grant Lottering has overcome incredible odds, refusing to give up, and continues to do what most believe to be impossible.
