Wikipedia:Ness Knight

Vanessa Leigh Knight, known as Ness Knight (born 4 June 1985) is an adventurer and speaker. She has done challenges and expeditions in America, England, South America and Namibia. Knight has stand up paddleboarded 1000 miles, cycled solo across America in 2012 and became the first woman to swim the Thames River from source to London in 2013.

In 2016, she cycled solo and self supported across the Northern Namib desert region of Namibia from the Kunene River to Swakopmund. The expedition was commissioned as a documentary for Red Bull Media House. She ran 400 mile from London to Land's End and cycled across Bolivia with no money.

Early life
Knight was born in Johannesburg, South Africa where she was educated at Bryanston Primary School. In 2000 she immigrated to the United Kingdom where she finished her education in Berkshire followed by Buckinghamshire Chilterns University and Brunel University.

In 2008, Knight spent six months in South America. For two of those months, she volunteered for Comunidad Inti Wara Yassi animal sanctuary in Villa Tunari, Bolivia. There, she cared for a puma and an ocelot, both rescued from the black market.

Career and expeditions
Knight now earns her living as an adventurer, presenter, writer and motivational speaker.

United States
Knight first began a career as an adventurer in 2012 when she standup paddleboarded the Missouri River, USA becoming the first female ever to paddle over 1000 consecutive miles. She continued on from St Louis to cycle 2000 miles across the USA, solo, following the old Route 66 highway self-filming and documenting her expedition.

United Kingdom
In August 2013 Knight attempted to swim the entire length of the Thames River, but was denied permission due to a recent by-law to swim through central London. She set off from the official source, the Thames Head, running 13 miles till the water was deep enough to wade through. She completed the swim at Putney Bridge after 155 miles, to become the first female in history to swim the Thames River from its source to London. Knight suffered debilitating cramps, known as ‘Thames Tummy’, from ingesting river water and was forced to take 2 days off.

Knight swapped her wetsuit for trainers and continued her expedition running from Big Ben in London to Land’s End, completing 15 marathons in 15 days. The route took Knight through the South Downs National Park and the New Forest to Bournemouth where she tracked west through the Jurassic Coast following the South West Coast Path National Trail.

Bolivia
In March 2016 Knight joined British adventurer Laura Bingham’s South America expedition for a section, cycling across Bolivia with no money. The pair relied on resourcefulness to find food and shelter every day for free, camping under bridges, behind cemeteries and in gas stations, foraging for discarded food on the roadsides, and begging from people along the way.

Namibia
In June 2016 Knight flew to Namibia to document her expedition as the first person to cycle through the Namib Desert to the north of the country.