Paola Gianotti’s new venture: “I cycle in Mato Grosso devastated by intensive agriculture”

Feet on the pedals and head for the defense of the environment. The ultra-cyclist Paola Gianottithe four-time Guinness World Record holder for her bicycle exploits, has just left for a new adventure: it’s called “Bike4Tree Brazil”a feat that will see her travel 1200 kilometers across the Mato Grosso in Brazil, both to document the suffering of this territory affected by intensive agriculture and climate changeand to raise funds for initiatives in support of the environment.

The Piedmontese athlete, who is now a coach and motivational speaker, as well as holder of the record for the fastest woman to have circumnavigated the globe by bike, will start from Cuiabá, the capital of Mato Grosso and will cross the Transpantaneira until you get to the area of ​​the Pantanala World Heritage Site and wetland that hosts one of the most important biodiversity in the world.

His adventure will serve to raise public awareness of what is happening in this area of ​​Brazil, where due to deforestation, intensive cultivation and extreme use of pesticides for large fields of soy or sunflowersboth indigenous communities and residents of the vast Brazilian territories are today forced to fight against a constant loss of biodiversity and nature.

After the first part of the journey Giannotti will pedal towards Campinapolisskirting the great expanses of intensive soybean cultivation, up to the Xavantes indigenous reserve and then, in a total journey of two weeks, arriving at St. Paul where she will be welcomed by the Italian consul Domenico Fornara who wanted her as godmother of the Ride Like a Pro Brasil event on April 16th. Before her, during the stage in Campinápolis, she will also have the opportunity to meet the association of small local producers Primavera do Leste, who will tell her how it is possible to cultivate without a strong environmental impact and following the rhythms of nature.

With his initiative, the athlete will support wownature.eu, “a project that aims to combat illegal logging and promote responsible forest management in the Bailique archipelago” and said he will offset CO emissions₂ produced with the plane flights to reach Mato Grosso with the planting of 40 trees in the woods of Lombard Park from the Ticino Valleythe most important forest area of ​​the Po Valley.

“I am very happy and excited to leave for Brazil – Giannotti said on the eve of the trip -. I sincerely thank the Italian consulate for having strongly wanted me in Sao Paulo for the ride Ride Like a Pro Brasil. I am happy to have the opportunity to cross part of Mato Grosso on my two-wheeler to document such a unique territory, but also battered by intensive cultivation. It will be a fascinating journey in which I will have the opportunity to admire natural wonders and spend an entire day with the Indians, but it will also be a journey full of teachings to remind each of us that with small daily actions we can help our planet and live in harmony with the environment”.