Media Kit

Short Bio

Tegan Phillips is an adventure cyclist, cartoonist, and public speaker.
She explores what it means to live with courage and creative chaos while living in Girona, Spain.

Originally getting her start in cycling by drawing a comic to win a touring bike, while she was studying Law, at Rhodes University. Tegan has since pedalled thousands of kilometres across the globe, including an 11 000 km family journey through Africa and a solo 10-Ironman triathlon around New Zealand.
As a content creator (@TeganPhillipsComics) and brain behind the apparel shop, The Fun Shop by Tegan, she uses her art to make the outdoors feel accessible, inclusive, and joyful. A reminder everyone (especially women) that adventure isn’t just for elite athletes with expensive gear; it’s for all of us.

Long Bio

Tegan Phillips didn't set out to be an ultra-endurance athlete or a professional cartoonist, she was actually a law student at Rhodes University when a single cartoon changed everything. Looking for a way to win an adventure bicycle in a competition, she picked up a pen. She won the bike, took it to Spain on a university holiday, and began documenting the often disaster-filled, beautifully chaotic reality of cycle touring, through a comic blog.

That spark ignited a decade of boundary-pushing endurance adventures. Tegan has since completed an 11 000 km cycling expedition across Southern Africa alongside her family, tackled a solo 2 250 km ‘triathlon’ around New Zealand's South Island, and ridden semi-professionally with the Wintergreen Barrier Breakers.

In 2022, she launched an bid to shatter the overall Guinness World Record for the fastest cycle from Cairo to Cape Town. On day 2, a thyroid virus triggered a severe, life-threatening medical emergency in Egypt. The gruelling recovery and subsequent rebuilding phase in Spain reshaped her relationship with risk, resilience, and what it truly means to "do hard things.”

Today, Tegan is based in Spain and works full-time as a digital creator, speaker, and artist. Through her content (@Teganphillipscomics) and her apparel brand, The Fun Shop by Tegan, she champions the "Chaos Club of Life." Her work cuts through the gatekeeping of the outdoor industry to spread a singular, welcoming message: everything is an adventure, and it belongs to everyone.

Some Themes

  • In The Beginning: How drawing a cartoon to win a bike shifted her path from a law student with uncertain “law career” ambitions to a lifetime of adventuring.
  • The Cairo to Cape Town World Record Attempt: The project, the goal and the build up as an athlete and the vulnerability of rebuilding from scratch when things don’t go “to plan”.
  • Democratising the Outdoors: Breaking down the "bearded men with expensive gear" stereotype to make cycling, bikepacking, and adventure accessible to women and everyday enthusiasts.
  • The Creative Impulse: Why ultra-endurance sports and cartooning are actually driven by the exact same need for problem-solving and mental resilience.
  • E-Commerce: The Business and the apparel industry.
  • Family & Friends: The foundation that helped support who you have become and what you continue to do.
  • Current Projects: Who are you working with now, and what do you enjoy about the current way things are structured?
  • Future ideas: What are you most excited about at the moment, and where do you see the most potential for growth, in yourself and also in the industry you are working in

Ideas for Interview Questions

  1. “You literally started your cycling career by drawing a comic to win a bicycle. How did that first trip in Spain reshape your perspective on what you were capable of?”
  2. “Your Cairo to Cape Town world-record attempt came to an abrupt, terrifying halt on Day 2. Can you take us into what happened in the Egyptian desert and how you navigated the quiet years of recovery afterward?”
  3. “Your comics brilliantly capture the 'chaos' of adventuring. Why is it so important to you to show the messy, unglamorous side of endurance sports rather than just the highlights?”
  4. “What advice do you have for women who want to try bike-packing or outdoor adventures but feel intimidated by the gatekeeping in the community?”
  5. “Talk about ADHD, your relationship with yourself, how that has changed over the last couple of years and what advice you would give to your younger self.”

Social Media Links

Resources

The Blog That Started it All:
Unclipped Adventure
Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins

Long form article:

https://www.bicycling.com/rides/a38819483/bike-across-africa-lessons/

This article highlights how Tegan Phillips' 11 000km family cycling expedition across Southern Africa completely reshaped her perspective on fear, control, and human connection. Rather than relying on rigid planning, she learned that ultra-distance adventuring requires embracing unpredictable chaos and choosing to trust the overwhelming kindness of strangers along the way. Ultimately, she demonstrates that the greatest reward of long-distance travel lies in overcoming social discomfort and finding profound joy in simple, daily roadside rituals.

YouTube:

“The Funny Thing About Courage” | TEDxCapeTown

Tegan breaks down the difference between being courageous and being bold, using her signature humour to explain how a single cartoon changed her life.

Tegan’s Bicycle Adventure! | Tegan Phillips

The original, wonderfully quirky comic entry video that won her Tom Allen’s touring bike and launched her entire adventuring career.

What is a Cafe Ride like with Tadej Pogačar

Tegan Phillips joins a community "coffee ride" in Slovenia hosted by Continental. Led by multi-tour champion Tadej Pogačar through the roads of his childhood hometown, the video highlights a rare, casual side of elite cycling, focusing on gravel riding, local bike-packing routes, and the shared joy of the sport away from intense race pressures.

Overcoming the Cairo to Cape Town Disaster | The Active Hobo Podcast

The most transparent, vulnerable look available at what actually happened on Day 2 in Egypt, the medical emergency, and the deep emotional reality of her recovery.

Komoot:
Tegan goes on an adventure with komoot
Profile: Tegan Phillips

Alastair Humphreys: Living Adventurously

https://alastairhumphreys.com/blog/tegan-phillips/

A long-form written interview hosted by the famous adventurer, breaking down Tegan's perspective on being a female solo explorer, the concept of "Ubuntu," and dealing with bugs and wasp attacks.

Podcasts:

Adventure Cycling with Cartoonist Tegan Phillips | The Consummate Athlete Podcast

Adventure Cycling & Cartooning With Tegan Phillips | Femme Cyclist Podcast

Overcoming the Cairo to Cape Town Disaster | The Active Hobo Podcast

Bikes, Fails & Comedy Gold: Turning Cycling Into Laughs | Zone2Speak Podcast

Tegan Phillips - Adventure Cyclist and Cartoonist | Tough Girl Podcast

International Shop: teganphillips.com 
South African Shop: Feralgirl.co.za