John Balsdon on World Records and Crossing Africa

Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady interviews recent world record holder John Ballsdon of Always Look Twice about his 28-day drive from Nordkapp, Norway to Cape Agulhas, South Africa, largely hugging West Africa’s coast in two Ineos Grenadiers, one towing a Bruder trailer. John shares how his mother, a professional photographer, shaped his attention to detail and how early travels to India and later living 10.5 years in Moscow fueled a lifelong drive to document landscapes and cultures. They discuss staying grounded after travel through planning, journaling, and reflection, plus the contrasts of living abroad versus passing through. John explains why he pursued the record as an antidote to “doom scrolling,” highlights Guinea and the North Cape, describes low points in Angola, a lost passport recovered through Nigerian kindness, vehicle prep and fuel strategy, and a forthcoming feature-length film planned for autumn.