Eagle Scout Eric Fiala Talks About His Epic Bike Ride From Alaska to Argentina

The distance from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Ushuaia, Argentina, covers more than 20,000 miles. Eagle Scout Eric Fiala biked every last one of them in 19 months and 13 days, all in the name of adventure and autism awareness. During the journey, he was hit by a car, mugged and thrown from his bike into a tree. But Eric never stopped peddling, not until he reached the end of his ride Feb. 2, 2009.

Boys’ Life spoke to Eric about his wild ride. Read about it in the May 2010 issue of BL, and listen to exclusive excerpts by clicking on the audio players below:

Eric on training:

Eric on the trip’s most memorable moments:

Eric on facing adversity:

Eric on how Scouting helped him:

Eric on riding for autism: