Photo Credit: Dolly Parton/Instagram
In a momentous celebration held in Nashville, Tennessee, country music legend Dolly Parton was officially named a Guinness World Records ICON, a rare honour recognising her extraordinary impact on music, entertainment, and philanthropy. The announcement formed part of Guinness World Records’ 70th anniversary celebrations and highlighted Parton’s enduring legacy as one of the most decorated figures in the industry.
The 79-y
In a momentous celebration held in Nashville, Tennessee, country music legend DollyParton was officially named a Guinness World Records ICON, a rare honour recognising her extraordinary impact on music, entertainment, and philanthropy. The announcement formed part of Guinness World Records’ 70th anniversary celebrations and highlighted Parton’s enduring legacy as one of the most decorated figures in the industry.
The 79-year-old artist, who first rose to fame in the late 1960s, currently holds 11 Guinness World Records, a testament to her decades-long influence. Among her achievements are the most Grammy nominations for a female country artist and the distinction of having Top 10 albums across six consecutive decades.
But her accolades extend beyond charts and trophies. Parton is also the first country singer to be nominated for an EGOT— an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony — often considered the most prestigious combination of awards in entertainment.
“Dolly is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated writers and performers in the history of country music,†said Craig Glenday, Editor-in-Chief of Guinness World Records, during the award presentation. “But her reach and influence extends far beyond the musical world.â€
That influence is perhaps most visible in her philanthropic work. Through her Imagination Library, Parton has helped distribute over 200 million books to children worldwide, fostering a love for reading across generations.
From the stage to the classroom to the gates of her beloved Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, Parton has built an empire rooted in accessibility and heart. Her 2023 album “Rockstar†saw her stepping into new sonic territory, while a surprise feature on Sabrina Carpenter’s “Please Please Please†remix reminded the world of her continued relevance.
When Nigerian adventurer Ebaide Udoh took off from Kenya in 2023 on a motorcycle she had only just learned to ride, her goal was simple: see Africa before her body gave out. A near-fatal car accident in 2015, when she was just 23, left her with screws in her spine after the vehicle flipped several times, hurling her out and slamming her onto her back. She spent months in a wheelchair and vowed to herself that if she ever got her legs back, she would use them as much as she could.“In my head, see
When Nigerian adventurer Ebaide Udoh took off from Kenya in 2023 on a motorcycle she had only just learned to ride, her goal was simple: see Africa before her body gave out. A near-fatal car accident in 2015, when she was just 23, left her with screws in her spine after the vehicle flipped several times, hurling her out and slamming her onto her back. She spent months in a wheelchair and vowed to herself that if she ever got her legs back, she would use them as much as she could.
“In my head, seeing the world just made the most sense because I have screws holding my back in place, and I know I won’t have this ability to move around forever. So I want to see as much as I can before I can’t anymore,” Udoh, now 33, tells OkayAfrica via Zoom from Dakar, Senegal.
Udoh lives with constant pain, but her will to move has never been stronger. She has covered 20 countries and 24,000 kilometers (15,000 miles) on her 250cc motorcycle. The first leg of her journey was a 9,000km (5,600 miles) trip from Mombasa, Kenya, to Lagos, Nigeria. The second leg she is now wrapping up took her through West Africa.
In June, she plans to ride from South Africa to Kenya to complete the final leg and claim a Guinness World Record.
Rewriting the Map
Born and raised in Ibadan, a city in southwestern Nigeria, Udoh studied criminology and social work but never worked in the field. A job in TV led her to radio, then to film production, and eventually to backpacking around West Africa. After COVID-19 shut down borders, she paused. When the world reopened, she didn’t just pick up where she left off; she leveled up.
In 2021, she decided to tour East Africa. “I planned to do five countries, one country per month. I went to Rwanda first, and spent a month there, but when I went to Kenya, I spent four months there. I just couldn’t leave; I loved it too much. In early 2022, I traveled back to Nigeria, sold everything I had, and moved to Kenya,” she says.
In Kenya, she bought and rebuilt a dusty old 1987 Nissan van from scratch, traveled around in it for a while, and then upgraded to a tuk-tuk. That still wasn’t enough. She bought a brand-new motorcycle, enrolled in a riding school for one week, and learned how to ride, with a few falls along the way. She rode the bike around for a while in Kenya for practice, almost 1,900km (1,200 miles). Then, she mapped out her first border-crossing trip on the bike. That first crossing from Kenya to Uganda left her screaming with joy. She hasn’t stopped riding since then.
“The funny thing is that until now, I don’t even know how to ride a bicycle, so learning to ride a motorcycle was even more challenging," she laughs. "But I’ve now done 20 countries on a bike, and I still can’t believe it."
Life on the Road
Udoh has a set of rules for her journey across Africa. She rides no more than four to five hours a day and never after dark. She chooses hotels for safety, avoids attention in remote areas, and keeps a strict code to stay under the radar. Her backpack holds five tops, two pairs of pants, and her photography gear.
"I travel light. I don’t announce myself when I reach a destination. I’m very low-key," she says. "Only people on the Internet know me. I follow these rules to try and keep as safe as possible.”
A typical day starts around 7 a.m., and she rides between 4 and 5 hours. “I can’t push it, even if I wanted to, my body would not allow me. 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., I’m already at my destination.”
Udoh has financed her entire journey independently, relying on her remote writing job to support her travels. However, as she prepares for the final leg from South Africa to Kenya, she is actively seeking sponsorship to alleviate the financial burden and bring greater visibility to her mission.
The Border Problem
Crossing borders from one country to the next is challenging, from visas to corrupt border officials who want bribes. "My Nigerian passport is one of the weakest in Africa," Udoh tells OkayAfrica. Visas are a major barrier. “I’m supposed to be in Morocco right now, but I’m stuck here in Senegal because I’ve been waiting six weeks for my Mauritania visa.”
Her next ride - South Africa to Kenya - will require 12 visas. “It’s wild to require visas to travel within the continent as an African. But I have no choice,” she says.
She has partnered with Youth Hub Africa and the African Union, and they launched a video project called One Africa. No Borders on her social media platforms, advocating for a visa-free Africa for Africans.
When Guinness Said No
In early 2024, Udoh applied to Guinness World Records (GWR) for the title of Longest Journey by Motorcycle in Africa (Female). Applying for a Guinness World Record is free, but the wait is long, and Udoh says she did not have the patience to wait the 12 to 20 weeks record-breakers wait to get a decision. “I don't know how to wait. My life is going, my health is going,” she says.
She paid a $1,000 fee to have her application expedited. The record exists. Multiple people hold similar titles. But her application was rejected.
“They said the category doesn’t exist. But it does. Just not for Africans.” After she emailed them back, listing the names of the people who currently hold similar records, GWR replied, saying that her journey needed to be entirely solo to qualify. And it is. More emails followed, with her proving that she was, indeed, traveling solo.
“Then they sent back one sentence after my long rant. ‘Oh, longest journey can only go through our business consultation service, and to apply for the business consultation service, you have to pay $10,000.’ I wasn't having it,” she says.
She went public, posting a video detailing the exchange with GWR on her social media platforms. The video went viral. Nigerians, and eventually Africans around the world, rallied behind her. It currently has over 20,000 comments on Instagram alone. GWR refunded her money, reinstated her application, and officially approved it on May 1, 2025, under the title: Longest Journey by Motorcycle in Africa (Female). The current record to beat is 30,000 kilometers (19,000 miles). By the time she finishes the final leg of her trip, she expects to reach 35,000km (22,000 miles).
“Now they follow me on Instagram. The director even emailed me personally and said he wishes me a safe trip and hopes I get the record,” she laughs.
The Bigger Picture
The GWR rejection inspired her to build her own platform: African People’s Records. Launching on Africa Day (May 25), it aims to recognize Africans doing extraordinary things. Applications are already rolling in, including one from someone attempting to cycle from Nigeria to the U.S.
She’s also starting the Ebaide Foundation, which will teach young girls skills like tailoring, hairstyling, and baking, then fund their start-ups.
The Record-Breaking Wave
Udoh’s journey is part of a broader movement. Across the continent, Africans are pushing for recognition, record by record.
This year alone, Tunde Onakoya, a Nigerian chess master, played nonstop for 64 hours in New York City’s Times Square to promote education and break the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon. Kanyeyachukwu Tagbo-Okeke, a 15-year-old autistic artist from Nigeria, painted the world’s largest canvas, using art to raise awareness about autism. Ashraf Mahrous, an Egyptian wrestler, pulled a 279-ton train with his teeth, earning global attention in March.
Why now? For some, it’s national pride. For others, it’s personal redemption. Social media fuels virality, but legacy is the real driver.
Udoh never wanted fame. She wanted visibility and representation. “If a girl with a spinal injury who never learned to cycle can break a world record, then what’s your excuse?”
Legacy in Motion
What would visiting all 54 countries mean for Udoh? "Dreaming about 54 countries is even too much," she admits. “But if I can do South Africa to Kenya, that’s 32 countries. Alone! Alone! Can you believe it?"
She hasn’t crossed the entire continent yet, but with 20 countries behind her and 12 to go, she’s on her way to becoming the first African, man or woman, to claim a world record for riding solo across 32 countries in Africa. Her name will be in the record books.
More importantly, she says, “I’ll know my accident didn’t define me. Every curveball life threw at me, I turned into gold."
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