The man who rode into the record books by driving across America on his lawnmower

Gary Hatter (USA) was on the lawnmower for 260 consecutive days, but it wasn't for work.

In the quest to achieve a Guinness World Records title, as well as fundraise for his medical costs after a severe back injury, the Champaign, Illinois native undertook an audacious journey in 2000 to travel to all 48 contiguous US states, as well as Canada and Mexico.

The entire time, he sat atop his orange-coloured Kubota BX2200-60 mower - reaching maximum speeds of 9 mph (14.5 km/h), yet still chugging along the sides of country roads and interstate highways alike, determined to break the record for the longest lawnmower ride in history.

Gary grew up mowing lawns around his neighbourhood, turning his familiarity with machines into a gig as a truck driver when he got older. He hurt his back while employed there in 1979, and for the next two decades he battled worker's compensation lawsuits as well as his pain, eventually deciding to raise the money he needed for surgery by taking his story on the road.

He was not the first mowing enthusiast to attempt the title - similar efforts were made by Ryan Tripp (USA) in 1997 and Brad Hauter (USA) in 1999 - though Gary was the first to travel 14,594.5 mi (23,487.5 km) across continental North America in pursuit of fame.

In an interview with the Washington Post in 2000, he explained his passion for the machine by saying: "It's the way I get a clear mind from it, the sound of the engines when the blades start turning, the way the wide-open air hits you in the face, how you can whip around at a gas station and get that G-force whoopin' you back and forth."

Read more stories about record-breaking cross-country rides in our dedicated Adventures and Epic Journeys section!

Before setting out on his record-breaking ride, Gary planned out a specific route to avoid crossing states at times of inclement weather - no winters in Minnesota, or summers in the desert for this traveller - until he felt prepared to start his journey in Portland, Maine on 31 May 2000.

Decorating his lawnmower with signs saying "Race Across America" and referencing his Guinness World Records attempt, he was carefully followed by his son in a compact car, just in case anything were to happen on the road.

Luckily, Gary remained unscathed - for the most part, minus a few run-ins with wild animals, and the ever-present exhaustion he felt from spending months perched on a lawnmower seat.

He went through four sets of front and three sets of rear tyres throughout the quest, whilst clocking up 14 miles per gallon on average in the vehicle. His diesel-powered mower worked through the beaten roads with its power steering and four-wheel drive, and was fitted with all the necessary lights and attachments to make it roadworthy. Yet beyond the routine maintenance and services, he shockingly was able to complete the drive in one piece.

"[I pass the time by] trying to keep from getting killed," he said to Sweet Home News, while passing through the Oregon town in 2000. "You don't have a chance to get bored."

Finally, after 260 days, Gary finished his trek in Daytona Beach, Florida, on 14 February 2001.

He had spent the better part of the year driving through all walks of life, crossing through difficult unpaved roads and witnessing the kindness and generosity of strangers. According to the Orlando Sentinel, he'd even mowed a few lawns during the process. Yet above all else, he told the paper that the process reminded him that he was capable of anything.

"I'd been so long trying to get out of my financial and emotional rut," he had said. "Now I feel like somebody. I feel like I can begin again."