The sisters descended from Martin Van Buren, the eighth President of the United States. In 1916, 24-year-old Augusta and 22-year-old Adeline Van Buren, or Gussie and Addie as they were known, were in their 20s and active in the national Preparedness Movement. America was about to enter World War I, and the sisters wanted to prove that women could ride as well as men and would be able to serve as military dispatch riders, freeing up men for other tasks.

Stanys Urman il podista lituano, già campione del mondo di marcia, dopo avere sofferto la prigionia in Russia ed avere combattuto su moltissimi fronti, s'è messo a fare il giro del mondo a piedi.