International Women’s Day is on the horizon and each year we are inspired by more remarkable ladies to be the best person we can be, whether that means getting dressed by 10am, or smashing three marathons in a week. It looks as though international travel will be possible this year and so we thought we’d take a moment to recognise the women who inspire us, particularly those who make us want to travel against adversity.
Jasmine Harrison
The first inspirational powerhouse we thought of has been in the news for her travels very recently! Jasmine Harrison, aged just 21 and from Thirsk, embarked on a 3000-mile journey from La Gomera to Antigua, becoming the youngest woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She set off in December and docked in Antigua in late February, making for an impressive duration of 70 days, three hours and 48 minutes. But her journey didn’t come without its challenges: the boat capsized two days before her arrival in Antigua, and she injured her elbow — a pretty important body part when it comes to rowing. Jasmine would sleep for two hours and row for two hours on a continuous rotation, leaving no time for day-to-day shenanigans like checking social media and completing Netflix. Don’t worry Jasmine, you didn’t miss much — we’ve just been in lockdown the ENTIRE TIME.
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Cheryl Strayed
Next up — Cheryl Strayed. You might recognise this name if you’ve ever seen the Hollywood blockbuster, Wild. Reese Witherspoon plays Cheryl in the re-enactment of her memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. Strayed’s memoir begins at the age of 22. Following her divorce and the death of her mother, Cheryl felt as though she had lost everything, so after experimenting with heroin and finding no solace there, she embarked on a 1,100-mile solo journey, trekking the Pacific Crest Trail without any training or experience. We won’t divulge any spoilers but Cheryl, of course, faces plenty of challenges, and comes out healed on the other side. Ultimately Cheryl proves that if you have the motivation and courage you can overcome anything, and what a story she has to prove it!
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Joanna Lumley
From modelling to acting, the absolutely fabulous Joanna Lumley has graced our screens for over 50 years, providing us with plenty of laughs and characters we have fallen in love with. But Joanna is also an avid traveller and likes to take us along for the ride, in the form of her fantastic travel shows. Joanna certainly has a way with words, and her silky voice allows you to feel as though you are right there with her. She’s taken us along the Silk Road, India, Japan, through the Caribbean and along the Nile – and she certainly knows her stuff! Joanna speaks as though she has spent all her life in these charismatic destinations and you know, as she guides you through, that you are getting a real education. Joanna bounces along with the sprightliness of a 21-year-old, but she’s actually in her 70s, proving that you are never too old to travel solo, explore, and experience the places you’ve never seen before.
Raynor Winn
After a bad business investment made many years earlier, Raynor Winn and her husband, Moth, were left homeless overnight after bailiffs came to take possession of their home. As if that wasn’t bad enough, that very week Moth was diagnosed with a rare degenerative brain condition that usually leaves the sufferer six years to live, and it turns out — Moth had already been living with the condition for six years. Broken and broke, with just £115 in their bank account and no source of income in sight, they donned their backpacks and began their hike of the South West Coast Path. The path starts in Somerset and winds around the cliffs of Devon and Cornwall to finish in Dorset — 630 miles in total. It seems they have nothing left to lose and walk to deal with the pain of losing their past life and coming to terms with Moth’s terminal condition. In her memoir, Raynor and Moth fight off the elements, fuel their walks with instant noodles, and pitch their tents on rugged cliffs. To find out how their story unfolds you’ll have to buy Raynor’s memoir, The Salt Path.
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