British adventurer Rosie Swale-Pope ran more than 20,000 miles (32.000 km) around the world out of grief after her husband had died of cancer.

Rosie rented out her cottage to fund her World Run and started from her hometown Tenby in Wales on her 57th birthday, 2 October 2003.
Extreme loneliness, a bitter Siberian winter, a wild wolf stalking her, and an ax-wielding man, couldn’t stop Rosie from moving forward. Shen ran solo and unsupported, but her friend Geoff Hall made sure she got the supplies and equipment needed along the way.
Rosie pulled a cart named ‘Icebird’, that was designed for sleeping, shelter and storage. 

After 5 years, at age 61, she came home again on August 25, 2008, with stress fractures in both legs. Although her journey across 3 continents was not officially around the globe and she didn’t run for that record either, she was named Member of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth.

Rosie became the 1st female world runner. She is recognized as one of the world’s most courageous, gutsy women of her generation. She is the only woman in world history, to have undertaken an epic solo, unsupported run around our world in her sixties.

With her World Run Rosie raised awareness and funds for the early diagnosis of prostate cancer, and also funds for an orphanage in Kitezh, Russia.

Image by Tim Hill