For more than seven years, 66-year-old Megan Lewis has been travelling the globe by horse power.
Her epic world journey began in 2008 following the Beijing Olympics, ending four years later on the Irish coast.
Now, she’s riding across North America with her sidekick, Lady.
“Ever since I was a young teenager, I’ve known that I was going to do a long ride. It’s just something that has always been a dream for me,” Lewis said.
Lady and Lewis began their trip last year in Newfoundland, with plans to end up on the U.S. west coast sometime next year. Lewis said she wants to dismount in either California or Oregon.
“My children think I’m mad, but they are not surprised,” Lewis said.
The duo travel up to 40 kilometers per day on highways, major roads, and most recently on the Trans Canada train. To make it easier on the horses, and on herself, Lewis rides into chunks. Every three months, Lewis returns to Wales to visit her family.
“I need that time to catch up on stuff at home and to plan. It’s quite a huge venture in the sense that it needs a tremendous amount of planning,” she said.
“It’s not like the old days where you could get on your horse and ride.”
The ride has taken her through more than 10 countries, with memories created in each one.
“When we were riding across China people kept asking us if we were the circus, which I thought was quite funny.”
When asked to pick a favourite country, Lewis couldn’t.
“It’s sort of like saying who is your favourite child. They are all different and I’ve just loved everywhere.”
Out of everywhere she’s been, Lewis said Canada has been the nicest. She said she loves the countryside, the lakes, and most of all, the “nice people.”
“In Canada, everyone has been so friendly. I think it’s the nicest country I’ve been to so far.”
This adventure of a lifetime is expensive. Although Lewis has had some sponsors along the way, she said it’s journey she felt she had to do.
“I think I saw far more of countries than a lot of other people because say, in China, I got to stay in a little farm houses and those sorts of places that people don’t often see.”
Although she has mapped out places to stay, Lewis said she often sleeps in a tent on the road, or in people’s homes.
“I find people are always interested in horses, so they come and talk to me. If they don’t like horses, they are interested to hear why I’m on a horse in the countryside.”
In addition to creating lasting memories, Lewis is raising money for her husband’s charity, Challenge Aid. The charity helps educate disadvantaged children in the developing world.
