Rosie Swale-Pope facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rosie Swale-Pope
Swale-Pope in 2003
Born	Rosie Griffin (1946-10-02) 2 October 1946 (age 78) Davos, Switzerland
Nationality	British
Occupation	Writer, adventurer, marathon runner
Title	MBE
Children	Eve and James

Rosie Swale-Pope, who has an MBE award, was born on October 2, 1946. She is a British author, adventurer, and marathon runner. Rosie successfully ran around the world for five years. She raised £250,000 for a charity that helps orphaned children in Russia. She also wanted to show how important it is to find prostate cancer early. Her other amazing achievements include sailing alone across the Atlantic Ocean in a small boat. She also trekked 3,000 miles (4,800 km) alone through Chile on horseback.

Early Life and Adventures

Rosie Swale-Pope was born Rosie Griffin in Davos, Switzerland. Her Swiss mother was sick with tuberculosis. Her Irish father, Major Ronald Peter Griffin, was in the British Army. So, a local postman's wife raised Rosie. When Rosie was two, her mother died. She then went to live with her grandmother, Carlie Ponsonby, in New Bridge, Askeaton, Ireland. Her grandmother was sick and stayed in bed.

When Rosie was five, her father remarried and moved to Ireland. He had four more children. Rosie stayed with her grandmother. She also looked after four orphaned donkeys, seven goats, and a pet cow named Cleopatra. Rosie learned to ride horses. She often explored the countryside all day on her black horse, Columbine.

Her grandmother taught Rosie at home. Rosie's schoolwork was mostly writing about her day. This helped her later when she wrote books about her travels.

Her father died in 1957. When Rosie was thirteen, she went to a strict boarding school for girls in Cork.

At 18, Rosie's first job was as a reporter for a local newspaper. She soon left and hitchhiked to Delhi, Nepal, and Russia. She had almost no money or luggage.

Rosie married Colin Swale when she was in her early twenties. They first lived in a small flat in London. When their daughter Eve was born, they bought a 30-foot (9 m) catamaran boat. They named it the Anneliese. They sailed to Italy, where Rosie's son James was born on the boat.

Sailing Around the World

Gibraltar, where Rosie's big sailing trip began.

In December 1971, Rosie began sailing around the world. She started from Gibraltar with her husband Colin and daughter Eve on their boat, the Anneliese. The newspaper Daily Mail and ITN helped pay for the trip. ITN gave them a camera to record their journey. They sailed 30,000 miles (48,300 km) across the Atlantic Ocean. They went through the Panama Canal and across the Pacific. They stopped at the Galapagos Islands, Marquesas, Tahiti, and Tonga. They reached Australia in 1973. They were the first catamaran crew to sail around Cape Horn.

The trip was risky. Rosie fell overboard in the Caribbean far from land. Another time, she needed urgent medical help. The family also got sick from food poisoning. But they survived these challenges. They used only an old Spitfire compass, maps, and a sextant to navigate. This was before GPS existed! When they returned to Plymouth, Rosie had written two books: Rosie Darling and Children of Cape Horn. She often worked on her typewriter for hours on the boat.

Crossing the Atlantic Alone

In 1983, Rosie sailed alone across the Atlantic. She used a small 17-foot (5.2 m) boat called Fiesta Girl. She found this boat in a cowshed in Wales. She wanted to be the fourth woman to sail alone from England to America in a small boat. She also wanted to raise money for a special medical scanner for a hospital in London. Before this trip, Rosie met her second husband, Clive Pope. He was a sailor and photographer who helped her get the boat ready.

Rosie left Pembroke, Wales, on July 13, 1983. She sailed to the Azores and Caribbean Islands. She navigated by the stars. An oil tanker almost hit her boat. When she was 100 miles (160 km) north of Puerto Rico, she had no wind for five days. She ran out of food and water. She almost drowned when storms swept her overboard. She arrived at Staten Island, New York, after sailing 4,800 miles (7,720 km) in 70 days. She used the stars and her watch to find her way.

Horseback Ride Through Chile

Cape Horn, a famous point in South America.

A year after her Atlantic crossing, Rosie wanted to see Cape Horn again. She planned to ride 3,000 miles (4,830 km) through Chile on horseback. Her journey went from the northern port of Antofagasta to Cape Horn. She rode two Chilean horses named 'Hornero' and 'Jolgorio'. These horses came from a famous stable and were originally brought to Chile by Spanish explorers in 1492.

Rosie left Antofagasta on July 22, 1984. General César Mendoza, head of Chile's Military Police, helped her. He was an Olympic horseman and gave her an armed escort for the first part of the trip. The journey was planned for four months but took fourteen. In the first week, a desert sandstorm scattered her horses and equipment. Later, she fell from a horse and broke two ribs. She also faced starvation when she got lost in the southern rain forests and ran out of food. Bad weather delayed her. Rosie reached Cape Horn on September 2, 1985. This was 409 days after she started. Rosie wrote about her experiences in Chile in her book Back to Cape Horn.

Amazing Walks, Runs, and Marathons

Walking Around Wales

On September 25, 1987, Rosie started walking around Wales in winter. She carried everything she needed, including a small tent. Her husband Clive supported her and sometimes walked with her. Rosie walked 1,375 miles (2,213 km) and wrote about it in her book Winter Wales.

London Marathon Race

In 1995, Rosie ran her first London Marathon. She finished in six hours. She called it her most memorable sports moment.

Sahara Desert Run

Racers at a large ridge in the Marathon des Sables.

In 1997, Rosie ran 243 km (151 mi) across the Sahara desert. This race, called the 'Marathon des Sables', is known as 'the toughest footrace on earth'. It lasts six days and is like running five and a half normal marathons. Rosie carried all her supplies in a rucksack, just like other runners. She ran across the Sahara again in 2000.

Runs in Europe

In 1997, Rosie ran through Romania to the Hungarian border. Two years later, in 1999, she ran 1,000 miles (1,610 km) alone across Iceland. She ran from the Arctic Circle to the capital city, Reykjavík.

In 2000, Rosie ran through the Balkans from Macedonia. It was a very challenging run. She faced difficulties but managed to reach the border. In April 2001, she flew to Skopje. She ran across closed borders into Kosovo and then through Montenegro. She ran for twenty-four hours through empty villages and deep snow. Finally, she reached northern Albania.

South Africa Ultramarathons

To celebrate the year 2000, Rosie completed the 'Comrades Marathon'. This is one of the world's oldest and largest ultramarathons. It is about 90 km (56 mi) long. It runs between Pietermaritzburg and Durban in South Africa. The race direction changes each year. It's like running two marathons! Rosie finished in 11 hours, 1 minute, and 1 second. She won a bronze medal. This race is compared to climbing Mount Everest for runners.

Cuba Run

On November 8, 2001, Rosie started running 1,360 miles (2,190 km) across Cuba. It took her 46 days. She ran a marathon distance every day (and some nights). She carried a 12 kilograms (26 lb) rucksack and camped in a light bivouac. She ate rice and sugar cane. She also had to avoid the Cuban Police, who were worried about her safety. She also ran and finished the Havana Marathon in 4 hours and 52 minutes. She ran alone from west to east to raise money for Age Concern. The straight distance was 750 miles (1,210 km), but Rosie covered over 1,000 miles (1,610 km). She camped by the road and in the jungle. The run took almost seven weeks. She reached the Punta de Maisi lighthouse on Christmas Day 2001.

Cardiff Marathon Race

Rosie completing Cardiff Marathon in 2002.

Rosie ran the Marathon in Cardiff in 2002. She ran to support her local hospital in West Wales. Her husband Clive had died there from prostate cancer ten weeks before. She finished in 4 hours, 15 minutes, and 35 seconds. She had a bad fall six miles from the finish line. She received an award for being the fastest 55-year-old runner.

Nepal Run

In April 2003, Rosie ran across Nepal. She raised money for the Nepal Trust. This charity helps communities in remote areas of North-West Nepal. The journey was 1,700 kilometres (1,060 mi) long. She set a new world record time of 68 days. Rosie also raised over US$8000. This money helped pay for a health camp in Simikot, Humla.

Running Around the World

Rosie's second husband, Clive, died of prostate cancer in 2002. He was 73. After this, Rosie decided to run around the world. She wanted to raise money for the Prostate Cancer Charity. She also wanted to help an orphanage in Kitezh, Russia, which provides education and care for children.

Her goal was to run around the northern half of the world. She wanted to cover as much land as possible. She had no support team, just minimal supplies. Rosie started from her home town of Tenby, Wales, on her 57th birthday, October 2, 2003. Her first step is marked on a flagstone outside her house. She had a small cart with food and camping gear. She paid for the trip by renting out her cottage. By April 5, 2004, she reached Moscow, Russia. On September 15, 2005, she reached Magadan in far eastern Russia. She faced very tough conditions in the Alaskan Winter. She reached the road again on April 17, 2006. In October 2006, she was in Edmonton, Canada. Four years after starting, on October 2, 2007, she reached New York City, US.

She ran while pulling her cart. The cart was for sleeping, shelter, and storage. Her son James kept a website updated. Her supporters followed her progress there. Her friend Geoff Hall helped arrange supplies for her around the world. In the Faroes, she went on a midnight hike to see the scenery. She also gave talks about different cultures. She said that Siberian wolves ran with her for a week. She even took a break to run the Chicago marathon during her journey.

Rosie lived on very little food. She became very ill near Lake Baikal in Russia. She had an accident and was taken to the hospital. In Alaska, she dealt with temperatures of −60 °F (−51.1 °C). She almost froze in her sleeping bag at night. A blizzard trapped her by the Yukon River. She got severe frostbite on her foot. She had to call friends in Wales for help. They called the Alaskan National Guard, who helped her get treatment. This allowed her to continue her run.

She left Canada by plane from St John's on January 24, 2008. She made a short visit to Greenland. Then she flew to Iceland on February 9, 2008, and kept running. While running, she slipped on the ice and got badly hurt. She was over a hundred miles (160 km) from the nearest house. She had to walk two miles (3.2 km) with her injuries before someone found her and she got medical help.

On June 18, 2008, she arrived in Scrabster, Scotland, by ferry from Iceland. She ran from Scrabster back home to Tenby. Rosie successfully finished her journey. She had stress fractures in both legs. This made the last few miles a hobble on crutches. She returned home on August 25, 2008, at 2:18 PM. A large crowd of people from Tenby came to welcome her home. She had traveled 32,000 kilometres (19,900 mi).

Rosie wrote a book about her experiences called "Just a Little Run Around the World: 5 Years, 3 Packs of Wolves and 53 Pairs of Shoes". It came out on May 28, 2009.

The British rock band Big Big Train wrote a song about Rosie's run. It's called "The Passing Widow" from their 2017 album The Second Brightest Star.

Chicago Marathon Race

While running around the world, Rosie took a break. After reaching Edmonton, Canada, she took part in the 2006 Chicago Marathon. She was invited to support charity work. She finished the marathon in 4 hours and 40 minutes. After the race, she flew back to Edmonton and continued her run around the world.

Ireland Run

In September 2009, Rosie Swale Pope ran 236 miles (380 km) along the east coast of Ireland. She went from Rosslare to the Giant's Causeway. She pulled her cart, which she called 'Icebird'. This run was to highlight the importance of cancer awareness. She finished the run on her birthday, October 2, 2009. This was also the anniversary of starting her round-the-world run in 2003. She said the Wicklow Mountains were one of her hardest challenges.

Run Across America

In 2015, Rosie started running 3,371 miles across America. Her journey went from New York to San Francisco.

Awards and Support

Rosie Swale-Pope received an MBE award. She got it for her charity work in the 2008/9 new year honours list. Queen Elizabeth II gave her the MBE. She also received other awards, like the Paul Harris Fellowship Rotary International and the Margarette Golding Award. She is a Fellow of the RSGS. The Governor of New Jersey also gave her an award for her solo Atlantic voyage.

Rosie Swale-Pope supports PHASE (Practical Help Achieving Self Empowerment) Worldwide. This group helps communities in very isolated Himalayan villages in Nepal.

TV Work

In 1990, Rosie presented a Channel 4 documentary called Revenge of the Rain Gods. It was about her journey around the Maya World. In the film, Rosie explored ancient Mayan ruins. She also met Mayan communities that still exist today.

Books by Rosie Swale-Pope

Charity Work

Rosie Swale-Pope supports PHASE Worldwide. This group works to make education, healthcare, and ways of living better in remote parts of Nepal.

See also

• List of pedestrian circumnavigators