ROSIE
SWALE
In 1983 Rosie
sailed the
Atlantic single-handed,
having spent
many years
at sea learning
the art of
handling a
craft. During
her voyages
she cared
for a family
on board and
even gave
birth to her
son James
on a family
round the
world voyage!
Next on the
agenda came
a 3,000 mile
jaunt on horseback
across Chile
and in 1997
Rosie ran
200km across
the Sahara
and 1200 km
across Romania.
Always pursuing
new adventures,
Rosie completed
a 1000 mile
solo run across
Iceland in
1999. To mark
the millennium
she achieved
a long standing
ambition and
successfully
completed
the gruelling
54 mile Comrades
Race in South
Africa across
the Zulu homeland
of Natal.
For this
achievement
she picked
up a much
coveted medal
in a race
which has
been dubbed
the roadrunners
equivalent
to climbing
Mount Everest…..and
mountains
were the backdrop
for Rosie’s
next adventure,
when she completed
the Davos
Marathon in
the Swiss
Alps in July
2000 and her
challenges
go on and
on, and on!
Rosie’s
fame is spreading.
Already she
has written
5 books and
is currently
working on
a sixth, entitles
“Horses
who have owned
me”
which is a
childrens’
story. Gradually
she is becoming
very well
known as author
Rosie Swale
Pope. She
has made several
films for
TV both here
and in the
USA, including
the acclaimed
“Revenge
of the Raingods”
for Channel
4.
In April
2001 she ran
500 miles
alone through
the war-torn
Balkans. Described
as “her
hardest challenge
ever”
Rosie took
in parts of
Kosovo, Montenegro
and Northern
Albania on
her 500 mile
trip which
took three
weeks to complete.
During her
time in this
volatile part
of the world,
Rosie encountered
much kindness,
saw at first
hand the grief
and hardship
of the people
in these places
and at one
point she
was interrogated
at gun point.
She has fallen
down glaciers,
braved mammoth
waves at sea,
struggled
through blizzards,
been blinded
by sandstorms,
sustained
injuries on
solidified
lava, rolled
off the edge
of mountains,
roamed lost
and hungry
through wilderness…..and
she is still
coming back
for more!
Rosie took
on the great
Trans-Himalayan
Sponsored
trek for the
Nepal Trust
in 2003, and
it is expected
to take approximately
two years.
This trek
is daunting
and dangerous
and probably
never achieved
since the
days of the
great explorers
over 100 years
ago. She will
be trekking
across the
ROOF OF THE
WORLD and
as well as
the altitude
she will have
roaring rivers,
unmarked trails
– an
awesome task.
One of the
reasons for
doing this
is to raise
awareness
of prostate
cancer after
the death
of her husband
Clive last
year. It also
taught her
more than
anything about
how precious
life is and
how short
it can be,
that you have
to grab life,
do what you
can while
you can, and
try to give
something
back.
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