Johnny Ward (travel blogger)

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Johnny Ward
JohnnyWard ElephantSanctuary.jpg
Ward visiting elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Thailand in 2019
Born1983 (age 40–41)
Galway, Ireland
Nationality Northern Ireland
Citizenship Irish, British
Occupations
Website onestep4ward.com

Johnny Ward (born 1983) [1] is a Northern Irish entrepreneur, adventurer, philanthropist and travel blogger [2] [3] [4] known for visiting every country in the world. [5] [6] [7] [8]

Contents

Early life and education

Ward was born in Galway, Ireland in 1983 to a single mother named Maura. [9] [1] His family moved to Kilkeel, Northern Ireland soon after, and Ward largely grew up there. [10] [2] His family often subsisted on welfare during his childhood. [11] Ward studied international economics at university in England, graduating in 2006. [10] [12]

Travel and career

After graduating from university in 2006, Ward began to travel. He initially flew to New York City [10] and worked as a summer camp counselor in the United States for a brief period. [6] [5] He returned to Ireland and took part in a medical research experiment to earn more money to travel. [5] He then travelled to Thailand where he taught English for a year before moving to Sydney, where he worked as a telephone sales representative. [2]

Dissatisfied with office work, Ward left his job and sought to make a living from travelling full-time. In 2010, Ward started a blog named "OneStep4Ward" to document his travels. [13] [14] During this period, Ward based himself in Bangkok, Thailand, and also began investing in property. [3] [14]

By August 2012, Ward had visited over 80 countries, [14] and over 100 countries by the end of that year. [15] In 2014, Ward was a founding member of the Professional Travel Bloggers Association. [16] By 2015, he had earned a total of around $1 million and had visited 152 countries. [12] Ward has recounted entering several countries through questionable or illegal means; it was reported that he "entered China illegally after a five-day trip up the Mekong River while stowed away in a cargo boat", [3] that he was arrested after paying a smuggler to take him from Liberia to Ivory Coast during the Ebola epidemic, [7] [10] and that he was able to enter Yemen during an ongoing civil war by meeting a dignitary who "bribed Yemeni officials and I ended up hitching there on a cement cargo ship". [5] Shortly after arriving in Angola, Ward witnessed a person being shot only a few metres away from his taxi cab, which quickly left the scene. [2] [10]

In 2017, Ward visited his 197th and final nation, Norway, chosen because its proximity to Ireland made it convenient for friends and family to join him for the occasion. [5] [6] [17]

Adventurer

Ward has since declared his intention to be the first person [18] to visit every country, plus visit the North Pole, South Pole, and climb the Seven Summits. He has since finished 8th in the North Pole Marathon, [19] and summited Kilimanjaro, Puncak Jaya, Aconcagua, Denali, and Mount Elbrus. Alongside this, Ward has also completed multiple long-distance ultra-marathons ranging from 100 km to 260 km, [20] and competed in the Marathon des Sables in 2019. [21]

Ward rowed across the Atlantic Ocean in March, April, and May 2021. [22] He also spent 2 months attempting to climb Mount Everest in April and May and successfully summitted the world's highest mountain on May 17, 2023. [23] [24] [25]

Blog

Ward started his travel blog, OneStep4Ward.com, in 2010 whilst living in Australia, and soon began making a full-time income blogging. His blog is often listed as Ireland's leading blog, [26] and one of the world's leading travel blogs. [27] [28]

Ward was nominated for the 11th Shorty Awards [29] [30] for 'Best in Travel'

Ultimate Explorers Grand Slam

Upon reaching the South Pole on the 12 January 2024, [31] Ward became the first person in history to complete the Ultimate Explorers Grand Slam (the Explorer's Grand Slam plus visiting every country in the world). [32] [33] Reportedly, around 500 people have climbed the Seven Summits, with 73 people having climbed the Seven Summits and reached both North and South Pole. Reports vary from 250 to 500 people having visited every country in the world, but no-one has yet completed the set. [34] [35] [36]

Countries visited

Country totalYears
197 Countries2007-2017

The Seven Summits

MountainHeightDate climbedLocation
Everest8848m (29,035ft)17 May 2023Asia
Aconcagua6,961m (22,841 ft)20 January 2023S. America
Denali6190m (20,320 ft)29 May 2022N. America
Carstensz Pyramid4,884m (16,023 ft)23 September 2019Oceania
Elbrus5642m (18,510 ft)26 June 2018Europe
Kilimanjaro5,895m (19,340 ft)10 March 2013Africa
Vinson Massif4,892 (16,050 ft)7 January 2024Antarctica

*

MountainHeightDate climbedLocation
Mount Kosciuszko2,228m (7,309 feet)31 May 2019Australasia (Bass)
Mont Blanc4,807m (15,771 feet)27 August 2019Europe (disputed)

Three Poles Challenge

MountainDate climbedLocation
Everest17 May 2023Asia
North Pole17 April 2018Arctic Ocean
South Pole12 January 2024Antarctica

Awards and nominations

YearAward ShowCategoryNominee
2019 Shorty Awards Best In TravelHimself

Philanthropy

Ward co-founded the non-profit Mudita Adventures (formally the Giveback GiveAway) in 2015 [37] [38] with a view to 'Change Travel. For Good.' Since then, Mudita Adventures has built schools, dormitories, playgrounds and clinics for developing communities in 10 countries, donating over $200,000USD. [39] [40] [41]

In 2019, Ward helped his mother, who had previously been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, raise £14,444 to climb Mount Fuji in Japan, with the funds going towards the Cure Parkinson's Trust. [9]

In Quarter one of 2021, Ward rowed across the Atlantic Ocean, spending 51 days on a rowboat on a meat-free expedition. Raising over $20,000 for men's mental health and animal rights. [42]

In November 2021, Ward took a group of people, including his mother once more, to partake in the Serengeti Marathon in Tanzania, raising $16,000 (£14,000) for the Michael J. Fox Foundation to help find a cure for Parkinson's Disease. [43] In June 2023, Ward and his mother, Maura, undertook a 100km tandem cycle through the Jordanian Desert, raising $15,000USD in order to help find a cure for Parkinson's Disease. [44] [45]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Everest</span> Earths highest mountain

Mount Everest is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its elevation of 8,848.86 m was most recently established in 2020 by the Chinese and Nepali authorities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmund Hillary</span> New Zealand mountaineer (1919–2008)

Sir Edmund Percival Hillary was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953, Hillary and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers confirmed to have reached the summit of Mount Everest. They were part of the ninth British expedition to Everest, led by John Hunt. From 1985 to 1988 he served as New Zealand's High Commissioner to India and Bangladesh and concurrently as Ambassador to Nepal.

The Seven Summits are the highest mountains on each of the seven traditional continents. Reaching the peak of these summits is considered a significant achievement amongst many mountaineers, alongside many other such goals and challenges in the mountaineering community. On 30 April 1985, Richard Bass became the first climber to reach the summit of all seven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eight-thousander</span> Mountain peaks of over 8,000 m

The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognised by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than 8,000 metres (26,247 ft) in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise definition of the criteria used to assess independence, and, since 2012, the UIAA has been involved in a process to consider whether the list should be expanded to 20 mountains. All eight-thousanders are located in the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges in Asia, and their summits are in the death zone.

Jake Julian Barrington Meyer is a British mountaineer and adventurer. He achieved fame by becoming the youngest Briton to climb Mount Everest in 2005, aged 21 years 4 months. In doing so, Meyer also became the youngest man in the world to climb the Seven Summits. More recently in 2018 he summited K2, the second highest mountain in the world, and climbed Everest a second time. He has taken part in over 30 expeditions around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ajeet Bajaj</span>

Ajeet Bajaj is the first Indian to ski to the North Pole and complete the polar trilogy which entails skiing to the North Pole, South Pole and across the Greenland icecap. Bajaj and his daughter Deeya Bajaj were the first Indian father daughter team to climb Mt. Everest. He completed the Explorer's Grand Slam on 05 June 2022 while completing the Seven Summits with his daughter Deeya.

Omar Samra is a British-born Egyptian adventurer, entrepreneur and speaker. He is the first Egyptian to climb Mount Everest, the 7 Summits and ski to both the Geographic South and North Pole. He is also the first Egyptian to complete the 7 Summits challenge on 31 May 2013, climbing the highest mountain on all seven continents. Samra was the 31st is person in history to complete the "Explorers Grand Slam" challenge, which include climbing the highest mountain on every continent, the 7 summits, and skiing to both the South and North Poles. Samra has also been selected for the IIAS's PoSSUM program along with 2 other Egyptians, Abdelraouf El Waqad and Ahmed Farid

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxime Chaya</span> Lebanese mountaineer

Maxime Chaya is a Lebanese sportsman, mountaineer and explorer. On May 15, 2006, he was the first Lebanese to climb Mount Everest and the Seven Summits. On December 28, 2007, Max also became the first from the Middle East to reach the South Pole on foot from the Antarctic coast, after an unsupported and unassisted journey that lasted 47 days. Then, on April 25, 2009, he reached the North Pole also on foot, all the way from Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Falvey</span>

Pat Falvey is an Irish high-altitude mountaineer, expedition leader, polar explorer, entrepreneur, author, corporate/personal trainer/coach, and motivational speaker. He was the first person to complete the Seven Summits (Bass) twice, with the summiting of Mount Everest reached from both the Tibetan (1996) and Nepalese sides (2004). He was expedition leader of the team that saw Clare O'Leary become the first Irish woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest (2004). Other extreme expeditions that he has made include walking to the South Pole, crossing South Georgia Island, and traversing the Greenland ice cap. He started his first business at 15 years of age and has since had businesses in property development, finance, construction, insurance, tourism, and film production. He has been a motivational speaker since the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Explorer's Grand Slam</span> Adventurering goal of Earths Poles and Seven Summits

The Explorer's Grand Slam is an adventurer goal to reach the North Pole and South Pole, as well as climb the Seven Summits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kílian Jornet Burgada</span> Catalan professional sky runner, long-distance runner, trail runner and ski mountaineer

Kílian Jornet is a Spanish professional long-distance trail runner and ski mountaineer. Widely regarded as one of the greatest trail runners of all time, he has won some of the most prestigious ultramarathons, including the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc multiple times, Grand Raid, Western States and Hardrock.

Adrian Hayes is a British record-breaking polar explorer and adventurer, best known for reaching the three extreme points of the Earth—the Three Poles Challenge—which involved walking all the way to the North Pole, South Pole and summiting Mount Everest, all in the shortest period of time.

Rhys Jones is an English mountaineer and was the youngest person to climb the Seven Summits, and reached the summit of Mount Everest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tashi and Nungshi Malik</span> Indian mountain climbers (born 1991)

Tashi and Nungshi Malik are the first siblings and twins to climb the Seven Summits and reach the North and South Poles and complete the Adventurers Grand Slam and Three Poles Challenge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wang Jing (mountaineer)</span> Mountaineer and co-founder of Toread Holdings Group Co., Ltd

Wang Jing is a Chinese climber, author, entrepreneur and member of The Explorers Club in the United States. Wang is best known for her feat in becoming the fastest woman in the world to complete the Explorers Grand Slam in 143 days and the fastest woman to climb Seven Summits with an assist from helicopters. The Explorers Grand Slam involves reaching the highest peak on every continent plus at a minimum of skiing the last degree (111 km) to the North and South poles. Wang recorded this adventure in her book Silence of the Summit, which was published in English in December 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Everest in 2017</span>

The Mount Everest climbing season of 2017 began in spring with the first climbers reaching the top on May 11, from the north side. The first team on the south side reached the top on May 15. By early June, reports from Nepal indicated that 445 people had made it to the summit from the Nepali side. Reports indicate 160–200 summits on the north side, with 600–660 summiters overall for early 2017. This year had a roughly 50% success rate on that side for visiting climbers, which was down from other years. By 2018, the figure for the number of summiters of Everest was refined to 648. This includes 449 which summited via Nepal and 120 from Chinese Tibet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drew Binsky</span> American travel blogger (born 1991)

Drew Goldberg, known by his online alias, Drew Binsky, is an American travel blogger and vlogger who has visited every country in the world. Binsky documents his travels on his YouTube channel and other social media accounts. He holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest time to pack a suitcase. Until 2021, he also held the record for the Most (12) UNESCO World Heritage Site visits in 24 hours, a record now set at 23.

References

  1. 1 2 "Blogging Brought Me Here" (PDF). OneStep4Ward.com. 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Durston, James (30 June 2016). "How travel blogger Johnny Ward became a millionaire on the go". CNN. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Elejalde-Ruiz, Alexia (30 April 2013). "The vagabonds: No home, just travel". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  4. ↑ Street, Francesca (27 June 2017). "World's top 10 travel influencers, according to Forbes". CNN.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Meltzer, Hannah (16 March 2017). "From Ireland to Yemen and South Sudan: Meet the Man Who's Just Visited All 197 Countries in the World". The Independent . Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 Meltzer, Hannah (29 March 2017). "This man has visited every country on Earth and made $1m – and you can do it too". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  7. 1 2 Rizzo, Cailey (29 March 2017). "How One Man Became a Millionaire While Visiting Every Country in the World". Travel + Leisure . Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  8. ↑ Lakritz, Talia (31 March 2017). "This 33-year-old traveled to every country in the world and made $1.5 million doing it". Business Insider . Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  9. 1 2 "Irish mother, 70, travels the world and climbs Mt Fuji after Parkinson's diagnosis". Irish Central News. 4 November 2019.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Flanagan, Eimear (17 March 2017). "Irishman Johnny Ward visits 'every country in the world'". BBC . Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  11. ↑ Elkins, Kathleen (27 January 2017). "How one 33-year-old went from welfare to making over $1 million traveling the world". CNBC . Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  12. 1 2 Schneider, Kate (10 August 2015). "I became a millionaire while travelling". News.com.au . Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  13. ↑ "Top 100 Travel Blogs". Nomadic Samuel. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  14. 1 2 3 Doherty, Niall (8 August 2012). "Wish you were here?". Irish Examiner . Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  15. ↑ A, Chanel (31 January 2012). "Travel Blogger Interview with Johnny Ward". Cultural Xplorer. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  16. ↑ "Founding Members". Travel Blogger's Association. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  17. ↑ Ruggiero, Nina (4 July 2017). "How to quit your job and travel the world, according to people who have done it". CNBC.
  18. ↑ Jon, Johnny (2018). "Goal Diggers. What's your Everest?". One Step 4Ward. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  19. ↑ "2018 North Pole Marathon Results". North Pole Marathon. 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  20. ↑ "Johnny Ward: First Irish Who Successfully Traveled the World". 8 November 2021.
  21. ↑ Boyd, Barbara (28 August 2018). "I hate sand and don't like running says Mourne man bound for Sahara Marathon!". Tyrone Courier. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  22. ↑ "Kilkeel native Johnny Ward makes epic row across Atlantic Ocean for charity". belfasttelegraph. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  23. ↑ "Galway hero climbing Mount Everest reaches summit as young man completes 'big dream'". galwaybeo.ie. Erika Sassone. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  24. ↑ "Everest diaries: Johnny Ward reaches summit after 'brutal' climb". irishexaminer.com. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  25. ↑ "Irish adventurer climbing Everest is close to completing the ultimate challenge". Stephen Porzio.
  26. ↑ "The 10 Most Popular Travel Bloggers from Ireland". 19 April 2017.
  27. ↑ "Top Travel Blogs of 2022 - Best Travel Blogs in the World". 15 January 2019.
  28. ↑ "On the Blog with...Johnny Ward". RTÉ.ie . 7 November 2016.
  29. ↑ "@onestep4ward - the Shorty Awards".
  30. ↑ "How the Shorty Awards Became the Oscars of Social Media". 20 July 2010.
  31. ↑ "'If I can do it, anyone can': Meet the NI man who has visited every country in the world". belfasttelegraph.co.uk. Amy Cochrane. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  32. ↑ "Johnny Ward: traversing the world's mountains and poles - one step at a time". irishexaminer.com. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  33. ↑ "Explorers Grand Slam".
  34. ↑ "Climbing The Seven Summits: Facts & Information". expedreview.com. Blake Penson. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  35. ↑ "Inside the Exclusive Club of Travelers Racing to Visit Every Country in the World". cntraveler.com. Katherine Lagrave. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  36. ↑ "Drew Binsky on Visiting Every Country in the World". mensjournal.com. Bailey Berg. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  37. ↑ "Help the World's Poorest Villages throughTCD". Global Hope Network International. 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  38. ↑ "'I was literally on the breadline' - Irish blogger (33) makes over €1m after creating online travel journal to fund his wanderlust". independent. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  39. ↑ Brooks, Anna (26 February 2017). "Calgary traveller bringing lucky donor to launch community development project in Thailand". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  40. ↑ Elkins, Kathleen (27 January 2017). "How one 33-year-old went from welfare to making over $1 million traveling the world". CNBC. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  41. ↑ McConville, Mark (17 January 2018). "If I can do it, anyone can' - Meet the Co. Down man who became a millionaire by visiting every country in the world". Independent. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  42. ↑ "Atlantic row 'the hardest thing I've ever done'". BBC News. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  43. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : My 72 year mum, with Parkinson's Disease, attempting the Serengeti Marathon (10km). YouTube .
  44. ↑ "Meet the 74-year-old woman with Parkinson's taking on a 100km cycle across Jordan". irishcountrymagazine.ie. Claire Murrihy. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  45. ↑ "CHARITY CYCLE ACROSS JORDANIAN DESERT". mourneobserver.com. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
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