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Johnny Ward (travel blogger)

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Johnny Ward
Ward visiting elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Thailand in 2019
Born1983 (age 40–41)
Galway, Ireland
NationalityNorthern Ireland
CitizenshipIrish, British
Occupations
Websiteonestep4ward.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]

Early life and education

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Country total Years
197 Countries 2007-2017

The Seven Summits

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Mountain Height Date climbed Location
Mount Everest 8848m (29,035ft) 17 May 2023 Asia
Aconcagua 6,961m (22,841 ft) 20 January 2023 S. America
Denali 6190m (20,320 ft) 29 May 2022 N. America
Carstensz Pyramid 4,884m (16,023 ft) 23 September 2019 Oceania
Mount Elbrus 5642m (18,510 ft) 26 June 2018 Europe
Kilimanjaro 5,895m (19,340 ft) 10 March 2013 Africa
Vinson Massif 4,892m (16,050 ft) 7 January 2024 Antarctica

Other mountains

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Mountain Height Date climbed Location
Mount Kosciuszko 2,228m (7,309 feet) 31 May 2019 Australasia (Bass)
Mont Blanc 4,807m (15,771 feet) 27 August 2019 Europe (disputed)

Three Poles Challenge

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Mountain Date climbed Location
Mount Everest 17 May 2023 Asia
North Pole 17 April 2018 Arctic Ocean
South Pole 12 January 2024 Antarctica

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Show Category Nominee
2019 Shorty Awards Best In Travel Himself

Philanthropy

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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]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Blogging Brought Me Here" (PDF). OneStep4Ward.com. 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d 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. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b "Irish mother, 70, travels the world and climbs Mt Fuji after Parkinson's diagnosis". Irish Central News. 4 November 2019.
  10. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b c 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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