ROSIE’S RUN AROUND THE WORLD SUPPORTS ORPHANS in RUSSIA.

When she was young (and an orphan) her grandmother taught her that she could do anything she set her mind to. This belief in the possible led her, with her husband and daughter, to sail across the Atlantic, through the Panama Canal, across the Pacific to Australia. Her second child was born in harbour at Flumicino or somewhere close by at the mouth of the Tiber near Rome. As a result of this experience, Reeds Nautical Almanac, alas now defunct, used to have one page devoted to emergency childbirth. They sailed from England with the infant Eve, in January with Rosie heavily pregnant. She had to have a specially tailored "dry-suit" made for her to keep warm in the Bay of Biscay.

. She turned an trans–Atlantic solo voyage into an opportunity to raise money for hospital equipment. There was also an extraordinary 3,000-mile trek down the coast of Chile which took her 14 months.

Now she is to embark on her biggest challenge yet. It is a huge undertaking and requires meticulous planning. As part of her preparation Rosie has just run a marathon in Omsk in aid of a hospital there, to gain knowledge of the region, make friends and investigate how best to go about the most difficult part of the journey—crossing the vast, empty and harsh land of Northeast Siberia. People she met in Omsk were very supportive and thought it quite possible. Before that, however, her route will take her to Kitezh where she will see for herself the place that her effort will help support.

For most of us, what she is planning to do may seem impossible but the things she has already done were quite impossible too and she has done them. She has boundless energy and a great love for this amazing world and its many and varied people. If anyone can do it, she can.

She feels this run is the most important thing she has ever done for many reasons not least of which is that it is in memory of her husband, Clive. "When Clive died from prostate cancer last year, I felt such sorrow I have never known before. Like falling in love, the death of someone you love changes you forever. I was determined not to give up, but to try to do more. His death taught me more than anything about how precious life is. How short it can be, that you have to grab life, do what you can while you can, and try and give something back."

Ecologia Trust is honoured to help Rosie Swale Pope realise her dream to run around the world and to raise money for orphan children in Russia through sponsorship.

Rosie intends to be in Tallin, Estonia by Christmas, where she will get her one-year visa in time to arrive in Russia at New Year. Then she starts the run to St Petersburg, Moscow and to Kitezh where she will rest awhile to draw breath. From there is the long haul to make the most of the summer and run as far eastwards as she possibly can before the winter sets in. We have friends in St Petersburg, Moscow, Omsk, Ekaterinburg and Irkutsk to cheer her along her way. However, Rosie may need to spend the winter in Siberia, and continue her journey the following spring – we will see what happens. Her planned schedule is: