9:22am Tuesday 22nd April 2008
By Sarah Goldthorpe
A FORMER Kingston Maurward student is preparing herself for the challenge of a lifetime.
Becky Sampson, 24, will ride by horse along the ancient silk route from London to Tokyo.
The 15,000km journey is called Expedition Equus.
It will take some four years and see her travel through 15 countries, crossing mountains and deserts and enduring temperatures from 50'C to -20'C.
The adventure has even won the backing of the world's greatest living explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, who has described it as a great challenge'.
Miss Sampson said: "I'm excited, especially about visiting Iran, but there's a lot of work to do before I go.
"We are still looking for horses and we also need saddles, tents and camping bags."
Becky will leave from Buckingham Palace on August 5 with her friend Zena Fish who is accompanying her for the first year of the journey. From there she will go through France, on to Turkey and join the route first established by the Han Dynasty in 114BC to sell the oriental fabric.
All proceeds from the trip will go to the world's largest orphan charity SOS Children.
Miss Sampson will stop at villages along the route to help the charity and give talks. She said: "From the age of 10 I knew I wanted to travel by horse. An article I read about a man who was halfway through a ride around the world fuelled my dream, and I knew at that moment that that was what I wanted to do.
"I have the basics in several languages, have been on survival courses, completed first aid training, been on a navigation course and taught conversational English."
She added: "Aside from the ride itself, I want to do something worthwhile while travelling. I have always enjoyed working with children and hope that by the end of this adventure I can be an inspiration to others who want to journey by horse."
Several different horses will be used along the journey. When Miss Sampson reaches the eastern seaboard of China, she will catch a ferry to Japan, find her final horse, and ride on to Tokyo.
For more information visit the website www.expeditionequus.com
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