There have been double celebrations this week for Tenby adventurer Rosie Swale Pope. For Tuesday, October 2, marked her 61st birthday and the fourth anniversary of her leaving her home in Warren Street for her epic voyage around the world on two feet. The grandmother who has clocked up well over 21,000 miles, had reached the New Jersey last week and was making her way to New York, pulling her 250-pound Silver Dream machine containing all her equipment. She was expected to reach the 'Big Apple' this week and was looking forward to people joining her as she ran through the city. "It will be a huge celebration," she said in a message on her website. "I can hardly believe that it's the fourth anniversary of setting off on the run!" said Rosie. Rosie (pictured) has also this week set her finishing date for June 1 next year. "It's fantastic! The date is a long time ahead, but it needs to be! Beyond New York next week, and then Boston and Nova Scotia - the wildness and beauty of Greenland in winter, the fury and majesty of the Arctic Ocean Coastline in Iceland and the snowfields and the vast lava deserts of Iceland lie ahead. It will be an extraordinary adventure still to come!" Rosie's friend and local co-ordinator Ann Rowell, of Tenby, said that she was "doing fine." "Rosie 'phoned me last week and she is fine. She's now set her homecoming day to June 1, 2008, and if anyone wants to take part in her homecoming, please contact me via email at [email protected]">[email protected]" Rosie had hoped to have been home in time for her daughter's wedding in June, but the global challenge has taken much longer than expected, due to weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances, so she had to break off her journey in Chicago to fly to Ireland for the celebrations. Setbacks have included Rosie being confronted by a naked man wielding a gun in a Russian forest and being rescued by the Alaska Air Guards and airlifted from blizzard-like conditions on Henry Island in the Yukon River due to severe frostbite in her toes. A shortwhile after her recovery, she suffered a bad fall and cracked a rib. Nevertheless, Rosie has continued to put her best foot forward and has even taken time out from her daily schedule to take part in various other running events, including the Chicago Marathon and, more recently, the Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. In July, however, Rosie encountered her most worrying time. She had a breast cancer scare whilst making her way across the state of Indiana. Fortunately, biopsy tests came back clear, but Rosie decided to make her condition public because she was taking part in the trip around the globe to raise cancer awareness following the death of her husband Clive to prostate cancer and to encourage people to see their doctor early if they have any concerns. On her travels, Rosie has met an extraordinary range of people, so many of whom have supported her generously, both materially and with the warmth of their kindness. In fact, over 1,000 goodwill messages have been posted on the guestbook on her website. But when she does reach home, Rosie will be kept busy writing her book, for which she has already secured a publisher.
