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標題: [歐洲] 從北京奧運走到倫敦奧運 [打印本頁]

作者: vandas 時間: 2012-7-21 06:26 AM 標題: 從北京奧運走到倫敦奧運

The trip that cost me my husband: Mother who spent four years trekking from Beijing Olympics to London 2012 on HORSEBACK reveals heartache behind the 8,000 mile ride

Determined Megan Lewis, 63, endured broken ribs, spent three weeks stranded in Hungary, and even split from her husband as she battled to achieve her goal
The Welsh former geography teacher used seven horses along the route, which took her along the Great Wall of China, through the Gobi desert, and on through mainland Europe
Now in Surrey, Lewis is mere miles away from completing the journey she began in October 2008

By Kerry Mcdermott

A record-breaking woman who  has trekked on horseback from the Beijing Olympics to the 2012 Games in London  is on the home straight - after a staggering four year journey.
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Megan Lewis, a 63-year-old  mother of three, has let nothing distract her from reaching the finish line -  coping with broken ribs and a punctured lung, sleeping inches from scorpions,  and even the breakdown of her marriage during the gruelling trek.

Megan said her separation  from her husband was a 'desperately sad time', and admitted that falling from  her horse and breaking her ribs just ten days into her epic trek 'wasn't the  best of starts', but she added: 'Apart from that it has all been pretty  easy'.

Olympic effort: It has taken Megan Lewis, pictured at the Great Wall of China, four years to complete her journey from Beijing to London on horseback公仔箱論壇1 R/ u- o+ q q3 T( }$ X
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Rough terrain: Megan faced snowy conditions as she trekked across the Gobi desert in China
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Breathtaking: Kazakhstan's Akyrtas Ruins are among the  many incredible sights Megan has taken in on her epic four year journey

The former geography  teacher, from Pumpsaint in Carmarthenshire, Wales, started in October 2008 on  the outskirts of Beijing - host to the last Olympic Games - and is now galloping  through Surrey towards the London venue.公仔箱論壇+ l7 X, W6 o1 i# X6 S7 {! U) e
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She has used seven horses  and travelled nine countries on the trek - dubbed the Long Horse Ride - which  took her along the Great Wall of China, through the Gobi desert, across the  desert flats of Kazakhstan and on through mainland Europe.

The 63-year-old has spent  between six and eight hours each day in the saddle over the past four years, as  she trekked through China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, Austria,  Germany, France, and finally the UK.# A, C0 }) Z' r2 Y& @+ m5 E0 F

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Crossing Europe: Megan and her ride are pictured gazing out to sea on Dieppe beach, Germanytvb now,tvbnow,bttvb. d) ]9 c9 l* `2 p0 u4 M

Trip of a lifetime: The intrepid former geography teacher is pictured outside a ranch in Austria
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Are we there yet? Megan and one of her seven faithful  horses are pictured on the bank of the River Rhine in France
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It hasn't been an entirely  smooth ride for Megan and her faithful steeds; the former teacher was  hospitalised when she fell off her horse just ten days into her  journey.8 W0 d3 U' Z0 x7 s+ D
'I fell off 10 days after  leaving Beijing and broke six ribs and punctured a lung,' she said./ h3 d. v! @8 B2 S; O& o& U
'The horse got spooked and  shot forwards. I wasn't paying attention and fell off the back landing on my  head.
'I ended up having to go to  hospital and it set me back three months.'

Megan and her back-up team  also spent three weeks stuck on the border of Ukraine and Hungary because of a  problem with her EU paperwork.公仔箱論壇$ j* Z9 T- q( \  ]
'We were in no-man's land  waiting for all the correct documents. It was all very frustrating,' she  said.

Megan's marriage also  suffered as a result of the huge undertaking, and she and her husband have split  up since she set off from Beijing four years ago.
'My husband was very  supportive, especially as I'm raising money for his charity,' she said.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。! U! L- G1 o, m. V0 W
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'But during the journey our  relationship deteriorated. The stress of it all  and the distance took their  toll and we ended up separating.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。7 ]+ ]. `" K/ N
'It was a desperately sad  time, but I persevered.'公仔箱論壇% ]+ m; _6 n- p

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The mother of three has lived without home comforts for  the past four years, often spending the night sleeping in her horse  boxTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。/ ~; D8 h7 z6 `& l: a, N

In fact the 63-year-old  remained undeterred by any of the challenges she faced during the 8,000 mile  trek.
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'If you can cross China  then the rest becomes child's play in comparison,' she said.

Megan spent many nights  sleeping camped out under the stars or in the back of her horse trailer - often  going weeks without a shower.
'It hasn't been  comfortable,' said Megan, speaking while en route.公仔箱論壇% G9 M3 C4 W9 I6 v: Y
'I used to wash in a small  plastic bowl, but because of the scarcity of  water we would go weeks without a  wash - it would get to the point where a wash was a treat.'. b8 ?8 o2 L" l! {% y5 R3 X
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Throughout the journey  Megan has ridden seven horses - named Baiju, Shan Dan, Little Bolasak, Big  Bolasak and three named Zorbee.+ Z* \( }7 Y( f3 w- m2 |5 q  j# t4 q/ s

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Well earned rest: Megan slept in her horse box for much  of the Europe leg of the trip, before which she and her team stayed in small  hotels, houses, truck stops, or simply camped out under the stars

She used local guides to  help her navigate tricky terrain and negotiate strict border controls as she  passed through various countries.
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Megan said the hospitality  shown to her and her team by locals across Asia and Europe was one of the  highlights of her adventure.
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'Being invited into  people's homes and having banquets laid on for us has been touching,' she  said.
'I've even had locals run  up to us and hand over gifts - anything from apples to onions.'

'My children think I am  completely mad, but are not surprised,' said lifelong horse-rider Megan, who  added that a lengthy trek had always been an ambition.5.39.217.76/ D5 v. N. [" c8 [/ [/ r8 Q
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'I think I've had a leaning  towards Asia because I was brought up in the Far East,' she said.

'And then with the Olympics  being handed over from Beijing to London, and my children having all flown the  nest - it was all perfect timing.'TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。: a% H- B5 y* O
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