A 27-year-old guy is walking across all seven continents with his dog
This is Tom Turcich and his dog, Savannah. They are walking machines.
Their route touches all seven continents — yes, even Antarctica. If all goes according to plan, the trip will take five years.
Turcich began in New Jersey and walked south through the United States, Mexico, and Central America. Right now, he's in South America. Next, he'll take a boat to Antarctica, then fly to Europe. From there he'll move west through Africa and Asia, fly to Australia, walk its width, then fly back to the US over the Pacific. The final stretch of walking will take him from the West Coast back home to New Jersey.
Last week — more than a year after he made the first step of his journey — Turcich crossed the border from Ecuador to Peru.
Turcich adopted Savannah from an animal shelter back when he was walking through Texas. At first, he wanted a dog for protection. But they soon became inseparable companions.
After spending nearly every minute of every day with her, she’s definitely my best bud," he told INSIDER in an email. "She walks every mile with me and always has energy left over at the end of the day.
Crossing borders with a dog has been surprisingly simple. Turcich got Savannah an International Certificate of Health from a vet in the US, and carries proof of rabies vaccination, too.
Right now, Turcich walks 24 miles and burns 5,000 calories every day. Good thing there are plenty of local delicacies to try (like these handmade tortillas in Nicaragua).
He said this fresh scallop plucked from Costa Rican waters was the best thing he'd ever tasted.
It took a while for his body to adjust to a walking lifestyle. "When I started I was walking fifteen miles a day and my legs were throbbing and cramping," he wrote on Reddit. "Now I'll do thirty miles some days and with stretching at night I'm good to go the next day."
Now I don't even feel the first fifteen miles I walk every day," he continued. "Then during the second half of the day I know I only have a few miles left and that pulls me through.
Guatemala's mountains have proved the biggest challenge so far. "They were so brutally steep. I could only manage about ten miles a day," he said. "The climbs paid off, though. Guatemala is spectacular."
He pushes all his gear in this baby stroller, even through mountainous terrain. Using the stroller — as opposed to lugging everything in a backpack — lessens the physical toll on his body.
Turcich carries basic camping supplies like this tent and a sleeping bag. He charges his phone using portable solar panels.
He also has a friend who periodically ships him new pairs of Brooks sneakers. Each pair lasts about 500 miles.
And he takes a break indoors when he can. Sometimes that means a sitting in a humble laundromat in Georgia.
But other times the indoor scenery is just as breathtaking as the views outside.
Wherever Turcich and Savannah go, they make new friends.
I'm amazed by how generous people are," he wrote on Reddit. "I’m brought in by strangers far more often than I ever imagined.
But most people don't believe Turcich at first when he tells them how far he's traveled on foot.
I’ll mention I walked from the States and most people assume I’m getting my Spanish words mixed up," he said. "Most people are confounded but [they] take to the idea once they understand it.
![I’ll mention I walked from the States and most people assume I’m getting my Spanish words mixed up," he said. "Most people are confounded but [they] take to the idea once they understand it.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-53274410,width-700,height-525,imgsize-1063496/ill-mention-i-walked-from-the-states-and-most-people-assume-im-getting-my-spanish-words-mixed-up-he-said-most-people-are-confounded-but-they-take-to-the-idea-once-they-understand-it-.jpg)
So far, Turcich said, no sight has compared to Lake Atitlán in Guatemala. "I crested a mountain and saw the lake for the first time from above. I whooped and hollered it was so beautiful," he said. "I’ve never been in awe like that before."
Turcich hopes to work as writer or photographer once his walk ends. "Before the walk I never took photographs, but during the walk I’ve had to take at least a few every day," he said. "I’ve come to love the art form."
For now, he's moving ahead one step at a time.
Follow Tom and Savannah's adventures on Instagram and Facebook. You can also donate to Tom's journey right here.
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