To cross the ocean or go on a bike tour on an equal basis with men, women had to dress in men's suits, ignore public opinion and put on a show. However, over time, women travelers have ceased to seem exotic, and their achievements and discoveries have earned the respect of scientists, athletes and adventure lovers around the world.
Jeanne Barre
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In 1766-1769, the French traveler became the first woman in the world to sail around the world. To join the naval expedition of Admiral Louis Antoine de Bougainville, she had to disguise herself as a man and change her name to Jean Barre. The girl got a job as an assistant to one of the three scientists hired for the first ever circumnavigation - the botanist and natural scientist Philibert Commerson. Chronicles describe in different ways when and how the secret of Jeanne Barre was discovered. According to one version, the natives in Tahiti identified her as a woman, according to another, a ship doctor exposed the false servant. One way or another, Barre had to disembark on the island of Mauritius and return to France on another ship. Admiral Bougainville in the logbook noted the merits of the brave navigator and botanist before the expedition, but wrote down,that he could no longer guarantee the safety of the woman on board.
Alexandra Potanin
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Ethnographer and geographer Alexandra Potanina (Lavrskaya) is famous for her exploration of little-known regions of Central Asia. She participated in her husband's expeditions, where at first she was engaged in economic and financial affairs, but soon became interested in science. Thanks to Alexandra Potanina, most of the materials on the everyday life of families in China and Mongolia were collected. Potanina painted beautifully and brought all impressions and discoveries into travel albums. By the end of the 19th century, the traveler published about 20 ethnographic essays, articles and books describing the life of Asian peoples (Buryats, Chinese, nomad Mongols), paying particular attention to the role of women, religious and family traditions and nature. On March 8, 1887, Alexandra Potanin was admitted to the Russian Geographical Society and became the third woman among the organization's employees. One of the craters on Venus was named in her honor in 1985.
Nelly Bly
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American reporter Elizabeth Cochran is one of the first women to go against tradition and chose risky social investigations instead of entertainment journalism. She published exposing articles under the pseudonym Nellie Bly. In addition, in 1889, the girl decided to throw another challenge to the "world of men" and embody the plot of Jules Verne's novel Around the World in 80 Days. Nelly managed to surpass the hero of the book, Phileas Fogg, and circled the globe in 72 days. She traveled by steamer, train, rickshaws, flat-bottomed sampans, horseback riding, and any unusual local modes of transport. Bligh's adventures were covered by the New York World magazine for which she worked. On the way, the reporter managed to interview the writer who inspired her to travel around the world. Jules Verne emphasized that he did not doubt Bligh's success, her courage and perseverance. In 1890, Nelly published Around the World in 72 Days.
Annie Londonderry
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In 1894, Annie Cohen-Kopchowski, leaving her husband and three children at home, set off on a journey across North America, Europe and Asia. The woman decided to ride a bike, which she almost did not know how to drive before the trip, in order to win a bet. Entrepreneur Albert Pope and Boston-based physician Albert Reeder argued that no emancipated woman could match the male cyclist Thomas Stevenson's record to circumnavigate the globe in 15 months. Annie earned money for the bike and the start of the trip from advertising - the Londonderry Lithia Spring Water Company paid her $ 100 to have the brand name written on the bike frame. This is how Annie Cohen became Annie Londonderry. The enterprising traveler turned the world tour into a show - she gave interviews, gave autographed photos and placed new ads. On the way, Annie had several accidents and received a prize with a broken arm.
Rosie Suyal-Pope
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The British traveler and writer ran the charity marathon around the world for five years. During this time, she collected 250 thousand pounds, which she donated to help Russian orphans. Rosie started on October 2, 2003, taking her tent and sleeping bag with her. Its route ran through Europe, Russia, Alaska, Canada, America, Greenland and Iceland. On the way, a woman was hit by a car, in a deserted place in Alaska she almost starved to death, broke her ribs in Iceland and a hip in Canada, and once she had to run away from a naked man with a pistol. The world marathon isn't Rosie's only adventure. In 1983 she sailed the Atlantic Ocean alone. Also, the traveler on horseback rode Chile and twice ran the famous "Sand Marathon" in the Sahara Desert.
Jessica Watson
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In May 2010, a 16-year-old girl became the youngest traveler to make a non-stop round-the-world trip on a yacht alone. Jessica's first test start in September 2009 was unsuccessful - her yacht Ella's Pink Lady collided with a cargo ship the next night after leaving the harbor in Brisbane and lost her masts. A month later, Watson hit the road again. The journey took 210 days, during which the girl was caught in a storm four times. In her free time, the young sailor did school assignments and blogged about the journey on social networks. In 2011, Jessica Watson received the Young Australian Woman of the Year Award, and in 2012 she was awarded the Medal of Merit in the Development of Navigation and Creation of a Role Model for Young People. And the girl also published the book "The Power of Dreams", in which she talked about how she became a yachtsman,described sea adventures and posted QR codes with a link to the video diaries of the trip around the world.
Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner
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The Austrian mountaineer Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner and the Spanish Edurne Pasaban are the only women in the world who have conquered all 14 highest peaks on the planet. Pasaban and Kaltenbrunner competed for the championship, but only Gerlinde managed to climb without the use of additional oxygen. It took the Austrian 13 years to conquer all the "eight-thousanders" - mountain peaks that rise 8 thousand meters above sea level. The first achievement of the traveler in 1998 was the ascent of Mount Cho Oyu in the Himalayas, the last in 2011 - the ascent of Chogori, the northernmost of the highest peaks in the world. In 2012, Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner was named Explorer of the Year by the National Geographic Society.
Sarah Marquis
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The Swiss traveler became famous for hiking. Sarah's first long route in 2000 ran through the United States. Then the woman conquered New Zealand, Australia and Latin America. The most famous expedition of Sarah Marquis took place in 2010–2013 - she walked from Russia to Australia. The journey began in Siberia, and further, through the Gobi Desert, Laos and China, Sarah Marquis reached Thailand, from where she went on a ship to Australian Brisbane and crossed the continent on foot. In 2014, the National Geographic Society recognized this expedition as Adventure of the Year. Sarah walked 16 thousand km, had a tropical fever, barely survived in the cold of the desert at night - she managed to cross the Gobi on the third attempt. However, the Marquis is sure that such travel is the best way to understand and connect with nature. The traveler has written four books about her adventures, spoke at the global TED Talks in 2015 and held 300 fan meetings around the world talking about her hikes.>