George Meegan is an adventurer, lecturer and world traveler. He holds the
most official world’s records (8) of any European (including the Longest
Unbroken March of All Time) earned from his epic walk from Tierra Del
Fuego, South America to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska; 19,019 miles in 2,425 days from
1977 to 1983. Later he completed his walk to Barrow in 2000.
He lives in both England and Japan with his wife, Yoshiko. He has a daughter, Ayumi, and a son, Geoffrey.
He has served as a seaman in the British Merchant Marine and is a
Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society. Currently, Meegan is an associate professor at
the Japanese National Maritime University, Kobe, Japan.
The story of this epic transverse of the Americas on foot is chronicled in
his book, The Longest Walk.* This is George Meegan’s very personal account
of the challenges, the hardships, and the vast sweep of peoples he
encountered as he walked across the Americas.
Interestingly, no human has ever transversed the Americas by foot, nor by
vehicle or even by aircraft. By foot, Meegan’s feat is unequaled. His
book is in the Library of Congress, and pictured in the Guinness Book of
Records in Japan, U.K. and the U.S.A.; it has been excerpted as an elective
text for Japanese University study; it has been condensed and included in a
national text book of historic adventure persons now being distributed
throughout most middle schools in the Japanese archipelago; it has been
converted into an audio version distributed nationwide in the U.S. and
other English speaking countries. McGraw Hill publishers has seen fit to
include a quote of Meegan’s regarding weather in Central America in a
social studies textbook used in U.S. middle schools.
His feat has earned him national and international recognition. George was
the ‘most unknown’ ever to be in a four page Bio section in People magazine
and then later in a three page update. He has appeared on the NBC Today
show three times, CBS Morning News and also for a two hour radio interview
on the Larry King Live. He has lectured at the New York Explorer’s Club to
a standing room audience, and made numerous other lecture appearances
world-wide since his book was published.
* The Longest Walk was originally published by Paragon Press in 1988. It has since gone out
of print. A limited quantity of the original softbound version is still available and may
be purchased in person or through Meegan’s current publisher, Eagle River Type and
Graphics in Eagle River, Alaska. The book may be reviewed along with purchasing details on
the web site: www.northbooks.com or by calling (907) 696-8973.
George, thanks so much for taking your walk. It’s meant a lot to me. I’ve recently begun walking myself. Excellent.
And Rebecca it doesn’t cost or poison the air, either! Big point the latter: the nazis before building death camps used plain old regular vehicle fumes to wipe innocent folk out. Same exactly as car fumes today. Believe me? Well don’t put your mouth near a car exhaust.
best wishes,
george
you are an inspiration to myself, your life at sea and your walk means a lot to me making me believe in myself . i going to follow your steps
Derek in Ghana
“Happy Christmas!”
george meegan
I’ve always had this dream of just walking, destination unknown. Seeing that you have walked from one end of the earth to another is just so inspiring. I hope someday I could try long-distance walking myself. When I told my friends that I always wanted to walk across America, they looked at me like I was crazy. Thank you for letting me know that there are other people who share my passion.
Go for it Sarah, you will not regret. Go for the far horizon and you will find the deep beauty
of your vast country founded as it was on a unique and inspiring dream.
Happy Christmas!
george meegan
Hola George!!!!! Yo soy aquel maestro con Citroën. Non encontramos en Neuquén,Argentina… Fuimos desde Mendoza a casa de mis padres en San Luis. Siempre recuerdo a Yoshiko y a vos (Jorjito!) – Ahora yo vivo en ciudad de Córdoba -centro de Argentina- con mi nueva pareja (mary) – Un abrazo grande para ustedes y los niños… Rolando.
Mi padrino Rolando!
Bien Navidad tu mi amigo “like an Argentine movie star” Yoshiko y mi ella (Ayumi- 31) y ello (Geoffrey – 29) visit Mendoza
German y Marie 2007 Tu infirma para casado con Yoshiko 30-anos!!
Abazo grande Rolando.
We love Argentina and amigos genta.
Jorge Meegan
Very inspirational. i doubt you will remember me. Recently, at Barry Archer karate club we met briefly, you commented on my fantastic shaved haircut! Well i purchased your book and havent put it down.. fantastic keep walking George and maybe some time i may have the privilege to meet you again maybe even in Japan with some karate masters!
Regards
Andy
Andy – well you know your chief and leader Mr. Archer inspires me, too!
Hapy Cristmas Andy,
george meegan
I met George while he walked through Montreal in the summer of 1981. I had heard he was around and was sleeping at the home of a journalist who had interviewed him. I was a young reporter and wanted to interview him too, but when I called the journalist, I was told George had left. Knowing where the the journalist lived, the time George had left and his direction, I calculated where he would be – and was spot on; found him on Sherbrooke Ave. hauling his little cart behind him. George was happy to be treated to a Kentucky Fried Chicken lunch (though he argued with the counterman over why he could not have mashed potatoes instead of fries) and I then took him back to my office. There, rather unprofessionally, I gathered the staff and hit them all up for donations. My boss was furious and very nearly fired me. But I got a great story out of it.
Cheers, George, for a wonderful memory.
Ron!
I remember you well! The paper was The Suburban. Your shining gesture remains remarkable. You are in my original 600,000 word notes, but alas they edited out most of North America.
Ron, I still shout about mash potatos at KFC, and still never have those chips!
Canada can be so proud of such a splendid journalist!
great success to you. it has been29-years!
best,
george meegan
thanx for ur inspirational message i will forever keep the fire burning till i get beyond the sky
Hi George,
I discovered your name and your adventure watching “Kintaro walks Japan” and I’m really happy because I’m always looking for motivations for my project: next year I’d like to do a long walking trip through Europe and now I’m training myself and deciding what to take with me, how many kilos I can handle, how many km I can walk in a day …
I hope that your book will give me some suggestion
Ciao
D
Oh a god average was 32 km. (20miles) A good a wearing maximum average is 40Km. Which was about the same as the Inca post runners with mail made up of knotted string!
Hapy Christmas Durriti!
george meegan
George
I just finished your book The Longest Walk
I dont think I have ever enjoyed a book so much! Thanks for the many hours of reading your adventures
Jim
St Louis Mo
As they say Jim “meet me in St. Louis – Louis, meet me at the fair!”
Happy Christmas
george meegan
Hello George,
I am reading your book at this time and I am halfway to the finish line. You are truly an inspiring person. I am planning to drive all the way to argentina and one of these days that I could make it. And thanks for all your information about the people and places you have mentioned in your book. I wish that since it has been 20 years now since your travel, there would be a road connection on the Darien Gap. I wonder also if these border guards are still the same twenty years ago. I am kind a worried about Mexico too since there are much violence in that country. Anyway, thanks again on your book. It’s facinating. I hope I could meet you one of these days
Good Lord George, but you have a good memory. The paper was indeed the Suburban, and my photo of you was taken right outside our offices.
Last month, we moved to a new home and I found an old article from People Magazine about your trek that I’d framed. I asked you to sign it at the time (again, highly unprofessional for a journalist but what the hell; the only other “celebrity” I cozied up to once was the boxer Jake LaMotta, so you are in good company). You obliged, and added: “At the end of the day but not the end of the dream” and a sketch of a boot. The article now hangs in my new home office.
I plan to read your book, as the general subject fascinates me; I recently, and finally, read Ted Simon’s “Jupiter’s Travels” and loved it.
Cheers and regards from the colonies.
-Ron Csillag
Toronto
Ron – Jake LaMotta “Raging bull” what a movie, what a bok of his life! Jupiter’s — I read that, too. I recall Ted not speaking to anybody throughout Tanzania. What a world!
george
Hello George,
I met you a few times in Japan. I was introduced to you by Jennifer Nagae and her daugher Erika. I’m glad to hear you’re still kicking and active. I have recently finished writing a book about education reform, partly along the lines of John Tayor Gatto. I am working on ways to spread the ideas to varying groups. I’d love to send you an advance copy by email if you’re interested. It’s coming out this spring but is still inthe last stages of editing.
Good luck to you,
Matthew Cooper
Matthew,
I am standing for UK parliament as Independent on education reform. If in UK join me there in 3 weeks!
best and let’s work together.
george
It’s quite interesting as to how I came across your blog. For the longest time, I’d thought about what it would be like to drive all the way from Prudhoe Bay to Ushuaia. This morning, I set upon researching directions and realized that the Darien Gap is a serious impediment. Upon researching the Darien Gap on Wikipedia, I found that you had walked the path on which I felt the urge to drive. Not only did you dream, but you achieved. Your example is extremely serious motivation to little dreamers like myself… May you be blessed!
Dear Fez,
It really is quite amazing that the route was never completed thus far? I was told down there that this was because disease, screw worm and such, from the south could more easily sweep north and destroy the great herds of the US.
Some take a ship round Darien. canoe with Choco or Kuna Indians might be viable?
Good luck!
george meegan
Keep dreaming fez, the world is yours, now. gm
George,
I have just finally read The Longest Walk which you sent my father, Sir Vivan Fuchs, in 1990. He died in 1999 and I Have his library now.
Yours is a most inspiring tale and you have my belated congratulations.
Do get in contact.
Peter Fuchs
10.11.10
My word, Peter! Thank you so very much. You might not know but your father supported John Bitters for FRGS. He was the former SAS gent who made the last determined action of the 20th century, when in 2000 we got the US to say sorry to First Nations, and in these words. “… Cowardly killing of woman and children.” We are endeavouring to get the film of his historic parachute onto the web in the weeks ahead. Your father wrote in a foreword to a dictionary of exploration who adventures must be published to live. I have so far singularly failed to get published in the UK. Though an Italian edition is expected this spring, and of course published in the US and Japan. Any ideas Peter?
Wonderful wishes,
I am direct at georgemeegan@gmail.com
George:
I read your book a few weeks after I saw you on the Larry King show, many many years ago.
I was so happy to find your book again in an old book store in my home town.
I re-read your book over the weekend all over again and loved ever step of it
You have left a legacy my man….amazing story and it should be made into a movie.
Dear Mr Meegan,
I will keep this message short so as not to waste too much of your time.
A friend and I are planning to walk around the world in the near future and I was wondering if it would be possible to talk or correspond with you concerning your experiences and preparations for such a long trip.
Thank you very much for reading my mail and I hope we can talk in more depth in the future.
Thanks again,
Paul Masters
P.s. I have your book on order and I am looking forward to reading it
Nana Bayin –
A Happy Christmas to you there in wonderful Ghana!
And regards also to your mother and family!
george meegan
… And thank you Scary for the honour you did Gillingham by your visit. The colour and wind that day made a magnificent compliment to you noble, Sir. As always you shone a light into so many lives there. Cathryn is a stunner and her backstop to you is also world class. Will the brilliant Gillingham slide show be on your site somewhere.
Universal dream — just walk out the door, and with good heart. Thank you David.