'This ride is HELPING ME HEAL'

SARAH IS RIDING SOLO ACROSS AUSTRALIA TO RAISE MONEY FOR CANCER RESEARCH

- Katherine Chatfield

For many young women, the idea of solo travel means heading to European beaches or backpacking through South America. But when farmer Sarah Wheeler dreamt up her adventure, it looked a little different.

The 26-year-old is currently riding solo with her two horses, Shifty and Sally, across outback New South Wales and Queensland. She is completing the 5500kilometre trek in memory of her beloved mum, Terri, who passed away from a rare form of gastrointestinal cancer in 2022.

"When we lost mum, my sisters and I were left to look after our farm," Sarah tells New Idea. "I was sitting at home and two movies came on the TV; one was about a woman who walked across Australia with her camels, and the other was about Jessica Watson who sailed the world solo.