Johnny Ward

Johnny Ward (born 1983) known for visiting every country in the world, and being the first person to complete the Ultimate Explorer's Grand Slam.

Early life and education Ward was born in Galway, Ireland in 1983 to a single mother named Maura. His family moved to Kilkeel, Northern Ireland soon after, and Ward largely grew up there. Ward studied international economics at university in England, graduating in 2006.

Travel and career After earning his university degree in 2006, Ward began his travels. His first destination was New York City and over 100 countries by the end of that year. In 2014, Ward was a founding member of the Professional Travel Bloggers Association. By 2015, he had earned a total of around $1 million and had visited 152 countries.

Adventurer Ward has since declared his intention to be the first person to visit every country, plus visit the North Pole, South Pole, and climb the Seven Summits. He has since finished 8th in the North Pole Marathon, and summited Kilimanjaro, Puncak Jaya, Aconcagua, Denali, and Mount Elbrus. Ward completed the challenge, reaching the South Pole in January 2024. Alongside this, Ward has also completed multiple long-distance ultra-marathons ranging from 100 km to 260 km, and competed in the Marathon des Sables in 2019. Ward is the founder of two annual endurance events: the Eye of the Sahara Ultramarathon, held in Mauritania, and the Highway to Hell Ultracycle, held in Turkmenistan.

Ward rowed across the Atlantic Ocean in March, April, and May 2021. He also spent 2 months attempting to climb Mount Everest in April and May and successfully summitted the world's highest mountain on May 17, 2023.

Television Ward is the host of Where Next with Johnny Ward, a travel series produced in Turkey and broadcast on TRT World. The first season, consisting of 12 episodes, aired in 2024 and featured Ward exploring different regions of Turkey, highlighting both well-known and lesser-visited destinations.

Blog Ward started his travel blog, OneStep4Ward.com, in 2010 whilst living in Australia, and soon began making a full-time income blogging. His blog is often listed as Ireland's leading blog, and one of the world's leading travel blogs.

Ward was nominated for the 11th Shorty Awards for 'Best in Travel'.

Ultimate Explorers Grand Slam

Upon reaching the South Pole on the 12 January 2024, Ward became the first person in history to complete the self-proclaimed Ultimate Explorers Grand Slam (climbing the seven summits, reaching both the North and South Poles, plus visiting every country in the world). Reportedly, around 1000 people have climbed the Seven Summits. Reports vary from 250 to 500 people having visited every country in the world, but no-one has yet completed the set.

Countries visited Country total Years 197 Countries 2007-2017

The Seven Summits Mountain Height Date climbed Location Mount Everest 8848 m (29,035 ft) 17 May 2023 Asia Aconcagua 6,961 m (22,841 ft) 20 January 2023 S. America Denali 6190 m (20,320 ft) 29 May 2022 N. America Carstensz Pyramid 4,884 m (16,023 ft) 23 September 2019 Oceania Mount Elbrus 5642 m (18,510 ft) 26 June 2018 Europe Kilimanjaro 5,895 m (19,340 ft) 10 March 2013 Africa Vinson Massif 4,892 m (16,050 ft) 7 January 2024 Antarctica

Other mountains Mountain Height Date climbed Location Mount Kosciuszko 2,228m (7,309 feet) 31 May 2019 Australasia (Bass) Mont Blanc 4,807m (15,771 feet) 27 August 2019 Europe (disputed)

Three Poles Challenge Mountain Date climbed Location Mount Everest 17 May 2023 Asia North Pole 17 April 2018 Arctic Ocean South Pole 12 January 2024 Antarctica

Awards and nominations Year Award Show Category Nominee 2019 Shorty Awards Best In Travel Himself

Philanthropy Ward co-founded the non-profit Mudita Adventures (formally the Giveback GiveAway) in 2015 with a view to 'Change Travel. For Good.' Since then, Mudita Adventures has built schools, dormitories, playgrounds and clinics for developing communities in 10 countries, donating over $200,000USD.

In 2019, Ward helped his mother, who had previously been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, raise £14,444 to climb Mount Fuji in Japan, with the funds going towards The Cure Parkinson's Trust.

In November 2021, Ward took a group of people, including his mother once more, to partake in the Serengeti Marathon in Tanzania, raising $16,000 (£14,000) for the Michael J. Fox Foundation to help find a cure for Parkinson's Disease. In June 2023, Ward and his mother, Maura, undertook a 100 km tandem cycle through the Jordanian Desert, raising $15,000USD in order to help find a cure for Parkinson's Disease.