Cassie De Pecol, from the US state of Connecticut, has spent the last 16 months ticking off nations at a rate of knots - and expects to complete the full list before the end of the year by stepping foot in a further 16. The 27-year-old adventurer has already travelled to 181 countries, since setting off in July 2015 and has just 15 left to conquer. The whistlestop traveller, who has been documenting her experiences on Instagram under the moniker expedition 196, has spent around £160,000 so far, which includes 254 flight tickets, but has funded much of her trip through sponsors and by obtaining free accommodation in exchange for social media posts.
De Pecol, who says she spends between two and five days in each place, is also filming her travels for a documentary, acting as an ambassador for the International Institute of Peace Through Tourism and collecting water samples around the world for Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation.
According to the Daily Star, she started off in Palau back in July 2015 and has since been all over the world. Her colourful snaps show her skiing in the mountains of Colorado, lounging on the beaches of Kiribati and trekking America's national parks. The fitness-fanatic only has 15 countries left to visit in the next 40 days to claim her record as the fastest person to travel the whole world.
De Pecol, who knows the self-defence system, Krav Maga, and is also a triathlete, said that when she has finished she plans to rent a cabin in the mountains of British Columbia, Canada, to reflect on the trip. "I'd love to continue inspiring people and travelling," she said. It was that initial voyage that sparked De Pecol's ambition to visit every country, and use her adventure to inspire good will around the world according to The Telegraph. She is now back in Connecticut organising visas and transport to reach the last 16 - which are surprisingly spread across the globe: Greenland, Syria, Cameroon, Libya and Israel all remain.
