She left her desk job and walked 3,541 miles from Mexico to Canada: Give yourself permission'

"The rare linking up of the two trails which traverse New Mexico's Chihuahuan Desert, Colorado's high-elevation passes, Old Faithful in Yellowstone national park in Wyoming, the alpine scenery of Montana and Glacier national park and the remote backcountry of Banff, Canada captivated tens of thousands of viewers online as Guo recorded and edited her daily journeys, while keeping a pace of around 48km (30 miles) each day."

"I didn't start out as some crazy endurance athlete and I really think of myself as a normal person, she said of the 5,698km (3,541-mile) hike, which has been completed by only three men since 2005. I was scared about sleeping outside alone in the woods or hiking alone or in the dark when I first started backpacking nearly a decade ago."

Jessica Guo completed a continuous 5,698 km (3,541-mile) hike linking the Continental Divide Trail and the Great Divide Trail in a single calendar year, finishing in September after about five months. The route crossed New Mexico's Chihuahuan Desert, Colorado high-elevation passes, Old Faithful in Yellowstone, alpine Montana and Glacier National Park, and Banff's remote backcountry. She maintained a pace of around 48 km (30 miles) per day and recorded and edited daily videos. Guo built nearly 50,000 Instagram followers, left a six-figure consulting job, and now focuses on helping others get on trail.

Read at www.theguardian.com