Hi, this is Ria. I’m trying to become the first human to run across Asia and Europe on the ancient Silk Road, from Vladivostok to Lisbon, starting May 2026.

Just a year ago, I was struggling with anxiety and depression, deep in my quarter-life crisis and learned helplessness. Running daily helped turn my life around.

In a year, I managed to go from barely running a half marathon to setting a few world records, including a fastest known time (FKT) on the Camino de Santiago.

Today, I’m almost ready to set off on the most ambitious project of my life: the 20,000 km experiment.

I’m trying to write the real-life Forrest Gump story of our generation, as a 27-year-old Asian woman.

This is not just a 20,000 km run, but also an experiment to test our human ability to:

1. give our life to pursue seemingly delusional goals,

2. make it happen with our collective power & determination, and

3. tell a good story about it that inspires millions.

We will also be using the visibility of this run to raise awareness and funds for the local communities along the way.

Therefore, I’m asking for help to make it happen, together.

To pull this whole project off, we need $120,000. This includes all the basics: a support vehicle, visa & permit fees, transportation & living expenses for myself & 2 crew members for 1 year and 2 months, & running gear.

Every $6 you donate can help me run 1 km. So far, we’ve raised $2,000 already from direct giving, but still 19,664 km to go till the finish line. Could you help me get there?