In 18 months and 26 days, Cassie De Pecol became not only the first woman to visit every country in the world, but she was also the fastest traveler to visit all recognized sovereign nations as well.
Cassie’s travel odyssey dubbed “Expedition 196” received worldwide attention when she, a 25-year-old American woman, set out solo to see the world. She budgeted $198,000 for the journey, acquired sponsors in Clif Bar, Air New Zealand, AIG, and Spot GPS, among others, and in less than two years, shattered the every country travel record in more than half the time.
But Cassie’s journey wasn’t just about traveling the world. She teamed up with non-profit, International Institute of Peace Through Tourism, taking aim at inspiring other women to be less afraid of seeing the world for themselves. Cassie also partnered with Skal International on a green initiative to offset the carbon footprint of her expedition and plant trees around the world.