Since May, Ethan Guo has spent most of his time at the helm in the cockpit.
“I have already crossed seven countries, about 8,000 kilometers. I am currently in Geneva, Switzerland, and will fly from there to Heraklion, Greece… 2,000 kilometers of flight: a short 8 hours, hopefully without a hitch,” Guo said.
The 19-year-old is trying to set a record as the youngest person to travel to all seven continents alone.
“When I started this journey, I was a little crazy. I was slightly delusional and overconfident. I thought I could take on the world, I thought I was invincible,” Guo said.
Ethan started flying at age 13 and got his pilot’s license 4 years later. He had trouble finding insurance to cover the adventure, so he had to wait.
His modified four-seat Cessna 182 is decorated with the logos of companies large and small, including the Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital based in Memphis.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. There were days when I stayed in bed. I wake up at night and I’m like, ‘Man. Like I could die at any moment.’ I could go into the Atlantic. I could crash, but every day I affirm to myself. I say this is what I believe in. I started this because I believed in it,” Guo said.
The plan is to travel 50,000 miles in 100 days with stops in 60 countries.
But he has an even bigger number in mind: Guo wants to raise one million dollars for childhood cancer research.
His cousin was diagnosed with stage four blood cancer.
“I reached out to Saint Jude Children’s Hospital. We thought about how we could help, how we could work together and make the world a better place,” Guo said.
His commitment to the cause helps him to keep his head above the clouds today.
