Three years, 21,000km and counting: Zan Campbell’s epic walk for sight
He’s worn through 13 pairs of hiking boots, walked more than 21,000km and has now raised almost $150,000 for The Fred Hollows Foundation.
Yet Alexander ‘Zan’ Campbell shows no signs of slowing down.
The 29-year-old set out on his ambitious world walk expedition from the steps of the Sydney Opera House on February 12, 2023.
Speaking to The Foundation on the third anniversary of his hike, Zan had reached Bulgaria after trekking through some of the most remote and beautiful corners of the world.
“It’s wild to think that it’s been three years since I set off on foot from outside the Sydney Opera House,” Zan said.
“It’s been an incredible journey so far.”
Since leaving Australia, Zan has walked through more than 16 countries including East Timor, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.
In 2024, Zan visited the College of Ophthalmology and Allied Vision Sciences in Lahore, meeting with Principal Prof Dr M Moin and staff to learn more about the partnership with The Fred Hollows Foundation and its work restoring sight in Pakistan.
Photo credit: Shazia Bashir
Along the way, he has encountered, wolves, wild dogs and even a bear in Turkey. He’s hiked through snowstorms and endured the punishing extremes of monsoon season as he made his way through Malaysia, India and Pakistan.
“It was so hot and humid in Malaysia the blood vessels in my legs became inflamed, turning my legs red and painful,” Zan said.
“I had to take like five days off to rest and elevate my legs to get them back to normal.
“The most challenging aspect is definitely being away from family and friends for so long.”
Later this year, Zan will reach the UK – the first country he will enter where English is the primary language since leaving Australia.
“It’ll be a fun experience being able to chat fluently with everyone I meet,” he said.
As he walks, Zan is always adjusting his route and mapping out the best course to take.
"Depending on the weather and the time of the year I’m passing through a country will impact what route I can take and so I’m always having to adapt,” he said.
“On the original route I’ve shared I was only planning on walking North America, but I’ve always considered doing South America too. And possibly a little bit of Africa.
“But this would add on an extra couple of years. So I’ll just wait and see how I’m feeling when I’m getting towards the end of Europe.”
The initial plan was to complete the walk by 2027, but expanding his route could mean extending his trip by several more years. Not that Zan minds.
When asked what keeps him going, he said: “I genuinely love being out here on a big adventure, so I don’t really need too much motivation.”
Zan wanted to support The Foundation to give back to the people he would meet on his trip.
In Nepal, Zan met with Dr Sanduk Ruit at the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology, learning more about the life-changing cataract work made possible through partnership with The Fred Hollows Foundation.
Photo credit: Sunita K.C
While he never set a fundraising target, the growing support has inspired him to dream big.
“With a couple of years left to go and how many people are now following the walk, I reckon we could maybe aim for a million dollars,” he said.
“But that’s a huge and intimidating amount of money, so we’ll see!”
If you’d like to support Zan’s incredible journey, see his donate page here. To get involved in fundraising for The Fred Hollows Foundation yourself, visit our community fundraising page and find out how you can participate.
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