Meet Steph Jeavons, the Lady Who Circumnavigated All Seven Continents on a Honda CRF250L

Ever since the early days of BMW’s revered R 80 G/S, dual-sport machines have been inspiring riders to pack some essentials and wander far off the beaten track in search of adventure. However, most people would call it a day after traversing a mere fraction of what Steph Jeavons had set out to accomplish back in March 2014.

Now, it could be said that riding is in Steph’s blood, as both her parents rode motorcycles way before she (or most of us) came into the world. Even her grandmother was thoroughly familiarized with two-wheeled entities, which she’d used for mail delivery during the years of the Second World War.

The Jeavons family lived in Canada at the time of our protagonist’s birth, but it wasn’t long before the beautiful country of Wales became their new home. Although we’d love to tell you that they lived happily ever after, this could not be further from the truth. Steph fell prey to the devastating heroin addiction in her late teens, and things spiraled out of control to the point where she received a two-year prison sentence.

Needless to say, the situation could hardly get any worse for this young lady, though she was fully determined to turn it all around upon regaining her freedom. When the whole incarceration ordeal had finally ended, Steph decided that it was time to discover the joys of motorcycling, so off she went to get her riding license at the age of 21.

Having found a dependable outlet, the next logical step was to start focusing on the professional side of things. Thus, she undertook multiple human resources and accounting roles in the years that followed, but something didn’t quite feel right. During her imprisonment, Steph had pledged to one day travel the world, and the desire to fulfill this ambition was only growing stronger as the years went by.

After much preparation and a bit of reluctance, she was finally ready to sell any superfluous belongings and set off into the sunset on her trusty Honda CRF250L, which she’d nicknamed “Rhonda.” In the spring of 2014, Steph Jeavons’ deeply-inspiring journey began at the Ace Cafe in London – a renowned gathering place for riders across the UK.

From there, she was accompanied by a few friends on the European leg of her trip, which took them across the English Channel into France and beyond. The voyage continued through Belgium, Germany, and all the way down to the Turkish border, where Steph's road companions were set to turn back towards Britain.

Journeying solo through Turkey, the Welsh adventurer had eventually arrived in Iran – a nation that most Westerners would never dare to visit. Steph, on the other hand, decided to shun any preconceived notions and push on, discovering only hospitality and kindness as she ventured deeper into the unknown.

The lengthy list of Asian destinations carried on with countries like India, Malaysia, and Indonesia, where Steph’s unfailing CRF was packed up and shipped over the Timor Sea to Darwin, Australia. She then rode nearly 2,500 miles (4,000 km) to Sydney, boarded a flight to the other side of the globe, and started planning her expedition to Antarctica from Argentina.

When the opportunity presented itself, Steph and Rhonda embarked on a boat headed for the world’s remotest landmass. The vessel reached Antarctica after five days at sea, and the pair was carefully unloaded onto its shores, thus marking one of the few instances when a motorcycle was ridden on the southernmost continent.

Before departing for South America on an icebreaker, the British thrill-seeker took her time to admire the breathtaking tranquility of Antarctic landscapes. She'd encountered sea lions, penguins, and a friendly team of Ukrainian scientists who were more than happy to offer a bed for the night – besides great company, warm food, and plenty of vodkas, that is.

Steph chose to ride up the Pacific coast upon returning to Latin America, and this segment of her two-wheeled odyssey went all the way to Canada. After resting in Vancouver for a while, she traveled east towards Quebec and began plotting her next move, which involved flying over to South Africa for the last part of the trip.

Once she arrived in Cape Town, Steph got to meet the famed adventure riding icon Charley Boorman, who’d been preparing for a trip to Victoria Falls and wished to learn more about her quests. Then, it was time to pack up and hit the road once again, with the final destination being the port city of Alexandria in Egypt.

After crossing seven continents, 54 countries, and 74,000 miles (120,000 km), Steph Jeavons and her seemingly invincible Honda CRF250L were finally home in April 2018. Since then, she’d founded her own off-road riding school, appeared in several interviews, and wrote a book entitled Home by Seven, which documents Steph’s incredible journey around the world.

As her thirst for adventure wasn’t quenched for very long, she went on to lead a team of 23 female riders on a trip to Everest Base Camp back in 2019. Now, to say that her story is impressive would be a gross understatement – it is an awe-inspiring tale of sheer will, courage, and overcoming adversity, portraying the archetypal narrative of facing the unknown to seek redemption. Sure enough, it makes us yearn for a long ride into uncharted territory!