US Woman Got Her First Passport At 91, Now At 96, She Has Visited All Seven Continents

A 96-year-old woman from Ohio, United States, has achieved another travel milestone by visiting all seven continents with her grandson. Joy Ryan, popularly known as "Grandma Joy", recently travelled to Australia, completing her goal after visiting Thailand. Her journey with her 45-year-old grandson, Brad Ryan, began years ago and has taken them to several places around the world, reported PEOPLE.

Joy and Brad visited Thailand and Australia in September, marking the completion of their journey across all seven continents. Australia was the last continent on their list, where Joy enjoyed seeing koalas and their babies, known as joeys.

Joy said that Australia was a beautiful country and that she found the koalas very cute. She also recalled feeling proud of herself for finally completing her goal.

The journey also helped Joy and Brad rebuild their relationship after spending 10 years apart. In the fall of 2015, Brad contacted his grandmother and asked if she wanted to go camping with him in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Brad knew that Joy had never seen a mountain before and wanted to give her an opportunity to explore new places. Their travels later took them to several national parks across the United States. They visited the last of the country's 63 national parks in May 2023.

After visiting the national parks, their journey continued to other parts of the world. Joy received her first passport at the age of 91, allowing the pair to travel internationally.

They visited several places, including Kenya, where they saw elephants, and Ireland, where they explored historic castles. During their recent visit to Thailand, they also spoke with Buddhist monks and visited temples.

Brad said that conversations with a young monk helped him understand the importance of seeing how people are connected and not remaining focused on painful experiences from the past.

He added that their travels had helped him move beyond earlier difficulties and begin a new chapter of happiness in his life.