For most of her life, Joy Ryan—known affectionately as “Grandma Joy”—had never experienced much beyond her small hometown of Duncan Falls, Ohio. She’d never seen an ocean or a mountain, and international travel felt like a distant fantasy. Yet in late October 2023, at the age of 94, Grandma Joy stood on the icy shores of Antarctica, celebrating a momentous milestone. Together with her grandson, Brad Ryan, she had successfully visited all seven continents, proving that adventure has no expiration date.
The duo’s journey began eight years ago when Brad, then a veterinarian living in Washington, D.C., found himself thinking about how limited his grandmother’s world had once been. He proposed a trip to a national park—a simple invitation that sparked a travel partnership spanning continents. By 2022, they had already completed an epic goal: visiting all 63 U.S. National Parks, making Grandma Joy the oldest person ever to achieve this feat. But why stop there?
Determined to broaden their horizons even further, grandmother and grandson embarked on an international journey that would take them everywhere from Europe to Asia, Africa to South America, Australia to the Arctic Circle’s Svalbard archipelago, and finally, the remotest continent of all—Antarctica. Each destination challenged any notion of what a “typical” traveler might be, inspiring everyone who followed their story.
Reaching Antarctica was not a simple matter. The pair traveled aboard a polar expedition ship, braving the cold and rough seas to touch down on the continent that few people get to see. Upon arriving, Grandma Joy marveled at the stunning polar landscape. For her, each step off the ship was a reminder that even life’s wildest adventures are possible, no matter one’s age or background.
For Brad, sharing these experiences with his grandmother was about far more than racking up passport stamps. It was a chance to strengthen their bond, to honor family history, and to show that dreams can be realized at any stage of life. Every hike, ferry ride, and wildlife encounter offered them both a deeper appreciation of the natural world and their place within it.
Grandma Joy’s extraordinary travels serve as a beacon of optimism and resilience. Her story demonstrates that it’s never too late to explore, learn, and grow. After all, age should never stand in the way of dreaming big—just ask the 94-year-old who once thought she’d never see a mountain, only to find herself grinning at penguins at the bottom of the world.
