66-year-old woman cycles the world after divorce
Li Dongju, a 66-year-old woman from Henan, central China, found a new purpose in life after her divorce by cycling through 12 countries. Her ultimate goal is to visit at least 100 nations.
Overcoming depression through cycling
66-year-old woman cycles the world after a divorce
In 2005, after her ex-husband remarried, Li fell into depression and was hospitalized for mental health treatment. In 2013, she was inspired by a group of well-equipped cyclists who passed by her, sparking a desire to join their adventurous lifestyle.
Although she dreamed of cycling to Tibet, she had only $23 in her bank account. Having lived on government subsidies since losing her job at a state-owned textile factory in 2002, she could only afford a helmet. Her son later gifted her a $138 foldable mountain bike, enabling her to start her journey.
First steps in Southeast Asia: The journey of a 66-year-old cyclist
66-year-old Li and her beloved dog explored China in 2015. Photo: CNN
After working as a domestic helper for a year, Li saved enough money to embark on a cycling trip across Southeast Asia with two experienced cyclists.
She and her two online friends started their adventure in Vietnam, bringing only a mobile phone and the bike her son had given her. However, within a week, she lost contact with her companions. A Vietnamese cycling enthusiast who spoke Chinese helped her return home.
Undeterred, she decided to cycle across China. By 2015, she had ridden through 20 cities, from Hainan Island to Xinjiang, with a brown poodle as her loyal companion. She funded her journey by washing dishes at hotels and cleaning spas.
At 59, she set out for Southeast Asia again, this time with a smartphone and a well-planned itinerary. After three weeks, her travel partners decided to return home, but Li pressed on, cycling through Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar.
Expanding her journey to Europe and Australia
After cycling across four countries for about 70 days, Li returned home with thousands of photos, fueling her passion for travel.
In the spring of 2019, she ventured into Europe, cycling through six countries in 66 days. She communicated using Google Translate, slept in a tent, and followed elderly French women to supermarkets for discounted groceries.
That November, she flew to Australia amid its worst wildfires in decades. She cycled through charred forests, past the remains of kangaroos, and even spotted smoke rising from the bushes along the Pacific Highway. She recorded and reported a video to local authorities, preventing a potential disaster.
“I was so proud of myself. I felt like I contributed something to Australia,” she said. She traveled to New Zealand before returning to China in March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic spread.
During this time, she realized she had stopped taking antidepressants, believing that her cycling adventures had healed her.
Challenges and moments of kindness
Li takes a photo with a newly met friend during one of her adventures on another continent. Photo: Paper
Not every journey was smooth. In Australia, she lost her backpack containing all her belongings. At the Bosnia and Herzegovina border, she mistook armed guards’ gestures for a high-five when they were signaling her to stop for inspection.
Despite the difficulties, Li cherished the kindness she encountered. On a sweltering day in Australia, a couple in an RV stopped to give her a large bottle of ice water, a hamburger, and pomegranates. Another time, a cycling enthusiast couple invited her to stay at their home.
“Whenever I look at their photos, I tear up,” said Li, now 66. She always carried Chinese knot charms as gifts for those who helped her along the way.
A pause for family and a new goal
Eighteen years after her divorce, her ex-husband suffered a stroke in 2023, was abandoned by his wife, and could no longer care for himself. Upon hearing the news, Li decided to temporarily halt her cycling adventures to take care of him.
While many praised her selflessness, others criticized her decision, arguing that she had traveled widely but learned little or failed to embody the “strong woman” image they expected.
When asked if she still harbored resentment toward her ex-husband, Li calmly replied, “Hatred? It’s not that I don’t hate him anymore—it’s that I no longer hate anyone.”
After a three-year pause, she is now planning to cycle from Kazakhstan to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“My goal is to visit at least 100 countries. Traveling is like an addiction—once you experience it, you can’t stop,” said Li, who has cycled solo through 12 countries across three continents. “Before cycling, I was dependent and felt like a frog in a well. Now, I feel like a wild wolf—free, strong, and independent.”
