Little Jamie Meconi has visited North and South America, Asia, Europe, Oceania, Africa and now Antarctica. He began travelling the world before his first birthday
An adventurous eight-year-old boy has become the youngest ever Brit to visit the world’s seven continents.
Intrepid Jamie Meconi bagged the impressive record after he arrived on Antarctica’s vast snow-covered ice sheet earlier this month. The pint-sized traveller, who has visited 85 countries, began circumnavigating the globe with his mum, Hayley Meconi, 45, before his first birthday.
His globe-trotting has also taken him to North and South America, Asia, Europe, Oceania and Africa. He has planted palm trees in Borneo’s rainforests, helped build a school in Tanzania and sipped hot chocolate in front of Paris’s Eiffel Tower.
And the “world-schooled” youngster has also kept up with his studies by speaking with scientists aboard an expedition ship in the South Atlantic Ocean. Jamie, from Preston, Lancs, said: “Visiting all continents has been amazing. Antarctica was so much fun camping in the snow and seeing so many penguins.
“It was cold there so I think I want to go somewhere hot next, maybe Africa. But we are having a Christmas at home first.” He added about his favourite experience so far: “I loved going on safari in the Serengeti and seeing the big five. I also got to experience living as a Masai warrior and that was an amazing time.”
Mum Hayley said the pair were inspired to begin exploring the globe after the death of Jamie’s dad, Danny, when he was just six months old. Hayley said: “Our journey with travel began eight years ago with the most tragic of starts when Jamie’s dad sadly gained his angel wings at just 36 years young and Jamie was only six months old.
“I have watched my little human grow into the most wonderful and kind little boy and I am so incredibly proud to be his mum. Jamie’s adventures have seen him plant trees in the Borneo rainforest and to help build a school In Tanzania.
“We have built a whole lifetime of memories together and now we share more precious moments with my new husband too. Life is not always perfect, but we are and always will be our perfect.”
Hayley managed to fund their adventures after founding Making Travel Pay, a holiday agency, with her close friend, Hayley Light. She had previously worked a gruelling nine-to-five job but feared she would not have enough time to care for James as a single parent.
But the success of this business has allowed her to jet-set around the world – while raising her boy at the same time. Hayley, who has since remarried, said: “I was working full time and had a long commute to work in rush hour traffic.
“Jamie had already lost one parent so I wanted to ensure I would be present to hear his first words and to see him take his first tiny steps. I discovered a way where I could turn my passion for travel into a pay cheque.”
Hayley and Jamie reached his final continent, Antarctica, by travelling aboard the HX Hurtigruten Expeditions ship. But despite being hundreds of miles from Britain, she said Jamie was still able to keep up with his primary school studies.
Hayley said: “Aboard the ship heading for Antarctica they have the most specialist research laboratories and top scientists. So Jamie is having his science lessons on the open sea and will shortly get to witness the dramatic effects of climate change on Antarctica for himself.
“We had always tried to fit our travels as much as possible around the British education system and school year. But it proved impossible to do, hence why we have decided to ‘world school’ Jamie.
“He now has the best of both worlds with a personal tutor to help him with his maths and English then learning from those we meet on our adventures.”
