Learn Something To Smiling About: A 5,000-Mile Walk Across Asia, Guided Past Times Google Maps

Inspiration comes inward many shapes too forms. For U.S. Marine Sgt. Winston Fiore, it was a tidings article nigh the International Children’s Surgical Foundation (ICSF) too doc Geoff Williams, who provides gratis facial-reconstructive surgeries for children amongst crevice lips/palates inward developing countries. Although crevice palates are quite correctable, if left untreated the deformity tin crusade serious wellness issues. Many children don’t lead maintain the surgery because the terms of each physical care for ($250 USD) is out of accomplish for their families.



Inspired to produce something to help, Winston laid upward out on a 5,000-mile trek across Southeast Asia to heighten coin too awareness for the ICSF—a mission he dubbed Smile Trek. Armed amongst sturdy boots, a 20-pound vest carrying essentials too an Android outcry upward amongst Google Maps, Winston laid upward off on his mission inward Oct 2011. In the final year, he has walked (yes, walked!) through Brunei, China, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, too Vietnam. Along the agency he’s met countless individuals who lead maintain contributed to his cause, whether it was a house to stay, a hot repast or a monetary donation on his website.

Trekking along: Winston, standing inward front end of a durian fruit stand upward nigh Sematan, the westernmost town of Malaysian Borneo

Out on the road, Winston’s Android outcry upward too Google Maps became “the hub” of his entire operation. He used Google Maps to notice accurate too easy-to-use walking directions everywhere he went, whether it was through remote villages too farms, downward tiny dirt roads, or across rice paddies too desolate saccharide cane fields. “Walking directions inward Google Maps were critical to my trek. The directions were accurate too efficient—it’s essential to accept the shortest route when you’re walking 20-25 miles each day,” said Winston. “But the best purpose was beingness routed onto roads too trails through areas I otherwise never would lead maintain discovered with, say, driving directions, or fifty-fifty a physical map.”

View the consummate map of Winston's journeying on his site

In add-on to using Google Maps, Winston relied on many other Google products during his trek. He used Google Latitude to operate along his family, friends too supporters informed of his whereabouts, too MyTracks to tape his speed, distance too the places he visited. He also used Google Translate to communicate amongst locals, too inward i illustration establish it essential: when fleck past times a stray Canis familiaris exterior of Bangkok, he typed "I got fleck past times a dog, tin someone accept me to a hospital?" into his app. H5N1 taxi driver took him to the hospital, where he got eleven shots!

Today, later walking 5,000 miles inward 408 days, Sgt. Fiore completes his journey, amongst to a greater extent than than $65,000 raised for ICSF. The coin volition assist to fund to a greater extent than than 200 life-saving surgeries for children inward Southeast Asia too other parts of the world. If you’d similar to contribute to the International Children’s Surgery Fund too Winston Fiore’s effort, nosotros encourage y'all to visit smiletrek.org.

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