A man became a postman in memory of his father and covered 50,000 km (7 photos)

When Eric Beardmore died of ALS, his son Johnny made it his mission to raise money for research into the disease. In honor of a tradition started by sailors in 1793, the New Zealander will deliver 50 postcards left by explorers in the Galapagos Islands to people all over the world.





The story behind this 200-year-old tradition is that tourists leave their postcards for loved ones in a barrel and pick up the ones they can deliver.

So far, Johnny has covered 50,000 km, traveling from Iceland to Antarctica and visiting at least 14 countries. He plans to finish his journey on March 1, 2025.



Johnny Beardmore with a mail barrel in the Galapagos Islands

The man does this in memory of his father, but the most meaningful part of the journey was meeting people.





"They open up to me and tell me the most amazing stories about their lives," he says.

One of the letters was addressed to a man named Steve. The note was written by Steve's girlfriend, Denise, who confessed her love for him: "No matter what happens, I will always love you."

Johnny found a man, but by then he and Denise had already broken up. The former lovers became friends and invited the postman to dinner.



Johnny and Steve

Johnny's trip to Nashville could have ended badly, too. The grandparents sent a postcard to their little grandson Milo, but when Beardmore arrived, the family was not home.

Only thanks to the help of neighbors Kurt and Amanda was the traveler able to reach the addressees.

"I've been to South America, Central America, Antarctica, and now North America," Johnny said. "I've come all the way from the Galapagos Islands to bring you a letter."



The New Zealander is currently in Ireland, where he has become a guest on the country's most popular weekday radio show, Liveline.

"I want to raise awareness of the loss of mobility and freedom of movement that people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (MND) face. It's a reminder that we shouldn't take these abilities for granted," he explained in an interview.



Johnny has been to the UK, USA, Iceland, Mexico, Canada, Ireland, Belize, Guatemala, Brazil, Antarctica, Argentina, Panama, Peru and Paraguay. The man pays for his own travel and uses bonuses for frequent flyers.

There are still six months left to complete the journey, but he has already raised over NZ$10,000. His goal is $100,000.



Beardmore even visited Antarctica