3,160 kilometers. That’s the staggering distance adventurer and advocate Lucy Graham paddled down the mighty Yukon River, but the journey was about more than just a physical challenge. It was a massive effort to raise money and awareness for endometriosis (often referred to as ‘endo’), a condition Lucy intimately understands.
We sat down with Lucy to talk about her stage four diagnosis, the misconceptions surrounding endo, and the mental grit required to face down one of the world’s great wild rivers.
Q: You paddled the Yukon River to raise money and awareness for endo. Can you describe the moment you decided to link this massive physical challenge with your advocacy for endometriosis, and what that condition means to you personally?
Lucy: For me, the link is deeply personal and practical. Doing a big adventure like the Yukon is a huge privilege, and naturally, I wanted to use that platform to talk about something that matters. But also, my own struggle with stage four endometriosis is intricately tied to my ability to do these activities.
It took me eight years to get diagnosed, and during that time, my ability to participate in adventure sports really changed. The only reason I could do this huge 3,160 km trip now is because I finally got the help I needed. I wanted to give back to the community, particularly QENDO (an organisation supporting those with endo), and the people who raised my own awareness so I could advocate for myself. I paddled the Yukon for me, but I raised awareness and money because, without that community, I wouldn’t have been able to do the trip.
Q: Endometriosis is often misunderstood. What key message about endo awareness did you most hope to convey through your journey, and what do you think is the biggest misconception about the condition?
Lucy: The key message I wanted to convey is that while endo is an incredibly difficult condition to live with—there is no cure, and we desperately need more research—there is help out there. Organizations like QENDO have programs that can help you understand your endo, get diagnosed, and adjust your life so you can still do what you want, even if it’s harder.
The biggest misconception? Actually, there are two. Firstly, that it can be cured. There is no cure for endometriosis. Surgery and a hysterectomy are not cures. Secondly, the idea that it’s solely a reproductive health issue. It is a chronic health issue that affects female reproduction, yes, but it’s a whole-body issue.
Q: Out of all the adventurous challenges in the world, why did you choose the Yukon River for this particular mission?
Lucy: I knew I wanted another multi-month, solo trip that was thousands of kilometers long, and I preferred a river to the ocean to reduce risks. I looked at big rivers around the world and eliminated some based on safety and language.
The Yukon drew me in because it met those needs—it’s remote but safer than places like the Amazon, and English is the main language spoken. And honestly, I just love the Alaskan and Canadian wilderness; it’s so incredibly beautiful.
Q: Paddling such a vast distance requires immense physical and mental preparation. How did you train your body and mind for the unique demands of the Yukon—especially while managing your own health with endometriosis?
Lucy: It’s funny, you can’t really train for a three-month expedition unless you go and paddle for three months! You know the first month is going to be the toughest, and you just have to get fit as you go.
The mental preparation was key: coming back to my purpose, knowing that most of the hardship is momentary, and reminding myself that “this is just for now.” For my endo, the preparation was all about setting up good coping mechanisms: my daily yoga and meditation, hormonal contraceptives to dull the worst symptoms, and critically, knowing when to rest. That was the biggest thing: if symptoms were bad, you had to stop and take a day off. Over the 70 days, I only took 4 rest days, but I had to use those wisely.
Q: Can you describe the day-to-day reality of life on the river? What were the biggest logistical challenges, and how did you manage the solitude and any sense of isolation?
Lucy: The daily routine itself was simple: get up, pack up camp, paddle until lunch, paddle until dinner, set up camp, and go to bed.
The biggest logistical challenges were the resupplies—dehydrating all my food and shipping it to various post offices along the route—and the border crossing into Alaska. That was very anxiety-inducing, relying on a solitary phone at Eagle to call in my entry!
As for solitude, I actually enjoyed the solo time for the most part. I was lucky enough to paddle with an Alaskan duo for 10 days and a German duo for 14 days, so I spent 17 days with company and 53 days alone on the water.
In the hardest moments, my coping mechanism was reminding myself of the people who believed in me. I had written down messages from friends. I might have been alone physically, but I wasn’t emotionally or mentally.
Q: What was an unexpected moment of joy, beauty, or human connection that you experienced on the Yukon that you will never forget?
Lucy: The biggest surprise was realising when I felt the most alone. I thought it would be during the really hard times—the high winds, the bad symptoms. But I was most sad about being solo when I was having a good time and couldn’t share that joy with someone else.
The human connection I’ll never forget was the openness and generosity of the villages along the way, particularly in the Alaskan part. People are so remote there, they rely on each other, and they were so happy to help and ensure my trip was a success, even helping me get resupplies on a Sunday.
Q: How did your endometriosis affect your physical experience on the river?
Lucy: At the start, my diet changed to completely dehydrated food, and because a lot of my endo is on my bowels and is very diet-reactive, it was really hard. I was being stubborn and didn’t rest enough initially. I did have some really bad ovary pain at different times too.
The reality is that people with endo work through pain every single day. The struggle is always the same: when to rest, when to grin and bear it, and when to use medication. In a strange way, managing endo isn’t necessarily harder out on an expedition than in everyday life, because so much is demanded of us every day, and we don’t always have “permission” to rest when we need to. On the Yukon, I got better at resting when I truly needed it.
Lucy Graham is proof that living with a chronic condition like endometriosis doesn’t have to stop you from pursuing your wildest dreams. Her journey reminds us that while the condition is tough, there is support and there are ways to adapt your life.
Lucy tracked her symptoms on the river: out of 70 days on expedition, she experienced Endo symptoms on 45 days and was symptom-free on 25 days. She kept going despite the pain.
Inspired by Lucy’s journey?
Educate Yourself: Learn more about endometriosis.
Support the Cause: Lucy raised vital funds and continues to advocate. You can support this important work here: Lucy’s Fundraiser