Sarah rode 5500 kilometres on horseback for her parents. This is what she learnt

After losing her mother to stage four bile duct cancer, Sarah Wheeler climbed on her horse and set off into the bush.

Nine months and 5500 kilometres later, Wheeler arrived at the Rowena Village Inn on Saturday afternoon, ending a life-changing odyssey that raised more than $270,000 for gastrointestinal cancer charity Pancare.

Throughout the journey – which saw her ride four horses, sleep in storerooms and unfamiliar homes, and teach an elderly stranger to drive her manual support car – Wheeler said she found quiet moments to “reflect” on the time she had with her mother.

“My mum was like an angel. I don’t know if you’ve ever met somebody who walks into a room and the room just lights up, or they just have this aura about them. All this energy. She was just one of those people,” the 27-year-old said.

During the ride that took her north to Cloncurry in Queensland and south to Wagga Wagga, Wheeler would turn to a birthday card and voice message her mother left her before her death. Both reminded her that her mum was proud of her, loved her and believed she was destined for great things.

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Wheeler felt her parents – including her father, who died in 2010 – were moulding the trek from beyond, charting events so she could help people deal with grief.

“What I learnt about myself, pretty quickly, is that sharing my story helps other people to share theirs, and in return, it helps them to heal as well,” she said. “I also learnt that it’s OK to ask for help.”

The route, “scribbled” on a map laid out on the kitchen table, took Wheeler from her home in NSW’s far north-east through a series of sites important to her family.