A young British woman is preparing to travel from London to Tokyo on horseback following ancient trading routes. Becky Sampson, 24, will leave London at the start of August and will head through Europe, Central Asia and China before arriving in Japan in the summer of 2012.

Her feat will span 15 countries and cover more than 15,000 kilometers.

The experienced horsewoman is gearing up for a host of challenges on her epic journey, including deserts, mountains and all kinds of deadly wildlife.

But Sampson is very confident that she will be able to overcome such obstacles and arrive safely in Japan where she plans to spend at least a year teaching English.

Sampson decided to embark on the challenge because of her love of riding and interest in Silk Road trading routes, which connected East and West during ancient times.