Hello
My name is Éamon and together with my girlfriend Andrea, we founded Camino Reflect. What started as a bit of fun interviewing pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago quickly became a passion to bring self-reflection to more people. And so, the Solo Challenge was born!
Our Story
Éamon
In June 2023, I left my lucrative corporate job and started a new life in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. It wasn't an easy decision leaving behind the job that I had worked so hard to get, but Andrea and I had been doing long distance and it was time for one of us to make the move.
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While living in Santiago, I started to take an interest in the transformative nature of the Camino de Santiago. I observed how the Camino, once strictly a religious pilgrimage, had become a modern digital detox, soul renewal exercise, and path to self-discovery.
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Speaking to pilgrims became an enlightening activity. They told me incredible stories of how the Camino helped them physically and mentally renew. I learned that the combination of nature, time alone, meeting new people and the challenge of reaching the Camino provided a transformative experience for many people.
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The stories were so impactful that we decided to start recording the interviews and posting them to Instagram. The community quickly grew and soon, we had people reaching out from all over the world with questions about how to organise their trip and requesting to meet in Santiago when they finished their Camino.
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During this time, I sat for hours with pilgrims and soaked in everything they told me. ​The whole thing captivated me like nothing I had experienced before and gave me a new sense of energy. From this fascination originated the idea for a structure around self-reflection, self-discovery and detoxing from screen time.
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As a result of this learning, we built the Solo Challenge. With the simple idea of making everything great about the Camino accessible to people.
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Andrea
As a Galician I have always been familiar with the Camino de Santiago. However, when I walked part of the French way in 2023 and started interviewing pilgrims, I began to understand its true significance.
As a psychologist and guidance counsellor, I immediately saw the benefit of the Camino for personal growth, self-discovery and building resilience. The added benefits of nature exposure, social connection and daily exercise make it the perfect combination for individuals seeking to make big decisions or navigate a time of transition. ​
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I feel very lucky to combine my passion for personal wellbeing with my love for Galicia!
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