For Felicity Aston, Antarctica has been a constant thread running through her life. From time spent as a scientist at the Rothera research station to leading an expedition of eight women on a 38-day ski expedition to the South Pole. In 2012, Felicity returned to Antarctica to test her mental stamina on a 59-day, 1,744 km expedition across the continent from the Leverett Glacier to Hercules Inlet making her the first women to cross the continent solo. You can learn more in her book titled Alone i...
Mar 14, 2014•37 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Anna McNuff set out in July 2013 to cycle 11,000 miles through all 50 states. Starting in Alaska, she made her way to the lower 48, cycling a unique route from Washington State to Texas. She encountered floods in Colorado, blizzards in South Dakota, and the Polar Vortex in Arkansas. She ended her 7-month journey in Hawaii, cycling to the top of Mount Haleakala, a 10,000 ft volcano in Maui. You can read more about her adventure at thebigfive-o.com . Anna McNuff, welcome to The Pursuit Zone....
Mar 09, 2014•41 min•Season 1Ep. 40
After a 9000 km cycling adventure across Africa, Davey du Plessis set his sights on his next adventure, an unsupported solo source-to-sea expedition of the Amazon River. In 2012, with the first two stages of the Amazon expedition behind him, Davey set out to kayak the remaining 5700 km to the Atlantic Ocean. This final stage, however, would not be completed because Davey was ambushed in the Peruvian jungle, shot 4 times with a shotgun. He managed to escape, despite his serious injuries, and find...
Feb 22, 2014•50 min•Season 1Ep. 39
West Hansen first paddled the Amazon at the 2008 Great River Amazon Raft Race in Peru. Their team won the race and set a new record in the process. On the flight home to Texas, West read the book Running the Amazon by Joe Kane and got hooked on the idea of paddling the entire river. He started planning the next year and by August 2012 was back in Peru to begin his Amazon Express expedition. His goal for the expedition was to be the first person to kayak the Amazon River from it furthest source t...
Feb 22, 2014•40 min•Season 1Ep. 38
When Norwegian surfers Jørn Nyseth Ranum and Inge Wegge discovered an isolated bay on a remote, arctic island along the coast of Northern Norway, they wondered if it would be possible to spend 9 months of winter there, surfing the ice-cold waves rolling in from the Atlantic ocean. With only a few hand tools, they built a little cabin from the driftwood and other trash washing ashore. They also brought their cameras and filmed the entire adventure. Their award-winning movie Nordfor Sola or North ...
Feb 02, 2014•29 min•Season 1Ep. 37
As a child, Bria Schurke traveled to Eastern Russia 10 times, first setting foot in Siberia at age four while visiting her father’s expeditions. As a first grader she went to the North Pole and grew up among sled dogs near Ely, MN learning to be a musher and becoming an accomplished Nordic skier. Bria has worked at medical facilities in India, Kenya, and Somalia and has worked as an instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School. In June of 2013, Bria returned to Russia with Alexander Mar...
Feb 02, 2014•36 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Sarah Winters Papsun has figured out how to travel while helping others and that skill has brought her to nearly every continent and to 40 countries. In January of 2010, Sarah traveled to Africa to climb with the 3 Peaks 3 Weeks Challenge team. The goal was to climb Mount Kenya, Mount Meru, and Mount Kilimanjaro to support, encourage, and raise awareness for grassroots community organizations in Kenya and Tanzania that are focused on health, environmental, and educational development. You can le...
Jan 26, 2014•35 min•Season 1Ep. 35
In June of 2011, Caroline Moireaux set off from her hometown in France to begin a ten-year, 70,000 kilometer walk around the world. Her chosen route will take her through 45 countries and she may choose to bike or canoe sections of the journey when necessary, but plans no motorized modes of transportation. After this winter break she sets off again in 2014 to cross Russia and you can follow her travels at her website piedslibres.com . Caroline Moireaux, welcome to The Pursuit Zone....
Jan 19, 2014•25 min•Season 1Ep. 34
In June of 2010, Greg Petry and Lucas Will set out to circumnavigate Lake Superior in handmade Greenland-style kayaks. It was a 97-day, 1200-mile expedition they call Superior Dream. The men hope to showcase the lake’s beauty and impact on the region by turning the 80 hours of video they captured into a documentary film of their adventure. You can read more about their journey at SuperiorDream.com . Greg Petry, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.
Jan 11, 2014•34 min•Season 1Ep. 33
In March of 2013, John Huston and Tobias Thorleifsson co-led a team of four that set out to explore Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic as part of their New Land 2013 Expedition. With the help of four sled dogs, the team skijored over 511 nautical miles on Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg Islands. The purpose of their 65-day journey, beyond traveling through a remote and beautiful landscape, was to create a documentary film to celebrate the second Fram Expedition led by the Norwegian Arctic explor...
Dec 30, 2013•38 min•Season 1Ep. 31
The North Country National Scenic Trail is the longest trail in the United States. It stretches 4600 miles from North Dakota to Vermont. From April to October of 2013, Luke Jordan thru-hiked the trail from west to east encountering many obstacles including knee-deep snow, tree blowdowns, and overgrown trails almost impossible to navigate. You can learn more about his adventure at stridernct.com . Luke Jordan, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.
Dec 14, 2013•34 min•Season 1Ep. 30
After a year and a half toiling through life as an actor in Los Angeles, Shannon O’Donnell left in 2008 on an 11-month around-the-world adventure. She had hopes that traveling and volunteering would act as a reset button on her life. Many times she traveled with family and friends, including 6 months traveling and home schooling her 11-year-old niece Ana. Along the way the experiences shaped and changed who she is and how she travels and five years later Shannon is still traveling and writing. Y...
Dec 06, 2013•39 min•Season 1Ep. 29
After two years of planning, Sarah Outen set off on her London to London Via the World expedition on April 1st of 2011. She crossed the English Channel by kayak and cycled across Europe and Asia during the first leg of her journey. On the second leg, she rowed her 21-foot ocean rowing boat, Happy Socks, for 150 days over 3,750 miles from Japan to the Aleutian Islands – becoming the first person to row this crossing. You can learn more about these adventures and about the upcoming legs of the exp...
Nov 24, 2013•44 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Thousands of orphaned children fight for survival each day on the streets of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The majority of these children are below age 12. There are not many orphanages in Mongolia so these children form gangs and sleep beneath the city streets to stay warm. The purpose of Brian Hunter’s expedition is to raise awareness of their plight and distribute necessities to over 3,000 of these homeless children while delivering a message of hope and love. To do this he ran 1500 miles west to ea...
Nov 17, 2013•39 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Starting in September of 2012, Ken Ilgunas spent 5 months walking 1,700 miles from Hardisty, Alberta Canada to Port Arthur, Texas – the proposed route of the Keystone XL Pipeline. He thought he might be the last person to see and document the area before it is developed. While hiking he experienced the simple joys of camping, interactions with strangers, run-ins with law enforcement, violent dogs, and the sweet anticipation of not knowing what lies behind the next bend in the road. You can learn...
Nov 09, 2013•34 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Dan Hobbs climbed 57 Colorado peaks in 25 days to raise money for Save the Children, a charity that helps poor and afflicted children in the US and around the world. All the peaks were over 14,000 feet and 17 of them required class 3 to 5 technical climbing skills. That’s 400 miles and 160,000 vertical feet of hiking and climbing using many non-traditional routes and peak-to-peak traverses. You can learn more about his challenging adventure at rundanrun.org . Dan Hobbs, welcome to The Pursuit Zo...
Nov 09, 2013•43 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Scott Mestrezat is the first person to Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) the Missouri River, from June to September of 2013, starting at its headwaters in Montana and ending in St. Louis Missouri. He traveled self-supported on a board he constructed. It was 107 days and 2400 miles of lakes, river, wind, and heat. You can learn more about his adventure at missouririversup.com . Scott Mestrezat welcome to The Pursuit Zone.
Nov 01, 2013•34 min•Season 1Ep. 24
The Great Himalaya Trail is one of the highest and longest trails in the world. Between April and June of 2013, Doc McKerr became the first person to solo trek the Great Himalayan Trail on a 65 day, 1480 km trek in Nepal from east to west. His route took him through some of the world’s most amazing and difficult landscapes as he trekked through Himalayan foothills, forests, jungles, and remote villages. In total he passed over thirteen 5000+ meter passes and reached two 5000+ meter base camps wh...
Oct 27, 2013•33 min•Season 1Ep. 23
In May of 2013 Amber Valenti was one of four women who embarked on a source to sea descent of the Amur River—the world’s third longest free-flowing river. They traveled through remote Mongolia and Russia from the birthplace of Genghis Khan to the Pacific Ocean delta. They called their expedition Nobody’s River Project and its purpose is to tell the story of this widely unknown watershed from the vast biodiversity to the threats that face it including pollution, hydropower, and habitat destructio...
Oct 20, 2013•34 min•Season 1Ep. 22
On July 27 2012, Katharine & David Lowrie began an epic journey to run the length of South America; over 5000 miles through some of the most awe inspiring and biologically rich ecosystems on earth. Katharine will be the first woman to run across the continent and as a team they will be the first to run the continent unsupported. They hope that through sweat, tears and determination, they can open a portal into the last wilds of South America and rekindle people’s passion for running and for ...
Oct 09, 2013•34 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Along the US-Canada border up in the northeastern arrowhead region of Minnesota, lies the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA). With over one million acres, one thousand pristine lakes, 1200 miles of canoe routes, and 2200 backcountry campsites, the Boundary Waters is an outdoorsman’s paradise. Barry Johnson has visited the Boundary Waters many times over the past 25 years and has published a collection of real-life stories of adventure in the Boundary Waters titled the BWCA Reader. You ...
Oct 07, 2013•24 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Janet Moreland is a self-described river rat and has been kayaking for 16 years. In the summer of 2013 she embarked on a solo kayaking expedition of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers from the source at Brower’s Spring, Montana to the Gulf of Mexico , a 3,700-mile adventure of paddling and portaging. If she is successful, she will be the first woman to navigate this distance solo by kayak. One purpose of the expedition is to empower kids to get outdoors and to help them learn about the history,...
Sep 22, 2013•36 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Laura Dekker was born on a boat and from a young age dreamed of sailing the globe. With the support of her parents she was ready to set sail at age 13 only to be stopped by Dutch authorities. After the legal battles ended, she won her fight and set off on her solo journey at age 14. 366 days later, she successfully completed her solo circumnavigation in January of 2012 and became the youngest person to do so. She now calls New Zealand her home and has written a book about her adventures titled A...
Aug 25, 2013•27 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Squash Falconer has summited Mt. Everest, was the first British woman to paraglide from Mont Blanc in France, and in the summer of 2013 set the world record for riding an ElliptiGO bicycle across the UK, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, and France. A 3,074 mile journey over nine weeks to raise money for the breast cancer charity Coppafeel , and to get people to join the ride and share the love of a good adventure. You can read more about it at squashfalconer.com . Squash Falconer, welcome to The P...
Aug 17, 2013•26 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Jessica Yurasek is on a journey – a journey to become un-stuck and to find meaning, purpose, creativity, and inspiration in everyday life. After five years behind the cubicle in busy, chaotic Los Angeles, she was burned-out. Fortunately, a job layoff pushed the daydreams into reality. She packed up her belongings, rented her house, and planned for a year of travel vagabond-style through South Korea, Indonesia, China, India, Thailand, Myanmar, and beyond. You can read more about her travels at mi...
Aug 17, 2013•34 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Charles Scott is leading a life of family adventure. In 2009 he and his 8-year-old son Sho cycled 2500 miles across Japan. In 2011, his 4-year-old daughter Saya joined them to cycle the circumference of Iceland. And in 2012 the three cycled Germany, Switzerland, France and England over 42 days. This summer the family set off again to re-trace the 3,200-mile Lewis & Clark Trail. They will drive the first 1,500 miles in 2 weeks, then cycle the next 1,700 miles in 6 weeks over the Rocky Mountai...
Aug 10, 2013•25 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Cycling 4,500 miles across the USA was the easy part of Rob Greenfield’s 19-state adventure. So what was the hard part? How about doing it using electricity only from renewable energy, consuming water only from natural sources, and eating only locally grown organic food – a challenging off-the-grid adventure. The ride was done to inspire Americans to live a healthier and happier lifestyle for themselves and for the planet and you can learn more about it at GreenfieldAdventures.org . Rob Greenfie...
Aug 10, 2013•35 min•Season 1Ep. 14
After a decade of being distracted by a career, a relationship, and home ownership; Loretta Henderson decided to stop dreaming about adventure and to start living it. She left Alaska at age 36 to begin cycling around the world. Starting in the United Kingdom, she left the bike shop on a Thorn Raven without a map and without any cycling experience. Four years later she has pedaled across 30 countries on 5 continents and records her adventures at www.skalatitude.com . Loretta Henderson welcome to ...
Aug 10, 2013•33 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Ryan Wichelns and Gabe Messercola have spent the last half-decade in the Adirondacks. They have been fortunate to have this park in their backyard and have gained an appreciation for the wilderness through backpacking and climbing. To raise awareness and support for Big City Mountaineers , an urban youth outdoor mentoring organization, Ryan and Gabe spent 20 days this summer traversing the Adirondack Park from South to North, blue line to blue line, a 205-mile adventure of cycling, canoeing, and...
Jul 20, 2013•32 min•Season 1Ep. 12
My next guest found himself at a crossroads after leaving his corporate job and splitting up with his wife. Instead of taking the path of the stereotypical midlife crisis, he opted for the path less traveled and decided to take a walk. Not just any walk, a really long walk – a 1305-mile walk across Turkey. For 20 years, Matt Krause had something bigger in mind and this walk would be the first part of that bigger thing. Check out Matt’s journey at heathenpilgrim.com or mattkrause.com . Matt Kraus...
Jul 01, 2013•49 min•Season 1Ep. 11
