Men of Action: Global Expedition Continues to Inspire

Adventures rarely end at the finish line, and like the first voyage of The Wild Geese^® , they can continue to inspire. On the 6^th October 2007, Jason Lewis completed a 13 year circumnavigation of the globe, using only human power. He travelled 46,000 miles, through 37 countries and across 3 oceans, using only human powered methods, with no motors or sails. These included cycling, in-line skating, kayaking, swimming, rowing, walking and pedalling a uniquely designed boat. For Jason, this all started with a simple idea – 'this amazing idea that hasn't been done before'. Actually, a global circumnavigation had been undertaken before. Five hundred years ago the Magellen/Elcano expedition completed a circumnavigation in 1522 – a time before motors and aeroplanes. So its even more impressive that Jason chose to do this simply by man power. Jason's expedition took a total of 13 years, with various set backs and unexpected circumstances adding time to the journey. 'I had to swim some of the rivers in Southeast Asia, like the Mekong River, because there was no bridge' While in-line skating across America, Jason was involved in car accident which broke both his legs. But this wasn't time for him to waste, and he decided to visit schools and discuss his adventure so far. 'I went to schools in my wheelchair, and I got to see how talking about the adventure suddenly would light up in the eyes of third, fourth and fifth graders' This sense of inspiration never truly left Jason. He healed, and continued his journey, stopping off along the way to work in order to raise money for the next stage. He held on to this, and has recently released his first book covering his adventures. Called 'Dark Waters', he promises this is the first in a series – the first steps of his epic journey. 'If you have a dream or aspiration like I had, then you should go for it... I guess that's been my message throughout the circumnavigation'