National Geographic Announces 2014 Adventurers of the Year

 

Online Voting for People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year Runs through Jan. 31, 2014

The 2014 Adventurers of the Year, naming extraordinary achievements in exploration, adventure sports, conservation or humanitarianism have distinguished them in the past year was already announced by National Geographic.

Runs through Jan. 31, 2014, the online voting for the People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year has already started.  Fans can go here to vote at any time for their favorite honoree.  In February, the adventurer with the most number of votes at the end of the voting period will be announced as the 2014 People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year.

The 13 honorees this year were a long-distance swimmer, to refresh your memory, he was the first to swim from Cuba to Florida without protection from a shark cage; another one was a skier who is re-imagining his sport in urban landscapes; and two veterans dedicated to establishing connections between veterans and the outdoors; lastly a snowboarder committed to helping brain injury survivors.

The 13 Adventurers of the Year for 2014 are:

§  Stacy Bare and Nick Watson — American adventurers and veterans who launched an organization that links veterans to the outdoors and the outdoors community;

§  Greg Long — American big-wave surfer who won the 2012/13 Big-Wave World Tour,  despite nearly losing his life in a massive wipeout a few months earlier;

§  Amy and Dave Freeman — American adventurers and educators who completed a three-year, 11,647-mile journey across North America by kayak, canoe, dogsled and foot, connecting with students and teachers along the way;

§  Diana Nyad — Sixty-four-year-old American long-distance swimmer who recently completed a swim between Cuba and the United States, on her fifth attempt;

§  Kevin Pearce — American snowboarder who, after surviving a traumatic brain injury, launched the “Love Your Brain” campaign to encourage the use of helmets for kids;

§  Kilian Jornet Burgada — Spanish “skyrunning” ultrarunner whose new brand of running involves blazing up technical terrain such as glaciers, rock ridges and steep snowfields;

§  Raphael Slawinski and Ian Welsted — Canadian alpinists who were the first to summit Pakistan’s K6 West, one of the last great unclimbed peaks in the world, despite danger and political turmoil in the region;

§  Adam Ondra — Czech rock climber who takes climbing to new frontiers of difficulty;

§  JP Auclair — Canadian skier who is best known for his special style of urban skiing;

§  Sarah Marquis — Swiss hiker who has just completed a three-year trek from Siberia to Australia.

“This is the ninth year that National Geographic has combed the globe to find people who embody the spirit of adventure in diverse ways. The 2014 Adventurers of the Year are truly inspiring and remind us of the importance to pursue our own passions every day,” said Mary Anne Potts, editor of National Geographic Adventure online.

http://latest.blackhawk-mines.com/

Black Hawk Adventures – A family of travelers: Life’s always an Adventure

http://blackhawk-mines.com/2013/06/28/black-hawk-adventures-a-family-of-travelers-lifes-always-an-adventure/

After 14 years, four children, 55 countries, and 250 000km, this Argentinean couple had a dream of travelling around the world by car and still on the road fulfilling their dream.

In 1999, Herman Zapp and his wife Candelaria climbed into their car and drove out of Argentina with only $4 000 in hand.  Using their 1928 Graham Paige they went to Alaska as both wanted to go, so that’s what they did.  “I saw the car two months before we left and fell in love with it so I brought it,” Herman said in Cape Town, where they now live. They arrived in South Africa last year.

In the same year Herman, an electrician, and Candelaria, a secretary, sold their house, packed what they could into the car and left. “Everyone thought we were crazy,” Herman said. “But, really, who is crazy – the one who goes for the dream or the one who doesn’t?”

Even that they are doing what they wanted at first the couple has some fears.  “That first day was the hardest,” said Herman. But the pair was determined. “If you let your fear take hold, your life will pass you by,” he explained.

The couple, Herman Zapp and Candelaria was married for 20 years. “We think we will be around forever but it’s important to rethink life,” said Herman. “My mother died when she was only 46, the only legacy I have taken from her is to ‘do it now’.”

They survive mainly on the kindness of others, having been taken in by more than 2 500 households all around the world. “You have to give a chance to people to show how good they can be.”

They have three children, three boys and a girl and every child were born in different countries. Herman said being on the road was the best education they could get.

“School is important, but it’s not the most intelligent person who survives, it is the person who learns how to adapt the fastest.”  The husband is in no doubt that his children will be better people for experiencing all the different cultures of the places they’ve been to.

“We’ve been to Australia and Canada and have stayed with kids who’ve had rooms full of toys, but we’ve also been to countries like Cambodia where children have made toys from sticks.”

This kind of education, said Herman, is priceless.

“Now they know that everything has value and meaning.” Candelaria said the children were excellent travellers and adapted easily.

The Zapps, are currently living in a flat in Constantia, Cape Town.  They supplement their income by selling their book, Spark Your Dreams and giving motivational talks.  Their next plan as soon as they have enough money, they plan to head to Egypt for their next adventure.

Charges in $1-million green-energy scam

TORONTO - A Scarborough man is accused of bilking investors out of $1 million with a green energy-scam.

Durham Regional Police claim the accused set up a company called Saunders Power Inc. on Wellington St. in Bowmanville, which he used to defraud 10 individuals and businesses between December 2009 and March 2012.

“The company was geared at manufacturing cork-screw style wind turbines capable of producing energy that could be sold back to the Ontario Power Authority for a lucrative profit,” police said Friday. “The accused allegedly produced forged documents and a fake licence to make the business appear legitimate.”

One of the investors became suspicious and contacted police in January, which prompted an investigation.

Gregory Saunders was arrested at his home on Tuesday.

The 56-year-old is charged with fraud over $5,000 and forgery.

Anyone with new information regarding this investigation should contact the Fraud Unit at 1-888-579-1520, ext. 5353, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477).

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/09/28/charges-in-1-million-green-energy-scam

Residents warned of ‘critical’ risk for EEE

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2012/09/02/residents_warned_of_critical_risk_for_eee/

The Health Department warns Halifax residents that the town’s risk rate for Eastern equine encephalitis has now been boosted to “critical” by the state, due to the recent death of an alpaca from the disease. Residents are urged to limit outdoor activities from dusk, at about 7 p.m., until about 8 a.m. Signs warning of the risk from mosquitoes will be posted at the town’s recreational fields. On overcast and humid days, local schools will hold indoor recess and indoor gym. Residents are also urged to wear bug repellent when outdoors.