A Road Less Traveled

In the Winter of 2007, I spent the majority of my time exploring the Himalayan Mountains in the amazing country of Nepal. As a child, I had dreamed of setting foot on Mt. Everest and on Thanksgiving of that year, my childhood fantasies came true. In retrospect, it was a life defining moment. The point in my life where I realized the life that I wanted to live. However I had no idea that it would be a chance encounter back in Kathmandu that would help shape my photography career and the direction of my work. After an exhausting 14 day hike through the Khumbu Region of Nepal, I returned to the heavily populated city of Kathmandu. Having pushed myself to the brink of physical exhaustion, there were just two things that I had on my mind, a cold beer and a pizza. For those of you that have been to Nepal, Tibet or India…you know what Dahl Baht is. After eating rice and lintels for 14 straight days, pizza was on my mind. Just down the street from my hostel in Thamel was the Road House Cafe, which served both cold beer and hot pizza. That was where I met Daniel Martin for the first time.

Daniel, like myself, is an adventure  seeker. At 28 years old, he had already completed two amazing personal expeditions. On September 2nd, 2004 he set off from Trafalgar Square in England by bicycle. His destination was Cape Town, South Africa. He peddled through the Balkans, the Middle East, the Sahara and the Great Africa Rift Valley with his route cutting through East Africa. Although the physical challenge was a huge part of this trip, Daniel also has a massive compassionate heart. He was able to raise $12,000 GBP for both Right to Play (a U.N. based charity using sports to impart knowledge and understanding of health and ethnic issues around the world)  and the Bridges Children’s Center where he helped run the charity while recovering from a bike crash. 10 months and 12,000 miles later, Daniel Martin achieved his goal…but it didn’t stop there.

After spending a year teaching english in South Korea, Daniel left on September 2nd, 2007 to embark on an even bigger challenge. This time his destination was again Cape Town, South Africa, but his starting point was slightly further away….South Korea. Throughout this trip he cycled through the “Axis of Evil” (NorthKorea, Iraq and Iran), over Tibet and the Hindu Kush during winter, through Afghanistan, across the Middle East, over Northern Africa and the Sahara in the Summer and down along the West coast of Africa. 24,000 miles and 14 months later, Daniel again persevered against all odds and achieved his goal, this time raising $10,000 GBP for Wildhearts. It was on this trip that Daniel and I crossed paths.

The Global Triathlon:

A few months after Daniel completed his last trip I received an email that detailed his next idea, The Global Triathlon. The email talked about a massive human undertaking…a circumnavigation of the globe through the various aspects of a triathlon. Daniel would swim across the Atlantic, from N.Y. to Breast, France. He would then bike through all of Europe and Russia. After crossing the Bering Straight, he would then hike, run through Alaska, Canada and back to N.Y. He talked of the dangers of such a trip and how he wanted this expedition to run on the professional level. As soon as he asked if I would be willing to document this incredible adventure, I was in. There is no way I could pass up the adventure of a lifetime. Over the past year, both of us have been working diligently on the planning and logistical aspects of this endeavor. So here are the details:

View The Global Triathlon in a larger map
*Yellow = Training Locations, Green = Charities, Pink = The Global Triathlon Route

On May 8th, 2010, Daniel, myself and a small crew will set off from that Statue of Liberty for the 3426 mile swimming leg of the expedition. The crew and myself will be on the “Ice Maiden” (Soon to be renamed), a 50′ foot long steel expedition vessel. The ship itself has had many adventures including crossing the Atlantic countless times, two trips to Patagonia and been used in 2007 as part of the Pole to Pole Challenge by Rob Gauntlett and James Hoooper to cross through the ice in NW Greenland. It can comfortably accommodate 10 people and contains the latest in satellite transmission systems.

Once we arrive in France, Daniel will then begin the biking leg of the expedition. Daniel will have a support crew, including myself for most of the 7995 mile journey to Eulen, Russia that will be accompanying him by van. Shooting photography and video in Russia is tricky, especially along our planned route. I will leave Daniel in Belarus and spend my winter climbing in the Himalayas around Nepal, Tibet and India.

After crossing the Bering Straight, I will meet Daniel in Alaska and together we will make our way to Fairbanks, via the reverse route of the Iditarod, where we will meet up with the rest of our support crew. It is another 5012 miles to New York City, which will be completed with a combination of Daniel running/hiking through this amazing landscape. The entire expedition will end with Daniel running the NY Marathon in November of 2011.

The two main charities involved in this expedition are Velokhaya and Wildhearts. Daniel Martin told me the other day, “Motivation is a huge aspect of this trip. It’s as much about proving to myself what can be done as much as raising money and awareness for some of the worlds most underdeveloped areas. The two charities I have chosen to support are two that I agree whole heartedly with. Both are small grass roots charities impacting huge swathes of the worlds poor and afflicted.”

While we are still 6 months out, there are plenty of things to be done. We are still finalizing the routes, support staff and logistical aspects of this expedition. We have begun raising money and are well on our way to making this adventure a reality. We are continuing to look for more sponsors that are willing to back this endeavor. If you or anyone you know might be a good fit for sponsorship or would like to make a simple donation to our cause, please contact either myself or Daniel Martin.

An expedition of this magnitude has truly never been done before. As the lead photographer, I know how crazy this whole thing sounds. For the average person, this is beyond the realm of sanity…for some even possibility. But what you are not taking into account is the capability of the human spirit. The ability to overcome incredible obstacles in the face of adversity. It is the journey that matters in life not the end result. The pieces that come together to form the overall picture of life. Whether we succeed or have to turn back is not the point. It is the fact that we are wiling to push the boundaries of what is possible and see where it takes us as a whole. This expedition is a huge undertaking that involves a lot of planning, training, persistence and will power in order to succeed. This is best summed up with my favorite quote of all time.

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble – makers. The round heads in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of the rules, and they have no respect for the status – quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do”
~Jack Kerouac “On the Road”

The Global Triathlon Website

***As more information comes in, I will continue to keep everyone informed