TRAK Adventure Team 3.0

Keith & Anne Braun

Hail from: Calgary

Currently call ‘home’: Calgary

Year Born: Keith 1964, Anne 1967

Paddling Achievements: A few of our favorite paddling destinations to date are: Haida Gwaii Queen Charlottes, Broken Island Group, Johnstone Straight, Discovery Islands, Desolation Sound, Indian Arm, Tofino’s Clayoquot Sound, plus numerous interior lakes in British Columbia. In Alberta, we never get tired of the many lakes and rivers; my favorite river to date is the Bow in Southern Alberta. Upper Kananaskis Lake is amazing plus Maligne Lake in Jasper Alberta is a dream! I (Keith) paddled for a week in Northern Cuba which was incredible and another week in Northeast Costa Rica in Tortuguero which is a MUST do for any paddler wanting a jungle adventure! Planning a trip for November 2011 to paddle from the Belizean Reef for 2 weeks with nothing but a TRAK, a loin cloth and Swiss army knife! ?

Coolest / Best Adventures: Absolutely without a doubt, Tortugero was incredible and Cuba deserves a re-do, but nothing to date beats the Haida Gwaii in the Queen Charlottes! The best way to describe the Queen Charlottes’ Haida Gwaii is the “West Coast on steroids! Love, Love LOVE it there!

Friends & Family: We have been immeasurably blessed with amazing families and awesome friends. Both of us were born and raised in Alberta and love to play in the Rockies right in our backyard, although we can’t get enough of the water which is why we LOVE our TRAK’s. They are easy to travel with without compromise on performance!

Something that inspires you: No question, NATURE! Can’t get enough of nature. Getting in our boats, unplugging from chaos and paddling into the depths of nature fills our cups to overflow!

What does YOUR life “unleashed” look like & why? Life unleashed looks like no cars, phones, computers, meetings or mayhem. Just the peaceful sound of my paddle disturbing the water and a blue sky horizon!

Website / Blog: www.RealPros.ca

Email / Twitter: keith@RealPros.ca

Jaime Sharp

Hail from: New Zealand

Currently call ‘home’: The World, though working on making it Canada!

Year Born: 1981

Paddling Achievements: I have paddled in many ways and in many places around the world, including paddling Class 3-5 rivers in New Zealand, Canada, and Norway; Canoe tripping up tropical rivers in Belize, the lake regions of British Columbia, and the Wanganui River in New Zealand. I played competitive canoe polo for many years in high school and university, while also dabbling in surf ski racing and surf kayaking. I now predominately sea kayak both for work as a guide and for play, all of which has led me to paddle the salty waters of Western Canada, New Zealand, Croatia, Norway, Belize, Panama, Western USA, Thailand, and the UK.

Coolest / Best Adventures: My best adventure to date has to be my attempt at paddling the length of New Zealand's east coast from the northern tip of the North Island to the southern tip of the southernmost island, Stewart Island. Big surf, stunning stretches of beach and stark coastline, many amazing people and beautiful mornings were my highlights! It took 3 months, many amazing moments and a lot of heartbreak to get just half way (1800 km of the overall 2730 km planned) and have to end. I learned a lot about long distance paddling and trip planning. It was the biggest achievement of my life and a dream come true! I learned that the achievement of the goal is not the only measure of success; those who are willing to travel the path toward their dreams are only but success in their actions no matter the outcome!

Friends & Family: I grew up in New Zealand with a mix of cultures - a South African father and a New Zealand mother who met in Israel. They instilled in me the notion of possibility and a deep sense of love for the world. My current nomadic life means I have friends all over the world, a few super close to my heart but many I don't see enough of. I am still looking for my tribe of people with whom to live my life unleashed!

Something that inspires you: Inspiration comes to me in many forms: anyone who strives to follow and achieve their dreams; any one that dedicates their life to improving the world by: educating people, saving wildlife and inspiring a change in our worldly human mindset; people who answer the call of the greater good of Mother Earth, yet also find time to grow, challenge and shape themselves are a true inspiration. Yes, you can change your life but how do you share that change with others to inspire change in them?

What does YOUR life “unleashed” look like & why? I love paddling big water, fast currents, and riding waves, though large journeys that immerse me in a place are my favorites and my kayak is the key to a watery freedom that I plan to cherish my entire life. Adventure and freedom are the keys (I feel) to growth and to helping the world be a better place; sharing and instilling that in others is also part of my passion and calling.

Website / Blog:

www.worldwildadventure.com

www.onayakabout.blogspot.com

Email / Twitter: worldwildadventures@gmail.com

Peter Schödl and Nathalie Marik

Hail from: Austria

Currently call ‘home’: Moedling, south of Vienna, Austria

Year Born: Peter 1974, Nathalie 1977

Paddling Achievements: We discovered sea kayaking as one of the best ways to explore nature in 2001, when we did our first ever kayak trip in the Abel Tasman National Park on the South Island of New Zealand. Since then sea kayaking evolved to be our favourite way to venture out into the wilderness.

• 2002 – 2003 Journey “around the world” with a (double) folding kayak in our baggage Kayaking in Fiji, Australia, and 285 km in Thailand
• 2004 Croatia: Kayaking along the Dalmatian Coast
• 2005 Oman: Daytrips in the “land of the frankincense”
• 2007 Canada: Paddling east of Vancouver Island (135 km) during our 11 111 km round-the-world-trip on two mountainbikes themed: “Biking for Doctors Without Borders” trying to raise awareness
• 2008 Finland: Circumnavigation of the Aland Islands (183 km)
• 2008/2009 USA: Crossing the Everglades with our sea kayak (216 km)
• 2009 USA: Paddling along the Florida Keys
• 2009 Croatia: Kayaking 563 km from Rijeka to Dubrovnik along the 1000 islands off the Croatian Coast
• 2010 England: Daytrips in Cornwall
• 2010 Tansania: First Circumnavigation of Zanzibar in Sea kayaks / TRAK (202 km)
• 2011 Philippines: Kayaking along the remote west coast of Palawan / TRAK (279 km)
• 2011 Scotland: Kayak-trips mainly on the west coast and Hebrides. (156 km)

Coolest / Best Adventures:

Every sea kayaking trip has its special moments. We try to get the most out of every journey. Every destination has its hidden secrets. And they reveal their beauty sometimes when we are tired and exhausted after a long day paddling in rough sea. Then we know the reason, why we do all that.

We were the only passengers on the small 10-seater plane, which flew us from Suva to Vunisea, a small village on Kadavu, an island about 80 km south of the main islands of Fiji. The landing strip was a small patch of grassland. We unloaded our folding kayak and the rest of our gear. Some locals helped us finding a place to stay for the night. The next day we prepared everything for our expedition. We wanted to circumnavigate Kadavu Island. The first day of paddling into the unknown went well, but the weather began to change. A low pressure system approached the region and thunderstorms pinned us down. Our camp nearly got swept away by the torrential rainfall. Some locals came suddenly out of the rainforest onto our little beach and asked us, to be guests in their village not far away. Getting there finally was another story, but what followed was one of our best adventures ever. We took part on a special ceremony, where we presented gifts for the village chief. He accepted and we were invited to stay as long as we wanted. A family prepared a room in their hut, where we stayed for the night. During the day we took part in the village life. There were no streets, no cars, just small paths through the forest, which connected the neighbouring villages. We helped harvest fruits, watched the women preparing food and the men spear fishing in the sea and we played with the children. We learned about the customs and became a part of that ancient world. Our sea kayak helped us enter a world we would have never seen otherwise.

Friends & Family: Sea kayaking is a somewhat exotic sport in Austria. Skiing, soccer, tennis or maybe river kayaking, but sea kayaking?!? There is no sea bordering Austria. When we return from a trip, we try to share the fascination of travelling on water with our friends and our families. We get full support from them, even though it’s not always easy for them to see us leave into the unknown again.

Something that inspires you: We are inspired by people who commit to something and do what they do with all the consequences. Who don´t loose the grip on their dreams. Who live above average. Because “the average is the borderline that keeps mere men in their place. Those who step over the line are heroes by the very act. Go.” (Henry Rollins)

What does YOUR life “unleashed” look like & why? Having an idea, working on it, getting information together, making a plan, overcoming setbacks and finally fulfilling the dream.

The spirit of our way of travelling lives on in our daily life. One cannot always outrun daily routines, but it is possible to do them with a smile on your face, when you know that there is a bigger goal behind. We work and train for the next adventure. We focus on what is necessary to reach our goal. That´s what feeds our adventurous minds. That´s how we keep our edge.

Website / Blog:

www.sea2summit.at

www.MEDventure.at

www.MEDventureConsultants.net

expedition & mountain, sports & nutrition medicine

Email / Twitter:

peter.schoedl@sea2summit.at

nathalie.marik@sea2summit.at

Roberto Gibbons-Gomez

Hails from: Montreal, Quebec

Currently call ‘home’: Montreal

Year Born: 1982

Paddling Achievements: I can often be found atop my TRAK exploring one of Quebec’s pristine 1 million lakes. Luckily, I have also been able to bring along my 16’ wonder wherever in the world water may be. I have paddled near Australia’s Whitehaven Beach, parts of Mexico’s pacific coastline and even the Arctic Ocean from time to time.

Coolest / Best Adventures: While on a sea-kayaking expedition in Quebec’s far North— everything was going wrong—the weather was miserable, the water cold, and our spirits down. Yet it was our decision to abandon the expedition and head to the interior that got us one of our most amazing experiences of all: The Aurora Borealis. One never knows what is around the corner—a catastrophic adventure can quickly turn epic. J

Friends & Family: I recently got engaged to my fellow Expeditioner-- Cherine Tarraf Koujock, aka Bella— who is enough in love with me to follow me places few would ever go. My adventures would not have been possible without my parents’ and brother’s moral and often financial support. Travelling to remote, weather-beaten locations requires a jovial and nonchalant attitude—which I readily found in my good friends—the Lius. I can think of no better companions for both adventures and (mis)adventures alike!

Something that inspires you: Apart from my parents—who are the kindest and most noble people I know, I find my inspiration comes from those that look to discover, explore, photograph , and document the world. From Ernest Shackleton to Colin Angus to almost any extreme athlete that pushes the limit of their sports.

What does YOUR life “unleashed” look like & why? Unleashed from society’s norms and going for the dream. The dream of discovering, exploring, and paddling our spectacular globe. A lifestyle of living like it’s my last day. I’ve heard that we only live once—and so I try absorb magnificent experiences; whether it be clinging to the side of a mountain, or from the cockpit of my TRAK. It is the freedom to choose what the adventures of my life will be.

Website / Blog: www.theexpeditioners.com

Email / Twitter: allexpeditions@gmail.com