The Pursuit Zone

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 Martin as the two set out on a 2900 km canoeing expedition in northern Mongolia, central Siberia, and Far Eastern Russia as part of their Asia Rivers Expedition. You can learn more about their adventure at facebook.com/AsiaRiversExpedition. Bria Schurke, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.

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 learn more about the challenge at 3peaks3weeks.wordpress.com. Sarah Winters Papsun welcome to The Pursuit Zone.

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.

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.

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 explorer Otto Sverdrup and to educate school children about climate change. You can learn more about their adventure at johnhuston.com. John Huston, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.

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.

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. You can learn more about Shannon's adventures at alittleadrift.com. Shannon O'Donnell, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.

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 expedition at sarahouten.com. Sarah Outen, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.

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 east across Mongolia from July to September of 2013. You can learn more about his expedition at acrossmongolia.com. Brian Hunter, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.

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 more about his adventure at kenilgunas.com. Ken Ilgunas, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.