The Pursuit Zone

On April 4th, 2013, my next guests completed an 11,700 mile journey across North America by kayak, canoe, and dogsled. It was a 3-year journey to gain support and protection for North America's waterways and wild places. During their adventure they actively engaged over 25,000 elementary and middle school students though live school assemblies and their website wildernessclassroom.com. Dave and Amy Freeman, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.

While in college at Iowa State University, my next guest teamed up to design and install a water valve for a rural Malian village. It was a life-changing experience. After graduation he volunteered for the Peace Corps in Nicaragua and while there co-founded Emerging Opportunities for Sustainability (www.eosinternational.org) – a not-for-profit organization dedicated to producing technology that is low-cost, promotes health and welfare, and minimizes damage to the environment. In 2012, he was awarded the STATEment Makers honor from the Iowa State Alumni Association for his early personal and professional accomplishments. Wes Meier, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.

My guest today is Pete Marshall. Pete has paddled over 7500 miles through Canada. In 2005 he and his brother canoed 2700 miles over 122 days from their home state of Minnesota to the Arctic Ocean. On May 8th of 2012, Pete and 3 others began a 2600-mile, 130-day canoe expedition across the isolated regions of Canada's northern territories from Skagway Alaska to the Hudson Bay. You can learn more about this adventure and purchase a DVD of their expedition titled 2600 Above 60 at the website canoe2012.com. Pete Marshall, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.

In 2011, my next guest surprised even herself by quitting an enviable office job, hugging friends goodbye, and leaving New York City after six years. She went home to California to regroup, wondered what she was doing with her life, and then got herself a work visa and an outlandishly expensive plane ticket for New Zealand. She spent 12 months living and working on New Zealand's south island, traveling Southeast Asia, and becoming the most hesitant extreme-adventure connoisseur in the world. I guess you could say she did it all on a whim. Jess, from jessonawhim.com, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.