2020 GearJunkie Adventure Grant

Michelle D.

Grand Prize Winner

Imagine charging down a mountainside at full speed while overlooking the vineyards of the Italian countryside. My resolution for 2020 is to run all of the connecting trails in Cinque Terre. Starting in the sleepy town of Levanto and ending in Riomaggiore, it's one long and rocky trail run to be done with my husband. Our first attempt was right before we were married, and it was cut short by a broken patella in the first town with a somber train ride back to the hotel. Please give me a second chance.

Aleta L-W.

First Prize Winner

I have long dreamed of taking a trip along the Great Loop, a water only route of 5,429 miles through 18 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. It travels along beautiful beaches across the historic Erie Canal and Great Lakes, down the Inland Rivers of America, on through Kentucky Lake, and on to the Gulf of Mexico. Most make this trip with a larger boat; however, very few have done this by paddling. My dream is this paddling adventure to enjoy a simple life, quiet scenery, and the history of America.

Sara S.

First Prize Winner

I was an active female. I was a member of the U.S. Air Force. One day, my life took a side street that I never would have imagined — I had a cardiac arrest. The demon of having a cardiac arrest is it leaves you physially and emotionally destitute. My Adventure Resolution is very basic: to rehab enough to run a 5K. It isn't a goal of running Kilimanjaro or biking Mount Lemmon. I want to become confident, strong, self-reliant, and complete a 5K without stopping. I am not aiming to win.

Anja W.

First Prize Winner

The Noatak River is a wild and scenic river and the longest designated wild river in Alaska. I would love to boat the 425 miles to Kotzebue Sound. The entire river's course is north of the Arctic Circle, and I would like to explore (hike) Noatak, Gates of the Arctic National Park, and the Brooks Range. The village of Noatak is the only location of permanent human habitation [in that region]. My resolution is to be fit enough to follow through my dream adventure of doing any or all of this river.

Emily R.

For 2020, my goal is to bike across Canada, starting on a beach in Halifax for a 64-day journey to Vancouver. I will be riding with two of my friends on an unsupported ride in an effort to raise funds for the Canadian chapter of the MS Society. In order to complete this trip, we need funding to pay for food and lodging, which this adventure grant would hopefully cover. We want all the funds raised during our ride to go 100% to charity, so having a grant to pay for logistics would be amazing!

Kyle P.

This year, I think I'm ready to make a change in the world instead of just exploring it. I've seen the effects of climate change from the rainforests of Costa Rica to the glaciers of the arctic, and they need all the help they can get. I would specifically use this money in conjunction with my degree in hydrogeology and sustainability to pay for meaningful research in the drainage basins of India from the Himalayas. I will never stop exploring, but at this point the planet needs our help!

Mindi B.

My family of six thru-hiked the PCT in 2019, and it’s our goal to keep on hiking. We want to become Triple Crowners in the next 2 years, attempting the Appalachian Trail in June of this year and the Continental Divide Trail in 2021. I know this isn’t the first time a family has hiked a long-distance trail, but it's rare. As a family with three girls (ages 17, 15, and 10) and one boy (13), we have a goal to inspire more families to do long-distance hiking! We are also fundraising for refugee families.

Jessica S.

I would go to Cambodia with my husband, who I met 18 years ago on New Year's Eve. He turns 40 years old this year and has never been to the country of his culture. My husband was born in a refugee camp in Thailand during the Khmer Rouge genocide. After his sister, who was just 4 years old at the time, was killed in the war, his parents and brother walked to Thailand for months to seek asylum. My husband is humble, dedicated, and has a huge heart. (He loves fitness too!) It would be a full-circle moment for him.