Dave Cornthwaite is an Adventurer, Author and Motivational Speaker. He is best known for his audacious project, Expedition1000 – twenty-five journeys of 1000 miles or more, each using a different form of non-motorised transport. To date, Dave has completed four of his journeys and is preparing for projects as diverse as rowing across an ocean to riding a bicycle rickshaw between Bangkok and Singapore.
Dave’s wanderlust began in Uganda, 1999, when a gap year teaching scheme organised by Africa & Asia Venture encouraged a passion for pastures new, and writing about them. At University, Dave gave the cold shoulder to study, regularly hitch-hiked to Morocco for charity and edited the Uni newspaper for two years. Then he became a graphic designer, an unhappy one.
In April 2005, two weeks after taking up longboarding, Dave left his job and founded BoardFree, a charitable initiative designed to raise funds and awareness for three handpicked charities. He then started to plan two World Record-breaking skating journeys.
In late Spring 2006 Dave pushed his longboard from John O’Groats to Lands End, becoming the first person to skate the length of Britain. On January 22nd 2007 Dave completed his second journey, a five-month world-record 5823km skate between Perth, in Western Australia, and Brisbane on Australia’s east coast. Soon after, his first book, BoardFree, was published.
In 2007 Dave formed BounceFree, which revolved around a human powered hydrofoil called an Aquaskipper. In September ’07 he broke the British speed record, having been made the ‘face of Aquaskipper.’ His Mum was very proud.
On 19th December 2009 Dave completed a 2476km expedition along Australia’s largest river, the Murray, the first leg of a brand new adventure project, the Great Big Paddle. He’s now working on the book and film.
In 2010 Dave began preparing for a world record breaking Stand Up Paddle journey, by paddling 87km across Lake Geneva with Seb Terry and then 142 miles across the UK from Bath to London with fellow Blue Ambassador Sarah Outen.
In April 2011 Dave joined forces with Seb Terry again and the two of them pedalled a Tandem Bicycle 1400 miles from Vancouver, BC to Las Vegas, NV, just in time to open the business conference that had inspired the idea in the first place.
Most recently, Dave completed the longest journey yet recorded by Stand Up Paddleboard, descending the entire 2404 mile length of the Mississippi River from Source to Sea between June 19th and September 9th 2011.
In between expeditions, Dave spends much of his time giving motivational lectures, writing books and producing documentaries. He also works closely with Blue, ensuring his waterbound adventures encourage others to get outside, be healthy and develop a care for the Blue environment.
Official Website: www.davecornthwaite.com
Twitter: @DaveCorn
YouTube: www.youtube.com/davecornthwaite
Blog: www.davecornthwaite.tumblr.com
