By Jorge “Peregrino” Elade Filho
Translation: Angela Hasan
A nomadic urge has taken man to the most remote and diverse areas of the world ever since primordial times. This “curiosity” continues to move us to follow the winds of travel in search of some vague desire or treasure – a better life, a larger salary, the perfect wave, the highest mountain, or a different kind of adventure.
Motivated by experiences gained during a year abroad in New Zealand, and structured around “Sportology” (the study of sports), this athlete and reporter of “Sport of Adventure”, began the great journey called “Projeto Peregrino” on May 5th, 2005. This “Projeto Peregrino” is nothing less than a traditional “trip around the world”, with routes through five continents, and a focus on the experience of Adventure Sports, in places considered the most well known in Adventure sports.
A year after my departure from Brazil, the path to this project was still in its first stages. For six months I lived on the West Coast of the US, specifically in Big Bear, the Mecca of sporting events in the US. Here I spent time working, training, and learning more about the art of mountain biking and gaining experience by participating in two great expeditions in the California mountain biking circuit, the Ecomotion Pro (see the 21st issue of Soul Brasil), and “Baja Travesia” in Baja California.
In 2006 the project took a new turn, influenced by experiences from the Southern hemisphere. My current place of residence is Queenstown, the New Zealand capital of adventure sports (paragliding, rafting, bungee jumping, rock climbing, and snowboarding). Aside from working as a masseuse and in a surf store, I also participate in bike and running competitions, exploring different terrains and meeting different people who are also all in search of the same desire: to play on the great playground that is our planet.
Here are some profiles of other adventure sport athletes:
Guilherme “Toto” Setani, 29
Mathematician and Physicist, and resident of São Roque, São Paulo, Guilherme Setani have been a mountain climber and photographer for more than ten years. Toto is a part of the team “Try On”. Along with Victor Negrete and Rodrigo Raineri, the team attempted to scale Mount Everest without oxygen tanks last year. At present, they’ve climbed mountains that are smaller and easier, with climbers from New Zealand, and they have plans to explore mountains in Australia and Thailand, as well as returning to the Himalayas.
Amauri Canina, 26
A native of Amparo, São Paulo, and raised in Ubatuba on the coast of São Paulo, Amauri is an avid participant in extreme sports. In addition to being a dominant force in the world of surfing and skateboarding, he has a Bachelor’s degree in tourism from the University of Taubate, São Paulo, and is an avid adventurer, who left Brazil in search of new thrills. He chose New Zealand as the place to initiate his explorations of snowboarding and other mountain sports. Later, he continued his voyages to Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, and will travel to Europe in the near future. He funds his trips by working part-time jobs wherever he goes.
Fernanda Maciel, 26
A lawyer from Belo Horizonte, Fernanda Maciel is a part of the running team Oskalunga. She runs triathlons and won third place in the first X-Terra competition that was held in Brazil last year. She has been among the top three finalists in all of the different events she participates in. Currently she is also in New Zealand, participating in sporting events with the native Kiwis, who are considered to be great athletes in the world of extreme sports. She funds her travels by working as a cook in one of the great restaurants in Queenstown.
No matter what one’s ultimate plan or destiny may be, what is really important is to remain conscious of what we are doing at present. On the website for “Projeto Peregrino”, there is a quote from Eckhart Tolle in respect to our journey of life. He says that this journey can either have an internal or an external purpose. The external purpose is to attain one’s overall goal or destiny, and to carry out what we are meant to. However, if our plans for the future take more of our attention and become more important than living in the moment, it means that we will lose the internal purpose of life, which has nothing to do with where we are or what we are doing, but has everything to do with how we are doing it.
In the end, life is a journey, not a destination.
Go with love, friend!
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