In what has become an annual tradition, National Geographic has announced its picks for the Adventurers of the Year For 2019. Some of the names that made the cut will definitely be familiar to regular readers of The Adventure Blog, while others will inspire you with new stories of their courage and curiosity.
The 2019 class of Adventurers of the Year include six individuals (and one team!) that stood tall over everyone else. Those people include Andrzej Bargirl, who became the first person to ski down K2, and Maureen Beck who is inspiring us with her amazing climbing abilities even though she’s missing her left arm.
They’re joined by Adam Bielecki and Denis Urubko, two climbers who played an instrumental role in rescue operations on Nanga Parbat last year, as well as Heather Anderson who set a new standard for all thru-hikers that follow her. Last, but certainly not least, the list also includes Babsi Zanerl, the female climber who is setting records in Yosemite, and the international team of cave divers who rescued the boys trapped in the cave in Thailand.
If you’re looking for some inspiration, feel free to click on any of those thinks to get a much more in-depth story about each of the winners. National Geographic has done a great job of sharing their exploits and explaining why each and every one of them deserves a spot on this list.
I was humbled and excited that Nat Geo asked for my input on who some of the nominees for Adventurer of the Year should be this year. I personally sent them quite a list with probably 15-20 candidates, some of which made it to the final cut. It is always fun to look back at the year that is passed and be reminded of the amazing things that others have pulled off. I offer a big salute to the winners. They are definitely deserving of the honor.
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