Nominations are now open for the 3rd National Adventure Awards, which aim to recognise the best of adventure across the UK.
There are a range of categories in which to nominate adventurers including:
- Adventurer of the Year
- Team of the Year
- Media Award
- Inspiring Others Award
- Leadership Award
- Service Provider Award
- Charity Award
- Business/Academic Award
- Physical Endeavour.
Judges are looking for evidence of quality, integrity and overall excellence. Entries must display two out of the three criteria: Physical challenge, cultural interaction and an element of risk.
David Scott, director of the National Adventure Awards, said: “We know there are many people undertaking incredible endeavours across the world and these are the people we are seeking to hear about. We are determined to recognise the right people and teams so the more nominations we receive the better.”
The awards in 2015
2015 provided no shortage of outstanding achievement. Judge and fellow adventurer, Cameron McNeish, said: “I thought I’d lived a fairly adventurous life but when I looked through the list of nominees for the National Adventure Awards and wondered at some of the amazing things that young people do nowadays I felt as though I’d been merely tickling the surface of adventure.”
Last year, the Adventurer of the Year Award was won by Will Copestake. Will kayaked the coast of Scotland (1600km), then climbed all 282 Munros (a total ascent of over 147000m and cover 1750km under foot) in winter. The judges felt that Will had embraced two very different disciplines, mastered them both and carried out two very difficult and challenging expeditions one after the other.
Team of the Tear 2015 award went to Donnie Campbell and Andrew Murray.
The Inspiring Others category was an extremely strong one and was won by Karen Darke. Karen was injured in a rock climbing accident when she was 21 and paralysed from the chest down. Since then she has crossed the Tien Shen and Karakoram mountains on a hand bike; handcycled the length of the Japanese archipelago; sea kayaked a 1200-mile length of Canada/Alaska coastline; crossed the Indian Himalaya by handbike and skied the Valley Blanche in a sit ski. She has also crossed the Greenland ice cap; climbed the kilometre high cliffs of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley in California and then took part in the 16km hand cycling event in the London Paralympics in which she won a silver medal.
The winner of the 2015 Physical Endeavour Award was Emma Timmis. Emma’s project to run 2500 miles across Africa from Namibia to Mozambique saw her face dangers such as land mines, high temperatures and even lions. This ultra-distance run breaks down to a marathon a day for four months, often in debilitating conditions, camping out every night. Emma’s effort portrayed a tremendous willingness to face considerable hardship and danger, as well as extreme physical endeavour. It was a tremendous achievement.
Make your nominations for 2016
Nominations for the 2016 National Adventure Awards close on October 31, 2015, with shortlisted candidates notified on November 5. The National Adventure Awards Ceremony will be held on March 16, 2016, at the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow.
If you know of anyone worthy of consideration by the judging panel submit your nomination at www.scottishadventureawards.com