Swedish kayaker to paddle around the United States; 'Girls can do anything today'

Reuters ^ | July 1

[nickcarraway]

SEATTLE, July 1 (Reuters) - A Swedish adventurer is preparing to paddle from Seattle on July 4 in an attempt to become the first person to circumnavigate the entire continental United States by kayak and bike.

Renata Chlumska, 31, a kayaker, scuba diver and mountaineer who has climbed Mount Everest, said she hopes that the 480-day trip will inspire others, especially women and young girls.

"As a young girl at the Mount Everest base camp, I got inspired by the women I saw climbing," Chlumska said, "Girls can do anything today ... if they learn failure is a part of learning."

Chlumska had originally planned to do the kayak-bike adventure with her fiance, fellow adventurer Goran Kropp, who was killed in a 2002 climbing accident near Seattle.

Kropp became famous for a 1996 journey in which he rode his bicycle with all his equipment 6,900 miles (11,000 km) from Sweden to Nepal, climbed Mt. Everest without porters or supplemental oxygen, then bicycled back home to Sweden.

The total distance Chlumska is expected to cover is 11,200 miles (18,000 km), with the first leg taking her south from Seattle to San Diego. Mapped satellite positions of her location and journal entries will be posted on her Web site at http://www.renatachlumska.com.

[jess35]

Interesting....but I'd be more impressed if she worked her butt off to save the money and did this for personal satisfaction....instead of lining up corporate sponsors and inventing a gimmic to make money and have someone else finance her "adventure".

[Charles Henrickson]

Ping to the Swedish Ping List.

[LibFreeOrDie]

Waiting for the first Swede to walk backwards to Nepal, then climb Everest by walking on his/her hands...

(Maybe "girls can do anything", but some things may not be worth doing.)

[Cultural Jihad]

[Charles Henrickson]

[Cultural Jihad]

There's an occupation to consider: Adventurer.

[No Blue States]

The total distance Chlumska is expected to cover is 11,200 miles

Thats very gung ho. Paddling 11 miles of river wore me out.

[Charles Henrickson]

[Charles Henrickson]

[nickcarraway]

What about "adventuress?"

[Nalu]

Big Deal she paddles a boat.
Larry Capune paddled a paddleboard down both coasts,the Gulf Of Mexico and the Great Lakes.
And he was IN THE WATER not in a boat.

[jimtorr]

Girls can do anything, today.

Oh yeah? I'd like to play the sperm card, on that one.

[struwwelpeter]

Has anyone informed her yet that the United States is not an island?

[gilor]

Some people will do anything before getting a job.

[Ramonan]

http://www.everesthistory.com/climbers/chlumska.htm Renata Chlumska, born and raised in Sweden by parents who had emigrated from former Czechoslovakia, has done sports most of here life. In 1995 she stumbled across climbing and liked the versatility and the possibilities it gave here to combine the mental and physical challenge with being out doors and travel all year around. In 1997 she joined a expedition to Shishapangma where she reached the Central Summit. Encouraged by here ability at high altitude she decided to go for Everest and as a member of the Swedish Cleaning Expedition 1999 she reached the summit as the first Swedish woman ever. Unofficial, due to having both Swedish and Czech citizenship, she also became the first Czech woman. Renata likes to combine climbing with other adventures as bicycling from Nepal to Sweden, which she did in 1996 or riding a motorcycle from India to Europe in 1997. Renata nowadays lives in the US where she is preparing on a one and a half year long expedition of kayaking. Besides her adventures she is a appreciated motivational speaker and guide.

[Textide]

but I'd be more impressed if she worked her butt off to save the money and did this for personal satisfaction....instead of lining up corporate sponsors and inventing a gimmic to make money and have someone else finance her "adventure".

More power to her for getting others to finance it. No one held a gun to their heads and forced them to contribute; they figure that they'll gain something from sponsoring her.

I'd agree with you if she pestered some government for funds, but if a private business wants to give to her, and she has the savvy to convince a private business to contribute...more power to her! She's got good business sense!

[Malesherbes]

"Chlumska" sounds more Polish than Swedish. Eye candy in either case.

[Malesherbes]

Oops, should have read further: her genes are Czech.

[Charles Henrickson]

"Chlumska" sounds more Polish than Swedish.

Czech. Her parents had emigrated to Sweden.

Not all Swedes have a good Swedish name like Henriksson.