John Goddard (adventurer)
Encyclopedia
John Goddard is an American adventurer, explorer, author, and lecturer.
to climbing Mt. Everest and exploring the Nile. "When I was 15," he told LIFE magazine, "all the adults I knew seemed to complain, 'Oh, if only I'd done this or that when I was younger.' They had let life slip by them. I was sure that if I planned for it, I could have a life of excitement and fun and knowledge". After serving in World War II with the Army Air Forces, he began pursuing the goals on his list in earnest, and in 1951 became the first man to navigate the entire length of the Nile
in a kayak; this and subsequent adventures, such as exploring the Congo River
in 1956 and climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in 1968, fueled a successful career on the lecture circuit. Goddard has written two books: The Survivor(ISBN 1558746951) and Kayaks Down the Nile (ISBN 0842513655), and been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul
. He has lived to see the 21st century.
Biography
In 1940, when he was 15 years old, he wrote down a list of 127 goals he wanted to accomplish, from learning to type and becoming an Eagle ScoutEagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
to climbing Mt. Everest and exploring the Nile. "When I was 15," he told LIFE magazine, "all the adults I knew seemed to complain, 'Oh, if only I'd done this or that when I was younger.' They had let life slip by them. I was sure that if I planned for it, I could have a life of excitement and fun and knowledge". After serving in World War II with the Army Air Forces, he began pursuing the goals on his list in earnest, and in 1951 became the first man to navigate the entire length of the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
in a kayak; this and subsequent adventures, such as exploring the Congo River
Congo River
The Congo River is a river in Africa, and is the deepest river in the world, with measured depths in excess of . It is the second largest river in the world by volume of water discharged, though it has only one-fifth the volume of the world's largest river, the Amazon...
in 1956 and climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in 1968, fueled a successful career on the lecture circuit. Goddard has written two books: The Survivor(ISBN 1558746951) and Kayaks Down the Nile (ISBN 0842513655), and been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul
Chicken Soup for the Soul
Chicken Soup for the Soul is a series of books, usually featuring a collection of short and dense inspirational stories and motivational essays. The 101 stories in the first book of the series were compiled by motivational speakers Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen.There have been over 200 titles...
. He has lived to see the 21st century.
External links
- http://www.johngoddard.info/