Colin Angus is a leading adventurer, bestselling author and Canadian filmmaker. He was awarded National Geographic’s Adventurer of the Year award for being the first to circle the world exclusively by human power, and was listed by Outside Magazine as one of the world’s top 25 bold visionaries. Angus’s success in achieving the seemingly impossible relies on a unique strategy he has developed for increasing human potential. He is the author of five books, and his films have been aired around the world on National Geographic television.
“90% of it is in the head.” Angus is quoted by Investors Business Daily when explaining the success of his expeditions. The same careful strategies and perseverance required to complete his quests can be applied to any challenge in life. “It’s not about being born with special talents; it’s about having the right strategy and frame of mind to reach your goals.”
Angus started exploring the world and conquering epic challenges at a young age. As a teenager he purchased a 27-foot sailboat with his paper route earnings. Angus intended to sail across the ocean, but with no experience and limited funds it became necessary to break the epic challenge into a series of manageable steps. Perseverance and dedication soon paid off. Angus cast off from the coast of British Columbia and spent five years sailing the Pacific Ocean, exploring countries including French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, and Papua New Guinea.
Following his return to Canada, Angus decided take on the Amazon River – the largest river in the world. His book, Amazon Extreme: Three Ordinary Guys, One Rubber Raft, and the World’s Most Dangerous River, recounts the spectacular story of how three friends defined the true meaning of teamwork as they crossed blazing deserts, scaled towering mountains, rafted treacherous whitewater rapids, and even survived gunfire from Shining Pan guerilla fighters of the jungle. By reaching the Atlantic Ocean they became the second team to navigate the Amazon’s full length.
Next, Angus led an expedition to be the first to navigate the Yenisey River, the world’s fifth longest from source to sea. Angus’ book, Lost in Mongolia: Rafting the World’s Last Unchallenged River, takes us along this expedition recounting how the team conquered the uncharted whitewater rapids of remote Siberia, and how he survived a period separated from the group and lost in the Mongolian wilderness with no tools for survival except a pocketknife.
Angus’ most spectacular accomplishment – the first human-powered circumnavigation of the planet – is chronicled in his bestseller, Beyond the Horizon: The Great Race to Finish the First Human-Powered Circumnavigation of the Planet. The book details how he walked, biked, skied, paddled, and rowed more then 43,000 kilometers, crossing three continents and two oceans to complete the first human-powered circumnavigation of the Earth. Angus endured the extreme arctic temperatures of Siberia, cycled, and hiked through Russia and across Europe. He survived not one – but two – hurricanes, as well as two tropical storms while floating in a wooden rowboat in the mid-Atlantic Ocean.
Other adventures include the fastest human-powered circumnavigation of Vancouver Island in a rowboat, rowing seven thousand km from Scotland to Syria, and, most recently, a National Geographic Expedition searching for the origins of the olive tree. Angus and his wife share their adventures with the public through presentations, articles, books, and film. His writing has appeared in The Globe & Mail, Explore, enRoute, and Reader’s Digest, among others. Angus has co-produced four documentaries, which went on to collectively win more than ten awards at international film festivals.
