(2016 ☆ ARCHIVED) Erin Bastian - Great Britain

ERIN BASTIAN (Great Britain) – Nominee for 2016 'Sportswoman of the Year' award. 

Website: http://www.erinbastian.com/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erin.bastian1  Twitter: https://twitter.com/erinbastian 

Disciplines: Sea and wildwater kayaking, outdoor sports. Represents: Great Britain

Erin Bastian is a sea kayak explorer like no other. Adventure is her life. She has embarked on many expeditions, trying to achieve the impossible and as a result is continually having to raise the bar.

From an early age Erin was drawn to exploring the dramatic coastlines around her hometown, Cornwall, where she was able to connect with nature and gain a unique perspective of the cliffs. At the age of 15, Erin started working in the outdoor industry and has since become a qualified Sea Kayak Coach, which has allowed her to work during the summer season and organise epic adventures in the off-season to the likes of Patagonia, Peru, Nepal, Norway, Tanzania, Mexico and Sardinia.

One of Erin’s latest expeditions was to Patagonia where she and two others embarked on a 33-day self supported kayaking adventure. Paddling through the wilds of this remote region they dealt with extreme weather, discovered glaciers, fought against strong tidal currents and navigated through a maze of canals. Quite an extraordinary journey that few people embark on.

On top of being a highly experienced sea kayak adventurer, she is also an excellent filmmaker. On another one of her recent trips, she lead a three week all women self supported sea kayak adventure around the French island of Corsica, capturing the essence of the trip along the way. Circumnavigating around the island’s 600km perimeter, the team of three women explored stunning caves, sea stacks, beaches and cliffs set in the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Erin has since produced a film through her production company Cornish Girl Productions called Girls Go Round: Corsica.

After completing the paddle around Corsica, Erin went on to explore the steep jagged mountains that dominated the backdrop throughout her expedition, and that’s where her next project #rethinkimpossible was born. Her plan is to trail run the entire GR 20, which is a long distance trail that traverses Corsica diagonally from north to south. It is considered to be the most difficult of all the GR routes and one of the most beautiful mountain trails in Europe.

Some of Erin’s greatest achievements so far include:

• Paddling 800km down the West coast of Patagonia
• Circumnavigating Corsica (600km plus)
• Circumnavigating Sardinia (almost- 700km out of 850)
• Steep Creeking in Mexico
• Trekking The Annapurna Circuit in Nepal
• Mount Kenya (x3)
• Mount Meru in Tanzania
• Living and Ski Touring in Chamonix
• Advanced Open Water Diver

This is a 2016 archived nominee. Voting has closed.