THE TEAM
Team Dynamics
The expedition will be led by Anthony and Lachie both of whom have completed
successful descents in the Kimberley region before. The two are previous
and current members of the Australian
kayak team. Other expedition members have been carefully chosen for a
successful trip. The Kimberley is not for everyone; a month with the same
people requires a close knit group of friends.
A trip such as this is different to the standard 3-4 day overnight expedition
which is the usual extent of current paddling expeditions. Over the 3-4
weeks the team will be pushed to their limits as they work together not
only to navigate the many rapids on the Fitzroy but also to provide food
and shelter for one another while assessing and dealing with the many
different weather conditions found in the Kimberley.
Based upon the success of previous trips, these Australian Kimberley veterans
will lead an international group of the worlds best female and male paddlers.
The team has been carefully selected from the steep creeks of North Carolina
to the banks of the White Nile, with each member containing the skills,
fortitude and determination for a successful expedition. Never before
have 3 of the Kimberley’s rivers been attempted in one Wet Season
and this undertaking will require the world's best athletes.
Anthony Yap – Big Wave Specialist & Explorer (Co-Leader)
- Australia
Australian Team Captain and freestyle kayaking icon Anthony Yap has been
an international competitor and innovator of the sport for many years.
As a keen explorer Anthony has trekked the globe living the endless summer
for the past 8 years. Having visited 15 countries through 2008 along with
another 12 in 2009 he was also a member of the ‘08 Kimberley expedition
which took first descents of the Moran and Mitchell rivers as well as
the 2009 descent of the King Edward. His experience on big waves and in
big water is widely recognized and Anthony hopes the discovery of these
new waves will push the sport to new heights for the Australian paddling
community and international paddling community alike.
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Lachlan Carracher – Expedition Specialist and Photographer
(Co – Leader) - Australia
The youngest member of the Team, Lachlan has achieved much in his short
years on the international kayaking scene. Lachlan is no stranger to swollen
remote rivers after having previously completed successful expeditions
to the Kimberley, Laos, Nepal, Uganda, and Quebec. Lachlan has recently
returned from the the Himalayas refining his expedition skills to lead
the largest and most ambitious Kimberley expedition to date. He is also
a well published photographer including works in Australian Geography.
Adriene Levknecht – Female Kayaking Icon – U.S.A
Adriene is one of the few women in the world that can paddle large grade
rapids every day of her life and enjoy every moment of it. At 21 years
old Adriene boasts titles such as a 2 x US Freestyle team member and 2
x Green race winner. Living near Asheville, North Carolina USA, she is
the youngest woman to race the Green River Race and intends on breaking
more records in the future. Adriene lives on one of the world's most notorious
steep and difficult creeks - the Green River Narrows in North Carolina.
Adriene has the perfect personality to add drive and passion to an expedition
of this calibre.
Tim Flowers – Big Water Raft Guide - Uganda
Tim Flowers grew up in Uganda’s capital of Kampala. He is an incredibly
well travelled athlete and is well known and respected in the kayaking
community. Tim has a high level of training on big water rivers similar
to the Fitzroy. Growing up on the White Nile River Uganda Tim has years
of experience on one of the world’s biggest rivers. Tim has been
a River guide on the White Nile and a number of rivers in Switzerland.
His knowledge of rivers and animal behaviour will be sought after skills
on this team.
Tara Davis – Environmental Activist - Canada
Raft guide, musician, activist. Tara is a bright personality whose work
as an environmental activist has taken her from preserving the 'Sacred
Headwaters' - the confluence of Canada Skeena, Nass and Stikine River
from Coal Bed Methane Drilling, right through to the international stage
of promoting the importance of water during the 3D IMAX hit Grand Canyon
Adventure: River at Risk. Tara's knowledge of the issues facing the Kimberley
will help the team to bring even more awareness to this beautifully untouched
wilderness.
Max Davidson – Big Wave Explorer - Canada
Max Davidson is one of a small group that has devoted the past 5 years
to big wave exploration. Max and his fellow explorers have been widely
credited for the progression in freestyle kayaking that we see today.
Each spring you will find Max in remote Quebec Canada searching for and
surfing giant river waves in freshly thawed swollen rivers and you can
see Max on every Young Gun Production doing just that. It is a pleasure
to see Max join the expedition and is testament to the white water potential
that the Kimberley has.
Louise Urwin – Top Female Paddler, Photographer – New Zealand
One of New Zealand’s top female kayakers, Louise Urwin isn’t
afraid to tackle big challenges and has been proving this on a host of
tough whitewater all over the world. Spending her last 4 summers training
on the giant waves of the Ottawa Valley, Lu is just as capable of throwing
down some serious freestyle moves as she is at manoeuvring steep creeks
and embarking on 1st Descents. Louise has been a member of the NZ national
Freestyle Kayak team for the past 5 years and has competed throughout
the world in both Freestyle & Extreme racing. In her travels, Louise
has also developed skills in Photography, documenting her adventures so
that she may share her experiences with the public.
Tyler Fox – Wildlife Biologist & Videographer - Canada
As at home in big water as he is on a steep creek or a remote multi-day
expedition, Tyler Fox is a well-rounded kayaker with many years of river
experience under his belt. Tyler’s degree in wildlife Biology, passion
for the outdoors, and keen interest in filming & photography make
him a great asset to the team not only on the water but also off. With
first descents & exploration of Quebec’s steep creeks &
big waves, extreme racing and producing & featuring in his first kayaking
film “Valley High”, Tyler has had a busy year but is looking
forward to another great adventure.
Sophia Christoe – Environmental and Indigenous Rights Campaigner,
Resource and Environmental Management Student, Australian National University
- Australia.
Sophia is a passionate environmental activist; her major studies
on how to manage and conserve Australia’s natural environment will
make her a valued asset of the expedition. Sophia is an executive member
of Reconcili ACT, the Australian National University’s student-led
Reconciliation organisation and will be meeting with Aboriginal custodians
throughout the expedition to discuss and listen to different issues facing
the area, the river and their culture. Sophia will be working primarily
with the Australian Conservation Foundation and the traditional owners
of the land to achieve the expedition's major environmental goals.
Jesse Atkinson - Big Water Raft Guide –Australia
Jesse has been on the International River scene for some years now. Having
grown up in and around the Australian Commercial Rafting lands of Northern
Queensland, Jesse classifies himself as a typical vegemite loving Ozzy
bloke. His wanders around the globe including Japan, Uganda, USA &
Costa Rica have given Jesse valuable experience rafting and kayaking a
variety of top end rivers. His emphasis on Expedition Safety and an in-depth
knowledge of wilderness medicine will be invaluable assets to the trip.
