It takes a lot for a single person to go out into the middle of nature and prove that they have the skills and the ability to survive. Ed Stafford is one of those individuals that has done it and even gone on to show people just how he’s done it in so many different ways. While shows like his have often been criticized and even ridiculed for being anything but authentic there are those that firmly believe that what he’s done is nothing short of amazing given that he’s gone out in the wild with virtually nothing but the clothes on his back and the knowledge of how to survive. That kind gumption is a trait that a lot of us either have and don’t use or don’t have since we’ve grown so used to a comfortable and cloistered kind of life. But watching the kind of things he’s been through is nothing short of inspiring.
Here are a few things you might not have known about Ed.
10. He’s a former Captain of the British Army.
You could claim that this is where he gets his mental and physical toughness from since many of those that serve their country are quite impressive when it comes to being among the strongest people in the world. But it also prepared him for a walk in the wild no doubt by granting him the kind of fortitude he would need.
9. It took him over 800 days to walk the entire Amazon River.
This trek took him around 860 days actually and it landed him in the Guinness Book of World Records since he seems to have been the first human to have done so in history. When you talk about walking down a river it might not seem like an accomplishment, but if you take a look at how long and treacherous the Amazon River can be then you might feel the need to be impressed.
8. He was adopted as a child.
Later on in life he decided to seek out his birth parents and with the help of his sister he managed to find them. He also found out that he has two biological brothers. For a lot of people that have been adopted this would be a dream to actually meet the people that brought them into the world.
7. Ed has eaten some truly nasty things in his time in the wild.
As you can imagine he’s had to live off the land a time or two and has had to eat some truly disgusting things. There are some that he admits weren’t that bad but others that he would prefer to never eat again, such as tadpoles.
6. He’s written a book on his experiences.
This seems like it would be just a natural thing to do after everything he’s put himself through to date, to detail for others what the journey to this point in his life has been like and let people enjoy the world through his eyes in a way.
5. Ed also has a blog that is posted bi-weekly.
It’s obvious that Ed is very outgoing about his experiences and wants people to know as much as possible about what he’s done. It’s also fair to think that he encourages people to ask questions and give him feedback when they want.
4. Among many of the explorers on TV he seems to be one of the more genuine ones.
It’s hard to debunk a few of the shows that go on air when it would seem that the experiences are all too real. Some of the hosts have a full camera crew on hand, while Ed seems to have done most of his own filming. That’s what really makes the difference however, though it can be a risk to have too few people with you.
3. He’s been compared to Bear Grylls a time or two.
It was bound to happen since they’ve both been on survivalist shows and they’ve both been seen showing people just what it takes to survive in the wild and how to take advantage of the nature around them when it comes to staying alive.
2. His net worth is around $2 million.
People have certainly responded to him during his time on air and they’ve approved of Ed so much that his net worth reflects this in a way since he’s been made a very wealthy man by the standards of many. Of course when you’re out risking your life to provide some form of entertainment it does help to get paid.
1. He’s admitted that early on his exploring was a way to prove himself.
There was a bit of an egotist in him at the start it sounds like as he wanted to show the world what he could do. But then as he grew older and came to understand his own motivations a little more Ed seemed to realize that proving himself wasn’t quite as important.
He’s a tough guy, there’s no doubt about that.
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