By Karen; St. John's, Newfoundland

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with fellow Newfoundlander Chris Legrow. Whether it has been climbing to the base camp of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain peak or swimming in the paralyzing cold North Atlantic, Chris has developed a resume of incredible adventures. Like many young people, Chris suffers from Attention Defecit Disorder, or ADD. While some may use this problem as an excuse for under achieving, this is far from Chris' case. Overcoming setbacks, regardless of how big or small, is the key to finding the adventure many of us believe dies after high school. In fact, if you play your cards like Chris did, it may just be the start!

A native of the seaside community of Topsail, Newfoundland, Chris began to build his resume of amazing adventures while still a student at Queen Elizabeth High School. He chose not to continue hockey throughout high school, but instead focused on sailing. Sailing seemed to be where Chris' adventurous spirit grew. At one point, Chris and a friend, Justin Lahda, were among the top Canadian youth sailors at the National Championships. He has sailed around the world on a tall ship, The Concordia, in a historic year called Class Afloat. He has completed what few have before, climbed to Base Camp of Everest. In 1997, he sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in a small ship known as the Matthew, in a re-creation of the Cabot voyage. Whew!

Of course, achievements like this do not come without influences of people who care about you and what you achieve. I asked Chris who were his dominant influences. He responded that "Many people have influenced me in a number of ways, but my parents have immensely. I mean, having cool parents is one influence. My parents have let me experiment with things I like and things I don't like. Having cool parents allowed me to be independent and develop as a person."

Chris says one of the greatest benefits of the adventure and travel he has experienced is the opportunity to meet people from so many backgrounds, ages and religionsÉ of a diversity of people that is not always possible to develop in Newfoundland. "Many of the friends I have today are not people I would ever have imagined myself being friends with when I was in grade 10 or 11," says Chris. "Right now, my grandfather is one of my closest friends. He has really taught me about where my family has come from. When I was on the Matthew (in 1997) one of my closest friends was one of the crew members who was one of the oldest, while I was one of the youngest crew members."

I'd be at a loss if I did not mention his work as a member of The Matthew crew in 1997. Sailing from Bristol, England to Bonavista, Newfoundland on a tiny caravel is no small feat, even if a crew of nineteen others is working alongside you. Not only did Chris complete the voyage, but claims it was

"The time of my life! It was amazingÉ I mean, before departure I had doubts about it, but once I got out there it was one of the best experiences I have ever had." A true testament to his overcoming ADD is his book, Bound Down for Newfoundland. It is a book based on the log of his Matthew journal. Published by Breakwater Books, a Newfoundland publisher, it is not only a book on day-to-day events during the transatlantic crossing but a record of his feelings and thoughts as he replicated Cabot's voyage.

Right now, Chris is working on achieving a goal he has envisioned since he could barely walk: to become a pilot. He is well on his way to achieving it; in under a few short weeks he will obtain his flying license from a school in Abbotsford, British Columbia. "I have been interested in flying since I could barely walk. The last book I read was abook on Charles Lindberg. Right now I am reading a book on bush flying."

While he may be studying aviation in Abbotsford right now, Chris plans for the future are as adventure-driven as they've always been. "Much to the dismay of my mother, I can't see myself having a family. And money, that is not something that is important to me. I 'd love to have my own boat; have a job where I can have a few months off each year," says Chris. As for his flying career, Chris intends to spend a few years teaching at a flight school. Eventually, he sees himself working as a bush pilot up north, which ranks incredibly way up there in the cool youth careers category!