A 23-year-old Michigan man canoed nearly 3,000 miles from Canada to Fort Myers — completing the journey in just 11 months.
Peter Frank arrived in Fort Myers on Monday after canoeing almost 3,000 miles from Canada, navigating rivers, lakes, and coastlines along the way. His journey, which began nearly a year ago, saw him face harsh weather, extreme conditions, and months of isolation, including canoeing through the depths of winter.
"I’ve experienced quite a bit of weather getting here," Frank said. "I’ve even canoed through the entire winter, which is pretty difficult."
Equipped with little more than a canoe, a tent, and a fishing rod, Frank lived off the land, catching and cooking his meals and sleeping outdoors in a tent at night.
But for Frank, the hardships were worth it.
"Just being able to see God’s creation — the dolphins, the wildlife, otters, turtles, alligators, wild horses — traveling at four miles an hour, I think, is one of the best ways to experience North America," Frank said.
While most would consider the journey from Canada to Florida an incredible achievement, Frank is already preparing for the next leg of his expedition. On Tuesday morning, he plans to begin paddling back to Canada, making history in the process.
"This would be the second time in history that a clockwise circumnavigation has been done," he said. "And it’s being done in the same boat it was done in the first time — 45 years ago. So there’s a lot of historical value in this trip."
Frank’s motivation for undertaking such an ambitious journey is deeply personal. At age 14, he was hit by a car and told he might never walk again.
"It robbed a lot of my childhood," he said. "And I thought, what am I doing? What is life really about?"
After making a full recovery, Frank said he found renewed purpose in pushing his physical limits and embracing adventure.
"That was the beginning of the journeys. I fell in love with doing things like this — just using my body, just because I can. Because I came so close to not being able to walk," he said. "Came so close to having everything taken away from me. Because I have the ability to do it, I must."
To keep up with Frank's journey, you can click here .
DOWNLOAD
the free
Gulf Coast News app
for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more.