Jerzy Adamuszek

Jerzy Adamuszek (born 1955), also known as Jurek Adamuszek, is a Polish Canadian adventurer and writer.

Biography

Early life and education

Adamuszek, Jerzy (born 30. 09. 1955 in Poland; since 1980 lives in Montreal). Geographer, traveler, writer. As a child he spent much of his time poring over atlases, adventure books, imagining himself in foreign lands. His youthful pastimes were science, sports, painting. After completion of a Master’s degree in geography at Jagiellonian University, in 1980, he moved to Canada. He has a daughter who is currently living in Australia with her husband.

Career

He received his Master's degree in Geography at Jagiellonian Univ in Krakow from 1974 - 1980. He spent his childhood in Chechlo. small village near Pustynia Bledowska (Jura Kraowsko-Czestochowska).

From this flurry of concentrated activity emerged a plan to undertake unique expeditions, mainly based on the sports at which he excelled. Working at a wide variety of jobs: as a land surveyor in Western Canada, making maps and city plans and delivering cars throughout the U.S. and Canada, he was able at the same time to discover his new continent.

In 1994, he began a series of presentations that continued until 2001, called “Spotkania Podroznicze” at the Polish Consulate in Montreal, with guest speakers on geographical topics, illustrated with films and slides.

In 2007, he began a series of presentations named “Sa Wsrod Nas” (They are amongs us) at the Polish Consulate in Montreal. His guests are people from the Polish community.

Achievements recognized by the Guinness Book of Records

• Solo Trans Americas Drive (40,370 km: Montreal – Alaska – Tierra del Fuego – Bolivia). The record distance from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego of 23,527 km driven in 18 days, 11 hours, 45 minutes.
• Discovery of the World’s Longest Transcontinental Waterway linking the Beaufort Sea with the Gulf of Mexico (10,682 km).
• Confirmation that Montreal is the World’s largest metropolitan city (in area), between two rivers (252 sq km). It is called Montreal Island.

Published works

• “Wyrachowane Szalenstwo”, Iskry 1994, (in Polish) about his solo Trans-Americas Drive to achieve a Guinness World Record.
• “Calculated Recklessness”, in co-operation with D. Whitton, ready to publish.
• “Kuba to nie tylko Varadero”, Yunia 1997, (in Polish) about cycling 1500km around Cuba.
• “Cuba is not only Varadero”, Yunia 1997, in cooperation with D. Whitton
• “Slonie na olejno”, Yunia 2000, (in Polish), about his journeys throughout southern African countries.

Awards and honors

• 2007: Awarded by the President of Poland Silver Cross of Merit, Poland
• 1998: The honor citizen of his County Klucze in Poland (Honorowy obywatel Gminy Klucze)

Other major activities

• Travelled extensively throughout South and North America, Australia, southern Africa, & former Soviet Union.
• Crossed by bicycle the Rocky Mountains (2,300 km).
• Travelled: Montreal - New York by bicycle (630km) and by kayak (580km).
• He completed four times the Montreal annual Marathon.
• Navigated by kayak Vistula River (1,059 km) the longest river in Poland.
• Organized (1989–94) the annual mass event “By kayak & bicycle around the Island of Montreal” (122 km).
• Was a team member of the GM car race “Aurora Vacation Challenge” (10,000 km, Detroit – L.A.)
• Participated twice in the expedition “Sources of the Amazon 2000”, sponsored by National Geographic.
• As a team member crossed Australia by jeep; “Strzelecki Traces Expedition – 2004”.
• Climbed the highest summit on Western Hemisphere; Aconcagua (6,963 m asl) and Ecuador's volcanos; Cayambe and Cotopaxi (approx. 6,000 m asl).
• In 1994 he began a series of presentations which continued until 2001: “Spotkania Podroznicze” with guest speakers on geographical topics, illustrated with video and slides.
• In 2007 commenced a series of presentations: “Sa Wsrod Nas” (“They are amongst us”). His guests are interesting people from the Polish community. Venue: Polish Consulate in Montreal: www.sawsrodnas.ca .
• Since 1994 he is giving lectures, presentations, slide shows, & promotions of his books in: schools, libraries, clubs in Poland, Canada, USA, Australia (altogether, a few hundred presentations). In Canada (Chapters, Coles&Smith), USA (Barnes&Noble) he gave over 200 presentations of his book about Cuba.
• He is planning to navigate along the World Longest Transcontinental Waterway (10,682 km).

References

• Badowski, Ryszard. Odkrywanie Swiata. Pascal 2001, page: 262 - 265.
• Polski Instytut Opiniotworczy. Zlote Mysli, Fundacja "Zdazyc z Pomoca" 2003 (page 25-26)
• Guinness Book of Records 1995 (page 16)
• Kaminski Marek. Moje Wyprawy, Pascal 2001 (page185 - 189)
• Chatelle Marc. Le Livre Stanke des Records Québécois, Les Editions Internationales Alain Stanke 1988 (page 44)
• The W.Reymont Foundation. Polacy w Swiecie, Biogram Publishing 2006 (page 66)
• Polska Agencja Informacyjna. Polak w Swiecie, Wydawnictwo PAI.S.A. 2001 (page 19)

External links

• Sa Wsrod Nas lecture series

Persondata
Name	Adamuszek, Jerzy
Alternative names
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Date of birth	1955
Place of birth
Date of death
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