Jean-François Chapman – Expedition Cheif

Nickname:

Where to begin... JF (or its variants: JP, JK, JR...), Patty, Chap (and whatever you get form substituting the last letter: Chaz, Char, Chab, Chaw...), Jean-Guy Patate (don’t ask, I hate Doug O’Connor), Johnny Francis...

Best travel moment:

Too many to choose from... But one must deffo be two of us kayaking alone meters from killer whales in the Able Tasman National Park. Driving a train in Thailand is also up there!!!

Worst travel moment:

Leaving New-Zealand... and the 2nd degree sunburns suffered in the Perenthian Islands, Malaysia- consequence of my extreme stupidity, which resulted in five days of severe physical pain, a ridiculously high fever, and vivid hallucinations.

Favourite quote:

“Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid sideways, totally worn out, shouting: “Man what a ride!!!”

I can...

sometimes convince myself that I’m actually Irish...

Reason why I got involved in this project:

Well, I kind of started this... so...

About JF:

Born and raised in Hull, Québec, JF was first introduced to traveling at the age of 6 by his grandmother who decided that a trip to Cuba to visit Hemingway’s house and Fidel Castro’s homeland was in order. Such sparked his unquenchable thirst for adventure, which would carry him around the 4 corners of the world to travel and work in more than 30 countries on 5 continents. From bartender to English teacher, with stints as a door-to-door salesman, stone mason, assistant electrician, docker, waiter, air-conditioning installer, general laborer, garbage man, airport display assembler, farmer, fruit-picker, concrete expert, and translator, nothing could stop him from creating the longest non-career world experience job resume on the planet.

Early in his studies in sociology, JF developed a special interest for the situation of global youth. He focused mostly on child soldiers and the participation of children in warfare and genocide- subjects that make him a great party conversationalist. After completing his Masters degree in sociology and specializing on the implication of children in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, a disillusioned JF decided to take off around the world so he could satisfy his other passion: playing Gaelic football... badly!! Now employed as a teacher and part-time educator in a rehab center, he works closely with teenagers struggling with drug and alcohol abuse problems, which reaffirms his will to raise awareness about the national and global situation of street kids.

From being chased by the Kuala Lumpur Mafia to wild nights with the Slovenian police, from kickboxing camps in Thailand to braving hail and winds on top of New Zealand’s mountains, nothing could stop him from pushing his limits... or accepting them. This is why Trans America Trek represents a new challenge to him- not only will it fulfill his need for an adventurous trip, but the social aspect will motivate him into making it a meaningful one as well.