Ed Stafford facts for kids

Edward James Stafford (born 26 December 1975) is an English explorer and survivalist. He is famous for being the first person ever to walk the entire length of the Amazon River. Stafford now hosts exciting shows on the Discovery Channel and Channel Four.

Early Life and Education

Ed Stafford was born in Peterborough, England. He grew up in Leicestershire. He was adopted as a baby by Barbara and Jeremiah Stafford, who were both lawyers.

Ed went to Uppingham School. He was also a Cub and a Scout when he was younger. In 1997, he earned a degree in Geography from Newcastle University.

Time in the Army

After university, Ed Stafford joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1998. He trained there for a year. He then became an officer in the British Army and served for a few years. He left the army in 2002 to follow his passion for exploration.

Amazing Adventures and Survival

Ed Stafford is known for his incredible expeditions and survival skills.

Walking the Amazon River

On August 9, 2010, Ed made history. He became the first person to walk the entire length of the Amazon River. This amazing journey was shown in a TV series called Walking the Amazon.

Ed's adventure started on April 2, 2008, in Peru. He began with a friend, Luke Collyer. After three months, Luke left, but Ed kept going. He finished the journey with his guide, Gadiel “Cho” Sánchez Rivera. Ed did this expedition to raise money for different charities.

During his long walk, Ed ran out of money. He used YouTube to ask people for donations. He called this "crowdfunding" even before the term was widely known!

Ed Stafford's route walking the Amazon River from 2008 to 2009.

His achievement was truly special. Famous explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes called it "truly extraordinary." National Geographic named him one of their Adventurers of the Year in 2010. In 2011, he received the European Adventurer of the Year award.

The Guinness World Records officially recognized Ed's walk in 2011. You can find his achievement in the 2012 Guinness Book of Records. He also received the Mungo Park Medal for his exploration.

Surviving Alone on an Island

In 2012, Ed filmed a special show for Discovery Channel. He was dropped on a deserted island called Olorua in the Pacific Ocean. He had no food or equipment and had to survive for 60 days. This show was called "Ed Stafford: Naked and Marooned" in the UK and "Naked Castaway" in the USA. Ed also wrote a book about his 60 days alone.

More Survival Shows

Ed continued to make more survival shows. In Marooned with Ed Stafford, he filmed himself surviving in different remote places.

Later, in Ed Stafford: Into The Unknown, he traveled to mysterious locations. He investigated strange markings that puzzled scientists.

His show Ed Stafford: Left For Dead premiered in 2017. In this series, he was left in tough environments and had to find his way to safety.

In 2018, a new show called Ed Stafford: First Man Out began. In this show, Ed competes against another survival expert each week. They race to complete a difficult trek with very little gear in different parts of the world. He has competed against experts like Aldo Kane, Matt Graham, and Ky Furneaux.

His Family Life

After his Amazon journey, Ed Stafford searched for his biological parents. With help from his sister, Janie, he found them. He has two younger brothers from his biological family.

On September 3, 2016, Ed married fellow explorer Laura Bingham in Leicestershire. They have four children. Their first child, a boy, was born in 2017. In 2020, they welcomed twin girls. Their fourth child, another girl, was born in 2024.

In April 2023, Ed, Laura, and their children moved to Costa Rica.

Other Projects

In 2009, Ed Stafford started writing a blog for the Prince's Rainforests Project. This project helps protect rainforests.

What Ed Stafford Has Been In

See also

In Spanish: Ed Stafford para niños