Levison Wood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Levison Wood
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at Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2024.
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| Born | 5 May 1982 Hartshill, Staffordshire, England
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| Occupation | Military officer, explorer, photographer and journalist |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 British Army |
| Years of service | 2005–2010, 2012–present |
| Rank | Major |
| Service number | 564688 |
| Unit | Parachute Regiment 77th Brigade |
| Battles/wars | War in Afghanistan
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Major Levison James Wood (born 5 May 1982) is a British Army officer and explorer. He is famous for his long walking trips across different parts of the world. These include journeys in Africa, Asia, and Central America.
Levison has also completed other big trips. He walked across Madagascar and climbed mountains in Iraq. He shares his adventures through books, documentaries, and amazing photographs.
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Early Life and Military Career
Levison Wood was born on May 5, 1982, in Hartshill, Staffordshire, England. His parents were both teachers. He grew up in a nearby town called Forsbrook.
He went to Painsley Catholic College for school. Later, he earned a history degree from the University of Nottingham.
In 2006, Levison joined the Parachute Regiment as an officer. He served in the army for four years. During this time, he was in Afghanistan. He was promoted to Captain in 2008.
Life After the Army
Levison left the army in April 2010. He then started a career as a writer and photographer. He has written several books that have become very popular.
He has traveled and explored in over 100 countries. In 2011, he became a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. This is a special group for explorers and geographers. He is also a Fellow of the Explorers Club in New York.
Levison supports many charities. These include UNICEF and the Tusk Trust, which helps wildlife. He rejoined the army in 2012 as a reservist. He holds the rank of Major in the 77th Brigade.
In March 2024, Levison Wood became the Chancellor of Staffordshire University. He started this role on May 1, 2024.
Amazing Walking Expeditions
Levison Wood is best known for his incredible walking journeys. He often films these trips for TV shows and writes books about them.
Walking the Nile River
In December 2013, Levison began a huge adventure. He set out to walk the entire length of the Nile River. This journey started in the Nyungwe Forest in Rwanda. It took him nine months to complete.
He was inspired by famous explorers like David Livingstone. Many guides and friends joined him along the way. A TV show about this trip aired in 2015. Levison also wrote a book called Walking the Nile.
He had to stop for a part of the journey in South Sudan. This was because of heavy fighting in the area.
Walking the Himalayas
In 2015, Levison took on another big challenge. He walked the entire length of the Himalayas. This journey went from Afghanistan to Bhutan.
He filmed a documentary series about this trip. He also wrote another book, which was published in January 2016.
Exploring the Arabian Peninsula
In September 2017, Levison started his most ambitious trip. He aimed to travel all the way around the Arabian Peninsula. This journey covered about 5,000 miles.
He traveled through many countries, including Syria, Iraq, and Oman. He even crossed part of the Empty Quarter desert. He also visited Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the Holy Land. The trip ended in Lebanon.
During this journey, he spent time with Iraqi soldiers fighting ISIS. He also met Palestinian and Hezbollah groups. This adventure was shown in the Discovery series Arabia With Levison Wood.
Other Journeys
Channel 4 broadcast Walking the Americas starting in January 2017. This series showed his walk from Mexico to Colombia.
Later, the channel aired From Russia to Iran: Crossing Wild Frontiers. This four-episode series followed his journey along the Caucasus region.
In May 2020, Channel 4 began showing Walking with Elephants. In this series, Levison followed a 650-mile migration of elephants in Botswana.
In August 2023, Levison presented Levison Wood: Walking with.... This was a three-part wildlife documentary series on Channel 4.
Awards and Recognition
Levison Wood has received several awards for his work.
Military Awards
- Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan with Afghanistan clasp
- Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
- Volunteer Reserves Service Medal
- Army Achievement Medal (US Army award)
Literary Awards
His book Walking the Himalayas won "Adventure Travel Book of the Year" in 2016. This award was given at the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards.
In 2017, Staffordshire University gave him an Honorary Doctorate. This was to recognize his work as an explorer, writer, and photographer.
