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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Levison Wood (born 5 May 1982) is a British Army officer and a famous explorer. He is well-known for his long walking trips across continents like Africa and Asia. He has also completed many other journeys, including walking across Madagascar. He even climbed mountains in Iraq. Levison shares his adventures through books, TV shows, and amazing photographs.
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Life and Career
Levison Wood was born on May 5, 1982, in Hartshill, Staffordshire, England. His parents were both teachers. He grew up nearby in Forsbrook.
He went to Painsley Catholic College. Later, he studied history at the University of Nottingham.
Military Service
In 2006, Levison joined the Parachute Regiment as an officer. He served for four years. During this time, he was in Afghanistan. He was promoted to Captain in 2008.
He left the army in 2010. He then started a new career as a writer and photographer. He has written many popular books. In 2012, he rejoined the army as a reservist Major in the 77th Brigade.
Explorer and Author
Levison 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 geographers and explorers. He is also a Fellow of the Explorers Club in New York.
He supports many charities as a patron and ambassador. These include UNICEF and the Tusk Trust, which helps wildlife. In March 2024, he became the Chancellor of Staffordshire University.
Amazing Expeditions
Levison Wood is famous for his incredible walking journeys. He often films these trips for TV shows and writes books about them.
Walking the Nile
In December 2013, Levison began a huge challenge. He set out to walk the entire length of the Nile River. This journey started in Rwanda and lasted nine months. He was the first person to complete this walk.
He was inspired by famous explorers like David Livingstone. Many guides, journalists, and friends joined him at different parts of the journey. A TV show about this trip aired in 2015. Sadly, a journalist named Matthew Power passed away during this journey. Levison had to skip a section in South Sudan because of fighting.
Himalayas and Arabia
In 2015, Levison took on another big walk. He walked the length of the Himalayas, from Afghanistan to Bhutan. He made a documentary series and wrote a book about this trip.
In 2017, he started his most challenging journey. He aimed to walk around the entire Arabian Peninsula. This trip covered about 5,000 miles. He traveled through countries like Syria, Iraq, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. He also spent time with soldiers in Iraq and met different groups during his travels. This adventure was shown in the TV series Arabia With Levison Wood.
Other Journeys
Channel 4 also showed his journey called Walking the Americas. This trip went from Mexico to Colombia. Later, he explored the Caucasus region in the series From Russia to Iran: Crossing Wild Frontiers.
In 2020, he filmed Walking with Elephants. In this series, Levison followed a 650-mile migration of elephants in Botswana. In 2023, he presented Levison Wood: Walking with..., a wildlife documentary series.
Awards and Recognition
Levison Wood has received several awards for his military service and his writing.
Military Awards
 Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan (for his service in Afghanistan) |
 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (a medal given to celebrate the Queen's 60 years on the throne) |
 Volunteer Reserves Service Medal (for his service as a reservist) |
 Army Achievement Medal (an award from the US Army) |
Literary Awards
His book, Walking the Himalayas, won "Adventure Travel Book of the Year" in 2016. This was 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.
