Young, free and living out an American dream
Ulster's kayak king of the wild frontier

By Smyth Harper

Dave Bradley from Belfast set off last month on the mammoth 3,200-mile adventure which will mirror the intrepid voyage of pioneering American explorers Lewis and Clarke.

The 21-year-old is travelling with three US friends on the trip - dubbed the "Achieve Your Dreams Expedition" - to raise money for Corrymeela, the Boys and Girls Clubs and the Make-a-Wish foundation in Northern Ireland. Every penny raised will go to the charities.

They have to paddle for six or seven hours a day and must travel 30 miles a day to stay on target to reach New Orleans before Christmas.

Speaking from his kayak Dave said: "This really is a trip of a lifetime, but what is much more important than what we are doing is why we are doing it."He said there were parallels between the original 19th century Lewis and Clarke expedition and their own.

"Their expedition was the fruition of a dream of President Jefferson to open up the trade routes to the west of America. In a small way we are trying to open up the frontiers of young people's lives," Dave said.

"This is an amazing trip, but I think the most amazing part is what we are trying to achieve out of it. We're wanting to tell young people that things can change if they follow their dreams. "But I think in Northern Ireland there is an attitude that we have seen it all before and that things must just run their course from here.

"We're supporting charities that really invest in the future of young people, increasing their self-esteem and promoting co-operation between communities. We see that it's the only way forward."He said the scenery he had encountered so far was spectacular and that he had also met some strange people.

"Yesterday, in the middle of nowhere we met a man floating down the river in an inner tube with a dog on his lap," he said. "What he was doing there or how he got there is beyond us, but he was there. It's these little things that make each day a little different," he said.

The trip will take them to Kansas City, St Louis and Memphis before finishing in New Orleans.

After the trip Dave will spend a much needed break in the States for Christmas before returning to his studies in Edinburgh where he is training to be a doctor.

- If you want to sponsor Dave then cheques, made payable to "AYDE Fund", should be sent to Achieve Your Dream Expedition, 10 Waterloo Gardens, Belfast, BT15 4EX. All money donated will go to the charities. He also has a website at www.ayde.org.