Bruce Kirkby

In the world of travel, Bruce Kirkby is a jack-of-all-trades: adventurer, guide, writer and photographer. His journeys have taken him to more than 80 countries, including the wildest and most remote corners of the planet. He has crossed Iceland by foot, traveled through Mongolia by horse, been shot at in Borneo, and been taken hostage in Ethiopia.

Bruce is a weekly travel columnist for The Globe and Mail. He is the author of 2 best-selling books, Sand Dance: By Camel Across Arabia's Great Southern Desert (2001) and The Dolphin's Tooth: A Decade in Search of Adventure (2007).

Bruce’s work also appears regularly in publications including The New York Times, EnRoute and Time magazine, and National Geographic selected his images to be among the best adventure photography of the decade. Previously, Bruce hosted CBC’s prime-time reality show No Opportunity Wasted, for which his mission was to help regular people overcome personal fears and accomplish the seemingly impossible.

Christine Pitkanen

Christine grew up in a small town on the Canadian Prairies. A talented athlete, she competed in running, basketball and golf at regional levels.

After receiving a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Calgary, she spent 10 years working as a personal fitness trainer.

Christine then earned a master’s and doctorate in counseling psychology, again from the University of Calgary. She now works in a private practice while devoting much of her energy to raising her children, Bodi and Taj

Bodi and Taj

Favorite Food

Bodi: Sushi

Taj: Hot dogs, sushi and pizza

Favorite Color

Bodi: Hot pink

Taj: Blue

Favorite Destination

Bodi: Antarctica (dream destination)

Taj: Waterslides

Favorite Sport

Bodi: Basketball

Taj: Soccer 

Their Best Characteristics

Bodi: Acting

Taj: Good at sharing

Favorite Joke

Bodi: Why did the chicken cross the playground? To get to the other slide.

Taj: None

Favorite Subject in School

Bodi: Math

Taj: Coloring

Favorite Animal

Bodi: Hummingbird 

Taj: Penguin