Wendy and Pete had the pleasure of talking with the extraordinary adventurer, Benji Brundin, who is always examining his life and pushing himself to the limits, all the while healing himself.
Benjamen Augusto Roca Brundin (b. 12 June 1983) is the middle child of a Filipino mother and a Swedish immigrant father. Born in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, he spent his childhood exploring the vast desert that stretched for miles at the rear of his home.
His mother, a proud woman, kicked his father out when Benji was five, stating that she could simply do a better job without him. It was his mother who encouraged Benji to journal his thoughts and adventures from a young age.
In 1995 she bought a small zoo with her then partner, and Benji and his two siblings moved with them across the country to Victoria. It was here that Benji met the people who would one day become the guiding lights of his developmental years.
At age 19, after finishing a roofing apprenticeship and feeling a deep desire for an adventurous life, he embarked on a road trip around Australia. Just months into this trip, his mother died suddenly of cancer; Benji chose to curtail his travels to protect his younger brother from a life in the foster care system. Benji and his brother Nonoy are still close and are proud of their mother and their Filipino heritage.
Benji made a name for himself in 2018 when he turned his back on conventional society, deciding a life of adventure was a better fit for his restless nature.
In the wake of some life altering events, he found himself, aged 34, never having lived the life he had dreamed of as a child.
Benji purchased a camper van and after almost a year fitting it out, he set off into the great unknown with his newly acquired dirt bike strapped to the back.
Never having ridden a motorbike before, he spent the next 9 months of his life pushing the limits of his abilities and endurance. Driving over 30,000 km in the van to circumnavigate the country, and riding over 12,000 km on his bike, through some of the most remote places in the country, solo and unsupported, crossing all ten deserts to touch the compass points of the continent, and earning himself a Guinness World Record for his troubles!
So far, Benji has been a boxer, a sailor, a husband and a public servant. He has written two books and is a mentor to young people.
They spoke to Benji about his upcoming trip in June through Central Australia on his motorbike to once again tackle the 10 Major Deserts in Australia. This is a trip which he has done in the past that resulted in a Guinness World Record.
In 2019, Benji became the fastest man, solo and unsupported, to cross all 10 Australian deserts on a motorcycle, a 4,000-mile journey through one of the most remote and harsh environments on Earth.
Benji is a tradie, the founder of Daring2Venture, and is also a motivational speaker and author of the book, “The Adventures of a Lifetime Hunting Fear”, among other things.
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