Name >> CRISTER BRADY (high school student)
Country >> USA, California
Age >> 15 yrs

A native of Santa Barbara in California, Crister will be joining the Overland Australian team as a seasoned cross-country rider. Despite his young age he has an impressive resume of biking achievements, including completion of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route - 2400 miles of self-contained touring from the Canadian to Mexican border - last year. He had also completed two 100-mile rides by the time he was 12.

Name >> BEL CHAMBERLAIN (thrill seeker)
Country >> Australia, all over
Age >> 19 yrs

Bel will be joining the team hopeful of seeing some rare native flora. In recent years she has been working on re-vegetation/conservation projects in National Parks and wilderness areas of Victoria, and in Melbourne as a gardener, child minder, pet shop assistant, and office clerk where her fancy has led her. She has also worked as a volunteer for the MS Society with her Chihuahua as a therapy dog. Besides learning the Welsh Gaelic language, she is an avid gardener, pianist and reader. When she’s not tree climbing (also known as having a pet Rosella) she’s bush walking, canoeing and riding antique bicycles in the mountains of southeastern Australia, which are home to her.

Name >> JOSH GRAY (high school leaver)
Country >> Australia, Cairns
Age >> 19 yrs

I enjoy reading, running, cycling, eating ice cream on hot days, going out with my friends and doing triathlons. My favourite team sports are soccer and volleyball.
Just recently I finished a course in outdoor recreation. Learning how to abseil, rock climb, hike, prepare food in the bush (and make it look like something you would eat), first aid etc. Only a few weeks ago I was wondering what I would do for the next 6 months when my mum spotted an article in the newspaper saying that Expedition 360 was looking for teenagers to cycle from Cairns to Darwin.
After the expedition I plan to go to Tasmania. My mum’s family lives there, and I would like to get a job in the Outdoor Recreation industry.

Name >> MARGIT (Git) DIJKSTRA (medical student)
Country >> USA, Ohio
Age >> 27 yrs
Git was born in the USA, moved to Holland, then back to the US, then to Holland, then to the US. Then to Holland. And then, for something new, to the US. She figured she might as well feel uprooted for a while longer, so agreed to be dumped by a tour bus onto the side of the Australian Plenty Highway, to be kidnapped by a group of really scary Expedition cyclists and whisked off to an existence of poor hygiene, worse nutritional intake, and atrocious social skills. A flutist in her former life, she now leaves behind a third year at Ohio State University College of Medicine, several perplexed friends, two cats (Schmutz & Bugsy), clean hair, the coolest sister ever, and two parents who show incredible tolerance and patience toward their peripatetic eldest, for whom they’d held out so much hope.

Name >> MIKE RONEY (truck salesman)
Country >> USA, Salt Lake City
Age >> 36 yrs

My college major was art, both 2 and 3 dimensional. I've spent most of my career in the trucking industry, as a heavy-duty truck salesperson. It is an industry that epitomizes the "melting pot" of America and therefore has allowed me to experience the wonderment of people from diverse backgrounds. I have a second-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and have also taught children and young adults to enjoy this art. I have coached little guys in "American" football and reveled in seeing them grow. I have completed 3 Triathlons, a Marathon, love to ski (water or snow), hike and camp. I have tried many sports. Though I have been on a mountain bike, I have never been on one for very long.

Name >> APRIL (school teacher)
Country >> USA, Colorado
Age >> 42 yrs

April became involved with the expedition in 1996 while Jason was recuperating from his broken legs in Pueblo, Colorado, USA. She has since directly participated on two of the major sections of the circumnavigation: biking 1,700 miles from Colorado to San Francisco (July-Sept 1996) and pedaling Moksha 1,100 miles from the Solomon Island to Pt. Douglas, Australia (July-August 2000). She is also involved with all manner of expedition support activities, such as finances, the 501 c 3 Non-for Profit Organization, the educational programs and mucking out horse stables.

Name >> JIM BRADY (school teacher)
Country >> USA, California
Age >> 45 yrs

Crister's father Jim will be joining us for the latter section of the ride. Jim has twenty-eight years' experience in educational administration and instruction (both international and domestic) with emphasis on curriculum development, experiential education and conflict resolution. In 1981 he co-founded 'Educational Safaris', an initiative set up to take youngsters on outward bounds biking safaris to Kenya, Hawai'i, Mexico, Great Britain, Ireland and within the United States. He is currently a teacher/administrator at Santa Barbara Middle School in California.

Name >> NORLIA CARRUTHERS (arts and community volunteer)
Role >> Base camp coordinator
Country >> Australia, Cairns

In the last 6 years I have been involved in doing voluntary work for the arts community in Cairns and at the same time assisting my partner John Andrews in developing and promoting his acoustic painting show. Recently, I have been elected to be on the committee of the Cairns Multicultural Community for the Centenary of Federation to help organise this national festival in Cairns. I met Jason through my partner John Andrews and became interested in helping out with the expedition. I have always been interested in arts and culture and the school exchange project presents an opportunity for me to learn the cultural diversity of the world.

Name >> REBECCA LAWSON (photographer)
Role >> Educational coordinator for cultural exchange program
Country >> USA, Minnesota

My introduction to the world of photography in high school totally changed my life. Aside from working in a camera store for the past nine years I’ve also taught photography in various inner-city youth programs. I’ve recently mentored and led workshops for an American Indian photo program in Minneapolis called "New Voices". They put out a quarterly newspaper with high school kids and have various photo/film workshops. I also have a studio and freelance in my spare time, mostly for musicians and some fashion. My main focus that I am concentrating on however is my artwork. I currently have five pieces in a benefit show for PArts gallery.

Name >> TODD PAULSEN (videographer)
Country >> USA, San Francisco
Role >> Media acquisition

Todd tries to keep his work life varied. Over the last decade he has been a cashier, bus boy, bus driver, driver trainer, hospital janitor, plastics molder, transportation planner, demographer, Alaskan tour guide and bike messenger. His most peculiar job was selling red noses for a day in New Zealand. Whilst at university, Todd performed with a comedy troupe and gained his editing experience documenting their performances. He’s been logging Jason’s adventures across the Pacific for a future documentary and is thrilled to be a part of such a momentous excursion. He currently resides in San Francisco.