Circumnavigating the world through Human Power while connecting different societies, civilizations and landscapes.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Dimitri Kieffer - Димитри Киффер


French native, Dimitri moved to the United States in 1983 at the age of 17 in order to pursue a college education in international business.

He spent his first year in the US as an exchange student in Puyallup high school, Washington state and the next 5 years at the University of Washington in Seattle where he obtained two degrees, focusing on international trade.

He then spent the next 15 years honing his skills in international business while working in the software industry primarily in Hong Kong and Seattle.

In April 2005, he gained his second citizenship (US) and therefore becoming an official "Franco-American".

After having completed his first marathon in 1985 at the age of 20, and his first ultramarathon in Hong Kong in 1990, Dimitri progressively took on more and more challenging races in the USA and furthermore overseas.

He completed seven Trailwalkers in Hong Kong, the Western States and other US 100 milers, the Death Valley Badwater 135 miler, as well as multiple races in the Sahara (two 208 miles and one 350 miles non-stop races) and 4 races in Alaska, including the non stop Iditarod trail by foot (1100 miles).

In addition to enjoying running ultramarathons in harsh desertic or cold Alaskan winter climatic conditions, Dimitri also partook in 7 to 30 days non-stop adventure races, where with his team, he was able to cover a great amount of mileage, trekking, orienteering, snow shoeing, kayaking, mountain biking, roller blading, etc... through quite diverse terrain such as the Vietnamese and Costa Rican jungles, the mighty Yukon river, the Australian, South African outback and in the US, the San Juan Islands, the Utah and Californian landscape.

Since 2005, Dimitri has continued to evolve, transferring from adventure racing to full blown expeditions.
In 2009, Dimitri was invited to join the Explorers Club. and remained an active member ever since.

When he is not pushing forward on the trail, Dimitri returns to his permanent home in Seattle to primarily spend time with his friends, such as the PSH3 quirky runners and BM friends. He also spends time training, planning the next sections of the expedition and "catching up on regular daily life matters".

In the past few years, Dimitri has also volunteered teaching elementary computer classes to refugees with IRC and helped move donated furniture to new refugees homes: Karen and Chin minorities from Myanmar/Burma, Bhutanese, Eritreans, Iraqis.
Being on the trail, he is not able to volunteer currently but plans to resume this type of volunteering as soon as he completes this circumnavigation.  

Finally, once a year, Dimitri makes a "pilgrimage" back to France to visit his own family and friends that he often feels he "has left behind" as well as a second "pilgrimage" to Kazan, in the Republic of Tatarstan to visit the family of his wife and expedition partner Gulnara Kieffer as well as Russian Tatar friends.
Dimitri Kieffer and Gulnara Kieffer got married on March 20th 2013 in Kazan, Russia.

Expeditions

2014 Kyrgyzstan - Tajikistan - Uzbekistan sectionBishkek (Kyrgyzstan) - Bukhara (Uzbekistan)

2013 Mongolia - China - Kazakhstan - Kyrgyzstan section
Kharkhorin (Mongolia) - Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan)

2012 Yakutia/Sakha - Amurskaya - Zabaykalsky (Russia) - Eastern Mongolia  section
Yakutsk (Russia) -Karkhorin (Mongolia)

2011 Kamchatka- Magadanskaya-Yakutia/Sakha section
Paren-Omsukchan-Yakutsk (Russia)

2010 Chukoka-Kamchatka section, Nexus expedition
Vayegi (Chukotka) - Paren (Kamchatka) (Russia)

2008 Chukotka section, Nexus expedition
Egvekinot-Vayegi (Russia)

2007 Chukotka section, Nexus expedition
Uelen-Egvekinot (Russia)

2006 Bering Strait Crossing, Goliath expedition
Nome to Wales (US) to Uelen (Russia)


Major Adventure races

2006 Yukon River Quest Paddle Race, (Kayak) Canada
2005
La Ruta de los Conquistadores, (Bike) Costa Rica

2005
Freedom Challenge Extreme Triathlon
(Run,Bike, K1 Canoe), South Africa
including
Comrades Marathon, Berg River Marathon

2004
Primal Quest, Washington State
2004
X-Adventure Raid Series in North Western Australia & Bend, Oregon
2003
Primal Quest, Lake Tahoe, California
2003 X-Adventure Raid Series, Bend, Idaho
2002
Four Winds Adventure Race 500kms, Utah
2002
Raid Gauloises 1000kms, Viet Nam

Major Nonstop ultrarunning races


2005
Iditarod Trail Invitational, 1100 miles, Alaska
2004
Trans 555km , 345 miles, Niger, Africa
2004
Bad Water , 135 miles, Death Valley, California
2002
Iditarod Trail Invitational, 350 miles, Alaska
2002
Trans 333km, 200 miles, Tunisia Africa
2001
Trans 333km, 200 miles, Mauritania, Africa
2001
Iditasport, 130 miles, Alaska
2001 Mardis Gras Ultramarathon Classsic 125 miles, Baton Rouge to New Orleans,
Louisiana,
information on the trail

1999 Beijing to Great Wall 100km, China
1998-1999 Mt Fuji Mountain race, Japan
1997-2003 Seven Trailwalker MacEnlose
100 km, Hong Kong

100 Miles ultraruns:


2004 Western States, California
2003
The Bear, Idaho
2001
Heartland, Kansas
2000
Cascade Crest Classic, Washington
1999
Angeles Crest, California
1999
Iditasport, Alaska

Swim:
2006
Alcatraz island "sharkswim fest", California

2 comments:

Alexei said...

Hello Dmitry. You wrote Alex out of the city Neryungri. I looked at your blog and it is very interesting.

Graeme O'Neale said...

A Remarkable Story an even more Remarkable achievement!

Safe Travels to both of you!