全文檢索
Home>Service> Awardees of Fervent Global Love of Lives Award> 9th Fervent Global Love of Lives Award 2006> Princess Adventure ─Mark Western
Live your dream; share the world
      Canadian N.L.P. body language program therapist Mark Western likes to adventure and looks for new and exciting challenges; he wish to reach a higher realm. In childhood, his family had a trip around the globe for more than a year. The inspiration has given him the courage to challenge every possibility and pursue extraordinary goal in life. Being a Taiwanese son-in-law, he has settled in here for 16 years. For the past ten years, he has studied intensively in psychology and personal potential development, hoping to discover the secret of success.

     To date, Mark has achieved two distinguished charitable activities: one is “Walk for building dreams for the needy children” (29-day walking tour for raising 4.2 million library fund), and the other one is “Ocean boat-rowing for Taiwan—fundraising for ocean education” (34-day canoe trip around the island for raising environmental funds of NT$2.1 million)

      Except that he works hard and devotes all his energy on this land, Mark challenges many possibilities including: barefoot on fire, travel alone to the Great Wall, boat-rowing across the Yellow River alone, writing more than fifty books and pursuing “Taiwanese lady, Clair, his lovely wife”. Mark deserves to be called “Prince Adventure” because he is willing to challenge the impossible in life, live to his dream and share with the world. 

       Born 1966 in Toronto, Canada, Mark Western is now an English teacher in Hess Educational Organization. After graduating from high school, all he wanted was to go abroad for adventure. His wish had not come true until graduating from Canada Toronto University. He bought a cheap airline ticket using the money he received from scholarship. While his original plan was to travel 21 countries within a year, he eventually visits six countries in 11 1/2 months. Before his ticket expired in two weeks, friends suggested him to find jobs of teaching English in Taiwan. He then decided to come to Taiwan. He arrived at Taiwan when he was 23. The first impression he had for Taiwan is “mess”; nevertheless, Taiwan became his new hometown and the most important chapter in his future.
      Adventure and challenge the impossible.
      After Mark’s grandmother passed on in 1971, his father made an important decision and had since affected his entire life.

      It was the sixth year his parents emigrating from England to Canada. Like many new immigrants, his parents hoped to find bright future in a new land. 

      Used to serve in British Navy, Mark’s father likes to travel. He traveled many times around the world. The bad news that his mother passed away awakened his desire for ocean; so, his decided to follow the call from bottom of his heart and build a sailboat to take his family travel around the world. 

      In the following seven years, the entire family worked hard for an exciting plan, a plan that is more interesting than getting good grade or buying a big house, to build a sailboat with their own hands. Every weekend, they worked on the boat. Although he was only six years old, he could sense the happiness and joy to build his own dream. What can be more exciting than building a boat to travel around the world! 

      In the summer of 1978, they sold their house, furniture, two cars and stamps collected. Their new house is a 40-foot-long sailboat which becomes the only asset of their family. His parents only had 1700 Canadian Dollar in the bank; they do not have jobs, insurance. His father’s decision seems stupid to normal people; however, they believe that their objective is to search for the utmost ideal and pursue the dream. 

      In the following 11 months, the entire family traveled from Toronto to New York. They went along the Eastern Coast of U.S. and arrived at Caribbean Ocean. His brother and he continued their education using distant learning. They had to study for 3 to 4 hours every day. This journey has given them the most memorable and the most influencing trip in their life. 

      Every morning after getting up, he was like the leading character in an adventure novel. Everyday life feels like a brand-new experience including people, landscape, custom, culture and difficulty. In the slow change and influence during this journey, he gradually felt the far-reaching impact. The biggest influence was that he started to like travel and adventure. Up until now, he realizes that he always searches for a journey to touch his soul, a path which leads him to a higher ground.
      Live to dreams; share the big world.
      The third year Mark settled in Taiwan, he visited the Great Wall alone and he followed the Yellow River on a raft and rode camel across desert to Tibet on the first base camp on the Himalayas, an altitude of six thousand meters. Then, he arrived at Nepal and became the first visitor to challenge Sun Kosi on a canoe.

      During the process of physical challenge, Mark used to be confused about life. He changed his attitude when he went back to Canada and had a spiritual development class. He learned to combine charity, interest and physical challenge. Mark talk to people that: “The happiest thing in my life is to do my favorite sport and to help people, at the same time”.

      Six years ago, he spent one month to tour the whole island for raising 4.2 million funding on purchasing books for orphanage children in Taiwan. There were about 57 thousand people walking alongside with him. In this trip, he has earned the heart of his lovely wife and become a Taiwanese son-in-law.

      Since May 1, 2004, Mark has worked on an event to travel around the island on canoe for 34 days, 1100 kilometers. The trip has raised fund for N.T. $ 2.1 million. It donated to “Wilderness Protection Association and Japan Current Ocean Educational Foundation” for ocean ecological protection. Mark once again accomplished an impossible mission—charity fundraising. After he finished the canoe trip, he talked to his little 2-year-old daughter Taila: “We expect that people can see Taiwan from another viewpoint, a point to protect Taiwan. We call on people to focus on ocean education and we hope our children can play on the beautiful, clean and safe beach!”

      At the same time, Mark reminded young people who like to sit in front of computer and hide behind the world of Internet. He encourages young people to stand up, get close to nature, throw away the fear and feel the arts and humanity from a brand-new angle. He thinks that people would finally walk on the path of success and victory as long as they have determination and courage for adventure.