Jesse Martin

Long before making his solo trip around the world, Jesse Martin had already established himself as an adventurer. Passionate about all things adventure, he threw himself into studying everything it took to be a successful sailor, including seamanship, meteorology, survival, navigation, maritime radio, and first aid. 

At age fifteen, Jesse developed the skills required to present, and and negotiate a business case, successfully raising sponsorship for his adventures. A year later, he kayaked 300 kilometres through New Guinea, before sailing from the Caribbean to Tahiti as a crewmember.

In 1999, Jesse took on a 328-day solo journey around the world. He became the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe solo, non-stop, and unaided. When he finally docked home, over 25,000 had lined the shore, indicating him impact on the world. 

Having filmed the entire journey, the footage was used to create the television documentary ‘Lionheart: The Jesse Martin Story’. He also wrote a book on his adventures, ‘Lionheart: A Journey of the Human Spirit’, which has since sold over 110,000 copies worldwide. 

In 2002, Jesse wanted to create another world record, this time departing with four friends. However, this trip was more adventurous then they ever dreamed. From crew problems to the boat hitting a reef, the adventure was quickly ended after only 10 months into a 3-year sail. In 2008, a one-hour documentary was created on the journey, telling the story of how it fell apart. Titled ‘5 Lost at Sea’, the production went on to win Best Documentary at the West Hollywood International Film Festival.

Now spending his time writing, travelling, and producing small film projects, Jesse still dreams about setting sail and creating new adventures.