By Ryan Pilon

Aboriginal youth completes expedition in Bolivia

Jun 17, 2011 | 11:49 AM

Brandon Sand has returned from an expedition in Bolivia, South America where he ran a marathon a day for six days, and he’s hoping his experience will inspire other Aboriginal youth to achieve their goals.

Sand, 17, is from the Mistawasis First Nation, and was the first Aboriginal youth chosen by the group “impossible2Possible” to participate in one of their expeditions.

“It means a lot, it shows that they’re trying to diversify their organization. I had a lot to live up to when I went there, it felt like,” said Sand.

“To show (other Aboriginal youth) that they can do it too, no matter where they grow up, whether on the reserve or in the city.”

Impossible2Possible encourages youth to “reach beyond their perceived limits, and to use adventure as a medium to educate, inspire and empower our global community to make positive change in the world.”

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The expedition in Bolivia had five youth from around the globe embark on a 250 kilometre run, and Sand said he jumped at the opportunity.

“Just to see if I could do it, run a marathon a day for six days, and at that elevation, just to prove it to myself,” he said.

“I’ve never been outside of the country, and to go there and have that kind of experience, it was mind blowing.”

Sand said the hardest part of the trek was dealing with running at 12,000 feet.

“At that kind of elevation you kind of have to start at square one,” said Sand.

“So for about three days, I was like right down, I felt sick, I had nosebleeds, dizziness, all that.”

The expedition was also to celebrate the International Year of Chemistry by conducting a series of experiments. Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni is covered with a crust of salt, and below is a lake composed of water, salt, magnesium and lithium. The high altitude impacts how matter and chemical reactions behave.

rpilon@panow.com