Englishman Peter Woolsey, a 1965-66 scholar to the United States,
recently completed a 400-mile solo kayak trip from Kendal, in England's
Lake District, to London, raising more than US$2,500 for Age UK, a
charity that provides information, advice, and support to the elderly.(click below to read more)
When he was 17, Woolsey completed the same journey through
England's network of canals and down the Thames River. As his 70th
birthday approached, he decided that repeating the voyage would be an
ideal way to celebrate.
"As a youngster, I was fascinated by canals and kayaking, and it
grew into a passion which has stayed with me throughout my life,"
Woolsey says. "I’ve always felt that age shouldn’t be a barrier to
achieving your goals."
Early in his life, Woolsey's hobby earned him a job leading groups
of British canoeists down the Rhone and Ardèche rivers in France for
PGL, an adventure holiday company. After graduating from Manchester
University, he set up and managed a water sports center at Miramar on
the French Riviera.
Scholarship year
Woolsey was 25 and back in England when his stepfather invited him
to a meeting of the Rotary Club of Stockton & Thornaby, Durham,
which was seeking candidates for a scholarship. He won it by promising
he would visit every Rotary club he could and never turn down an
invitation to speak.
He made good on his promise, speaking at 84 clubs and four district
conferences during his scholarship year. After studying business at the
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, he used his
scholarship experience to build ties between Wharton and the European
campus of INSEAD international business school, in France, where he
received his MBA. Because of his efforts, students can now earn a degree
by doing combined studies at the two campuses.
Woolsey went on to work as a publisher in England, France, the
Netherlands, and Switzerland, then created a point-of-sale system for
merchants in several countries in Europe. He later launched a company
that supplied banking and insurance software to businesses throughout
Northern Europe and the Baltic, requiring him to commute between
Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
While in Estonia, he became a charter member of the
English-speaking Rotary Club of Tallinn International, before moving
back to England three years ago. Complications from pneumonia and his
constant travels have kept him from seeking out another club, he says.
As for his passion for kayaking and canoeing, Woolsey maintains that they’re perfect activities for people of any age.
"I always say, if you can get into and out of a bath unaided, then
you can probably get in and out of a canoe, so why not try it? I
genuinely believe that canoeing and kayaking are two of the most gentle
activities you can do, if you use a canal or a quiet river like the
Thames."
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