BEAR FACTS

Bear Grylls began a lifetime of exploration at an early age. He grew up on the Isle of Wight, and as a young boy would go mountain climbing with his father.

He served three years with the Special Air Service, a special forces unit of the British Army. During his service, he broke his back in three places in a parachuting accident over Southern Africa.

Despite his severe injury, Bear went on in 1998 to become, at age 23, the youngest British climber to complete a summit and descent of Mount Everest. He wrote about his experience in the book, The Kid Who Climbed Everest.

Not content to slow down, Bear achieved another first when he and his Everest climbing group circumnavigated the United Kingdom on jet skis. He also led the first unassisted crossing of the frozen North Atlantic Ocean in an open rigid inflatable boat. His book about this adventure, Facing the Frozen Ocean, was shortlisted as the U.K.'s "Sports Book of the Year." Bear was awarded a commission in the Royal Navy in honor of leading this record-breaking expedition.

In June 2005, Bear broke a world record by hosting a dinner party at a table suspended below a hot air balloon at 24,500 feet. He rappelled from the balloon's basket to the table, where in full naval uniform he ate a three-course meal before saluting the queen and skydiving to earth. His goal was to support the work of two charities: The Prince’s Trust and the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Bear hosted a 2005 television series for the U.K.'s Channel Four, called Escape to the Legion, in which he took a group of young men to the Western Sahara Desert to undergo the French Foreign Legion's infamous basic training.

A second Channel Four series, titled Born Survivor: Bear Grylls, completed its U.K. run in April 2007.

On May 15, 2007, Bear set another world record when he became the first person to fly over Mount Everest by powered paraglider. Supported by the GKN Mission Everest Team, Grylls and fellow pilot Giles (Gilo) Gardozo flew specially developed paramotors. Though a fault in Gilo's machine forced him to abort only 1,000 feet below the summit, Bear continued to ascend until he reached 29,500 feet and was able to look down on Everest as he circled above some of the most famous peaks in the Himalayas. When his own engine developed problems he, too, had to glide back to safety — but he had achieved his goal. The mission raised $1 million for the Global Angels Foundation, a charity that supports children in Africa. Filmed by the Planet Earth team, Bear and Gilo's undertaking was made into a two-hour documentary for Discovery Channel and Channel Four in the U.K.

Bear's book, Born Survivor: Survival Techniques From the Most Dangerous Places on Earth, was released in spring 2007. It was listed on the Sunday Times Top 10 Best-Seller List. His latest book is an extreme guide to outdoor pursuits, titled Bear Grylls Outdoor Adventures.

Grylls, along with the double amputee Al Hodgson and the Scotsman Freddy MacDonald, set a Guinness world record in 2008 for the longest continuous indoor freefall. Using a vertical wind tunnel in Milton Keynes, they broke the previous record by just a few seconds. The attempt was in support of the charity Global Angels.

In December 2008, Bear suffered a broken shoulder while kite skiing across a stretch of ice in Antarctica. His ski caught on the ice, launching him in the air and breaking his shoulder when he came down.

On 17 May 2009, the The Scout Association announced Grylls would be appointed Chief Scout. He was officially made Chief Scout on 11 July 2009 in a handover event in front of a crowd of over 3,000 Explorer Scouts.

Bear lives on a converted barge on the River Thames with his wife Shara and their sons Jesse, Huckleberry and Marmaduke.

Related links:
- Visit Bear Grylls' Official Blog
- See the Born Survivor episode guide
- See photos from each Born Survivor series
- Watch Born Survivor videos