No Opportunity Wasted announces guide

A media release:

PHIL KEOGHAN HAND-PICKS CANADIAN ADVENTURER BRUCE KIRKBY AS THE GUIDE FOR THE NEW CBC SERIES “NO OPPORTUNITY WASTED”

NOW Canada Productions announces that Phil Keoghan has personally selected Canadian adventurer Bruce Kirkby to facilitate each NOW challenge on the new CBC series “No Opportunity Wasted”. Phil Keoghan chose Bruce Kirkby as the Canadian guide for NOW from hundreds of applicants because he embodies the NOW philosophy. Inspired by the book by and personal life philosophy of Phil Keoghan, each 10 x 30′ episode of “No Opportunity Wasted” gives challengers 72-hours to accomplish something they never thought possible. The series premieres on CBC Television in October 2007 and is produced by NOW Canada Productions Inc., a Suddenly SeeMore Productions Company. Phil Keoghan will act as the series’ executive producer. Critically acclaimed versions of the series have aired in the US and New Zealand.

Click here to watch a video of Phil Keoghan officially welcoming Bruce Kirkby to “No Opportunity Wasted”.

“Put simply, Bruce gets the NOW philosophy,” says Phil Keoghan. “Over a decade ago he decided to live life NOW and since then, he has jumped from one adventure to another. He’s also convinced those around him to ditch the excuses and do the things they’ve been putting off for years.”

The “No Opportunity Wasted” Guide search took place last spring when an open casting call went out to Canadians who live a NOW lifestyle. From hundreds of applications, a shortlist of six people auditioned in-person in Toronto. Phil Keoghan then selected Bruce Kirkby based on his audition and his adventurous and well-traveled background. “Bruce Kirkby brings the perfect balance for this show, both in terms of his adventurous no opportunity wasted spirit and his ability to guide Canadian NOW challengers as they step outside their comfort zones and face their physical and emotional personal NOW journeys,” adds Keoghan.

An adventurer, photographer, author and motivational speaker, Bruce Kirkby has done it all, from guiding weekend kayak trips in BC to being part of a team that successfully summitted Mount Everest. Born and raised in Toronto, Bruce’s parents introduced him to the wilderness at an early age. After graduating from university with a degree in Engineering Physics, Bruce remained at his first office job for less than six months before pursuing an uncertain future in outdoor adventure. Since then, Bruce’s travels have taken him to Tibet, Bhutan, Iceland, the Galapagos Islands, Borneo, Myanmar, Bali, Sikkim, China, Ecuador, and Mongolia to name a few. He has published two books including The Dolphin’s Tooth: A Decade in Search of Adventure and Sand Dance and By Camel Across Arabia’s Great Southern Desert. His award-winning photographs have appeared in National Geographic, MacLean’s, American Photo, Men’s Fitness, Outside and Explore. He has also acted as the editor-at-large for Outpost Magazine. He is currently a contributing editor for Explore. For Bruce Kirkby’s full biography, please click here.

“No Opportunity Wasted” is a new CBC series inspired by the book and personal life philosophy of “The Amazing Race”™ host Phil Keoghan. In each episode, two challengers, who do not know they have been chosen, will be surprised by Bruce Kirkby and asked to take on Phil Keoghan’s 72-hour NOW challenge. With their schedules cleared and all excuses eliminated, the two challengers, total strangers with a common goal, must work step-by-step to complete a series of time targets that will push them to the extreme and help them complete their challenge.