Perseverance

Life and Death in the Subarctic

Stephan Kesting

An adventurer, firefighter, and jiu-jitsu practitioner embarks on a journey of a lifetime—a 1,000 mile voyage through the Canadian sub-arctic—after recovering from a life-threatening illness.

The Canadian North is a vast and lonely land where bears roam free, fires rage unchecked, and storms blast every living thing on the tundra. When Stephan Kesting, already no stranger to pushing his own physical limits, was faced with a rare illness, he knew the only way for him to recover in both body and mind was to dig even deeper. Despite the dangers inherent in the sub-arctic, Kesting sets out on an unimaginably difficult journey. Completely alone in the wilderness for six weeks, where a single mistake could cost his life, Kesting followed in the footsteps of the native peoples and earliest explorers. In this deepest solitude and wracked with self-doubt, he found the strength to endure.

Perseverance is the moving and nail-biting account of his journey from near-death to a raw embrace of adventure and life. Inspirational, vulnerable and honest, Kesting shares the lessons he learned in the wilderness that will help us hold onto hope in our darkest moments and show how we can find the strength to overcome any obstacle.

Stephan Kesting is an adventurer, jiu-jitsu practitioner, and a firefighter. He has traversed the Canadian North for over forty years, both on his own and as a guide.  He has a Masters degree in biology from McGill University, which has informed and deepened his appreciation of the natural world. As a firefighter for over twenty-five years, Stephan has been commended for his courage, being awarded the Canadian National Medal for Bravery. He has been published in canoeing anthologies, is the author of several jiu-jitsu instructional books, and has written thousands of online and magazine articles in the martial arts and outdoor adventure space.  Follow Stephan on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Threads, or via his popular podcast The Strenuous Life with Stephan Kesting. He lives in British Columbia with his family.

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Endorsements & Reviews

"Perseverance has the breakneck pacing of a thriller but in real life. Evocative and beautifully written, this book will satisfy both armchair adventurers and people who are moved to push themselves to superhuman feats." April Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Girl, Stolen

"A fascinating, eloquent account full of wisdom and insight on wilderness travel and life. Kesting's positive, resolute mindset in facing adversity and tackling daunting challenges is a welcome life lesson." Adam Shoalts, Ph.D., bestselling author of Where the Falcon Flies and Beyond the Trees

"Stephen’s incredible account of his journey into Canada’s rugged North embodies the many martial arts principles that lead to success. Train hard, train smart and aspire for perfection through repetition, repetition, repetition but most of all, never give up." Roman Hatashita, Judo Olympian

"Equal parts adventure story and introspective journey into deep questions of survival and self-understanding, Stephan Kesting's Perseverance is a gripping and propulsive narrative of a solo trip into the wilds of northern Canada. Kesting's thousand-mile voyage to the Arctic is anything but lonely, pulling the reader into an alien landscape that offers both myriad dangers and the hope of excavating the deepest layers of the traveller." Patrick Wyman, author of The Verge, Reformation, Rennaissance and Forty Years that Shook the World and podcaster on "Tides of History" and "The Art of Dadliness"

"Kesting’s book serves as a wake-up call of how weak and artificial (which is to say, impoverished and inhuman) an excess of city life has made us. Risk and perseverance are amongst life's most elated testaments to itself. And from this costly venture, we learn to become who we were meant to be all along.” Robert Drysdale, Multiple Time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion, Undefeated MMA Fighter

"I sat down to read Perseverance and didn't stop until I was done. This book is a love letter to nature, a meditation on the haunting beauty of voluntary solitude, and a thrilling adventure all rolled into one. I cannot recommend it enough." Daniele Bolleli, historian, author, and the creator of the "History on Fire" podcast

“Perseverance is an essential trait for longevity in the martial arts along with attraction to risk, embracing discomfort, and enjoying undertakings that provide neither financial gain nor fame. Kesting has provided an evocative and engrossing account of an epic odyssey in an environment few of us will ever get to experience. I was impressed by how he was able to seamlessly share vulnerability, interweave philosophical insights and convey moment-to-moment urgency in a manner that made this a unique page-turner. A must-read.” Alexander D.C. Kask, Takenouchi-ryu Ju-Jutsu instructor, former executive editor Charles E. Tuttle Publishing

“It is really an amazing book. It is an incredible adventure, but way beyond that. t’s deep and wise at times comic at times tragic, with unexpected turns and twists. Eminently worth the read!” Mordecai Finlay, Former Marine, Rabbi at Ohr HaTorah