Scotch College

‘One of Australia’s most prolific adventurers’

Roger Chao has hardly stood still since leaving Scotch in 2003.

WORDS: Mr David Ashton

Young Old Boy Roger Chao (’03) has wasted no time in accumulating a swag of degrees, successfully completing a variety of highly challenging expeditions, and trying to establish a non-government organisation to help groups in Kazakhstan.

Studying at Monash University, Roger has completed a bachelor degree in Arts, majoring in Politics and Philosophy, an Economics degree, and an honours year in Philosophy/Ethics in 2008, as well as publishing in numerous peer reviewed journals. He received a commendation from the Dean of Arts for excellence in his honours project as well as his achievements outside the university.

Described as ‘one of Australia’s most prolific adventurers’, Roger has successfully tackled numerous major international expeditions since leaving school. In 2006, he completed a world-first unsupported midwinter traverse of both the Eastern and Western Arthurs in Tasmania, including a successful ascent of Federation Peak in full winter conditions. Australian Geographic magazine recognised this achievement with its 2006 Young Adventurer of the Year award.

In the following year, Roger led a team across the Arctic ice cap on a world-first ski traverse, hauling 130kg sleds in -50°C temperatures and 200km/h winds, to explore the effects of global warming in polar regions, for which he was elected as a member of the New York Explorers Club. He is now a member of the club’s executive committee.

In 2008, having completed a research project on the Inuit peoples of the Arctic regions, Roger was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society. In the same year he was awarded a Monash University bursary/sports scholarship as part of the university’s Elite Athlete Support Programme.

In 2009 he led a 14-month cycling expedition on custom-built long haul recumbents through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Xinjiang, in -50°C winters and 55°C summers, across expansive deserts, high mountain passes, and politically unstable regions.

Following this trip, Roger established an educational organisation to support groups in Kazakhstan by providing computers and educational materials to schools. He engaged a local partner in Kazakhstan, and through a programme called ‘One Laptop per Child’ has donated textbooks, laptops and internet connections.

In 2009 the Dean of Arts at Monash University awarded Roger a commendation in the university’s Sir John Monash Awards. Last year he started transcribing his interviews on the 2009 cycling expedition and preparing a book and documentary about the expedition and other associated activities. Roger has also recently been invited to be an Australia Day Ambassador for the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

Roger is currently studying part-time at Curtin University for a Master of Business Administration, and managing a national longitudinal social research project on homelessness in Australia, in partnership with Melbourne University and the Australian government.

He has also had stints working at the Wilderness Society, as a volunteer with Bush Search and Rescue, as an environmental consultant, and as a tutor for the Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme. Roger has also guided, trained and advised numerous clients on various world first expeditions (including mountaineering, polar expeditions, kayaking, climbing and caving) around the world.

In his spare time he also works as a motivational speaker and workshop presenter, on topics as varied as leadership and goal setting, to ecological footprint reduction and environmental awareness. He was a most inspirational speaker at last year’s Scotch Outdoor Activities Leadership Dinner. Roger is also currently developing his own range of expedition equipment. GS