# Simon Donato > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Simon_Donato > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Simon_Donato.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Donato > Source revision: 1317394232 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Simon Vincent Donato** (born 1976) is a Canadian geologist, ultra-endurance athlete, and entrepreneur. He produced and co-starred in the TV show *[Boundless](/source/Boundless_(Canadian_TV_series))*, and is the founder of Adventure Science and co-founder of Stoked Oats. ## Early life and education Donato was born in [Winnipeg](/source/Winnipeg), [Manitoba](/source/Manitoba), and grew up in [London, Ontario](/source/London,_Ontario), where he attended [Oakridge Secondary School](/source/Oakridge_Secondary_School) and earned a bachelor's degree in anthropology and a master's degree in geology from the [University of Western Ontario](/source/University_of_Western_Ontario); he also studied paleontology and wildlife biology.[1][2] In 2008 he completed a PhD in geology at [McMaster University](/source/McMaster_University).[1][3] In high school, he opened a [mountain biking](/source/Mountain_biking) center behind his house in London, and after working as a carpenter, he started a bike courier business in 1990.[4] In university he became an [ultra-marathoner](/source/Ultramarathon) and founded the Canadian Adventure Racing Association.[5] ## Career After graduation Donato began work as a geologist for [Imperial Oil](/source/Imperial_Oil) in [Calgary](/source/Calgary), where he worked until summer 2012.[1][2] In 2008, he founded Adventure Science.[2] The first project was a week-long foot search by a team of extreme athletes in July 2008 on the California–Nevada border for [Steve Fossett](/source/Steve_Fossett), who had gone missing on a solo flight on September 3, 2007.[6] Subsequent projects have included studying the relationship between ultra-running and [muscle damage](/source/Muscle_damage), searching for undiscovered archaeological ruins in the Middle East, and [anti-poaching](/source/Anti-poaching) projects in [Kenya](/source/Kenya). Donato contracted with [Josh](/source/Josh_Eady) and Jordan Eady of Eady Brothers Productions, whom he knew from Western Ontario, to produce the documentary *Go Death Racer* about his participation with Paul Trebilcock (whom he knew from McMaster) in the 2010 [Canadian Death Race](/source/Canadian_Death_Race).[1][7] Based on this and with the same team, he launched the television series *Boundless*, which followed Donato and Trebilcock as they traveled the globe competing in ultra-endurance races,[1][2][8] ranging from stand-up paddle boarding to running across the [Sahara desert](/source/Sahara_desert).[5] The show ran for three seasons[4] from February 2013. In 2017, Donato published *The Boundless Life: 13 Lessons Learned the Hard Way*.[9] In 2011, he co-founded Stoked Oats Ltd., which makes high-protein gluten-free oatmeal.[1][2][8] With his wife, Donato runs Think Like a Mountain, a conservation non-profit.[10] He is a Fellow International of the [Explorers Club](/source/Explorers_Club) and a member of the College of Fellows of the [Royal Canadian Geographical Society](/source/Royal_Canadian_Geographical_Society).[5][9] ## Results 2012: 1st place and set a course record in the Iron-Legs 50 miler and relay (2-man team); 2nd place in the 250 km Sahara Race; 1st place in the Fire and Ice Ultra marathon in Iceland; 6th place in the Ancient Khmer Path Ultra stage race, 230 km; 12th place in the 6 Hours of Frog Hollow MTB Enduro bike race. 2011: 1st place in the K-100 relay (coed); 1st place in the Wild Hare 50 miler; 2nd place in the Iron-Legs 50 miler. 2010: 43rd (first ultra) in the Copper Canyon 50 miler; 2nd in men's and 4th overall in the Canadian Death Race; 1st place in the Cactus Rose 50 miler; 3rd place in the 25 km Rocky Racoon race. ## Personal life Donato is married to Chanelle Mayer.[10] ## References 1. Joe Belanger, ["Pair continues to push boundaries of human endurance"](https://lfpress.com/2013/02/14/pair-continues-to-push-boundaries-of-human-endurance), *[The London Free Press](/source/The_London_Free_Press)*, February 14, 2013, retrieved August 20, 2021. 1. Jason Winders, "Knows No Bounds: Simon Donato Summons a Spirit of Adventure", *Western Alumni Gazette*, [Spring 2013](https://alumni.westernu.ca/assets/pdf/alumni-gazette/spring-2013.pdf), pp. 26–27. 1. Simon Vincent Donato, ["Sedimentologic and taphonomic analysis of a 1945 tsunami deposit in Sur Lagoon, Sultanate of Oman"](http://hdl.handle.net/11375/16858), PhD dissertation, Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, January 2008. 1. Jamie Lisanti, ["'Boundless' Stars Paul Trebilcock & Simon Donato on Endurance Races"](https://www.si.com/edge/2014/07/01/boundless-adventure-junkies-simon-donato-paul-trebilcock-endurance-races), *[Sports Illustrated](/source/Sports_Illustrated)*, July 1, 2014. 1. [Our Team](http://www.adventurescience.com/bio/), Adventure Science, retrieved August 20, 2021. 1. Jon Billman, *The Cold Vanish: Seeking the Missing in North America's Wildlands*, New York / Boston: Grand Central, 2020, ISBN 978-1-5387-4757-5, pp. 185–92. 1. Allan Maki, ["Death Race 2013: Ultramarathon gives Alberta town a fresh start"](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/more-sports/death-race-2013-ultramarathon-gives-alberta-town-a-fresh-start/article13570207/), *[The Globe and Mail](/source/The_Globe_and_Mail)*, August 1, 2013. 1. Patrick Janukavicius, ["Simon Donato Tries ITU Winter Triathlon"](https://triathlonmagazine.ca/feature/simon-donato-raced-itu-winter-triathlon/), *Triathlon magazine Canada*, March 24, 2014. 1. Sabrina Doyle, ["Adventure athlete Simon Donato on lessons learned in the backcountry"](https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/adventure-athlete-simon-donato-lessons-learned-backcountry), *Canadian Geographic*, March 30, 2017. 1. Chris Welner, ["Mountain Men"](https://impactmagazine.ca/features/cover-stories/mountain-men/), *Impact magazine*, May/June 2017. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Simon Donato](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Donato) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Donato?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.