Speaking to Global Sustainable Sport ahead of the expedition, Döbert and Carriere explained that Wings of Survival is about far more than completing an extraordinary physical challenge. Their ambition is to reconnect people emotionally with nature, using one of the world’s greatest natural endurance stories to demonstrate that the health of wildlife, ecosystems and humanity are inseparable. Alongside the ride, the team will collect scientific data, deliver educational programmes, produce a feature-length documentary and engage communities across 15 countries to inspire greater environmental stewardship.

Following the world’s greatest endurance athletes

Elite sport often celebrates extraordinary physical achievement, but Döbert believes the real endurance champions are found in nature.

“We need to create stories that connect people emotionally. We want to draw people into the story of migration, portraying these birds as the greatest athletes on the planet.”

The Hudsonian Whimbrel certainly deserves that description. Every year the birds undertake one of the longest migrations in the natural world, travelling almost 30,000 kilometres between South America and the Arctic breeding grounds of Alaska and Canada. During a single stage of the journey they can fly continuously for up to six days, covering around 9,000 kilometres without eating, drinking or sleeping. Scientists still do not fully understand how they achieve such extraordinary feats of endurance.

Rather than simply studying these birds from afar, Döbert and Carriere have chosen to immerse themselves in the migration, experiencing the landscapes, weather and environmental pressures encountered along the route. Although travelling by bicycle rather than by wing, they hope that sharing the physical and emotional realities of the journey will create a deeper public appreciation of the natural world.

Nature’s warning system

The expedition also shines a spotlight on an alarming conservation story.

The Hudsonian Whimbrel is regarded as a “tipping-point” species whose fortunes reflect the wider health of global ecosystems. Its population has declined dramatically over recent decades, primarily because of habitat destruction along its migration corridor. In Canada alone, numbers are estimated to have fallen by as much as 78 per cent over the past 50 years.

For Carriere, that makes the birds an ideal symbol for explaining why biodiversity matters to everyone.

“Birds kind of represent the health of the environment. If the population is decreasing, we know the environment’s not doing well, and that’s related to our own human health.”

Döbert is equally clear about the scale of the challenge facing nature.

“A lot of species have declined 90 per cent in the last 50 years. We’ve literally driven a lot of populations to the brink of extinction. So we want people to understand we have a responsibility for nature.”

That message resonates strongly within sport. Increasingly, athletes, events and governing bodies are recognising that healthy ecosystems underpin everything from participation and performance to fan experiences and the long-term viability of sporting competition itself.

Science on the move

Wings of Survival is not simply an awareness campaign. At its heart sits a significant scientific programme.

Working with researchers from the University of Alberta, Western University and Universidad Austral de Chile, the expedition will continue research into migratory behaviour while also investigating how prolonged physical exertion affects the human body under increasingly challenging environmental conditions, including heat, air pollution and psychological resilience.

Earlier this year, Döbert and colleagues fitted GPS trackers to five Whimbrels in southern Chile. Those birds are now providing invaluable data about migration choices and habitat use, highlighting how climate change and habitat loss may already be influencing migration behaviour.

As Döbert explained, some birds are beginning to alter migration patterns entirely.

“One is still there, and it’s just hopping between two beaches. Increasingly, we see individuals just choosing to stay. Why should I migrate if I don’t have to? But then that has implications on reproduction.”

Understanding those changes could prove critical in protecting migratory species whose survival depends upon healthy ecosystems spanning multiple continents.

Building a movement, not just completing a challenge

While the science is important, both Döbert and Carriere repeatedly return to one central theme: people.

Throughout the expedition they will visit schools, engage local communities, deliver educational events and develop interactive digital content allowing thousands of students to follow both the cyclists and the migrating birds in real time. A feature-length documentary will also capture the journey, extending its impact well beyond the finish line.

That collaborative approach reflects an increasingly important lesson across sustainable sport: meaningful impact rarely comes from individual effort alone. It requires partnerships between athletes, scientists, educators, organisations, businesses and communities working towards shared outcomes.

A mission that needs backing

For an expedition that combines scientific research, elite endurance sport, conservation, education and documentary storytelling, Wings of Survival is operating with remarkably modest resources.

Despite attracting support from organisations including Patagonia, Swarovski Optik and a growing network of conservation partners, significant funding challenges remain. The team still needs to cover many of the practical costs that make a nine-month expedition across 15 countries possible, including food, fuel for the support vehicle, transporting the vehicle around the Darién Gap, insurance in South America and the permits required for multiple border crossings. To date, around 49 per cent of the expedition’s costs have been secured, while generous in-kind contributions have helped reduce the overall financial requirement. Nevertheless, a significant funding gap remains if the project is to achieve its full scientific, educational and storytelling ambitions.

For Carriere, securing those partnerships has proved every bit as demanding as preparing for the physical challenge itself.

“People ask all the time how we prepare, and I think the preparation on the physical side is the easiest. The hardest thing is building our strong team of brands around us, our community around us.”

The organisers hope that individuals, organisations and the wider sporting community will recognise the unique opportunity Wings of Survival presents. This is not simply about helping two athletes complete an extraordinary journey; it is about supporting internationally important scientific research, inspiring the next generation through schools and communities, documenting one of nature’s greatest migrations and demonstrating how sport can become a powerful platform for environmental storytelling.

Global Sustainable Sport is proud to support Wings of Survival and encourages members of the GSS community to follow the expedition, meet Timm and Leanna along sections of the route where possible, cycle alongside them where opportunities arise, and consider supporting their crowdfunding campaign. Every contribution, regardless of size, helps move this remarkable project one step closer to delivering its full scientific, educational and conservation impact.

A race with nature

The expedition has been described as a “Race With Nature”, but the team readily acknowledges there is no possibility of beating the Whimbrels themselves. Flying at speeds approaching 90 kilometres per hour and capable of crossing oceans in little more than a week, the birds remain the undisputed endurance champions.

Instead, the race is against something far more significant: the accelerating loss of biodiversity and the growing disconnect between people and the natural world.

As Döbert reflected:

“We’ve accumulated so much scientific knowledge in the last 50 years, but unless we carry it into the world in an emotional and relatable way, it’s going to be very hard to bring people on board.”

Carriere shares that optimism, believing that every conversation matters.

“If we can plant the seeds with as many people as possible, that’s the most we can do as individuals.”

Wings of Survival embodies that philosophy. By combining world-class endurance, cutting-edge science and compelling storytelling, Timm Döbert and Leanna Carriere are creating far more than an expedition. They are inviting all of us to join a race that matters—not against nature, but alongside it.

If the sporting community truly believes in the power of sport to change the world, then this is the opportunity to show it by turning purpose into action and supporting an extraordinary journey that unites science, sport and nature for the future of our planet.

To support Wings of Survival incredible journey click here

Photos Courtesy of Jacob Mamchur