Take Five Nation's video: Five Inspirational Modern Day Pioneers

People hear the word pioneer and think back to the days of the gold rush when people were genuinely finding new places and setting up new towns and cities. However, modern day pioneers break new ground in setting records and discovering new ways to do things. So… these are Five Inspirational Modern Day Pioneers. Do you know anyone else who should be on this list? Then let us know in the comments section below. You can also subscribe here - http://tinyurl.com/prn4lec Join us on Twitter here - www.twitter.com/Take5Nation And Facebook here - http://tinyurl.com/orv4j3z Felix Baumgartner - Space Diver Felix Baumgartner, on October 14, 2012, broke the records for highest parachute jump, highest manned balloon flight, and maximum speed outside a vehicle— reaching Mach 1.25 (843 mph). To be perfectly clear, Baumgartner’s record-setting jump took place from the stratosphere at 24 miles above sea level—not space, which is officially set at 62 miles up. However, the altitude (three times higher than commercial airliners fly) still required him to wear a fully enclosed pressurized suit to protect him from the thin atmosphere and freezing temperatures. Dan Osman - Speed Climber Dan Osman was one of the pioneers of the sport of free soloing, but he took it to an entirely different level. He not only climbs hundreds of feet without the safety of a rope, he did it as fast as possible. The rock climbing documentary Masters of Stone IV shows Dan Osman speed climbing Bear’s Reach, a cliff face in the Lake Tahoe region of California, in only four minutes and twenty-five seconds. Unfortunately, his thrill-seeking nature led to his death in 1998, when a rope snapped during a free fall in Yosemite National Park. He remains an inspiration to thousands of climbing enthusiasts today. Ed Stafford - Amazon Explorer In 2008, Ed Stafford began walking down the Amazon River and didn’t stop until two years later on August 9, 2010 when he reached the Atlantic, becoming the first person to walk its entire length. For supplies he carried rice and beans, picked up a few necessities as he passed through villages, and fished for piranha. He slept in the same simple tent and had minimal medical supplies throughout. The ex-stockbroker was faced with anacondas, crocodiles, tropical illnesses, and was even captured by a tribe of natives at one point, whilst bringing awareness to the deforestation of the Amazon forest. Lynne Cox - Arctic Swimmer Lynne Cox swims like most people drive. She began to get attention in the 70’s for setting the speed record for swimming the English Channel—she held it twice in two consecutive years. In 1987 she became the first person to swim across the Bering Strait from Alaska to the Soviet Union, spending over two hours in the frigid water that averages 40 F (4 C)—on a good day. But then in 2003, she did something amazing! Wearing nothing but a swimsuit, she swam 1.22 miles through Antarctic waters, spending 25 minutes in water cold enough to kill a person after 5 minutes. Erik Weihenmayer - Blind Adventurer Perhaps the most inspiring person on this list, Erik Weihenmayer is a mountaineer, skydiver, ice climber, distance biker, and skier—despite the fact that he lost his eyesight at the age of 13. In 1995 he climbed 20,320 ft. to the top of Mt. McKinley, and two years later he reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. In 2001, Erik Weihenmayer became the first blind person to climb Mt. Everest. Now, he’s got his sights set on kayaking, training himself to guide the kayak based on the sound of the rapids and the feel of the flowing water beneath him in preparation for paddling the Grand Canyon.