David Hempleman-AdamsIT seems that nothing in this world is able to quell David Hempleman-Adams' thirst for adventure and this year has been no exception.

The Swindon-born explorer, who is now 48, was most recently honoured by being named the new Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire.

This came after Mr Hempleman-Adams returned from his most recent record attempt where he travelled to Canada to break an altitude record in a balloon over mountainous terrain in Calgary.

Last week the Advertiser reported how he broke two altitude records one in a balloon and one in an airship in three days in a bid to highlight the growing menace of climate change.

This followed a cape-to-cape challenge by flying across North and South America in a single engine Cessna.

In July he started at Cape Columbia in the Canadian High Arctic and landed 11,500 miles south near Cape Horn in Chile.

He was forced to sleep in a zoo on the Brazilian leg of his flight.

And in March, eight records were broken during another altitude challenge over Denver in the USA.

Despite all this, the explorer has still found time to support local events.

In September, he brought a bit of adventure to the Highworth Festival when the balloonist, mountaineer and polar explorer gave a talk.

And in June he took part in a fund-raising evening for the Mitchemp Trust at the Supermarine football club in South Marston.

It has been a busy and successful year for the explorer and it seems his insatiable appetite for doing the impossible is never-ending.

In 2000, he became the first person to complete the Explorers' Grand Slam, a challenge that saw him conquer the north and south geographical and magnetic poles and scale the highest mountains in each of the continents.

To vote for David call 0901 031 2699 03

Who will be our personality of the year?

This is the second day of our search for the personality of 2004.

Yesterday the Evening Advertiser announced the contenders for Swindon's Personality of the Year.

And we are now asking our readers to vote for who they think is most deserving of the special award. The five nominees vary considerably from one another and all lead very different lives.

But they have all made tremendous achievements in the face of adversity, whether it's for the community or within their own lives.

Every day we will profile one of the five nominees in detail, to help you make the decision for when you phone with your vote.

Today we focus on David Hempleman-Adams, the intrepid explorer.

Phone lines are open until midnight on December 30.

The winner will be announced on January 3. Calls cost 25p.

Your chance to vote

It's been a turbulent year for singer/actress Billie Piper. After it was revealed that her single Because We Want To was voted one of the worst singles of all time, she had to also endure the media spotlight over her split with multi-millionaire husband Chris Evans. But she turned her misfortunes around and is set to appear in Dr Who as the Time Lord's new sidekick.

Penhill's Sue Harrington has become a heroine in her battle against yobs who have been making life hell for residents. Sue, was a key player in setting up the Avebury Road Residents Association.

Larry Perring, from Washpool in West Swindon lost his 13-year-old grandson, Gary, who died after inhaling an aerosol. Larry set up a campaign to educate young people on the dangers of solvent abuse.

Despite her son committing suicide two years ago, freelance writer from Freshbrook, Jan Andersen, 45, has been working to make sure that his death was not in vain by campaigning to help other families deal with grief.