Taiwan: The Newest Adventure Travel Destination in Asia

November 20, 2017 --- Three incredible men from the San Francisco Bay Area embarked on trip like no other, to one of the most beautiful destinations in the world: Taiwan. Survivor winner Adam Klein, SF Marathon winner Jorge Maravilla, and sweepstakes winner Michael Espejo experienced the adventure of a lifetime together. Accompanied by a CBS special camera crew, the three men boarded a world class China Airlines plane on November 13th to start their week-long adventure.

Klein, Maravilla and Espejo enjoyed Taiwan’s vibrant culture and delicious food, and they ran, cycled, and hiked amongst Taiwan’s natural beauty. Most impressive of all, Maravilla and Espejo finished off the trip by running in the Penghu Cross-Sea Marathon, an international race which took place on November 19th across an archipelago of tropical islands in the Taiwan Strait. Incredibly, Maravilla placed first in this prestigious international marathon as well!

Adam Klein is the youngest winner of Survivor at age 25. A determined millennial, he hasn’t let his youth deter him from making a difference. As a senior manager for the local homeless shelter nonprofit, LifeMoves, he has become a leader in his community. He also launched a large-scale campaign to raise money and awareness for lung cancer in memory of his mom, Susie. Committed to philanthropy, he contributed $100,000 of his Survivor winnings to the cause. He now travels the world as a speaker, host, and advocate for cancer victims.

Faster than the wind, Jorge Maravilla is the winner of the 2017 San Francisco Marathon, finishing nearly three minutes ahead of the second-place runner. He is an adventure seeker, and at the age of 40 he intends to continue blazing a trail across the world. As a professional athlete and the general manager of the San Francisco Running Company, he is a frequent participant in many international marathons. His goal is to run for El Salvador in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.

Michael Espejo, our Sweepstakes winner, comes from a family of runners (eight siblings in all) who have collectively accomplished hundreds of races, including marathons and triathlons. Espejo, 36, is from San Jose and will be bringing his dad, Steve, with him to Taiwan. Steve, 78, is the newest addition within the family to catch the running bug, and he will be joining Espejo in participating in the Penghu Cross-Sea Marathon. He is an inspiration to Espejo, who strives to be as healthy and fit in the decades to come.

Taiwan, the heart of Asia, is a thrill-seeker’s dream. With its magnificent mountains, marble gorges, breathtaking coastline, and bustling cities, it has something for everyone. Check back on the CBS SF YouTube page for video clips of Klein, Maravilla, and Espejo’s experience, and be sure to tune in to KPIX, Ch. 5 on December 30 at 7:30 pm for a half-hour special about their trip!