Jason Wragg

Dr. Jason Wragg serves as a Senior Lecturer and Course Lead for the BA (Hons) Outdoor Adventure Leadership programme at the University of Central Lancashire's School of Health, Social Work and Sport. With extensive international expedition experience across Iceland, Greece, Africa, and the USA, his academic work bridges practical fieldwork with theoretical exploration of adventure experiences through innovative research methodologies.

Wragg's research program centers on the intersection of motorcycle travel, pilgrimage, and adventure through an autoethnographic lens. He has pioneered the incorporation of comic book creation as a unique methodology for data analysis and presentation, exploring how solo adventure travel serves as a crucible for self-discovery and authentic being. His work draws extensively on Nietzschean philosophy, McAdams' concept of narrative identity, and the notion of heterotopia to understand how challenging environments create liminal spaces for identity negotiation and personal transformation. This approach challenges commercialized notions of adventure while illuminating how motorcycle travel functions as a vehicle for existential exploration and authentic self-realization.

His publication record reveals a cohesive research trajectory focused on narrative identity, authenticity in adventure travel, and innovative visual storytelling methods. Wragg consistently examines how challenging environments, particularly on motorcycles traversing remote landscapes like Iceland's F-roads, create transformative spaces for identity negotiation and personal growth. His work bridges academic theory with lived experience through the creative integration of comics as both analytical tool and presentation format.

• Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

As Course Lead for the Outdoor Adventure Leadership programme, Wragg shapes curriculum that emphasizes experiential learning through fieldwork and international expeditions. His innovative approach to research methodology, particularly the use of comics in academic work, demonstrates a commitment to pushing boundaries in adventure education and research. His leadership extends to guiding students through complex theoretical frameworks while maintaining practical connections to real-world adventure experiences and fieldwork.