Joseph Burkhead, an orienteering athlete from Michigan, has been navigating his way through the sport since 2005, competing in everything from radio and paddle orienteering to ski orienteering.

His journey has been one of passion and perseverance, overcoming injuries and representing Team USA on the world stage.

Now preparing for the 2025 World Masters Games in Taipei, Joseph is excited to return to a city that holds a special place in his heart. We caught up with him to chat about his love for orienteering, his biggest achievements, and what he’s most looking forward to in Taipei.

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your sport?

Hi, I’m Joseph Burkhead (Mandarin name: 白知穎 – Bai Zhiying) from Michigan, USA. I’m a husband, father, professional pilot, Air Force reservist, and academic.

I’ve been competing in orienteering since 2005, taking part in local, national, and international championships across different formats—standard orienteering, radio orienteering, paddle orienteering, and ski orienteering. Most recently, I served as the Event Director for the 2024 USA Radio Orienteering Championship.

Beyond competing, I also have a background in media and communications – I worked as a spokesperson and media relations rep for the Salt Lake City Organising Committee for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.

How did you first get involved in orienteering?

My love for navigation started early. Growing up, I developed orienteering skills through hiking with my dad, scouting, and volunteering in Civil Air Patrol. I also ran for my high school’s cross-country team, but it wasn’t until my late 20s that I attended my first orienteering race. That’s when I knew I had found my sport.

I was immediately drawn to the combination of physical endurance and mental challenge. Orienteering isn’t just about running – it’s about strategy, quick decision-making, and adapting to unpredictable terrain.

Plus, it takes place in stunning natural settings, making it far more exciting than just running laps on a track.

As someone who has competed in various Masters sports events – what do you enjoy about the community and participating in competitions?

Competing in Masters sports pushes me to set goals and stay in peak physical and mental shape. I also love the camaraderie – it’s an honour to represent my club, state, and country while competing alongside athletes who share the same passion.

One of my biggest inspirations is Sharon Crawford, a Masters athlete who proves that age is just a number. She’s been a huge motivation for me to keep moving and competing, no matter what.

You’ve faced some major setbacks – can you talk about overcoming injuries?

When I was diagnosed with a hip injury in 2015 that required a complicated surgery with a very long recovery, orienteering was the main motivator for me to not just endure through my surgery recovery, but to bounce back even stronger and more competitive than before.

I’ll never forget seeing people running when I couldn’t and just longing to be able to do that again.  When I thought about orienteering, I desperately wanted to get back out in the woods and run free again!  That helped me be very disciplined, consistent, and committed in making a full recovery.

What has been your greatest achievement in sports?

One of my proudest moments was at the 2018 World ARDF (Radio Orienteering) Championships in Sokcho, South Korea. Just a couple of months before the event, I suffered a serious ankle sprain. I worked hard to recover, but I was still running through pain during the competition.

The race was gruelling, and with one last transmitter checkpoint to find, I realised I had lost my map. Instead of panicking, I relied on memory, recalling the route I had mentally mapped out earlier.

I pushed myself to the limit, found the last checkpoint, and sprinted to the finish—just barely making it under the overtime limit. That performance helped Team USA secure a bronze medal at the World Championships. It was an unforgettable moment.

How important is sport to your physical and mental wellbeing?

Orienteering keeps my body healthy and my mind sharp.  Research has found that orienteering provides help with mental sharpness to include reducing the risk of dementia.

On a more personal level orienteering often provides me with much needed peace in natural settings, and clearing of my mind.  I always feel better and healthier after coming back from an orienteering outing, whether that’s competition, training, or setting up races and courses.

On top of all that, it’s a sport that my wife and children and I can all do together while providing many positive bonding experiences for our family.

What advice would you give to someone considering Masters sports?

I suggest anyone considering pursuing a Masters sport find a club or mentor in your local area and also find helpful people online that can help you.

Since my sport is very niche some of the best help I received when getting started came from people I found in an online forum, and a local club gave me opportunities to be regularly involved and informed.

Most national sport federations also have very helpful information and resources for serious athletes to get the info, training, and support they need to be competitive.

You’ll be competing at the 2025 World Masters Games in Taipei – what are you most looking forward to?

I lived in Taipei for 2 years during my service as a missionary from the age of 19 to 21 and the experience had a huge impact on my life. The people are some of the most welcoming and kind-hearted you’ll ever meet.

Plus, the food is incredible! Danbing, shaobing, youtiao, doujiang, and those amazing breakfast hamburgers – just thinking about it makes me hungry!

Returning to Taipei to compete is deeply meaningful for me. So much of what I’ve accomplished in life is rooted in the experiences I had there.

When I cross the finish line, I’ll be saying a quiet ‘thank you’ to Taipei for the foundation it gave me all those years ago.

Learn more about the 2025 World Masters Games in Taipei & New Taipei City here.