It's been pretty cold over the last few weeks here in Bristol so I'm currently doing all of my cycling indoors on my turbo and even though I don't mind it too much, sometimes finding the inspiration to go out to the shed can be difficult. A bit like going to the gym it's always fine once you're there and doing your workout, but sometimes when you get home from work you just want to have a cup of tea and listen to a podcast - at least that's what I like to do on a typical Tuesday!
One of the many amazing things about Bristol is that every year in the winter a series of talks are put on called the Wilderness Lectures and feature a selection of speakers all with a unique and engaging story to tell. I've been to a few now and I always try to catch a couple each year if I can as they're a perfect antidote to the often terrible weather we have in January and February. Last year the stand out talk for me was Dave Cornthwaite and his 'Say Yes More' approach to life which really started to spark my imagination and gave me the confidence to consider all of the possibilities that are out there. It's a simple but powerful philosophy and you don't have to spend long on Dave's website to see the amazing impact it's had. If you need any more convincing then you have to watch this video about his Expedition 1000; don't let comfort kill your ambition!
This year I had planned to go and see the legendary Martyn Ashton, British and World Champion mountain bike trials rider who also made the phenomenal Road Bike Party videos - which have clocked up something like 30 million views on YouTube. Sadly his appearance at the Wilderness Lectures was cancelled at the last minute due to a hospital appointment but the organisers pulled in a last minute replacement in the form of Stephen Fabes. His story of cycling around the world over six years was pretty spectacular with some amazing photography, particularly his pictures of cycling across a frozen lake in Northern Mongolia. It was actually his experience in Africa talking about access to medical care in remote areas that really made me settle on my chosen charity. If you live in rural Africa and your nearest hospital or doctors surgery is miles away and your only option is to walk, then having a bike can be life changing. I'll talk more about the World Bicycle Relief charity in a different post as they're an amazing organisation that provides bikes to people in the developing world, and although Stephen isn't connected to WBR (at least not that I'm aware of), his talk in general inspired me to make the decision to raise money for this cause.
The other brilliant speaker I saw recently was Sarah Outen who was talking about her incredible London2London: Via the World expedition. It saw her get around the globe using a rowing boat, bike and kayak, with plenty of dramatic stories along the way. She even had to abandon her ocean rowing boat twice (in the Pacific and North Atlantic), which brought back memories of my friends who attempted the North Atlantic crossing in 2008 when their boat sank and they to get rescued. You can watch a documentary about the Scilly Boys crossing here. Sarah's mental toughness shone through in her talk which resonated strongly with me but it was her story of someone she met in China that hit home the most. Gao was a bloke that she met in North West China whilst restocking at a petrol station (I think!) and he was so enthused by what she was doing, cycling 10,000 miles across Europe and Asia to Beijing, that he wanted to join her. At the time there was still around 3,000 miles to go and Gao didn't even own a bike, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. Although Sarah had her reservations, she gave him a shopping list of supplies and a few days later he turned up fully equipped and ready to join her. You can see more of that part of her journey in the video below and it's an amazing story. Gao had never ridden more than six miles before but he had the courage to just get on with it and not be afraid to take that first step! On her website Sarah says that Gao really epitomises the spirit of adventure that she wants to inspire in others and it certainly had that effect on me. I'm sure on plenty of others in the audience as well!
In comparison to all of these people I'm aware that our own little trip might seem small in comparison, but small adventures matter just as much, and if you want even smaller check out Alastair Humprey's Microadventures, another past Wilderness Lecture speaker. Ultimately it's about sparking curiosity, getting out of your comfort zone and challenging your own perception of what you thought you could do. There are adventures inside everyone and it's inspirational people like this who can help unlock your potential to get out and live your own legend.
To follow on social media and find out more about the speakers mentioned above check out the details below!
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Dave Cornthwaite
davecornthwaite.com
Twitter: @DaveCorn
Stephen Fabes
cyclingthe6.com
Twitter: @cyclingthe6
Sarah Outen
www.sarahouten.com
Twitter: @SarahOuten
