“The first event of its kind in Australia – think TedX in the adventure space”
I am excited to be part of an inaugural speaker series that is ALL about ADVENTURE. The “Adventurous Spirit” has brought together six experience-seeking storytellers into the one space. We hope to share our definition of adventure, the way in which we approach it and the lessons we have learnt along the way.…
I have travelled across the world for races, travel and work, yet had never gone to Bali. I didn’t see Bali as a paradise. I saw it as an overseas destination over populated with Australians, with littered beaches and filled with people on their #eatpraylove journey (no offense intended).
My mate Locky set up an adventure business in Bali called Four Elements. He advocated that Bali was a destination that could be experienced in an ‘off the beaten track style’ with high adventure. …
A couple of weeks before Master Harry was born I was booked in for a c-section. I had a challenging pregnancy – I was constantly fainting in public places, my heart rate was on overdrive and my blood pressure was low. It resulted in several overnight stays in hospital and around the 25-week mark I was diagnosed with a condition called Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Being able to understand what was going on with my body was a relief and so was having an action plan to make the rest of my pregnancy manageable.…
A baptism of darkness and rain for the start of my running legs.
Not long after my jaunt on Survivor and trip to the United States I found myself physically unprepared but mentally willing to begin the Sub Three Project. In fact, I had only landed in Adelaide from a road trip down California less than 18 hours earlier. Normally jetlag would be a major concern before embarking on an endurance feat, but time zones were irrelevant as the project was a non-stop 800km relay from Adelaide to Melbourne.…
Have less, think simply and embrace the unknown
Over the past few years I have been less motivated by racing and more drawn to endurance pursuits that focus on the journey in between the start and finish. I know that racing inherently has its own degree of ‘adventure’ – such as the uncertainty in how things may turn out and the terrain you can cover, which is particularly special in trail races.…
Part 1: From Ultra Runner to Adventure Racer
This year I decided to cross over to the wild side, and with no MTB or paddling experience I joined a team of 3 lads to tackle this years XPD in Townsville (a 700km expedition length adventure race in August).
The physical undertaking was, and is still very daunting to me. As far as the physical challenge will take me out of my comfort zone, it is the component of sleep deprivation that puts knots into my tummy. …
Since returning from South Africa I have become an avid fan of hot yoga. More specifically, I have become an ardent supporter of a studio in Bayswater called Pure Hot Yoga. In my early 20’s I would drive 40kms from my parents home in Narre Warren North to a Bikram studio in Richmond, often at 6am before I needed to get to university which was another 20kms away. The classes were 90 minutes long and I was never able to sustain my dedication for more than a couple of months here and there as the time commitment wasn’t suitable for a law student trying to hold down several jobs.…
This piece was published in TrailRun Magazine Issue 15 – You can download this article & many lovely pieces here.
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We are 15 days into our 32-day run across South Africa and I can tell I am fixating on little things. With just under 1000kms completed, it is these little, insignificant things are becoming utterly consuming to my brain. I can’t seem to let them go which makes me more frustrated.…
On October 25th Mimi and I completed our 1968km run across South Africa’s Freedom Trail. We felt elated and a tad delirious, especially after we gulped a glass of champagne whilst dehydrated at the finish line. For just over a month we managed challenges that consisted of navigation, technical trails, changes to our well devised plan, running an ultramarathon for 32 consecutive days and living in a bubble that consisted of two runners, 7 crew members and the landowners to the homes/properties we stayed at each night.…
Taking part in an event like Badwater reminds me of my performing arts days when I was in dress rehearsal and performance week for a show. Both of these experiences are like entering into a cocoon where you interact very little with those outside of that experience, and it feels like your whole world revolves around the preparation for that show or race. It is utterly consuming and your focus and commitment are at an all time high.…
