This post is well overdue and effectively will be the trigger to activate the challenge. Though, in reality, with fees paid and team mates selected, it is fair to say we have been live for some time now. I suspect writing this will allow me a better understanding of why I have taken this on,because it will force me to think about it, when normally I just accept that taking on challenges are part of my DNA. I therefore apologise in advance if this becomes more like a psychology session for a soon to be 40 year old.
First of all, let me define the lunacy I am undertaking.
Oct 3rd 2010 – To run the Racing the Planets 250km Sahara race in 6 days, solo, carrying all the equipment I need with me for the duration. With varying distances each day, the course will include a 80km+ day.
April 2011 – To race along with two team mates 600km to the North Pole over four weeks, without support and each pulling 75kg pulks (sleigh). Described as one of the hardest endurances challenges in the world, we will compete against other teams from a around the world who we can safely assume will have more polar experience than us!
The Sahara for me is, to be quite honest, my way of getting my endurance base. The Pole will be the toughest thing I have ever attempted, requiring up to 16 hours racing per day, every day for weeks on end. The Sahara will give me the opportunity to get used to the mental and physical pressures that come with ultra distance events. I have always been interested in the Sahara and I am looking forward to the challenge but the Pole consumes me and I have found myself consuming every written piece on this extraordinary place.
Now let me define in no particular order why this is madness.
- I have never ran a marathon
- 95kg is not the frame of an endurance athlete
- I have never skied
- I have never been to the Arctic
- I live in Singapore , a tropical climate where I will be training for the North Pole.
Now let me understand why I am doing this (see, I knew this would become a therapy session).
For the last eighteen months, both my Vanda businesses have been working with Children’s Surgical Centre in Cambodia. CSC provides free operations to the children of Cambodia who would have no hope of them otherwise. I have been out to visit CSC five times in the last 12 months and I have seen first hand the incredible work they do, which sees them complete literally thousands of operations a year. The team is dedicated, highly capable and committed to developing their services to take on new surgical challenges. They do this on an impossibly small budget, with no government assistance and are funded entirely by charitable donations. In CSC I have found a charity that changes children’s lives every single day and I have made a long term commitment that through the businesses and the challenges that I will raise funds for them to help them to continue to do so.
When I was Chief Operating Officer at Sungard, I would often wonder whether the day would come when I would have the opportunity to start ticking off the more involved personal challenges bucket list I had. Balancing the corporate demands with the start of the white collar boxing events or Vanda Boxing Club in 2007 made me aware that the answer was not whilst I did the day job. When I left in 2008 to start Fidgets and Vanda Promotions they initially consumed all my time and any thought of personal challenges were put to the back burner. However, now my team runs the businesses on a day to day basis and they do it very well. They are talented, capable and hard working which has freed me up to work with my daughter Zara on a daily basis, look at some new business opportunities but also to start ticking off some of the personal goals I have set myself.
That’s it for now, there will be plenty more on the charity, training, kit etc throughout the coming months. I will also introduce you to my two team mates who will be coming to the pole with me as well getting plenty of video and photographs up. Please come along for the ride, this will be a long 12 months and the more support I have, the better.
