James Bowthorpe is famous for breaking the speed record for cycling around the world and for hitting a wombat whilst doing so. He also happens to be raising a lot of money and awareness for a cause important to him and is a nice guy to boot.
I met him in the pub last week and we quickly got talking about different approaches to adventure and how simplicity is often best. Me with a £100 budget or an everyday mission, and him with his wonderful new idea (below). And so today on the blog we go from one globe conquering cyclist to another…
Dear Readers of The Next Challenge.
Tim has very kindly invited me to guest blog. I’ve never guest-blogged before, but I’m guessing that I should stick to the normal guidelines and tone down anything potentially libelous. I have dipped in and out of this blog and have particularly enjoyed Tim’s recent work; stripping back the job, hacking off the deadwood, doing Adventure for cheap and still having fun. In the bust period we’re working through, its good to remember that Adventure need not circumnavigate the globe or reach the South Pole on golden sleds (you watch, Fiennes will be on that now).
Adventure can start from our front door and continue for as long as we want, mainly because Adventure is about how you experience things around you, not whether you have “Adventurer” under occupation in your passport. Tim’s outlook seems to be encouraging us to open that front door to free Adventure and I think I’d rather his approach to anything that might be on the Discovery Channel. (if you are reading this Discovery, I am looking for TV partners.) I’m guessing a little bit here, but I reckon that part of The Next Challenge is gently suggesting we do something as well, challenging our attitude. If you say something can’t be done (like having an Adventure for £100), then you have just summoned up a self-fulfilling prophecy for yourself; well done!
It was with a small dose of this “Well if you think I can’t do it, then I will” attitude that I set off on my bike last year. Now that I am back in London with little desire, capital or time to unicycle across the Sea of Tranquility, I am turning to more domestic challenges. This is not to say that they are boring or easy, just that they are more accessible and allow me to continue with my overall goal… Which, by the way, is to raise a whole chunk of money for groundbreaking Parkinson’s Disease research. My MO is to do things that will draw your attention and possibly entertain or dismay you to a point where you will donate any sum of money you choose to my cause. If you don’t want to or can’t donate I’d like it if you followed me on Twitter or left me messages on my blog. If you can start a really long comments section that ends up with someone saying that had Hitler been successful at Art College WE WOULDN’T BE IN THIS MESS, then all the better.
This link will send you over there now if you like, where you can learn about my latest endeavour. Its going to be short, sweet and potentially messy, but I’m looking forward to it. If you find yourself wanting to do something similar then please do, time is constantly slipping away.
(This piece really reminds of this one – Tim)
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