Dave Cornthwaite
Amongst other things he has paddleboarded the length of the Mississippi, skateboarded across Australia, swum 1001 miles, written three books, stayed awake for 72 hours in a row without turning crazy, and for years has tried in vain to get Nutella to sponsor his adventures. But will he give up? Never!
How one deals with the psychological challenges of endurance travel often makes the difference between success and failure.
We all react differently under pressure. I gobble up challenges set by nature, but struggle to cope with stresses created by people. I can take on a 1200km straight road on a skateboard or descend from a mountain after a freak snowstorm with brutal, unbending focus. But test me with a team-mate who doesn’t quite meet my expectations or even a slow-moving couple on a London pavement, and my blood pressure will go through the canvas.
My friend Sarah Outen is currently six months into a 2.5 year global circumnavigation by bicycle, kayak and rowing boat, a journey she calls ‘London to London: Via the World’. I’ve been lucky enough to travel with Sarah, as well as editing a documentary about her solo row across the Indian Ocean, and I’ve seen how well she deals with pressure.
Sometimes, even if things are hard, the first step is to admit that it’s hard. Sarah is ace at this, 100% honest with herself and others. She’s a step above, and that’s how she’s capable of taking on this enormous challenge.
> Read Sarah’s blog post which accompanies this video
> Find out more about Sarah
> Follow Sarah on Twitter
950 still images from a world record-breaking descent down the Mississippi River on a Stand Up Paddleboard. This was my Summer!
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