I am pretty good at stealing other peoples good ideas and I’d better disclose that “Committed to Adventure” and the wisdom within these words certainly belonged to Bivouac Outdoor before I leapt on the back of it. In my defence, I do solemnly believe any of us can steal the words within this slogan and feel inspired and compelled to aspire towards bigger or better in the context of our own lives. I certainly see my own commitment to adventure as being paramount in shaping the places life has taken me and the latest twist in the tale being no different – an invitation to join Emirates Team New Zealand in their quest towards defending the America’s Cup.
A question I have often been asked since the announcement was made public in January is “have I done much sailing?”, the answer to which is no. I haven’t done any sailing, nor would I profess to know a great deal about the sport. I do follow the America’s Cup when it is on and have long understood it to be the ‘Formula 1’ of sailing, in reference to the cutting edge science, innovation and performance levels that stand it above (or at least separately from) other forms of sailing. It is however important to note, my small involvement in the team has nothing to do with my sailing abilities (Emirates Team NZ have those bases well covered if you didn’t know!) but more to do with my cycling abilities. That is because the hydraulics on the boat that operate the sails are powered (or pressured) by pedal power. So basically, I will just continue to enjoy cycling, but do it while traveling at speed across (or slightly above) the ocean.
So what does all this have to do with being committed to adventure? I am glad you asked. When you google the definition of ‘adventure’ you will get a range of results, but essentially two of the key themes that continue to surface across the various interpretations of the word are ‘uncertainty or unknown outcome’ and ‘containing risk’. So in my summary, an adventure is anything involving some form of risk (be that to your physical, mental or emotional state, or perhaps all three) and with no certainty at the outset of how things will unfold (the outcome). In Year 9 at school (aged 13) I remember doing a speech on ‘Adventure’ and using the two examples of what could constitute adventure to show the breadth of its meaning. In example one I described the more obvious case study of a skydiver who jumps from an aeroplane with no guarantee that he’ll make it to earth alive (uncertainty, risk) versus the second example of my mother choosing to do a crossword with a pen, rather than a pencil. She couldn’t predict if she’d get all the words right from beginning to end and by doing it with a pen had no way of erasing the words once she’d started. Both, in their own context were an adventure in the eyes of the beholder, though in fairness the skydiver probably had more at stake.
I suppose when I reflect on the 18 wonderful years I had in multisport and triathlon, it was all just one big adventure. I chose to train and compete in events because I was attracted to the uncertainty of it all and the sense of risk that became a constant also helped make me feel alive. In essence, I was committed to adventure. Some choose to climb mountains, go skiing, travel, surf or sing in front of an audience. I chose to run, kayak, bike and swim long distances. When all I wanted was to seek situations that offered risky and unpredictable experiences, I’d never have guessed it might lead me to joining one of NZ’s most impressive professional sporting teams in a whole new world and sport I’d never done. I took some risks (stepping away from the sport I had become really good at to try to change my physiology drastically in an effort to be competitive at the team trials in December) and had no idea whether I’d be good enough to be selected. The risk was I’d trial, not make the team and be left with a rather abrupt end to my sporting career (I’d already decided in private I’d lack the drive and training specificity to line up for the Coast to Coast). Perhaps I’d even show up and embarrass myself by performing far below the standards set by other trialists, I really had no clue how it would eventuate. But in the end I was just doing what I have always done by gravitating towards a challenge that my energy felt naturally drawn to. Which is the point I am hoping to make in all of this as I think its the one we can all relate to and apply in our own way.
In the end, success is never guaranteed. I love the quote that describes Michael Jordan making 9 game-winning shots in his career, but missing 26 of them. To have success we need to navigate failure. But with so many things in this world now trying to rule or regulate how we think and act, I think we’ll always find happiness and sanity in a commitment to adventure. However you choose to define that through your own lens.