Adventure Talk: Following in Family Footsteps

This is the story of how an old sepia photograph inspired a three-month adventure following 80-year-old family footprints through the mountains and deserts of East Africa.  As well as negotiating sandstorms, pool sharks, rogue bus drivers, active volcanoes, and some of the hottest temperatures the planet has to offer, this is also the story of an often-misunderstood corner of Africa through the eyes of two people, three generations apart.

More information about this adventure can be found here.

adventure talk: Scouting for tuvalu

Answering a cryptic advert for 'Scout Development Ambassador - South Pacific' Andy somehow found himself on the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu completely unprepared for life in the fourth smallest country in the world.

The following year saw Andy getting to grips with life in the middle of nowhere, contending with mischievous native spirits, karaoke-singing sharks, drunk hairdressers, topless church services, and the perpetual enigma of a tropical island without any fruit or vegetables.

More information about this adventure can be found here.

adventure talk: coconuts to the credit crunch

After graduating with a degree in volcano poking, Andy stumbled out of university and immediately found himself plunged head-first into the midst of the global financial crisis. With no money, no job opportunities, and a substantial student loan weighing heavy on his bank balance, a chance encounter led Andy to decide that the best way to solve his predicament was to take up an invitation to visit South Africa.

This is the story of an epic adventure through the heart of the African continent, travelling overland through 10 countries, covering over 16,000km entirely by public transport, on some of the worst roads in the world, creating the sort of encounters and misadventures only a ramshackle bus can provide.

unconventional career journey

Making big choices whilst at school can be intimidating, especially if what you want to do is unconventional or seemingly unobtainable. This session tell the story of how I navigated my way through secondary and further education, whilst also building up experience and skills which, although I didn’t know it at the time, would allow me to pursue becoming a professional explorer; it focusses on the fact that it was often the slightly more random aspects of my CV which actually allowed me to stand out and ultimately succeed.

Fear of failure - should we be scared?

The pressure on young people to succeed is huge - be it the pressure to succeed academically to set themselves apart in an increasingly competitive employment market, or pressure to be seen as successful on social media by acting or dressing in a certain way. This pressure has lead to a fear of failure which limits young people’s learning opportunities as they are no longer willing to put themselves out there and try something in case they fail.

This session aims to encourage young people to view failure as an opportunity to learn rather than a disaster, and focusses on my own personal failures, both academically and professionally, and how by embracing them I was able to ultimately succeed where without them I perhaps wouldn’t have.

when will i need mfl?

I will be the first to admit that when I was a student I really didn’t apply myself during my MFL lessons, I found it difficult and I honestly believed that it was a skill I would never need. It wasn’t until I started going on expeditions and exploring different parts of the world that I truly appreciated the value of the opportunity I had been given whilst at school! I am now a huge advocate for MFL learning, and have in fact returned to the classroom in recent years to improve my skills. If this story sounds familiar and reflects some of your learners, then this session about how I’ve utilised language skills to enhance my expedition experience, or get me out of some potentially dangerous situations might be for you.

what expeditions have taught me about resilience

Exploring might look glamourous on the surface, but it can be physically and mentally draining. Being able to remain positive and make good, safe decisions whilst things aren’t going to plan is challenging, and I have learnt a great deal about myself and how to keep going in those situations.

Applying those lessons to my everyday life I’m now much more able to able to plan and organise, remain positive in challenging situations, and negotiate pressures and set backs. This session aims to pass on those lessons to your students in the hope that they might be able to apply some strategies to their own personal situations.