633 Days, 7 Continents, 7 Seas: The Youngest Professional Adventurer | #70

I'm one of the youngest professional adventurers in the world. I'm lucky to hold three world records for different things around the world, but I suppose the one I'm most proud of is being the only person, the first person to run marathons on all seven continents and swim marathons in all seven seas. A 633 day journey. So, I only actually know my granddad [music] through his his battles with dementia because I remember, you know, a certain age, oh, granddad can no longer drive. Oh, now he can no longer use a knife and fork. Oh, now he no longer knows who I am. when I was 18 and I was sat at the in the living room talking to my mom and we're talking about my granddad. He was then towards the end of his battle. That's when she for the first time told me about one of his big dreams in life which was to go off to climb Mount Kilimanjar after his time in the army. So I realized I have to honor my granddad and I [music] came up with the idea to run 17 marathons in 17 consecutive days in honor of the 17 years he lived with that illness. But it was the most brutal initiation. Before this I'd never run a consecutive marathon. Day two, storm earners started, which was the worst storm in over 30 years in the UK. I had no choice but to continue on. So my goal is I want to raise a million pounds for dementia research. And I want to become one of the greatest modern-day adventurers and to change [music] the way that exploration is seen by the younger generation. Louie, good afternoon. Good evening. How are you? >> Hi Paul. It's great to be here. I'm so happy. I'm so happy to meet you. I've been following your journey and recently and um what we're going to do is unpack your med incredible journey and story. But if you can just give a quick intro as to who you are, please. >> That's the most difficult question, isn't it? An intro. How do you define yourself when you got this sort of job title? Well, I'm Louis. I'm one of the youngest professional adventurers in the world. I'm 26. I'm lucky to hold three world records for different things around the world, but I suppose the one I'm most proud of is being the only person and the first person to run marathons on all seven continents and swim marathons in all seven seas, which was a 633 day journey, which I'm sure we're going to get into, but very happy to be here. Happy to be in Singapore. I've been here for some talks for schools and businesses, and it's it's great to be here. >> Do you have a nickname Louie the Great Alexander? [laughter] >> Is is if not, we're going to coin it right now. I I think it's naive enough to call yourself a professional adventure, let alone [laughter] add the the word great to your name. So, not yet. >> Listen, through world records, you're you're [laughter] you're on your way if not already there. So, what I want to do is I just want to share your journey. So, you grew up where in in London? >> All over, actually. I I had an interesting childhood. I most amazing parents, right? Most supportive parents in the world. We moved around a lot. So, by the age of 18, I'd been to five different schools and I'd moved house/ apartment 15 times. Was that was that because of dad's work, mom's work? >> That was just the ups and downs of life, I suppose, of my parents and and adapting as as things change with their work and everything like that. So, there was no specific reason, but it was just the ups and downs. >> What did they do for a living? Cuz I'm I often find that what your parents do will shape you in so many ways >> and it's inextricably linked probably to what you're doing now. >> Nothing to do with adventure. That's all I say. Nothing to do with adventure. Very much a different world. and and my mom always jokes that, you know, they picked up the wrong baby at a [laughter] at the hospital, but yeah, nothing to do with this world. So, they've had to learn about it at the same time I have. Uh, but very much risk takers in their own way in the world of business and whatever else they did beforehand. Um, but amazing parents. >> Yeah, coming from London, it's just there's, you know, having lived in Singapore since 2001 and I lived in the US for a few years, >> there's something about the Brits and the Irish, I'm halfIrish, I call them lyrics. We've all got lyrics. It's quick banter and it's one thing I kind of miss here. So, I'm really enjoying our chat so far. >> That's great. Well, I feel bad cuz I said no to a cup of tea when I walked in. So, I' I've lost that British. >> You have, right? But listen, it's it's 5:30, 6:00 in the evening. >> There we go. >> Um, so let's unpack this. So, your grandfather had dementia for many years. Was it 17 years? >> 17. >> And then he passed away when you were 19. >> He was Yeah, he was diagnosed when I was 2 years old and passed when I was 19. So, it was a 17 year long battle. And I'm not sure if you've had anyone affected by dementia in your family or friends. And >> how how long was their their battle, should we say? >> A long time. But they were they were already it was my wife's grandmother. She was well into her 80s, early 90s. >> Um but then you saw a very rapid decline. >> And it's it's it's the most horrific. >> So cruel. And I'm sorry to hear that. And it's a progressive disease, too. So you see parts of their life stripped. So I only actually know my granddad through his his battles with dementia because I remember, you know, at a certain age, oh, granddad can no longer drive. Oh, now he can no longer use a knife and fork. Oh, now he no longer knows who I am. Oh, he doesn't know who my mom is. Oh, he doesn't know who now who my nan, you know, his wife is. Doesn't know who himself is. So, I watched that battle the last four years of his life, you know, he couldn't walk or talk and he was bedridden. So when I was 18 and I was sat at the in the living room talking to my mom and we're talking about my granddad like we so often did and the stories of his life and he was then towards the end of his battle that's when she for the first time told me about one of his big dreams in life which was to go off to climb Mount Kilimanjar after his time in the army and that's sort of where everything started for me but he was an incredible man captain Rick Taylor served in the British army for 38 years served all around the world but it was that battle as you know dementia the most cruel one or one of the most cruel which ended his life. >> Well, obviously adventure is in your DNA. It comes from your granddad, right? So, Killer Man, I attempted to do Kilman. I was so embarrassed I didn't make it. >> The rest of my crew that I went with did and I don't know what happened, but it was it was no joke. And I I feel I felt really embarrassed. I I raised I think I raised $30,000 US for charity. I self-funded the trip, so I didn't do one of these, you know, paid for trips. But tell us about that because that was your first mini adventure. It's not mini, but it's your first adventure, right? Well, well, as you say, I have adventure DNA, but it certainly wasn't that through my childhood. I was a sporty child, but I was sort of the medium in every, you know, class and every uh team, but but I wasn't adventurous. I didn't go off on the weekends climbing or hiking. I was never part of the scouts. >> You did juke reward. >> Never did DV really. So, >> that first adventure when I was 19, that changed my life. I went out there for him. I went out there for the charity Alzheimer's research UK and returned home with something for myself which was this brand new found passion a purpose for travel for exploration for challenging myself. >> Yeah. >> It was like that one week on that mountain taught me more than a year at school you know it was it was well it was life-changing. It was my first tipping point in my life. >> Yeah. >> Which route did you do? Do you remember? >> It was I believe it was called the Machame route. The is it the five or six day one? There's the Lamasha which is the seven day. Yes. >> But also I was the weakest in the group. People don't think this, but I I definitely was. I was the first to get altitude sickness out of the group. >> Did you take the ducksin? Cuz I didn't. That's where I went wrong. Did you take it or not? No. Okay. >> So, I went into that mountain with a lot of ego. Okay. So, although I wasn't a great athlete at school, I did play rugby and I was I was in the first team and and that brings a lot of ego for a you know, 17, 18 year old boy. >> Yeah. >> The mountains or any adventure strips you of that like that, right? So, I rocked up on day one. the youngest in the group, the the heaviest by far is probably, you know, close to 100 kilos at the time. I had no hiking poles because I said, "I don't need hiking poles. You know, I'm fit and healthy. I'm I'm, you know, 19." And I didn't take the altitude sickness pills. I remember the the meeting like the night before. I'm sure you had like that same safety briefing where they check your kit and then they say, "Right, has everyone got their, you know, the altitude sickness pills?" Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Look around. I'm like, "I don't need those. You know, why do I need those? I don't want to cheat my way up the mountain." But then I was the first to get altitude sickness on day two of the trip. >> Really? So that's early. >> Day two. >> So what happened? Did they give you oxygen or you just you work your way through it? >> We had one rule from the doctor and I'm not sure if they had the same rule of this with with you, but they said if you're sick, physically sick, you get sent down the mountain. >> And when I got to day three and I realized actually this altitude sickness is getting worse, you know, the headache was pounding. >> Pounding. Yeah. >> I thought, well, if I'm going to eat now, I'm going to be sick. So I made the decision to stop eating. So at dinner time, I was doing the awkward thing of pushing food around pretending, you know, I'm eating, but actually I'm not. Yeah. Because I was so naive, thinking, you know, I can carry myself up through this mountain with with ego and all these different things. And luckily, I was able to summit and I got back down, but I need a lot of help and I was, you know, really weak. >> Yeah, >> really weak. So the porters, the guides are amazing, aren't they? I mean, they do it for a living and uh they make it look easy, but as they say, polle >> they do. They do. But some of them also are really struggling, right? because they've not even themselves given the right opportunity or the right kit or the right uh probably don't have those altitude sickness pills. I remember the my porter or the guide behind me, he was like falling asleep during the night on summit night and like his head kept banging to the back of my my shoulders because he was he probably hadn't eaten properly. They probably had terrible sleeping conditions on the mountain. They share 30 people in a tent, you know, hard >> and I know they're doing lots of work there and you know the Himalayas and all these amazing places to actually give that respect to those who are actually making it all possible in the first place, right? >> Absolutely. So hopefully things are improving. >> So when did you realize I mean I would imagine after you came down and your headache had kind of disappeared you thought you know what I'm on to something here. >> It was like a spark had just been lit. It was it was just amazing and I can't really put it to words and and then for the next three years when I came home that hobby built and it was very natural. So at no point was I thinking this is going to be my job. This is my career but it just progressively and naturally built. >> Were you studying at that time or >> I wasn't. I was like many >> 19, 20, 21 year olds, especially during that time, of course, cuz they were the lockdowns. So, I was just trying to work things out. I knew from day one, I wasn't going to university. All my friends went off and I said, I'm just going to end up in loads of debts here and I'm going to be here for the social side. That's not a that's not an excuse to go off to university. >> So, I I tried to go down the work route and I went through about a dozen different jobs. So, everything from working in an office to working at a gym to being a gardener for a week to working on golf courses. I just tried everything, you know, and that's kind of like what my dad's done with his life, you know, you just try things and that's how you work it out. >> Yeah. >> And I did what many young people do as well at that age. I just failed all of them. Not failing because I was ever fired. I was always, you know, a good kid and and worked hard, but failing because I wasn't fulfilling the purpose I found on that mountain with Kilamanjarus. So >> I went for about three years just bouncing between things. I spent >> the lockdowns working at a temporary morttery. So I was teamed alongside you know the police and the fire service and suddenly you know >> I was one of the body handlers is I think I'm not sure the right technical word but was thrown into that with no training because they just needed the the volunteers and the work and I thought this is going to be a great learning experience. I tell you what it was I grew up about 10 years in the space [laughter] of two months cuz you know we got the numbers at the end of it and it was like 3,000 people that that our team alone had you know transferred. It was like >> most horrendous time. Yeah. And I learned a lot from those people, the police, the fire service who step up when things get tough. >> Um, so I surrounded by heroes, but I wasn't one of them. >> What you don't want to do, >> well, you are a hero. You're a different type of hero. >> Well, I'm not sure about that. But I essentially went through all these plethora of jobs and uh it sort of culminated in it was the 17th of November 2021. Okay. And I remember just thinking I only love one thing in life. It's these adventures. And I'd been slowly whilst the hobby was building, I got into ultramarathons and everything like that. Over the three years, I'd been starting to learn about people who made it a career. So your bear grills, your Steve Bals, your Ben Fogals, those who have made TV careers from adventure, writing books or speaking. I slowly started to realize, okay, this is an option. It's not easy, but there are people out there who've done it. I without realizing started to pick up like small sponsorship deals and things like that. Not financial, but oh, here's some free kit. Can you do an Instagram post for us? And you know I had no money so I was writing my own press releases too and you know sending it off. >> How' you do >> and then I sort of realized the end of that year 2021 if I'm ever going to have a chance it's now. I have no mortgage no kids and my parents although they said we can't fund this for you they said go for it and you can stay living at home you know for a few more months. >> And that support by the way you can't be overlooked. >> Absolutely not. >> Shout out to mom and dad >> 100%. And just that that faith, right? Because when you're at that age or any age, sometimes it's hard to believe in yourself. But when you've got two people next to you who believe in you sometimes more than you do. >> Yeah. >> You can't you can't define you can't put a price on that value of faith and belief. And that's such an important thing. And I remember making my first website on that day. And I announced >> straight away on the 17th, bang, you went all in. I love it. >> I made a website. I I I can't even remember what job I was doing at the time. I think I was working at a golf course. I I gave him my notice. And >> did you say what did you say? It's like that goodwill hunting. I'm [laughter] I'm about to go and see about a girl but a mountain or something. >> I would have loved to say I walked in and dropped in my notice and said, "Yes, I'm off to become an adventurer." So, but I didn't. I probably said, you know, "Oh, um, I need some time off or something. I don't even know what I [laughter] said." And I and I did what every good adventurer has done in history and I announced it on LinkedIn. >> As you do? >> Yes. I am now a professional adventurer. Here's my new website. Let's work together. And it got two likes. >> [laughter] >> And I remember I remember so well and I was like, "Oh, this is a terrible start." And then within probably a week of making that decision, you realize, "Oh my gosh, no one's going to come here and do anything for you. No one's going to hand you an opportunity." So I did what everyone said not to do at the time. I took out my first credit card and I realized I had three months worth of money to live to find my first challenge sponsorship deal slot opportunity whatever it may be but I had three months to live and get by in terms of paying for food and everything I need to my my few small bills at that age and I realized well I'm going to start this career I need to start with a bit of a bang I need a challenge which is first of all going to bring in sponsors it's going to bring in my first little bit of press and maybe a TV or whatever it may be but also it's got to honor my granddad right if you're starting something for a purpose- driven reason. You can't then when it becomes a career go, "Oh, well, forget about that." Yeah. So, I realized I have to honor my granddad. >> And I came up with the idea to run 17 marathons in 17 consecutive days in honor of the 17 years he lived with that illness to honor the years that that he suffered, my friends and family suffered, the carers and nurses, all the people we don't even see every day. >> Very powerful. >> But it was the most brutal initiation into a new career. Well, well, tell everyone about the storms and and what you were suffering cuz you had the worst possible start to your venture. >> Oh, it's terrible. I remember day one set set out from his old care home. Nurses, carers were there, friends, family. It was really emotional. And then, by the way, before this, I'd never run a consecutive marathon. So, I'd done a few marathons and ultras in the buildup, but I'd never done two marathons back to back or three, let alone 17. >> So, basically, you're a bit crazy. You're just like all in. >> Totally crazy. I only had three months obviously to train as well. So, you're a savage. I I was sending thousands of cold emails a week whilst then trying to run as much as possible in the evenings and working it out. >> But by by the way, I want to touch upon that because, you know, we'll come back to this later, but you know, your biggest challenge actually hasn't been in the field or in the ocean. It's been behind the scenes getting everything working right like sending out thousands of emails. Most people don't have >> the the resistance and the tolerance to do that. They they just after 10 and they 10 nos or 10 no replies, they give up. Well, it's soul destroying work, right? And I understand that because it's brutal. Yeah. And when you're getting rejected from a person, that's one thing. But when you're getting rejected from a screen, [laughter] you know, you're staring at your phone for 12 hours a day. And yeah, we can we can come to that. I'm happy to share advice as well on on those who may be trying to start that own journey themselves. >> Yeah. >> But the 17 marathons was brutal. Day two, storm earnest started, which was the worst storm in over 30 years in the UK. I had no choice but to continue on because I couldn't wait and go again in a few months or whatever it was because I had that one opportunity I'd raised. I think I raised just shy of £3,000 of sponsorship to get me through the challenge. And >> so you drove back to London. >> Yeah. Yeah. Well, I woke up in Yorkshire ready for day two and my phone just lit up with messages when I got out of bed and I thought, "Oh, these are going to be congratulations messages. You're a hero. Well done on day one. Go get them. Day two, big man." And they were the opposite. They were like, "Oh, just seeing the news. Oh mate, sorry. Hopefully you can try another time. Yeah, this is terrible. >> And then I walked over to television, turned on the news and I saw it was the start of this storm and roads were closed down, schools were closed, buildings were closed. It, you know, it was like it was almost like, you know, in the UK it gets hit by snow. It was like that kind of no one knew what to do >> and we didn't have the privilege of waiting. So we we continued on. I I was supposed to run up in Yorkshire that day. They canled. So we drove home to London. I ran around my little neighborhood. Day three, day four, day five, a storm passed as they always do. All storms in life pass, don't they, with time? Absolutely. >> And then I really started to enjoy the project. And I had like maybe close to 200 or 300 people come and join me from the public. >> That's amazing. >> Strangers. That must be so uplifting. >> It was humbling. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Humbling. Someone would take a day off work to come and run round a running track with you for 10 minutes or two hours, whatever it was. The youngest was four years old. The oldest was 75. >> Wow. >> The shortest distance was literally 10 mters. The longest was a full marathon that people joined for. It was inc It was incredible. Several people who'd never ran a marathon before. Friends of mine who had said, "I will never ever run with you rocked up and ran a half marathon." A marathon. >> Can on that note, just cuz I don't want to forget it, you know, so many of us have been touched by dementia. Can you talk about any of the more wellknown people or the famous people that you either have engaged with or will be engaging with? >> Um because amazing sport. >> Yeah. Because because why? I think that just puts a spotlight on it because it doesn't escape any of us at some point unfortunately in our lifetime. >> Well, regardless of where we come from, from wealth, from different opportunities, we can all be hit and struck by these cruel diseases. They don't favor anyone, do they? So, you know, I've been lucky to have patrons like Lennox Lewis. >> That's what I was hoping. I wanted you to say because he's he's actually my favorite um well, I think he's the best heavyweight boxer of all time in terms of technical skills, >> but you know, cuz his mom unfortunately suffered, right? >> Shout out to Lennox. Well, he he's incredible. He was a patron of mine and and you know, very kind to add a quote and a name to to my website and times and that really helps when you're starting a new journey and you're struggling to find anyone to believe in you and you get someone like his level. It's a huge boost >> and also brings a lot of help too as well. In the same time and I had some great adventurers too like Nick Butter, Jordan Wy, Ben Saers, some of the biggest names in the adventure world who >> were my patrons and supported me. I had Robert Swan who was like one of the first people to reach both polls. you know, he is literally adventure >> gold or adventure, you know, legacy, whatever you want to call it. And he helped me when I was 22 years old. >> And even if it's just an email and a quote or whatever it is, that means a lot. >> It means a lot. It's very powerful. One of the things I'm really interested in is because you clearly worked out that this wasn't just about putting your your trainers on and going for a run. You realized that the commercial framework and the vehicle, the momentum behind it was very big. Did you have idols that you were looking at and you were learning from and you were reading about? How did you even do the groundwork to to to understand how the mechanics of that would all work? >> Well, well, my north stars have always been pretty much the same since I started and that is the Bear Grills. I think if you look at someone who's had the biggest impact on the most people, who's delivered great adventures, but stayed true to his values the whole time. I think he's the pinnacle. Yeah. >> And of course, hugely commercially successful, too, which is the goal of any of us when we start a new career. I think he wants to be the next James Bond. [laughter] He could be in theory, right? Do you know what I mean? >> He could be. It wouldn't surprise me. And then the likes of Ben Fogle, I think he's a great author. Steve Baw what he's done for for young people and bringing wildlife to the spotlight. Yeah. I think it's amazing. So, I was looking up to these people, reading all their books. >> But when you're 22 years old, looking up to someone who's 20, 30 years into their career and has a big TV show and a book deal, it's very hard to resonate. So, I found it really challenging. And I also found it hard that there was no set blueprint for someone to start this career in their early 20s. Yeah. >> Because most of these big adventurers do go to the military for 20 years. Like lots of my mentors have done that journey or someone like Nick Butter, he was in the finance world for 10 years and you know built them up so successfully in that side of things and then made the transfer across. But at 22 years old when I had no career, no background behind me. I was starting my career, starting my story at 22 to make that leap was really difficult. So, I almost thought, well, I'm gonna have to write my own blueprint here. And that sounds exciting and that sounds trailblazing, but actually >> scary. >> Scary. >> Can you just talk about this? Because you had a lot of different advisers and a lot of naysayers say, "Well, you should go into the military for 20 years or get a part." What were you hearing and how did you stick with the conviction? >> Well, I had mentors who were really supportive, but I also had some people I met who I wouldn't necessarily call mentors, but I looked up to and they said, "You can't do this." They said, you know, you they've struggled for how many years. you've got to go off and and work for 10 years part-time and then you can start along the side or whatever it may be. So there was there was more doubts than there was support at the start and that's okay and it's really difficult. >> How do you process that? That's because why I want to talk about that is because I think uh the people that you really are going to touch outside of the family suffering from dementia are the next generation because I think you know like my kids I think when I share this story with them and hopefully they'll watch this podcast they'll think wow and you're tangible because you're not that much older than them and [clears throat] what you're doing is amazing. So like you know when when you sat down and you were working all that out how did you say no I'm going to stay the course I'm going to follow my heart and I'm all in >> you know that saying you know add fuel to the fire you know and it's very easy when you're achieving world records and some of the adventures you know which come later down the line that adds a lot of fuel to the fire these are great things these are successful things you know giving talks of the world in Singapore this is amazing it's added huge amount of fuel to my fire >> but what happens when there's no fuel what happens when you're basically down to your last little spark of that fire and you know it's about to go out and that's what I've realized is when you do something you love and you have that purpose that comes first when you can look in the mirror and say well no one actually in the world believes in me I've already always always had a few people believe me that's not necessarily the case but even when it get when it feels like that and it does sometimes if you can say I'm doing this because I choose to be here I'm doing this because I want to be here I'm doing this because I believe this is fulfilling the core of my purpose then actually that spark actually never goes out it's always just there it's it's lighting and it's almost like one of those uh joke candles or joke birthday things which you know the light never goes out. It's [snorts] kind of like that and even when someone does chuck water on it and they say you can't do this, you can't make a career or you get thousands of sponsorship rejections or whatever it is more water going on the fire actually it just keeps coming back up. It's lighting it's lighting lighting. That's easy to say because the harder part is then how do you find that purpose in the first place? >> That's where I still don't know the answer to it and lots of people ask that. Lots of the talks I do especially the school talks you get the six formers asking how do you actually find your purpose? you found at 19. You were so young when you climbed Killy. That's where I don't know the full answer yet. And maybe that will come with time. Maybe there's no golden answer >> and it and I'm sure it will evolve. It changes. You know, I'm 48 and things my relationship with people, money, how I feel about myself. It it evolves. >> What age did you find your purpose? Would you say if you had to black and white put it on a on a number? >> I think it'll happen when I'm 50. No, I think I think unfortunately for me my purpose at the very [clears throat] beginning it was very micro. It was to help put food on the table for my mom and dad's >> which is the greatest purpose. Yeah. >> Yeah. And it was it was like and I couldn't see beyond that. And you know when I was a young athlete I I I chose what I felt was the safest but I never pursued my own greatness. >> And that's why I admire you so much because you didn't listen to the naysayers. you you you know and I think your mom and dad been in your corner so hugely important because and and I I learned from that cuz I've got three kids and I'm thinking well how am I going to guide and shepherd them and um someone said to me the other day cuz my son wants to be a filmmaker they said well why don't you put him into this type of banking that's what you specialize in you know a lot of people I said I'm not going to tell my son what to do he's going to do whatever he wants to do and I'm going to encourage him and I'm going to support him and love him through it and I think there's a lesson to be learned for all of us there >> well we've just met and I could tell already you're a great father because that's the greatest thing you could do. And that that resonates with my parents, too, because they never once told me to do something or not to do something. The earliest memory I have of my dad was we lived by a golf course at one point >> and every evening he would sneak into the golf course, you know, shouldn't be there and and he would walk the dog and he would say in the evening and I might have been, you know, seven, eight, nine years old. He would say, "Lou, do you want to bring a football down?" >> Love it. >> I say, "Yeah, sure, Dad." You know, and I'd go down, it' be, you know, around sunset and I'd say, "Right, Dad, today I'm going to do 10 keepyuppies, 20 keepyuppies with a football or whatever it was." And I was a terrible footballer. I'm even worse now. [laughter] And he would say, "Go on, then do it." >> And it would take me hours. >> The longest we were there once was probably close to four hours. It's pitch black. The dogs asleep on the golf course. Mom's phoning, going nuts. You've missed your homework. You're late for bed. >> And my dad just sat there. And I have this most stoic image of him in my head. It will always be the image that comes to first to mind when I think of him with his hands in his pocket, the dog lead almost like around his neck kind of thing. >> Yeah. >> Pouring down with rain. and he just stood there silently and he never said anything. He never once said stop. He never once said keep going. He just let me st stand stand there and and try and keep you up these footballs and make my own decision. >> And I always decided to keep going. I always decided to never let him down. Always decided to never let myself down. Very powerful. >> But he never once told me to go or not to go. He never once said do this, stop. >> And I think that was the most powerful thing. He was just like the most incredible silent supporter. But I knew he was right there because you know he was where that couch is and he was right there for me and it was most incredible thing and almost I see that reflection now when I'm 26 now when I did decide at 22 to go full-time I see that same silent support from both of them where they didn't say this is going to be easy go for it they didn't say don't know about this you should go down a sensible route they just almost said you think this is what you actually can do and you want to do it yeah >> we're here you can't put the money up front to do the sponsorship you know they don't come from money themselves They've come from challenging backgrounds in their own ways, but they said, "We're going to try everything we can to be here and help >> if we can." And those early years, those early adventures, they were my support group cuz I couldn't afford to pay anyone. So, when I did the 17 marathons, my mom and dad [laughter] were the support group. They were the ones that woke me up, helped me get dressed when I couldn't put my socks on cuz I had a dozen blisters. They were the ones who, >> you know, they're amazing. Amazing. Did all the driving, the cooking. >> That's what people don't see behind the scenes. Now, what I'm really interested in is there's a few things I want to unpack. So, you get to the end of the 17. >> Yes. Yeah. >> At what point are you planning the next the next uh adventure? >> That's an interesting question. What I've learned now is you have to be planning a few ahead. Yeah. >> Because >> I always thought people would ask you what's what's your most recent adventure? What have you just done? No one asks that at all. So, I've been in in Singapore now for just shy of two weeks. >> Yeah. Four months ago, I completed my most recent world record out in Australia, >> which is amazing, by the way. Thank you. I want to know the logistics because that [laughter] was you're dealing with different weather. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Flights. >> Brutal. Brutal. And we're happy to talk about it, but no one here has asked me what I've been up to or like where where have I been. Of course, some of them already knew because they followed on stage. >> You know, asking you about >> because instead they ask what you're doing next. >> Ah, but you know, you just you just spent so many months of your life accomplishing this great feat. So interesting. >> It is really interesting. And it's even during the challenges. So when people came to join me in Australia and ran alongside me or during the 17 marathons, they would say, "So Lou, what's next?" And you think in your head, I haven't [clears throat] finished this year yet. I can't count my chickens. You know, this is not over. >> What I've learned is people always care about the future that you're as big as your next project, not your most recent, your next project. So you've got to have two, three planned. I've got the next five years roughly planned of what I want to do with with the adventures, with the impact for charity, with the big mission, and and my commercial goals, too. So I'm always trying to work a few years ahead. It's very easy to always be planning as well. So sometimes you have to be careful not to get carried away and overlook what you're preparing for and trading for. >> But also you got to enjoy and save at the moment, [clears throat] right? You've worked so hard. I mean, look, just think about this. You you're looking, I would imagine, tell me, you take out the calendar, >> right? A year ahead in advance, and you've got to be thinking about weather patterns, >> you know, time of year, so on and so forth. So, so like where do you even begin this whole idea? Where does it come from? >> That's the only easy part of my job. >> That's [clears throat] the fun part, right? >> The only easy part of my job is the the dreaming. And it's the all of my adventures have come to me at like 2 or 3 in the morning. You wake up in the middle of the night and it's like >> got an idea. Has anyone done this? No. Okay. Has anyone done this? And that's that's the only easy part. The hard part is then turning that dream. Yeah. Because they are dreams when they start. It's turning it into a plan and then that plan into reality. That's the hard part. How do I actually plan this? the logistics, the sponsorship, the marketing, the PR, the delivery, the training. That's the hard part, all the other stages that come from it. And that's anyone can resonate with that. If someone works in an office or they work in a hospital, they work in a school, we can all resonate with it's easy to think of great ideas, but then actually to deliver them is the hard part. And it's the reason most people fail because they give up because they don't meet every stage or they try and skip to the final stage. >> So the idea stage is the only fun part. It's the only [laughter] >> it's the only easy part probably is the right words. Now, now, one of the the shows that I saw, which is about a year old, where you ranked your top five in terms of most challenging, I did watch it. I found it really interesting, but I'm guessing it's changed now a little bit because >> um you you've had the Australian >> uh adventure since then, right? Does the swim still >> uh is number one. >> The swims will always be really challenging because it's true what feels like life and death when you're in the water and that's hard to replicate when you're running. >> That's crazy. Tell tell everyone tell the audience about your weight for swimming versus running because there's a huge when you told me that I thought wow it's a huge difference in your body composition. >> Well my most recent swimming project was I swam the seven seas. So seven marathons which is 10 km across all of the classical seven seas and I became the youngest person to ever do so and I was 105 kilos for that. >> So let's let's break it down. So which was first? Was it the Aian Sea? >> It was the Red Arabian Aian Adriatic Black Mediterranean North Seas. Well, listen, you could definitely pass geography now and get get at least an A. Oman's beautiful though, right? >> Oman's incredible. >> Really amazing. >> The Arabian Sea was >> very nice to look at, but very difficult to really hot. >> It was 31.4° sea temperature in the water. >> Yeah. >> So, looking at my red hair, you can imagine how I survived in that water. It was a struggle. Severe dehydration. >> I bet. Did you must have a lot of blisters. Oh my skin because especially because the swims are so back to back. I did them all I think in 40. Let me get my numbers right. Did it in 45 days. So goal >> every day. >> Well, you'd be swimming roughly. You you'd swim. You'd then have a few days to travel to the next place. You then have to wait for your weather window. The average weather window for ocean swim was three or four days and then you'd move on to the next place. So it average about a week a swim per week for seven weeks. And I remember getting to the AGNC, which was number three in Greece, and my skin was already peeling. And it was literally like coming off at dinner. It was it was horrible. Horrible. And you actually look forward to getting into the water the next day because you just think, well, at least it's you know, my skin's going to have some deh some hydration. >> Yeah. >> But then obviously you get out and then it all starts again. >> So So horrific. >> Really challenging. >> So you were 105 kg. >> 105. And then my running weight is close to 85. So when I did the 17 marathons, I was actually I finished at 79 kilos. >> Yeah. You would have come right down. >> Yeah. I started I think at 82 or 83. Finished at 79. >> Now, were you bulking up for the swim consciously >> or you just eatciously? >> Yeah. You're just you're just eating a lot of nice Marks and Spencer's food. What's going on? Cuz that's a massive weight difference. >> It's a big difference. It's a conscious in the sense of I know I need to be heavier. >> Yeah. >> I first learned about putting on weight for swimming specifically with buoyancy and with almost with the cold preparation too when I swam the Alcatraz and I did that a year before. I did that in 2023. Jeez, man. >> And I was the only swimmer on the day without a wet suit. I remember on the boat just before we dived in, like everyone's taking off their final bits of kit and jacket and everyone's got these big wets suits on and I just sat there in a woolly jumper and a beanie, took off the woolly jumper, showed my pale skin and everyone goes oo, you know, you're not going to be able to do this. And >> but think about think about this, you know, I don't know if you've seen the Clint Eastwood movie, but apparently, you know, some of the prisoners got out and they escaped. They did they didn't have any scuba jackets. They were going in in the tidy whies. You know what I mean? And they certainly didn't have all the support crews and kayak boats and navigation that we had and all the planning. >> Uh so I remember doing that and I learned oh really choppy. Yeah. >> My goggles got knocked off three times in an hour's swim. Never had that happen anywhere else. >> And luckily each time the goggles got knocked off and they fell to the top of the water and I grabbed it within, you know, a second. >> That's terrifying. >> Yeah. >> But [snorts] I put on a lot of weight for that and did a lot of cold preparation. It helped massively. I didn't struggle with the cold at all. >> Does it help with the buoyancy a little bit? >> Massively. Because uh when I watch some of what Ross Edgley has done. Yes. >> Right. And you look at his physique, he looks like a bodybuilder. He's got a ridiculous physique. You'll think how on that's not if you see a picture of him, you would never think this guy swims, >> you know, the distance he maybe 50 m, >> you know, crazy. >> Well, he trains for athletics and athletics, which I think is the most challenging thing. So, I've never trained for for biceps or a six-pack like we joke before that, you know, we started recording, >> but I've always trained for the athletic goals of, well, I want to run in a remote place. I want to swim in the seven seas and you know my training's never been to be the most fit or the strongest or whatever it may be like maybe Ross' is mine is just simply to survive in these remote places and to get to that finish line I'm the only person there so I'm first place I'm last place everything in between time does not matter for me >> it's about >> that's what I wanted to ask you if you don't mind because >> I give an example when most people go for a run or a walk say 5k 10k what are they doing they're listening to music or an iPod and I I always say if you go and do that run without any music, without listening to an iPod, it changes everything and actually it's very beneficial. I'm sure you can't be listening to music or or I you know podcast you're you're doing it raw on your own in solitude. This is about mindset. >> Totally. And you you sort of face your own demons in those moments, too, because like you said, there's no distractions. There's not Tik Tok 10-second videos or a YouTube video playing in the background whilst you're eating. >> Yeah. It's, [snorts] you know, truly facing yourself in in the mirror, so to speak. And especially some of the swims like in the where would it have been? It would have been well, the North Sea, the final swim. So, I started out in in the Red Sea in Egypt, finished back home in Margate in the North Sea. So, a contrasty. >> It was grim. Grim Margate's quite >> It was indeed a bit grim. >> It was pitch black looking down, you know, as you're swimming with your head down, it's pitch black, the water >> and then you've got nothing to to look at. You've got no one to talk to. You've got you're just in your own head for however many hours. Yeah. >> And the swims took 3 to 5 hours on average. That's a long time to be in your head. >> Do you know Do you know that there's a saying when you look into the abyss, the abyss looks back into you. And that's exactly what you were doing. >> Never heard of that. It's a great saying. >> I mean, you think about it. 5 hours. Like the thing about swimming um in a pool, it's very boring because you're looking at a black line up and down. But looking into nothing, >> it's got to be the scariest thing. It is because you spend the whole time trying to push away thoughts of, oh well, I'm probably off course here. Oh, my support boat probably driven off. Of course they haven't. They're right there. But, you know, have all these doubts and oh, I'm struggling here. This is going. >> You almost hallucinate at some point, especially you're starting in the dark. >> Uh, no. I've never had hallucinations in these moments. I've had total focus almost like I am right here right now doing it like you are. >> Yeah. >> In that moment and total presence. But I've also had moments where you zone out and it's almost like you're in that flow state of just do it and you you're daydream about different things and you're thinking about the next challenge. You're thinking, "Oh, I've got to, you know, send that invoice to this sponsor and you're just having like real thoughts, you know, oh, I forgot to send that birthday message to a friend." Like, you know, just what we're all going through when we're shopping and whatever it may be. >> Now, on your run, I was looking at the list of places. One of the ones I mean, I've been there. Alaska. >> Um, tell me, where were you in Alaska? I ran through the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. >> So you saw a few bears. >> I did. I saw actually a brown bear come out of hibernation. >> Really? >> Which was remarkable. That's mad. So we talked about timings before about the marathon. A big question that kids ask, well, what was the fastest marathon? What was the slowest? And I always answer with the story of, "Well, in Alaska, I saw a brown bear come out of hibernation. I stopped for 10 minutes just to watch in awe." >> Yeah. What kind of adventurer would I be? Explorer, whatever you want to call this job title, if I didn't stop to >> just witness and respect the beauty of this world. If I had gone, I can't stop, you know, sorry, you know, I've got a time, my garment's going, yeah, that's not real. So, >> there's been lots of great moments where I do stop and enjoy it and and you know, time goes on. >> So, when you're when you're going to Alaska, because it's not easy to get to. So, were you flying through obviously Anchorage, you got off there, but but were you flying from the UK? Where were you coming from? >> I was coming from the UK. Uh that was actually one of the easiest logistical places to get to because it was a drive from Anchorage. >> Yeah. >> So that was actually pretty easy. And I had actually >> these incredible drivers out there who they did all pro bono. They found out I was doing for charity and they offered a driver for free. >> Isn't that amazing? >> Amazing. >> What time of year was that? >> That would have been January. >> Okay. Oh my god, that's freezing. >> It was supposed to be snow. So I'd been preparing to run in snow and the two marathons before that. So that was marathon number three. The first two were in the desert, so I'd been practicing running in sand, which I thought it's not going to be too far off for snow. Few days before I got an email saying, "Lou, we've had some really great weather." I was like, "Okay, this is sounding good." Dot dot dot. >> It meant all the snow has melted. >> Yeah. Oh, wow. >> And it's now frozen over again. So, it became an ice skating rink and they said, "It's up to you whether or not you want to run on this." Yeah. >> I said, "Well, we've got to do it. I'm here now. I've told people I'm doing it." And I ended up having to wear, you know, ice spikes. Yeah. >> And um spent half the time trying not to slip over. >> You wore spikes for Mlong. >> Yes. >> Yeah. That was the first time you were using that that winter width. >> Yeah. Well, they're not ice spikes. They were like crampons. So they're they're much they're very different. So much bigger spike. >> Okay. >> Um much stronger. Whereas ice spikes are almost like >> Well, tell us about that because that I I you know, obviously I watched that part of your journey, but it was the first time you were climbing a mountain of that magnitude. you had the ice to contend with. Tell everyone what your instructor said at the time, your guide, because that would have been scary as hell. >> Mont Blanc was a big learning curve for me in terms of fear. >> That's when I started to understand fear. You know, I was a kid who had a few nerves with things, whether it was at school for an important exam, whether it was for a big sports game or something. You know, like many young people, I had what I think the best way to explain was nerves because I wanted to do well. I cared. said I wanted to make myself proud, my parents proud, my teachers proud. And what I noticed in these early years of the adventures, especially around 22 when I decided to go full-time, the nerves start to kick into my expeditions too. And again, it was the same reason. Well, I really care about this. I want to make this successful. I want to make my sponsors proud. And everyone else, I want to raise a great amount of charity. And I remember on M Blanc getting to summit day and my support crew had or sorry, the rest of my group had dropped out. So, they had had fatigue and you know the just the reality of a mountain, right? It had hit them. So, I was left one-on-one with my guide and he was called Fabio and he'd been climbing in the mountains for apparently for 30 odd years. He was supposed to be one of the biggest names in in in the Alps. And I felt really safe in his hands. >> Was it four? It's 4 and a half thousand meters, something like that. >> Yes. Yeah, I believe so. Yeah. 4886 or something something like that. >> And I remember we got to summit day. We've been climbing for six hours and we hadn't spoke a word to each other because it was so windy. It was so cold. just howling. >> Absolutely. So, we have these big buffs up our face and we just, you know, when we need to communicate him with hand signals and body language. We're roped together so if one of us is to fall, we can try and catch each other and save each other if there's a creasse or, you know, a big hole in the ground and you're just basically following him, right? You're just following his footsteps and just trying to stay step by step. A bit like on Killy, you know, step by step kind of. >> I never got up to that last bit, so [laughter] I'm saying yes, but I never experienced >> Well, in the first day, it's right it's the same thing, isn't it? Step by step. And uh and I remember that suddenly, you know, you spend a lot of time looking down at the ground cuz you're checking for, you know, for a safe path. And suddenly the ground below us went from this solid snow like white to blue, which was ice. And it was the sun reflecting off ice and creating this almost blue color. >> And if anyone spent high in the mountains, you'll know that ice is the most dangerous thing. It's unpredictable. It's scary. It can go at any point. >> And I remember he just turned around like in slow motion. It was almost like a movie scene. Pull down this buff which had been protecting his face. and he shouted over the top of the wind, "If one of us fall, we can no longer catch each other." Pulled his buff back up, turned around and took his next step. And I remember in that moment, my body was just filled with fear. Probably the most I've experienced in my life. >> Yeah. >> And I'd been working with this mindset company in these uh early months, as I mentioned before, about the nerves to try and deal with it and see how I could process it. And they actually explained in a really wise way, well, sometimes we spend so much time trying to pretend we're not scared, pretend we're not upset or whatever it is, you know, trying to pretend we're fearless, which we're not. You know, humans are not invincible. And adventurers are certainly not fearless either. >> Yeah. >> And I think be real always speaks to that so wisely. You know, fear is an okay thing. >> And they said, actually try processing it. Accept it. Ask yourself why are you so scared? And in that moment up a well, a dangerous mountain, you know, Mont Blanc has a hundred deaths a year. It's not the tallest, but it is one of the most deadly. I was doing something I'd never done before. Winter mountaineering, as you said, first time using krampons and a rope and an iceax. And the person there to teach me those things, keep me safe, has just said he could no longer do so. >> Yeah. >> And >> wow, >> it's understandable to be so scared. And actually by accepting that, by embracing, it's almost like you're able to turn that fear into focus. You know, that becomes a fuel. And I've tried to honor that a lot more in my adventures. I remember then a few months after that being at the start line of the Hellspawn Swim from Europe to Asia and it's a swim that happens once a year on Turkish National Victory Day and I was there excited to swim but it was also trying at the time to build a new sponsorship partnership I've been working on and we had one chance for this year to do it otherwise I have to wait till the following year and I thought I have one chance to get across and they only closed the shipping lane for two hours. Yeah. >> So it's literally like you have one moment to do it. >> Yeah. And I remember at that start line again just being consumed with fear like just terrified. Well, I've not only got now my actual enjoyment of an adventure on the line, I've also got my potential career supporting one day my parents. And you know, you start to think about all these big things. And I just thought >> it does. It does. And again, the same thing. Why am I so scared? Well, this means a lot to me. This is a terrifying thing to be doing anyway, an ocean swim, which is six kilometers or whatever it is. And it means a lot. So actually I've started asking myself a lot more at start lines, at the halfway point, at finish lines, why do I feel the way I do? Process it, understand it, and move on. >> I I I think that's so powerful, Lou, because you know, my my son um he told me a few years ago, he was a Singapore amateur boxer. He said, >> "Dad, I'm I'm scared." I think he was 15 or something. And I said, "Okay, let's unpack that. Why are you scared?" And he said, >> "Um, I don't know if I'm good enough." I said, "Fair enough. I'm not going to let you give up anything just cuz you're not sure. You need to try put the graft in. What else?" Said, "I don't like hitting people." I said, "That could be a problem, but the reality is someone's trying to hit you. You know, that might be a little bit different." And I said, "What else?" He goes, "I I I just don't want to get hurt." >> And and you know, I realized that I myself in my entire life, in my sports career, um in business, I had lied to myself because I always thought I love confrontation. >> I lied to myself. And and through being his dad, now it's helping me in my coaching journey. I realize, you know what, we're all terrified, just accept it, understand it, embrace it, and and I think a lot of people, cuz they'll probably looking at you thinking, "This guy's not afraid." Of course you are. >> 100% I'm afraid. >> 100%. >> Of lots of things, not just the adventures of just normal life like we all are. But how healthy is it? Of course. And how healthy is it for your son to start to stand there and say, "Well, actually, I don't want to get hit. I'm afraid that's okay. It's a normal thing. I don't want to hit someone." That's probably a really healthy thing to say as well. it. >> And then actually by accepting it and actually by just understanding your own mind, your own thoughts, your own emotions. You know what I've realized is we can't control how we're going to feel, right? Our our body and our mind sometimes is not in our own decision- making. No. >> But what is is the choices we make and in a marathon what you realize is your emotions can go up and down within a second. You can some point be inspired and motivated. you see a brown bear whilst running through Alaska and then flash forward 10 seconds and you slip over running on ice or whatever it is and those emotions go up and down. They're like an ocean almost. It's quite similar to swimming. >> Yeah. >> But what we can control is our decision-m and that can be flatline. Yes. >> So what I stay when I'm the start line of a swim or a run or whatever it is is okay, I'm the only person who can take this first step. I'm the only person who can take the last step and everyone in between I will start and finish this. And that's my little motto to myself. >> I love it. And that means whatever goes wrong because things always go wrong in adventure in life and whatever it may be, I will embrace it. I will ride the highs. I will embrace the lows and I will get through this. If I'm tired, if I'm scared, if I'm whatever it may be, I will keep moving forward. I love that. And and that's it sounds very simple on paper and maybe some maybe sometimes it is in life and maybe sometimes it's not. But you know you get to moments like this most recent adventure in Australia where I ran eight marathons in all eight capital cities of Australia in 6 days 23 hours and 40 minutes. First person to ever do it consecutively. >> And how did you get from each cuz you were in you were in Tasmania by the way. >> That's I can't even imagine. >> Walk us through cuz cuz doing the runs is one thing it's everything else in between >> and they're all self-supported. Yeah. >> Didn't have a single person with me >> and it was it it was an 8 month training camp. >> Remarkable young man. You really are. >> Thank you. That's really kind. Well, thank you. >> It was brutal. It was so tough. It was [laughter] >> You're even closing your eyes reminiscing. >> Because you know the swims and the runs I've spoke about so many times now. Yeah. and these the Australia I haven't really spoke about that much yet because I've I've not actually done really that many podcasts or >> but I saw I saw you on one of the Australian breakfast shows and then [laughter] then you came in you said you know like you jogged in and you had blisters and I was thinking I bet you do I bet you they probably thought you were joking maybe >> when I read that email I finished on the Monday got an email on the Tuesday saying right come in on the Wednesday onto Sunrise which is the biggest breakfast show in in Australia they said you we've got this idea we want to run it by you how would you like to run into the the studio and I'm thinking this has got to be like an Australian gag. You know, they got great sense of humor. >> Yeah. >> And then they said, "So, please bring your sports gear." >> So, I I rocked up the next day dressed similar to this, but thinking they're not going me to run. You know, I'm hobbling [laughter] here. And they said, "Jeff, your sports gear." I said, "Well, of course I do, just in case." They said, "We think it would work really well." >> And so, I ran in and honestly, I remember running in and I had about 15 blisters. >> Jeez. >> At that point. And I remember like two or three of them, I'm pretty sure, popped as I just ran in that little bit. Wow. >> And they put this really long wire halfway across the studio. They said, "Oh, by the way, don't trip on that." >> So, you're [laughter] running on you're thinking, "Please just don't trip on national television." And, you know, you have 3 minutes to to sum up basically eight days of >> So, so what what was the hardest commute internally? I'm guessing it was from Tasmania, was it? >> So, so I ran in the mornings, finished in the afternoons, and I flew in the evenings. Yes. >> I had a really tight schedule. >> So, what happens if like the planes had to be on time? Like if there were delays, you were in trouble, right? >> They had to. And I was flying commercially. I was sat in the back of economy on every flight. So there was no special privileges of private charts or anything like that. It was just luck. That that part of it, the logistics, you know, I planned it really really well, but it was luck. >> And the longest delay we had was an hour and a half. >> Wow. >> So >> So it just it was nice. It worked out. >> Yeah. I was so lucky. And you know, some of those early flights from almost from Brisbane up to say Darwin, that's like a three or four hour flight. from Darwin down to Perth. That's another four-hour flight. So those are quite long flights where your body just after finishing a marathon. >> So where did you do what were the what were the cities? >> So it was the capital cities of Australia. So that is Brisbane, Darwin, Perth, Adelaide, Canra, Melbourne, Hobart, and Sydney. >> Amazing. >> Testing my geography. Yeah, I think those are all correct. And that is the order. And but I remember finishing, you know, you'd finish the marathon at like 3 or 4:00 and you'd have half an hour at the hotel. That was my schedule to to shower out of the courtesy to the passengers I was going to be sitting next to. [laughter] I tried to shower after each one and and then get to the airport. So you're doing everything that you do when you're normally traveling or on holiday, ordering an Uber, getting to the airport, going to check in, checking and it was like, I've just ran a marathon. You're hobbling around in your flipflops and there's no special privileges. No one really at the time either knew what I was doing. So there was no >> that's really there's no >> there was no help or support. >> Are you having let's let's break it down for world record. Are you having to wear two different watches? How are you recording it? >> Oh that's a whole different ch cuz that that's the evidence right? It's not straightforward. >> For Australia I wore two watches a whoop had witness statements every day. I had to collect five. I had >> photo evidence video evidence too and then GPS >> data. That's a whole new problem in itself. Right. When when we my big record, the running and swimming around the world, that took four months of evidence checks with Guinness World Records and they are so detailed and then so they should be because that's why they're the biggest name in in the world and then in that space. >> Do you like a Guinness? >> Yes, >> you you do [laughter] you do after one of these adventures. My goodness. >> Yes. Actually, we we hosted a bit of a party after that and it was a Guinness themed uh [laughter] themed party which felt, you know, natural to do. >> Only right. Only right. And but it took four months and I had over a hundred piece of evidence I had to provide for that running and swimming project >> because I I had a lady called Natalie Dao who ran from Thailand to Malaysia to to Singapore 1,000 km. So she was doing two marathons a day in her 50s and uh you know at one point she was she was urinating blood um and she she one day she went off she had a guy with her on the back of a bike and they didn't press one of the watches and they had to go back and I can't remember if it was 40 minutes but like 40 minutes on top of what you're already about to do and embark upon. It's no joke, right? And that's why I was think you're having to think about all of this and it's the the mental fatigue because you're thinking about, you know, get the I I would imagine if if it was just like you were delivered by a time machine to the beginning of each race, >> that would be a hell of a lot easier >> or at least have a team to help you with the small things like checking you in for a fly or you need a wing. But I remember the marathons I I was >> my aid stations were not glamorous. I was using petrol stations as my aid stations. So my lunch every day whilst running was an Australian steak pie. >> Yeah. >> And hot dogs from the petrol station. It was terrible during Australia. >> Are you are you taking Let's I want to break down. I want to fanboy a little bit. So in terms of nutrition, are you taking like branch chain amino acids to to help you with the recovery of doms? You do nothing unusual. >> The only thing I take during training camp is I take fish oils. >> Okay. >> I've been taking those since the 17 marathons and that's supposed to help with inflammation and vitamin D just because I live in the UK. That's it. Don't have protein powder or anything like that. >> Nothing. >> Just try and eat good balanced food. >> Have you researched all that? >> I remember meeting a nutritionist two weeks before the 17 marathons. [laughter] And it was the most interesting conversation of my life because they said, "Right, we've built out this nutrition plan. This is what you're going to eat every day during the 17 marathons." I'm thinking, "Finally, a bit of help, you know, a bit of wisdom." >> And it was like, "Right, you get to uh kilometer 12, you're going to have fish and rice. you're going to get 22 km and we're going to get you we're going to get you broccoli soup. >> And I just just said to him, "Have you ever ran a marathon before?" >> It's not realistic. >> And they were like, "No. Well, have you ever ran a 17?" >> Uh, no. And I said, "Well, neither have I, but what I'm guessing is I'm not going to want, you know, fish and rice and and soup, do you know what I mean?" Also that. Yeah. And it was like, you know, I need bagels and flapjacks and, you know, >> a burrito at the end of it. You know, stuff that actually, first of all, fuels the body, but fuels the mind, too. You know, we get great pleasure from food. and it's okay to finish a math and whatever it is. And >> I'm sure I'm sure you got a Mars bar or two waiting for you or whatever. >> Absolutely. But no, it's not perfect. It's not perfect. And that's definitely something I can improve on for my future challenges. >> So that's >> What about like having to take a little bit of salt and sodium in order to balance everything out? Are you like are you yearning for that? >> Maybe not after the swim in the ocean, but >> Well, actually that's another great nutrition I did end up working with for a little while and we did all my testing. you know, I I I collected all things, samples for a few months. We collected everything. >> It was blood work and it was other, you know, the urine sort of test and all these different things and >> and it worked out quite well actually because I found out like I'm actually caffeine >> optimistic or is it caffeine positive, the term which means you respond well to caffeine. So some people who are doing marathons, they crash when they have caffeine, so they should avoid it. I actually responded well to it. So I started drinking coffee for that reason because I wasn't a coffee drinker. was a good stimulant and >> then I didn't crash and actually I could sustain it. So that was a small things like that. I found I responded well to some certain greens, to some certain meats. >> Yeah. >> And that was interesting because it then started to affect my decision-m because it's very hard in the world nutrition to be told what to eat, do this, open this, put this in the microwave. That's not real, right? Because that's a temporary solution. Yes. To a lifelong issue of nutrition. So yeah, decision- making is a great thing. But she told me about hydration. She said instead of all these uh what are they called? The >> I know what you mean. >> The classic electrolytes >> everyone raves on about on social media and they charge a fortune for them. She said all you need is a bit of Robinson squash and some salt in water and that is the same thing as electrolytes. >> It will stop you from cramping and you know especially on the swim that's where most deaths happen right from swimming. I I'm I'm so curious because what you're doing you're on different terrain. So are you having to bring different trainers like No, you're having to think about question because surely you're thinking about grip, you're thinking about just keeping your feet dry. >> So for the 17 marathons, the biggest mistake I made was I wore the same pair of shoes. >> You didn't swap out >> 17 twice in a row. Oh, really? >> That's why I got shin splints on day 10 because the shoes were so compacted that actually >> Do they say they say like have three and you swap them out every few hours? They say running shoes take three or four days for the the foam to respond back to normal. So that's the reason I got shin splints. When I did the seven continents and I was running through jungles or deserts or Antarctica, I had two pairs of shoes. One were an A6 road pair and one were I >> think trail shoes. Yeah. And I just used depending which I needed at the time. So in Antarctica, I just wore trail shoes. >> Yeah. It just But I I find that stuff fascinating. And then are you having because you probably would have experienced but even with socks you know or if you're wearing like when you're in Antarctica I know the biggest thing is if you sweat you're going to get pneumonia so you you got to think about two base layers you're thinking but it's very technical right >> it's far more serious than pneumonia because if you if your if you sweat your clothes freeze at least a frostbite I remember the night before the marathon this British doctor comes up during our final safety briefing and you know plays his slideshow and he says good luck tomorrow guys but remember not to sweat cuz if you sweat this is what you going to get? And he started putting photos up of people who had lost their fingers and their toes. And they were like his former clients or or customers, I suppose. And the next day, we were all at the start line terrified of losing anything. >> Yeah. >> And instantly people started getting too cold and they couldn't feel their hands. And I had to change my base layers twice because I began to sweat. So >> what did you have? Marino wool or what did you have? Do you remember? >> I actually can't remember truthfully. I'm not sure. But very No, they were under armor. Whatever Under Armour basic uh things are. So lots of thin layers. >> Yeah. >> But totally covering your skin. So we had like big ski goggles on which are so difficult to run in. Hats, batteras, uh multiple pairs of gloves. And then what's interesting about Antarctica is when you it was a big route, big lap. So it was four 10 and a half km laps. Yeah. >> Is some of it is away from the l >> what's it what they called? The Ellsworth Mountains. Some of them away from the Ellsworth Mountains. And when you're on the other side, >> you're no longer protected, which means it gets really cold. the wind comes, the wind's off. So then you're suddenly taking off your third layer, putting it back on, changing your second pair of gloves. >> It's a constant battle and there is no perfect answer. >> And the thing about running in the cold, I've never run in that type of cold, it gets into your lungs as well. It's it's a game changer, right? Like growing up in the UK, it's very different from going for a jog here. People complain about, but if you go for a run here in the evening, it's actually lovely, you know? But but 6:00 in the evening back in the UK at this time of year, you know, it's not pleasant. >> It's not. And maybe it's good training in some ways for for those colder expeditions. >> So So when you look back at your journey so far, if I said what what is the one that really stands out? Which adventure thus far do you look at and say, you know, I enjoyed it the most? >> Enjoyed it the most difficult. >> It could have been challenging though. It could have been challenging time, but you look back and thought that was really when I think that was the one that I really enjoyed. The one I'm most proud of is the 17 marathons in many ways because that now looking back four years on very far still from where I want to be and what I want to achieve. But seeing the last few years what I, you know, how far I've come, I I realized that was the make orb breakak expedition or challenge, whatever you want to call it. Because on day 10 when I woke up with shin splints, a chest infection, and a fever and decided to get out of bed and take that next step when it felt like the world was telling me to give up, that was my big tipping point in life because I could have failed a challenge but actually failed a career before I'd even started. I could have lost success before I'd even gained it. So that 17 math I'm incredibly proud of because I had three months of training. I had no one around me, no team apart from some friends and my parents. We were learning everything as we did it. there was no professional support or anything and I'm so proud of that and getting through that and that gave me a boost of confidence, a little bit of credibility to sponsors and things like that which then really launched everything and I met a sponsor on that challenge, a few actually who supported me for three or four years. So that challenge was defining. The one I'm probably second most proud of is Australia, this most recent one because there was huge challenges in the buildup to it >> and getting to the start line was probably the hardest out of all of them for for Australia. >> Wow. Well, think about this. You didn't go to university, but you've spoken at Eaton College. You've been to 10 Downing Street. >> Tell us about those experiences because you know, brilliant. >> They are brilliant. They are. And it's interesting you you >> I started these adventures to try and see the world and to learn more about people and to experience, you know, almost unique things. And then what you realize actually is these adventures can take you so much further than that. And actually, they can take you to places like 10 Downing Street. And that's incredible. How did that come about? >> I delivered whilst I was running marathons on seven continents, I launched a letter to the prime minister at the time to try and raise awareness for dementia diagnostics. I realiz I realized I only had a certain capacity to raise money for charity as anyone does. But if you can get through to the government and you can make governmental change, it goes from raising tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands or millions to raising potentially and changing a hundred million pounds in policy or whatever it may be. And that was inspired by someone called Lewis Pew and he did a lot for protecting the oceans and you realize somehow these adventures can bring a little bit of attention and and platform and you want to use it in the right way >> for sure. >> So I delivered this letter to uh 10 Downing Street and a couple months later I got a letter back from Richy Sunnak the PM at the time saying that they had made a few changes to dementia policy and not saying directly whether I was part of that or not but I I hope I was. And then a few months after that, I got a letter from >> or was I think it might have been a LinkedIn message from someone who worked at number 10 saying really saying we worked on your letter and and what you were doing a few months ago and would you like to come in? We have a monthly Q&A series. We have astronauts and authors and >> all these amazing people. Would you like to be October's speaker? And I thought, okay, well, this is fake. This is not true. This is someone who, [laughter] you know, is >> Did you double check it was real? >> I was like, I'm not sure about this. And I accepted the invite. And then I didn't tell anyone about it apart from my parents. And then it got to about a week before and I was like, "Okay, I think this is real now because they're starting to send the security checks and all these different things." And I was like, "Okay, quickly scramble, bring a couple of my closest mates." And I brought my coach Jake at the time. And we turned up on the day and we had a half an hour, maybe 45 minute tour of number 10. You know, my dad's joking with the lady who she served there for 25 years. you know, who was your favorite, who didn't, you know, [laughter] and and we're walking around and we're we're we we sat in the main room and we sat at the main chairs and it was like it was incredible. And they said, "Right now, it's time for the event and the talk upstairs." And I still wasn't sure if I was the only speaker or if it was, you know, a panel, whatever it was. And they they usher my my parents and my friends away and I go into a private room and have a cup of tea, very, you know, over the top in in a good way. And then you start to hear like a bit of rustling, you know, and people are talking and about 30 minutes of buildup later walk out to them introducing my name and you got 80 of essentially the most powerful people in the country who work for number 10. They're not part of a specific um party but just work directly for number 10. So you had someone who works for the Ministry of Defense, someone who works Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science, you know, I met all these peopleing and they're sat there ready to listen just to me. And it was like >> I was 24 at the time. what do I know in the world that I can share with these people? And the truth is I'm not sure what I did know. Instead, I just s sat there for an hour and doing a Q&A and just shared my story. I love it. And what I've realized is those moments when you're giving talks and when you're lucky to share your story on on somewhere like today is people will take what they want from it. >> Yeah. >> It's very easy to start forcing lessons and you know, we can all go very corporate and LinkedIn and whatever. These are the seven lessons I learned from the seven continents. And you know, sometimes I do that too, but actually people are all on different journeys. They're all experiencing very different adversities and battles. People will take what they want and what they need from your story. >> You're wise beyond your years. I mean, well, traveling gives you that, right? And doing all these amazing >> challenging yourself. Yeah. >> So, let's let's talk a little bit about sponsorship. Let's talk about, you know, how we can help you in in your efforts with dementia and to keep conquering the world. Before we we we start that, I want you just to introduce yourself as you have done on a few of the shows about being one of the greatest and I'll let you finish it because I think this is one of the best overviews and introductions about oneself that I've ever heard. >> Well, we all need a mission, right? Regardless of what our job is, even if you're an adventurer, you need a a career goal. And my goal is to become one of the greatest modern-day adventurers and to change the way that exploration is seen by the younger generation. I love that. When I heard that, I wrote it down. I listened to it three times and I just thought, "This is brilliant." It that's so powerful. I feel like it's a combination of James Bond and Indiana Jones put together. It's brilliant. >> Thank you. >> Well, that's so nice to hear, you know, that that it's uh it's exciting by other people, too. And, you know, because it's very easy to get absorbed in our own world, and you know, I'm so excited about everything I do, but I appreciate it's not everyone else is necessarily passionate. >> You're so humble. So let's let's try to to work out if people want to reach out to you for sponsorship, for speaking engagements, tell us a little bit and and I'll put all the links how to contact you, but share with us how and what you're doing. >> Well, sponsorship is the absolute priority right now for so many reasons. Uh as we spoke about with the charities, I never take any charity money. So instead, I use corporate sponsorship to pay for myself to pay for my expedition costs. That means if someone donates10 to charity, it's a separate pot and their whole£10 or $10 would go to the charity. So that's what I see as being a professional adventurer. I'm not someone who who brings the pots together because they're very separate. >> That's very important because most people don't get that. >> Absolutely. And then the corporate sponsorship, that's my responsibility in my career to deliver to them in terms of talks or publicity or whatever it is. Charity side is separate. So my goal is I want to raise a million pounds for dementia research. So if people able to help with corporate sponsorship, that will help me go on greater adventures, greater impact, greater press, whatever it may be, and then ultimately raise more for charity too. And lots of people say, "Well, why don't you just take the sponsorship money and then give it to charity?" Well, well, if someone gives me £2,000 and then I go off and raise£10,000 for the charity by doing a challenge which brings in press and publicity and whatever you want to call it, then that's to me that's a simple answer. Yeah. >> And likewise, >> people aren't paying just to give to charity. They're paying because they get the the exposure and the publicity and the positive association from being with my adventures and world records. So, sponsorship is a great help if anyone would like to get in touch. Speaking engagements is something I've I've started growing and building on my own and you know here in Singapore I by the end by tomorrow I would have done 18 talks here in two weeks without an agent without a manager doing all on my own >> and really tough really incredible. Thank you. Thank you. And I did a talk at the British High Commission last week which was hosted by Nick Meta, you know, his excellency as I should call him. Nick [laughter] Meta. >> He's from He's from Wembley. That's why that's how I came across your details. >> He's an incredible guy. Yeah, >> he was really kind, really humble and likewise from a very different world and background, but >> excited about adventure. Not necessarily to go on adventure himself, but because he understood that we can all learn from anyone% >> regardless of age, regardless of our careers, our journeys, we can all learn something from someone. And I think that's why maybe people have started booking me to to go in and talk to schools or corporate clients or universities I think is a big one too because I'm not trying to encourage people to become an adventurer or to leave their job and become the next big explorer but instead to embrace that adventure spirit into their own lives. >> 100%. And I think I think uh what I always think about is to be really successful at work in business and in life you've got to have a spirit of adventure you've got to have passions outside of work. Otherwise what's life all about? That's it, >> you know, and and more than that, you've got a purpose, you've got a cause, you're raising money, an amazing charity, and I love some of your goals. I think you'll smash those goals. >> Thank you. >> You know, I really do. Um, and have anything else, any projects that you're thinking about now that that you can share with us and touch upon? >> I'm working on a couple kayaking expeditions right now. So, it's it's late January, isn't it? As we film this, and I need to make a decision by late Feb what that next challenge is. The only issue is these kayaks start to grow as you suddenly need permissions from not just uh >> how do I say it without giving it away but without >> it's almost from like counties and countries you know you need permissions to kayak through certain places and doing things the right way in terms of for charity having sponsors being in the press. It's very important I do things the right way and don't get arrested halfway through because I'm >> these things happen when you're when you're crossing lines on a map and whatnot. >> No look but look I have to say I'm so happy that you're here today. I've taken a lot from you. I'm 48 and I've taken a hell of a lot from you. I will connect you with so many people and and try my best because I believe kindness, as I said to you off camera, goes a long way. >> It does. And then sometimes you meet people and you think straight away we're going to do something together. And I've had that with this new podcast show which I've started. >> By the way, it's brilliant. I've seen it. It's very engaging. You're such a brilliant natural talker. >> Well, likewise. And I'm really excited about it because it's a totally different challenge. more out of my comfort zone sat in a studio talking and interviewing someone than I am on my own expeditions. So, you can't tell. You can't tell. You're a natural. >> Thank you. Well, a good actor maybe. But that show is called If You Can. If people would like to check it out and got we've got big plans for that. >> I I liked I like the uh the Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Oh, sorry, the judo. Was it judo? It was judo. >> He's an interesting guy. Yeah, Jeremy. He was >> He's a Renaissance man. He's done so many different things, right? >> Indeed. Indeed. A bit like yourself by the sounds of it. You know, tried lots of different things. And what's interesting is those values that you learned, you know, whether it was yourself as a boxer with him as a judo expert that translates and everything >> and and I like the title because it was about mindset, >> right? Which is very powerful. >> It is indeed. >> And and I think you know the thing is now if you think about I mean you're a lot younger than me but the forum the medium has changed and I find myself you know I love documentaries and I love listening to podcasts you know and I hope everyone enjoys today. >> Hope so. >> Louie, thank you so much. It's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you very much, Paul. Thanks. Cheers. >> [music]

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