Every so often, we need a little bit of extra inspiration to keep us going. And for those with an adventurous soul, our friends over at TED have provided an excellent way to receive that extra inspiration we’re looking for. Here are five awe and inspiration-inducing adventure-themed TED Talks to start with…
Ben Saunders: Why did I ski to the North Pole?
On May 11th last year, I stood alone at the North geographic Pole. I was the only human being in an area one-and-a-half times the size of America, five-and-a-half thousand square miles. More than 2,000 people have climbed Everest. 12 people have stood on the moon. Including me, only four people have skied solo to the North Pole… It’s a journey that is right at the limit of human capability.
This TED Talk is several years old, but still extremely relevant. Ben Saunders recounts his incredible expedition in the arctic, reminding us that, to be unafraid to push ourselves to the extremes, allows us to tap deep into our true potential.
Diana Nyad: Never, ever give up
It’s the fifth time I stand on this shore, the Cuban shore, looking out at that distant horizon, believing, again, that I’m going to make it all the way across that vast, dangerous wilderness of an ocean. Not only have I tried four times, but the greatest swimmers in the world have been trying since 1950, and it’s still never been done.
When Diana Nyad completed her swim from Cuba to Florida, the world was in uproar celebrating her accomplishment. Her amazing story reminds us to get out there and stay engaged, no matter what limitations the world imposes on us.
Roz Savage: Why I’m rowing across the Pacific
Cumulatively, I will have rowed over 8,000 miles, taken over three million oar strokes and spent more than 312 days alone on the ocean on a 23 foot rowboat. This has given me a very special relationship with the ocean.
Roz Savage brings us step-by-step through her trek across the largest body of water on our planet. She inspires us to practice a more sustainable and earth-conscious lifestyle with three lessons from the ocean: to believe in yourself, that you can make a difference even with the smallest of actions, and to take responsibility.
Ray Zahab: My trek to the South Pole
A month ago today I stood there: 90 degrees south, the top of the bottom of the world, the Geographic South Pole. And I stood there beside two very good friends of mine, Richard Weber and Kevin Vallely. Together we had just broken the world speed record for a trek to the South Pole.
Adventuring doesn’t do much good unless you have a reason that’s bigger than the destination. Ray Zahab and his team worked together to broadcast their expedition to students all over the world to teach and inspire them, to prove to them that nothing is impossible.
Janine Shepherd: A broken body isn’t a broken person
I had never before thought of myself as a creative person. I was an athlete. My body was a machine. But now I was about to embark on the most creative project that any of us could ever do: that of rebuilding a life. And even though I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do, in that uncertainty came a sense of freedom. I was no longer tied to a set path. I was free to explore life’s infinite possibilities. And that realization was about to change my life.
Janine Shepard suffered through what is probably most professional athletes’ worst nightmare: the complete annihilation of her body. Through her accident, her surgery, and her recovery, she learned that what seems like the lowest of lows can actually be the greatest opportunity of a lifetime.