The Life of An Adventure Athlete
For every up there is a down. That is the best way to describe it and not just because I am a BASE jumper and that is literally what happens. I have been a professional adventure sports athlete for the best part of the last 12 years. I have been on some incredible adventures, seen some crazy things, Traveled, Loved, Lost. I’ve been Excited, nervous, scared, happy and crushed. It has been a wild ride for sure.
What most people see are social media posts of cool and remote locations. Videos of epic landscapes and exciting adventures. Blog posts of places i’ve been and things I’ve seen. Photos and detailed accounts of times in my life both fun and exciting. Now although I have done my best to be as transparent as possible with my existence as a professional athlete I still feel that much is left unseen by the general public.
What people see is the fun, exciting and interesting. Very much a part of what I do and ultimately why I work so hard at everything else… To make these times happen.
What people don’t see is the behind the scenes. The endless late nights working on emails. The countless hours poured into planning and pitching projects, that which many never get off the ground. The excitement and crazy range of emotions when trips and projects are teetering on the edge of approval and funding. The scheduling, booking, rebooking and execution of travel plans. Countless days and hours of training that no one will ever see or recognize. The disappointment when plans and projects fall through and worst of all the constant looming cloud of “what will I do if this doesn’t work out.”
People have this common misconception that I am where I am in life because it was given to me. Because for some reason I was some how chosen and handed this life that others deserve more than me. This couldn’t be further from the truth. I am where I am in life because I have spent the last 12 years dedicated to making it work. Doing what ever it took to succeed, putting in the time and energy for what I have now.
At times it seems as though there is a disproportional amount of background work to project execution. That I spend more time drafting and responding to emails than I do out jumping or riding, but at the end of the day, when I look at the life I have built for myself it's all so worth it. I get to travel the world and do what I love for a living
So for those who want to pursue a life as a professional adventure athlete remember that nothing happens over night and what really counts is what you do behind the scenes. The things that no one will ever see, the things that you don’t really want to do. The hours and hours of work that you aren’t even sure will pay off. Those are the things that will make the difference and close the gap between a passion and a career and will ultimately set you apart from others trying to do the same thing. Hard work and dedication will lead to some of the greatest adventures that will far surpass your expectations!
