Where will your first step take you?
A number of endurance attempts and achievements have been discussed at Team Cool HQ recently, so we thought we’d share a few of our favourites here.
All of these individuals, and many others not featured here, have chosen to test their limits to find out whether their efforts result in success or failure. The act of putting themselves out there without knowing whether their goal is achievable is both brave and inspirational. It reminds us of this quote from Chloe Thurlow:
“If you don’t try, you can’t fail. If you do try, you might fail anyway. But better to have failed than never tried.”
Imo Boddy – she’s become the fastest female to climb (and run between) the Three Peaks (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa). She beat the previous record, set 45 years ago, by a huge 19 hours. Imo started by climbing Ben Nevis on 15th May. She then ran to Scafell Pike and climbed this second peak, before continuing her run to Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa. The endurance runner covered 680km, and the three mountain climbs, in 6 days, 5 hours, and 43 minutes.
Sophie Power – as we type, Sophie is on her way from the top to the bottom of Ireland, bidding to become the fastest woman to run the length of Ireland, a total of 350 miles. Sophie has covered a mega 200 miles in the first 43 hours and we will be keenly following her progress for the final 150 miles. If you’re interested, you can watch her progress here.
Lando Norris – a name that all followers of Formula 1 will know well. He made his F1 debut in 2019, age 20, and has been gradually improving his performances over the last couple of years. He’s demonstrated consistency, persistence and commitment and we were all delighted when he achieved his first Formula 1 win a few weeks ago at the Miami Grand Prix, aged 24. The celebrations (understandably!) went through the night and his Whoop data told him the next morning that he was only 1% recovered. Work hard, play hard…!
Russ Cook (aka The Hardest Geezer) – unless you’ve been hanging out under a rock, it would not have passed you by that Russ ran the entire length of Africa, from the southernmost point to the northernmost tip in just under one year, finishing in Tunisia on 7th April 2024. He was a guest on the Diary of a CEO podcast talking about this incredible achievement, as well as his own background and motivations. Check out the episode, published on 2nd May, it’s worth a listen.
Kristian Morgan – Kristian’s name is perhaps less well-known but his determination to reach his goal is unsurpassed. Kristian has set his sights on setting the Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the Appalachian Trail, a path that spans 14 U.S States and covers 2,200 miles. He has failed twice, in 2019 and 2021, but has always believed in the phrase, ‘failure is the road to success’. He was understandably ecstatic to achieve his goal in 2023 when he ran SouthBound on the trail and completed it in 45 days, 4 hours and 27 minutes, setting the FKT. But he is not yet finished! Kristian is currently back on the Appalachian Trail, trying to set the NorthBound FKT. He’s on day 6 of 40, so there are many miles still to go. Follow along at www.kristianultra.com
We’re sending out a huge and heartfelt well done to everyone who has put their foot on the start line and given it a go. The first step is always the hardest. Where is your first step going to take you?
