Daunted Courage, First Blind Runner Nonstop to Machu Picchu, and Scott Jurek!

Daunted Courage:

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Daunted Courage book reading! What a great turnout, and I loved the energy in the room. Special thanks to Affinia Hotels, especially Jess Parker, for hosting the event. I’ve posted some photos below.

My 8-year-old daughter Saya decided to steal the show. At one point, as I was reading excerpts from the book, she sat on the stool beside me making faces and copying my gestures in a silly, exaggerated way. Yes, she was disruptive, but I love that girl and her feisty personality.

Machu Picchu:

I’m flying to Peru today as part of Team See Possibilities. Made up of the blind runner Dan Berlin and his three guides (Alison Qualter Berna, Brad Graff and I), we take on major endurance challenges around the world linked to charitable causes. After successfully guiding Dan Berlin last year to become the first blind runner to cross the Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim nonstop, our next challenge is Machu Picchu! Typically a four-day hike, we’re going to attempt to climb the Inca Trail to the historic site of Machu Picchu nonstop in less than a day. If successful, it will be the first time a blind person has accomplished that feat.

We’re sponsored by Intrepid Travel, UNICEF, Smart Wool, and Altra Running, and we’re raising money for the Blind Institute of Technology, which teaches companies how to integrate vision-impaired employees. Intrepid – an innovative travel company that focuses on experiential travel – is handling our on-the-ground logistics and costs, and embedding a videographer to capture footage of our trek. UNICEF has arranged for us to meet with vision-impaired students at a school in Lima and with government officials working on behalf of children with disabilities.

We’re also being supported by the renowned ultra runner Scott Jurek. Most people learned about Scott in the best selling book Born to Run, which describes Scott’s many remarkable exploits. He’s one of the greatest ultra runners ever and also a very cool person. Here's a photo of Scott and Dan on a recent training run.

And here are pics from the Daunted Courage book reading:

 

New Book! Daunted Courage: A Family's Bicycle Adventure on the Lewis and Clark Trail

Coming out this month! Daunted Courage: A Family's Bicycle Adventure on the Lewis & Clark Trail.

On Saturday, Oct 3, 5 - 6 p.m., I'll read book excerpts and show photos and videos from this crazy bike trip. Highlights include cycling over the Rocky Mountains (not bad for a six-year-old girl), escaping lightning storms, collecting road kill data, and exploring the limits of quality family time.

The event is free and kids are welcome: Fifty NYC Hotel, 155 East 50th Street (at 3rd avenue), 2nd floor Club Room.

Here's a summary of the book, which will soon be available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Apple:

Daunted Courage mixes danger, history, child-rearing, and the travails of exploring the unknown into a grand tale that will leave you wanting to go out and create your own adventure.

Sometimes the best way to understand history is to ride a bicycle through it. Daunted Courage tells the story of an adventurous father and his two young children who spend a summer re-tracing the Lewis and Clark Trail, first by car then by bike. Offering entertaining insights into the most famous expedition in U.S. history - and into raising resilient children - the story takes the reader on a thoroughly enjoyable ride. 

Is 1,700 miles too far to cycle for a twelve-year-old boy and six-year-old girl? Can they really pedal over the Rocky Mountains all the way to the Pacific Ocean? Charles Scott and his kids were daunted, but decided to try anyway, telling people, "Kids can do a whole lot more than most adults think."

And like any good adventure, things did not always go as planned.

An Introvert's Experience of a Business Conference

Last week, I gave two talks in Nashville, Tennessee at Nerve 2015, a well attended and extremely well organized conference put on by the Entrepreneur's Organization. In my talks, I shared stories from the cycling adventures I've taken with my children and from guiding my friend Dan Berlin as he became the first blind runner to cross the Grand Canyon and back nonstop. Our next challenge is Machu Picchu! See http://teamseepossibilities.com

I told the audience things like, "discomfort is the birthplace of resilience" and "the person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it." As I stood in front of a room full of people, sharing my story and offering my philosophy on living, I felt a surge of energy. It's natural to feel pressure when a group is looking at you expectantly, wondering if what you are going to say has value to them. But I didn't mind the pressure. In fact, I felt energized. I realized how extroverted I am, that I derive energy from interacting with others.

That's why I was fascinated when I met Kimberly Novosel, co-founder of Press Management Group. She's using her degree in music business and her background in tour promotions to help new artists create a stronger brand. She's a self-described "fitness fanatic."

She's also an introvert.

Kimberly explained how energy-draining it is to meet strangers and interact with people all day. After a while, she needs to find a place to be alone and recover from all the energy expended talking with others. We spoke for a while over lunch at the conference, and I worried how draining my extroverted exuberance must have been for her. But she couldn't have been kinder. And she just published a great article about her experience. Check it out here.

Pic of me with Kimberly:

Daunted Courage book reading - Oct 3, 5 - 6 p.m.

Here's the media alert that just went out about my forthcoming book, Daunted Courage: A Family's Bicycle Adventure on the Lewis & Clark Trail:

WHAT:  National Geographic-featured adventurer Charles R. Scott will read excerpts from his forthcoming* book, Daunted Courage, and describe how he cycled 1,700 miles of the Lewis and Clark Trail with his 12-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter – including traversing the Rocky Mountains. The event is FREE.

WHEN:  Saturday, October 3, 2015, 5 – 6 p.m.

WHERE: Fifty NYC, an Affinia Hotel, 155 East 50^th Street (at Third Avenue), New York City

WHY:    Charles encourages people of all ages to think adventurously. He believes a kid can do a whole lot more than most adults think and that each of us can overcome even the most intimidating obstacles.

WHO:   Charles R. Scott, National Geographic-featured adventurer and author of Rising Son: A Father and Son’s Bike Adventure Across Japan. His endurance challenges have been covered by The New York Times, NBC, FOX News, CBS Evening News, PBS, CNBC, Outside Magazine, The Huffington Post and many other media around the world.

Charles left a 14-year career at Intel Corporation to become an author, adventurer and public speaker. He gives keynotes and executive workshops about developing an adventurous mindset. Charles has cycled over 7,000 miles with his young children across Japan, Iceland, Europe and the U.S., and also serves as a guide to disabled athletes. In October 2014, he guided the first blind runner to cross the Grand Canyon and back nonstop. He ran a marathon at age 13 and, since then, completed six Ironman triathlons and many marathons and ultra distance races. For more details, see: http://familyadventureguy.blogspot.com

* Daunted Courage will be released on October 20, 2015

COMING IN OCTOBER

I've just finished writing a book about re-tracing 1,700 miles of the Lewis and Clark Trail with my children when they were 12 and 6. I will read an excerpt at the Affinia Hotel in New York City on Saturday, October 3 at 5 p.m. Kids are welcome. Come on out!

Here's a summary of the book:  

Sometimes the best way to understand history is to ride a bicycle through it.  Daunted Courage tells the story of an adventurous father and his two young children who spend a summer re-tracing the Lewis and Clark Trail, first by car then by bike. Offering entertaining insights into the most famous expedition in U. S. history, the story takes the reader on a thoroughly enjoyable ride.

Is 1,700 miles too far to cycle for a twelve-year-old boy and six-year-old girl? Can they really pedal over the Rocky Mountains, all the way to the Pacific Ocean? Charles Scott and his kids were daunted, but decided to try anyway, telling people, “Kids can do a whole lot more than most adults think.”

And like any good adventure, things did not always go as planned. 

Daunted Courage mixes danger, history, raising children with grit, and the travails of exploring the unknown into a grand tale that will leave you wanting to go out and create your own adventure.

Always On Symposium and Do What You Love

In May, I gave a keynote at the Always On Symposium in Providence, Rhode Island, put on by the IT services company Atrion. Click here to see a short excerpt from my talk about "Wow Experiences." I described the concept as an openness to change that need not be external. You can keep everything the same - your job, your hometown, your spouse, your routines - and yet experience amazing growth simply by opening your mind to a different way of looking at the mundane aspects of life.

And the awesome company Do What You Love just published an article I wrote about the value of discomfort. If you're a parent, don't make your children's lives too easy. And if you feel stuck in a rut, maybe the best thing you can do is to start getting uncomfortable. Check out the article here. Do What You Love delivers innovative online courses to thousands of people across the world, providing them with tools, advice and inspiration to do what they love, for life. Check 'em out!

 

 

The CEO and the Student

Is it normal to hear an elementary school student make the same observation as a CEO? That’s what happened when I gave a series of presentations over the past month. My calendar included:

-   Three CEO workshops (entitled “What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?”)

-   A speech in Japanese to 100 elementary school students in New York City. I told them stories from cycling the length of Japan, 2,500 miles in 67 days, with my son when he was eight years old.

-   A 90-minute speech on “being adventurous” at an offsite in New Jersey for the pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo.

-   A keynote to ~700 people at the Atrion Always On Symposium in Providence, RI. The thought leadership event encouraged companies to develop a positive work culture built around five pillars: vision, purpose, values, people and “wow experiences.” I gave a 45-minute talk about the last pillar, emphasizing that people who are encouraged to set exciting personal goals will bring that energy to the workplace. I spoke immediately after Maysoon Zayid, a comedian who rocked my world with her presentation. If you haven’t seen her TED talk, you need to.

    Here's a photo with Tim Hebert, the CEO of Atrion, who attended one of my workshops earlier in the year. I was honored he invited me to speak at his event.

-   A presentation with my fellow adventurer Alison Qualter Berna to middle school students at the United Nations International School in NYC. We told them about guiding our friend Dan Berlin last October when he became the first blind runner to cross the Grand Canyon “rim to rim to rim” nonstop. The students were particularly excited by video footage from the thousand-foot drop off as we guided Dan up the Canyon's treacherous North Rim. Here's a photo of Alison guiding Dan next to that drop off. I was immediately behind Dan, ready to grab him if he stumbled:

-   I delivered a graduation address to the high school class of 2015 at the United Nations International School. This was the sixth year in a row I've given a talk to the graduates, and it’s always an honor. I shared thoughts on discomfort (the birthplace of resilience), failure (what is it exactly?), and what I wish someone had told me when I was 18. Crediting the comedian Paula Poundstone, I told them: adults who ask what you want to be when you grow up are looking for ideas for themselves. Here's a pic from my talk:

The question the elementary school student and CEO each asked: “Weren’t you afraid?” The student asked that about my decision to cycle across Japan with my 8-year-old son when I had never attempted such a thing. The CEO asked that about my decision to leave a 14-year career at Intel Corporation to become an adventurer.

My answer to both: “Yes.” Come up with an idea that is meaningful to you. An idea that gives you chills and makes you feel alive. If you’re afraid, that means you’re on the right track. Take a deep breath. Smile. Then dive fearlessly into your own adventure.

Executive workshops, the Boston Marathon, win a trip to Big Sky, Montana, and a lot more…

Every month, I give a handful of workshops for CEOs and senior executives. Entitled “What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?” the workshops are intended to help professionals develop techniques to combine success at work with personal satisfaction. Easy to describe, hard to do! I’m scheduled to give over two dozen workshops in the U.S. and Canada in 2015, with more on the way. My favorite part of of these workshops is when an executive says, “I just had an epiphany” or “I never realized this until now, but…” There’s something powerful about evaluating where you are and where you want to go, and I love facilitating this process. For a list of upcoming workshops, click here.

I spent two weeks in Tokyo this month, giving a number of talks, book signings and press interviews. I spoke to executives, entrepreneurs and students alike. In each case, I found the same desire to create a life of meaning and explore what it means to truly live. That desire transcends culture and language.

The Japanese timepiece maker Casio and I announced a partnership and released a video about the first blind runner to cross the Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim nonstop. Check out the video here and don’t forget to enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to Big Sky, Montana.

On April 20, I served as a guide to my blind friend Dan Berlin in the Boston Marathon (the same guy who ran across the Grand Canyon). Three others joined as guides: Alison Qualter Berna, Brad Graff and Ellen Silva. It was a windy, wet and cold day, but we sure did have a lot of fun.

Finally, if you’re interested in seeing some fabulous photos of some iconic U.S. national parks and hearing my tips on which ones to visit, check out the series of videos I made for about.com. Here's one about the best national parks for children, and there are many more, including Mt. Rainier, Yellowstone, Zion, etc. Scroll through the list of videos at the bottom to see each one.

A Spin-a-thon, a school talk, and Yomiuri Shimbun

It's been a stimulating week. On Sunday, February 8, I rode a spin bicycle for 4 hours straight. This is the third year in a row that I've joined the Team Zoey spin-a-thon to support research to find a cure for the rare and fatal "rapid aging" disease Progeria. Children with Progeria typically die of a heart attack or stroke in their early teens. I learned about this disease after a friend's niece was diagnosed. She is 5 years old and her name is Zoey (see pic).

The research done so far has extended the life expectancy of kids with Progeria by a year and a half, from 13 to 14 1/2. You can make a donation here: 
http://tz.dojiggy.com/ng/index.cfm/13971/regPages/pledge/scott1

On Wednesday February 11, my friend Alison Berna and I gave two presentations to Kindergarten through 4th grade students at the United Nations International School in New York City. We told them about our experience last October guiding Dan Berlin, the first blind athlete to run across the Grand Canyon and back nonstop. Dan became a marathoner and ultra athlete *after* going blind in his 30's. 

Alison and I put on blindfolds and asked some students to guide us across the stage and around obstacles. But instead of cooperating, we intentionally went in the wrong direction, making our guides struggle to keep us on track. Afterward, we told the students to think of their teachers and parents as guides who can help them learn. Not listening to your guides only keeps you from getting where you need to go. We also encouraged the students to emulate Dan's resilience by coming up with their own adventures and looking for ways to improve the world.

Finally, over the weekend, the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, which has the largest circulation of any newspaper in the world, published an interview with my son Sho and me about our 67-day cycling trip across the country. Cool! Here's the article: