BB:
What, a ‘road to Damascus moment’?
RS:
Yes, if you like. But there was a choice – I could be burnt by the fire and do nothing but focus on that or I could act like it never happened. Yes there are things I have had to relearn like how to walk. I have problems with my left ankle, I’ve forgotten how to run, it doesn’t bend but I am still the same person. I was ALWAYS going to the South Pole
BB:
A Question that is related to the last one and I think you have probably answered it already. As I’ve explained, one of the reasons why I set up Barnacle Bill Magazine was not only to publish a title for people who enjoy building and messing around in boats, there are many boat orientated magazines out there. A major motivation was the idea of what I call ‘relative’ adventure. Maurice Herzog, the great French Mountaineer and the leader of the first team to conquer Annapurna, losing all his fingers and toes in the process of climbing that terrible mountain said “There are Annapurna’s in the lives of men”. By this he meant that we all of us face day to day challenges. One man’s adventure could be another man’s walk in the park. What’s your ‘Annapurna’ and how has your attitude to adventure changed since the accident?
RS:
As I said before, I’d always had the ambition to go to the South Pole. The accident, if anything, brought that ambition into focus. As a youngster you have no idea of mortality, you’ll live for ever. As you get older you realise this isn’t the case. Enforced hospital time makes you consider these things, forces you to think. My Annapurna hasn’t been changed by the accident. But his point is very valid. Adventure is a misused word, these days we expect all adventures to be great big challenges like this one I’m doing to Antarctica, but an adventure doesn’t have to be that. Even a night spent camping in some car park at the foot of a mountain before ascending it the same day is an adventure, yes it’s on a different scale but you have to deal with the same challenges, the same hardships the same joy albeit on a different scale. Adventure can change your life as well. Many years ago I was on a holiday to Cyprus with my then girlfriend. She was very keen to try scuba diving. I was absolutely terrified; she was really keen and talked me into it. I remember the instructor, seeing how afraid I was told me that if I was going to be sick underwater I should just throw up into my regulator. However, when we got to the bit of putting on the mask and regulator and sticking your head under water it was my girlfriend who suddenly was terrified and didn’t want to do it any more, I suddenly realised that this is what I want to do, I loved it. Returning to Scotland I learned how to dive and the rest is history.
Fear can be life changing and confronting that fear can also be life changing. Fear is part of adventure, from very real danger to the slight feeling of mild trepidation that people get before getting into a new boat. Adventure comes in many different forms. Family adventure – what could be more of a family adventure than building a boat with your kids and learning to sail in it as a family – what a rush - what a sense of achievement and ownership .
95.