Dave Cornthwaite — How Adventure Had An Impact On My Life
This is the fifth of a whole series of interviews with all sorts of different people to show what effect adventure can have on your life. Initially, I will start with well established Adventurers and then we will branch out into people from all walks of life.
The aim is to show how even the smallest amount of adventure can impact your life no matter who you are or where you come from.
If you’d like to take part and have a good story with pictures, please contact me via www.mattprior.co.uk
Next up is Mr Dave Cornthwaite, another ginger adventurer! Dave has accomplished a lot in his life in a variety of different fields.
Since quitting his job as a really bad graphic designer in 2005, Dave Cornthwaite has developed a successful career based around his passions.
At the core, he is a record-breaking adventurer who has travelled over 19,000 miles as part of the groundbreaking Expedition1000 project: 25 journeys of 1000 miles or more, each using a different form of non-motorised transport. Dave has written three books: the bestselling Life in the Slow Lane, a hapless search for love in Date, and BoardFree, the story of how he left his job to skateboard further than anyone ever had.
His uniquely entertaining and motivational keynote presentations have been enjoyed on six continents and his passionate advocacy of the word YES has contributed to the sprouting of countless adventures worldwide, big and small. In between adventures Dave is committed to enabling others to reach their own potential through social journeys, workshops, group expeditions and mindset-shaping projects.
Please could give us a quick run down on your life before adventure played a part:
My Dad’s job meant that we were constantly shifting around when I was young, although it was more ‘movement’ than ‘adventure’. That lifestyle almost certainly got me used to adapting to new environments, and also being comfortable in a world with few permanent friendship groups. You get to make friends fast and learn how to say goodbye, so perhaps a nomadic lifestyle was destiny.
I went to school, then uni, made the most of every holiday to go travelling but really did it with purpose. After a while the lure of a regular income invaded and I settled for a spell in Swansea — where I’d studied International Development — after being offered a graphic design job.
How and why did you get involved in all of this?
If by ‘all of this’ you mean a world of adventure, it wasn’t intentional. After a couple of years working my relationship at the time broke down, I became disconcerted with the idea of filling my house with crap just because I had money to buy stuff and space to put it, and most importantly I had no satisfaction from my job. It’s tough finishing every day with a big fat ‘why’, and eventually I started to want for more reason.
“I became disconcerted with the idea of filling my house with crap just because I had money to buy stuff and space to put it, and most importantly I had no satisfaction from my job.”
But this time more than just a brief escape, I needed to make a huge change and set off down a different road. I felt that taking that idea literally would be both enriching and formative, and slowly the idea of doing a big endurance journey formed. Time on the road to think, creating a story that maybe I could be proud of, achieving something unique: as a totally ordinary chap I felt like I didn’t to add some strings to my bow and some appreciation of how valuable time could be — something that is practically impossible when you spend all day working for money or playing computer games.
Eventually I happened across the idea of longboarding (on wheels), and a couple of weeks after trying it out I quit my job and decided to skate further than anyone else ever had. Sanest decision of my life. I took off, skated the length of Britain and then across Australia, breaking a couple of records, raising tens of thousands for charity, making a whole world of new friends and getting a first book deal along the way.
“I quit my job and decided to skate further than anyone else ever had. Sanest decision of my life.”
How has adventure impacted your life?
In many ways my life revolves around it. Sadly, it’s a word used so often now that the meaning has eroded somewhat. It has changed too, for me it was about was venturing into a whole new world, thinking in a different way and being open and accepting to everything that happened. After my first few journeys this wasn’t just the case for my travels, but the way I began to approach life every day.
I refused to go back and do a job just for the sake of earning some cash. After skating across Australia for 5 months I realised life could be cheap and there was no justifying wasting time on an easy, boring income. We all need a little cash but living in one place is expensive and unnatural (we’re wild, roaming animals at heart, so obviously staying in one place becomes tedious and we seek to remedy that by buying stuff and getting drunk and pretending that everything is ok), so although everything in my head told me to settle again, I fought it.
“For me it was about venturing into a whole new world, thinking in a different way and being open and accepting to everything that happened”
After four or five years everything clicked. I stopped needing the things I once desired, honed in on the patterns, actions and decisions that made me happy and basically said ‘Fuck You!’ to everyone who questioned my motives. Almost immediately I started living according to how I felt rather that what I thought was right, or what was expected of me. And almost immediately I started living an awesome, boundless existence.
Adventure and living adventurously taught me that I don’t need approval (although it is nice) from people around me, I just need to choose a positive direction and the rest just falls into place.
“And almost immediately I started living an awesome, boundless existence.”
What benefits has it brought specifically? (As much detail here as possible please)
Well, although the compromise is lesser interaction with friends, strain on relationships, no place to call your own and the occasional shoulder pulls that living out of a bag comes with, the benefits are endless. I choose how to spend my time. I’ve honoured that wish I had a decade ago to start living a life that might make for interesting translation at the dinner table. I’m not scared of much anymore. If I’m going to paddle across Scandinavia or jump in a river and swim 1000 miles I’m just going to do it — I don’t see any reason that I shouldn’t, whereas once I would have conjured up every excuse in the book to avoid it.
Because I decided to only do things I loved, I became good enough at a few of them to start generating income. You’re only really going to master a skill if you work on it, but there’s nothing better than getting paid for something you would have done for free.
“I’m not scared of much anymore.”
Living with few boundaries encourages a change in those around you, and without doubt the most rewarding part of my transition into adventure is that I can take advantage of the audience my adventures attract by bringing them into worthwhile ideas, projects and visions. You see that across the board whenever someone is successful, almost always they start working out how they can help others. It’s got to the stage where my most important work happens between my adventures, and when I need a break I go and do a 1000+ mile journey. I mean, isn’t that ridiculous? Had you told me ten years ago that this would be reality and normal I would have coughed in your face. The main benefit. I would’t change a thing. I’m happy.
“The main benefit. I would’t change a thing. I’m happy.”
Why would you suggest others should get involved?
It’s not for me to suggest anything. It really frustrates me when I hear people who’ve not even taken their first step saying that they want to be an adventurer so they can inspire people. First step is to sort yourself out, find out what your individual reasons are for doing anything, and then, once you get your shit sorted and start living life by your own terms, then you start inspiring. If you try and skip a few steps you just start rehashing every motivational quote you’ve heard other people say, and then you become just another person on Facebook. Actions, not words… But being an inspiration should NEVER be the reason to do this stuff. Making a difference however….
I want to see positive change in everybody I meet, and now and then I know I can make a small difference. Seeing how that change affects them is way more important than playing a part in it.
All I’d say to anyone who is reaching the realisation that they could do more with their time, is stop mucking about. Start living a project-based existence. You don’t need to instantly quit your job but if it’s sucking your soul don’t let it suck for long. We live in an incredibly rich, fortunate, adaptable age. Each one of us is in a unique position, and that combination of right here, right now, with YOU on that very spot, there’s some pretty awesome chemistry just waiting to happen.
Start thinking about what else you could do, and start acting. Start saying yes. DO new things. Learn and venture and listen and create something new and unique. After that there’s no looking back.
“All I’d say to anyone who is reaching the realisation that they could do more with their time, is stop mucking about. Start living a project-based existence.”
“You don’t need to instantly quit your job but if it’s sucking your soul don’t let it suck for long.”
Do you think anyone could do what you do?
Yes, to a degree. Anyone can swim or paddleboard or kayak 1000 miles. Stop making excuses, just carve out enough time and start moving and eventually you’ll make the distance.
Nobody can do exactly what I do, because it’s me doing it. Everyone would have their different slant, motives and reasons. The hardest thing I ever did was to create a new career out of all this stuff — out of something they don’t teach you at school. It took five years after leaving my mundane life behind before I even started to realise what was possible.
Work hard (harder than you ever do in a normal job), focus, be ruthlessly positive and only listen to advice if you ask for it. Then you’ll get there given time.
What would you say are the main excuses for not doing this sort of stuff and how would you suggest people overcome them?
Don’t have time. Don’t have money. What would my family say? What about my cat? I’ve got a family. I’m too old. I’m not fit enough. I don’t know how. Why would anyone want to do that?
How to overcome this stuff. Come along to an event where adventurers are sharing their stories. Surround yourself with positive people. Get out more. Spend some time in nature. Ask yourself honestly if you’re content spending your time as you are. Record yourself saying all of these excuses out loud and then play them back in the company of everyone you care about. If you’re proud of your current choices you’ve got nothing to worry about, but if you want to make a change stop talking and start acting.
“Get out more. Spend some time in nature. Ask yourself honestly if you’re content spending your time as you are.”
Myself and ocean advocate Emily Penn run a project called Exploring Mindset. It’s a chance for people ready for a transition to join us on a journey where we focus in on what’s important to us. I mean, REALLY important. This year we’re running two back-to-back weeks on the Mississippi River. Check out www.exploringmindset.com for details
And through the Summer I’m inviting people to join me for a camp out under the stars. Sometimes mid week, sometimes on the weekend, it’s a chance to bring together strangers who think alike, and create a tribe of good people who are committed to making personal and social change. We’ve had hundreds of people involved already, jump on www.davecorn.com/joindave to sign up to the next one.
What’s next for you?
I’m developing my SayYesMore brand into something more tangible, which involves creating a space in nature not far from London where people can escape from the city, relax, work, spend time with good people and nurture their next steps. It’s a really exciting project with huge potential.
My next adventure will be walking the Abraham Path in the Middle East with my friend Leon McCarron. That starts December 1st and will last three months.
Some good honest advice from Dave on how to get where you want to be and what effect it could have on your life if you started today!
To get in touch with Dave or follow his exploits online: http://www.davecornthwaite.com/
“If you want to make a change stop talking and start acting”
Interested in your own adventure?
Click here to find out more:
www.mpadventureacademy.com
Other Interviews:
Sean Conway
Sophie Radcliffe
Alastair Humphreys
Squash Falconer
Anna McNuff
Chris Burkard
Lois Pryce
Chris Brisley
Matt Prior
Jimmy White
Ian Packham
Travis Crozier
Paul Everitt
Shirine Taylor
Charlie Frew
Annie Ross
Ash Dykes
Emily Bell
Levison Wood
Roz Savage
Milo Zanecchia
Emily Penn
