LINDSAY McCormick had wanted to work on TV since a kid and has since fulfilled her dreams with her CV boasting the fact she has been a producer on House Hunters and her involvement in documentaries around the world.

A keen outdoor enthusiast Lindsay also talks to us about her passion for extreme sport as well as some of the places in the world they have taken her.

For Lindsay’s recently launched YouTube channel visit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4OsrYFXilSXF4vXE-eIqOg.

When did your desire to work in television begin and what have been some of your biggest achievements to date?

I’ve wanted to work in TV since I was a kid. I remember watching nature documentaries and travel shows and imagining about what it must be like to shoot in those remote destinations – I knew right then that’s what I wanted to do.

Becoming a producer on House Hunters is definitely a milestone for me. It’s been on for a really long time and being part of such a successful team has been an incredible learning experience.

In terms of my own projects, I’ve been really fortunate to be able to make videos for tourism boards and brands in some pretty far-flung destinations. I was most recently in China filming for the Shandong tourism board and I’ve been able to shoot in Alaska, Tunisia, Morocco and Iceland – to name a few. One of my Alaska videos even won ‘Best Adventure Video of the Year’ on tripfilms.com which was pretty exciting. 

I also just finally launched my own Youtube channel this week – I know it probably doesn’t seem like it should be something so high on my ‘Accomplishments Check List’ but it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while and finally just found the time. 

Have you always had a passion for adventure and how did where you grew up help shape who you are today and your outlook on life?

I grew up right outside of Washington, DC in northern Virginia – my dad worked for the Washington Post and my mum had travelled a lot when she was young so politics and international affairs was a big part of my childhood. I think that fueled my desire to travel from a young age. I started skiing and snowboarding when I was in middle school and snowboarded competitively in college (our women’s team took second in the nation!) so extreme sports was a staple in my life growing up as well.

I worked as a snowboard instructor in Big Bear Lake, California and a surf instructor in Malibu on and off for four years.  International travel and extreme sports has taught me if you’re not failing, you’re not getting any better. When you’re somewhere new or when you’re learning something new, you’re going to get lost, you’re going to fall.  Whether it’s in the boardroom or on the slopes – you need to fall, you need to fail. It’s how you get ‘good’.

Where in the world have your travels taken you and what have been some of the highlights?

I mentioned a few above of places that I’ve gone to film but some places I’ve gone personally just for fun – I spent a few months travelling around India, I really fell in love with it there. I’ve trekked to Everest Base Camp in Nepal which was unbelievable, it’s a spectacular hike – really special. I’m an avid scuba diver too so diving with thresher sharks in the Philippines was a highlight – it’s one of the only places in the world you can do that. 

What have been some of your wildest experiences and have there been any ‘too close to call’ moments while on your adventures?

So many wild experiences, it comes with the territory. Probably the most recent ‘could have been bad’ moment was a few weeks ago, I was scuba diving the kelp forest off Santa Barbara Island in California. I’m an advanced diver but I’ve never dived in kelp before and underestimated the depth. The water was freezing and the visibility was terrible, I lost my scuba buddy (a BIG no-no) and ended up getting tangled in some kelp and didn’t have a dive knife. I had to pull my regulator out of my mouth over and over again to bite the kelp that was stuck all over my tank and scuba gear to break free. I stayed calm and everything ended up being okay but at the time, it was definitely not cool.

What are you currently working on and do you have any exciting plans or goals for the near future?

I just launched my own YouTube channel specialising in travel and adventure videos so I’ll be working a lot on that.  I’m posting a new video every week and will hopefully be able to give a unique look into some well known and more remote destinations.  I’ve also gotten really into rock climbing. I’ll be planning some trips for that and this year I’m going to do the SoCal Summit Challenge which is summitting the six highest mountains in Southern California… so that will be fun too.

If you could sum up your philosophy on life in no more than 15 words what would those words be?

Cliché “Go big or go home” – I invoke this phrase more often than I’d like to admit. 

My own: “Live simply, travel Wide, be kind”.

Also “Meditate everyday” – it changes everything.