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Having spent so long in one place during lockdown, have you learned anything new about yourself, or ways to challenge yourself from home?
If anything, this lockdown experience has only reinforced the importance of having a free mind! Even if your body is confined in one space, your mind can still travel, imagine and create.
I’ve made the most of this down time to take a step back, slow down on the constant travelling and focus on the planning of my upcoming projects. Lockdown was also the perfect opportunity to launch my YouTube channel to share some of my knowledge and experiences with my online community. What is important in these times is to adapt to the situation, continue to dream and plan for the future!”
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How do you manage loneliness and isolation while away?
During my expeditions, I’m often alone, but I never feel lonely! It is important to learn how to be alone without feeling lonely, because loneliness pulls you down. I personally love being isolated, because it gives me time with myself to focus on my goals.
When I find myself in a tent in the middle of the Arctic alone, I have no choice but to count on myself and that’s when I push myself to the max.
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As a survival expert, how do you build the mental strength to overcome adversity and endure such extreme environments?
Mental strength is the basis for everything I do. Without a strong mind, the body will never follow. I have strengthened my mind through discipline, trust and open-mindedness, but also through hardship.
By forcing yourself out of your comfort zone, you find yourself facing obstacles you have no choice but to overcome. It may seem counter-intuitive but by putting yourself in tough situations, you learn how to overcome them.
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How do you keep your team motivated on expeditions and what advice could you give to business leaders struggling to motivate their team in these unprecedented times?
I keep my team motivated by giving them responsibilities, by setting them challenges and by trusting them! The advice I would give any business leader seeking to motivate his/her team in these unprecedented times is to adapt, innovate and trust.
A strong team survives any obstacle thrown their way! You have to keep close, listen and make sure everyone is playing their unique part in the success of your business.”
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You started the Young Explorers Program – how important is it we continue to encourage the next generation to lead and achieve?
It is absolutely essential! I often say, the biggest source of untapped energy is our youth. We do not focus enough on the young generation, the movers and shakers of tomorrow! The fate of our planet rests in their hands, only they can make up for the mistakes that previous generations have made.
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Your 2019 #NorthPoleCrossing expedition drew valuable attention to the impact of global warming – can you tell me how it felt to witness such shocking effects first-hand?
I knew the world was changing, because I had witnessed changes here and there, but I never expected these changes to take place so rapidly. I knew conditions (ice thickness) would be worse than previous years, but I probably would have reconsidered the success of my expedition had I known how bad the conditions really were.
What shocks me most, and where I hold a certain amount of responsibility, is that we have no idea what is going on in the Arctic because nobody lives there. This is why I felt it was my duty to share these observations with the world as a first-hand witness, in hopes of spreading a global alert to the current conditions of our polar regions.”
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What is your greatest achievement?
Difficult to say! When asked, I usually respond by saying that my last achievement was my greatest because only an accumulation of all the knowledge and experience acquired over the previous achievements would have made the latest possible. In that case, my greatest would be my #NorthPoleCrossing expedition, it was a real race against time and the changing climate!
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If you could give your younger self any advice now, what would it be?
Dream even bigger! You are capable of anything if you set your mind to it!
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