On Friday last week, Team Red and I arrived dusty, sweaty, blistered and happy at the finish line of the 100-km Laureus Challenge 2022. It was a gruelling final effort through 20km of soft sand dunes, made even more challenging by an out-of-season heatwave in the UAE. It hurt like f&*k, and yet it taught me a lot about perseverance, collaboration, and the power of finishing what you start.

Organised by Force for Good and Laureus Sport, and sponsored by Sierra Space, the event benefits Laureus Sport for Good. The non-profit foundation brings sport to underprivileged children and youths – something that has huge social and emotional benefits for disadvantaged communities.

The challenge ran over four days, involving 20 and 32km hikes per day through the mountains, wadis and deserts of all seven Arab Emirates. You might think walking 25km per day is fairly manageable. I did. And yet I hadn’t taken into account the desert heat; nor had I accounted for how debilitating blisters can be. It turns out your feet are everything when you’re hiking long distances in challenging conditions (thank you, feet!).

Despite the feet and the heat, I made it across the finish line with my amazing team. And in doing so, I learned a few life lessons.

Lesson # 1: One foot in front of the other

When I contemplated the Laureus Challenge before the event started, I had romantic visions of enjoying sweeping views of the desert and having time to wondrously contemplate life and the Universe. The reality was somewhat different.

Sure, there were moments where I felt awed by our world. For example, when we walked through serene valleys between majestic mountains; when the dawn light turned pink over craggy mountains, or when the undulating sand dunes looked rose-gold and lovely in the cool glow of sunset. There was plenty of laughter, and joyous moments spent solving life’s mysteries with like-minded souls.

And yet, there were at least as many moments spent with my head down, focused on putting one foot in front of the other, gritting my teeth against the constant foot pain and blasting heat. Moments where I wondered how I could possibly face another 15km of soft sand dunes in boots that were as hot as the sand underneath them.

There were also parts of our journey that were pretty ugly: we hiked past power stations, transmission towers and barbed wire fences. We probably didn’t look too pretty, either. I, for one, was routinely covered in layers of sand, sweat and sunscreen (which paired perfectly with my pale pink UV sleeves).

But that’s the game of life. It’s not always going to look pretty. You’re not always going to look or feel pretty. The journey is going to feel glorious at times, and at other times, you’re going to want to tell whoever is actually driving this bus to STOP RIGHT NOW so you can get the hell off.

In those moments, all you can do is keep going, knowing that, at some point, this too shall pass. One foot in front of the other. Step by step by step by aching step.

Lesson # 2: Team work makes the dream work

Ultimately, what got me through this challenge was the people. I had the good fortune of landing in a fabulous team who were truly collaborative, always supporting each other with candy, electrolytes, bandaids and a kind word. They were interesting people – and they were interested people.

Getting curious about other people, and having them be equally curious about me, was crucial on that challenge. It kept my mind off the pain and discomfort.

What also helped was seeing that it mattered to them that I made it to the end. I knew I had a team of people willing me to finish as much as I was spurring them on. I wanted to make it because they wanted me to make it.

So, when persevering feels impossible, look up. Look around, look outside yourself. Get curious about other people, their lives and their dreams. See how you can contribute to something bigger than yourself.

Lesson #3: There’s power in finishing what you start

Along with heat exhaustion, blisters were responsible for many a dropout on the Laureus Challenge. I’ll admit I did my fair share of moaning about my own blisters, and there were times when I thought about how good (and how easy!) it would be to pack it in and hop aboard the truck at the next water stop. And yet I stuck to it, and I’m so effing glad I did. Here’s what I learned:

Sometimes extenuating circumstances mean we simply can’t finish. Sometimes it’s not the path for us. I’ve left plenty of things unfinished in my life. I’ve quit reading innumerable books that got boring, that had forgettable storylines and characters, or that got repetitive. I’ve left a pile of pre-recorded courses and meditations unfinished, and even un-started. And that’s OK.

But sometimes it serves us to finish, even if we know that every minute of the journey is going to hurt. It’s going to take every ounce of grit and perseverance to push through, but Source, is it worth it on the other side.

It felt utterly worth it when I crossed that finish line for the Laureus Challenge 2022 on Friday 19 November. I felt like I’d done something memorable and worthwhile. I felt empowered – I learned what I’m capable of. And I felt, and still feel, lit up by my fellow humans, and by life itself.

3 takeaways from this post

When it all feels too big and overwhelming, bring it right back to the basics: one step at a time.
Get curious, and get collaborative.
Does it matter to you? If the answer’s yes, then finish what you started. It’ll light you up. It’s worth it – you’re worth it.

Love,

Tamsin xx

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