Lessons from the Road: Reflections from Conference Week

National Recreation Conference was held last week. I always love conference week as people come together to discuss relevant topics, network and reflect on the year that has been. This year I presented on lessons learned biking down the spine of North America. It was an opportunity to share the value of adventure to everyone in the room. We also unpacked some of the critical factors from ultra-endurance events that can be applied to every day life, including:

• Planning and Preparation based upon Prior Experiences (your experiences or others)

• Pacing yourself

• Reflecting

• Eating the Elephant Bite by Bite

• Comparison is the thief of joy (T Roosevelt)

• Re-framing situations into positive opportunities

• Understanding there will be good days and bad days

I was conscious of giving a presentation that did not ruin the marvellous story and lessons I’d gained. So, in light of the first lesson being “planning and preparation based upon prior experiences” I enlisted the help of Jason Gunn from easilysaid.co.nz to help ensure the message was right. Jason will be known to most, if not all of you, and he has experience in bucket loads. He is a national taonga and his wisdom and advice ensured my presentation format, structure, tone and speed was on song (hopefully). AI will never replace Jas!

Jason stressed the importance of preparation, and he practices what he preaches. He helped give the story justice. The single most important piece of advice Jason gave me was to be authentic. I’m never going to tell a story like Jas. However, being comfortable telling a story how I tell it is important.

People engaged with me after the presentation and what struck me was the many ways the story had touched them personally. It was great to hear that people were thinking about what their next adventure could be, no matter what it was.

Thank you also to my father, who was a very important part of “my why” for undertaking this adventure, and fundraising for Parkinson’s NZ. I would be more than happy to present this story to other groups if you are interested in the story (a koha to Parkinson's NZ would be all I'd ask in return 😊)

Last, but certainly not least, a huge mihi to all RA award winners. To be recognised by your peers is a fitting tribute to the mahi you have undertaken.

What’s your next adventure?

Richard Linsday