Cycling JOGLE and the Ripple Effect - Emma Wood

In May 2023, Emma Wood embarked on a two week adventure cycling the length of the UK from John O'Groats to Land's End.

As a busy mum of two girls, with a successful career in financial services, the logistics surrounding this journey were half the battle. But having got a taste of long distance cycling during a 4 day trip cycling unsupported from Dorset to Cornwall, she was ready for a bigger challenge . Accompanied by her dad in the support van,  she set off cycling solo from the north of Scotland on the adventure of her life. 

Whilst others have completed this nonetheless challenging route, Emma's story is extraordinary in that it shows what is possible amongst all the other commitments in our daily lives and the importance of taking time for ourselves s. It would have been totally understandable for Emma to say she was too busy or that she was needed by her family. But by listening to and validating the voice that told her that she needed to do this for herself,  Emma has achieved something amazing and inspired many others to dare to dream and do along the way.    

This is an honest and engaging conversation about the guilt and challenges we experience as parents when we decide to head on a solo adventure as well as the benefits we encounter when doing do - and the positive ripple effect that these adventures can have on those around us too.

Find out more about Emma on Instagram at @wildlyemazing 

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Linkedin: @Nicki-bass
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Email: nicki@resiliencework.co.uk

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Transcript

 Hello, and welcome to the everyday adventure podcast. My name is Nicki Bass, and I'm a business psychologist, army veteran, and everyday adventurer. I will be sharing my conversations with some truly incredible guests who are weaving adventure into their daily lives. And I really hope that these conversations inspire you to undertake your own everyday adventures too. 

So today I'm absolutely thrilled to welcome Emma Wood to the show. So Emma is actually based very locally to me, just down the road here in Dorset on the South Coast. And I was introduced to Emma by a mutual friend, somebody who I played netball with. So, um, lovely Kate, thank you so much for, for the introduction.

And she said, I just know the perfect person for you to speak for your podcast. She's just amazing. She does the most incredible adventures and you'll hit it off and it will be brilliant. And so how could I resist with, with, uh, Intro a pitch like that. Um, and she was right. Um, Emma and I met for a cup of coffee back in, back a couple of months ago now, just to talk through what she'd been up to, which I'll tell you more about in a moment.

Um, and what it reminded me is it sort of really reconnect with the original purpose of the podcast and why I set it up in the first place, which was very much about everyday adventures, about adventures that people who have Busy  sort of lives with lots of different things going on with them, whether it's work, whether it's family, whether it's all the things that people typically go, Oh, I don't know how you've got time or how you, how you make the time to do these things. 

It was those sort of people that I really wanted to shine a spotlight on in order to try and inspire other people to go, you know what, it might not be the, the, the only person who's ever done this. I might have got the highest, I might have not done the biggest adventure, but, It's something that I have found a way to weave into my very busy daily life, um, and has given me so much in the process.

So, just, that's a little bit of context, but actually I do think what Emma did was fairly immense to me. Just, just to sort of round that off because she doesn't think I'm making it too small. Um, but yeah, so Emma, after a long career in financial services, um, was temporarily paused. So, just Emma. Prioritize setting out her own, setting out to achieve some of her own personal goals and dreams.

And this saw her cycling unsupported from Dorset to Cornwall in four days. And that really got her in the mood, sort of whetted her appetite for a longer cycle. Um, and so in May of 2023, Emma set off from John O'Groats on an epic bike ride all the way to Land's End while supported by her dad for the two weeks, uh, and just met, had the most incredible adventure along the way.

And, as I said, I know some people listening to the podcast may have done Land's End to John O'Groats or, or, or the other way around. I've certainly spoken to other people who've done this or done records, um, and that sort of thing. But I just think, actually, to take the time out, And to prioritize it and to prioritize yourself when you have so many other things going on in the background and Emma's and she's got a full family life.

Um, and to go, you know what, this is something that I really need to do. I think there is something really magical in that. So I'm really excited to catch up with Emma today and chat to her a little bit more about the adventure. So Emma, welcome to the show. It is such a pleasure to have you here. Thank you for having me, Nikki.

I'm honestly, I'm thrilled to be here. Thank you. So, I know when we, when we first met and you gave me a little bit of background as, as, as to how you ended up in Scotland about to get on your bike. About, so as we're recording this, just about six months ago now. Um, I just wondered if you could share a little bit behind, you know, your motivation, your drive to, to to take on this challenge, because although it's well known, it's still a pretty enormous challenge that you did.

Um, and you know, why, why, why this? Why now? What was it that really, really drove you to take us on? Yeah, thanks, Nikki. So I suppose  it started a long time before May. So when I was little, I had something called aplastic anemia. And at the time, I didn't realize how ill I was, but I think as I grew up and my parents gave me kind of age appropriate information, that slowly but steadily kind of instilled this  appreciation of life.

So I think I've always had that love of adventure, making the most of things, trying new things. Um,  and that was, yeah, sort of when I was little, it, you know, it turned out that it was, it was You know, riding a bike, or it was rollerblading. As I got older, and I realized  just how ill I was,  the adventures kind of got a bit bigger, and that's when I started to kind of push and challenge myself. 

Um, a little bit more just to see what I was really capable of.  And it started with at university with my now love of snowboarding, skydiving, I then started to try running. So I just kind of say yes to anything that kind of came along and I just show up and give it a go. It wasn't always the best. It's never for me been about.

The stats or the time or the kudos or the likes, it's  just been about giving it a go.  And I think the, the journey that I set out to do actually started in my head over 10 years ago,  when I read an incredible book, and again, about a mom with children, and I just thought, what an incredible adventure. And it just felt that this time around, everything just kind of fell into place at the right time.

So when I cycled from  Dorset to Cornwall, that was almost kind of the prequel to it. So I knew how tough cycling through Devon and Cornwall would be.  And I thought, well, if I can do that,  and they're pretty brutal hills,  why can't I? Yeah, just give it a go. And it's not to say that it was easy. I was so incredibly nervous beforehand. 

Um, and a good friend of mine said, well, even if you just cycle through Scotland, You've cycled through Scotland. And so when I thought about what I wanted to get out of it, one of the goals was just start it. I didn't know how it was going to end up, but just to start it, give it a whirl, give it my best shot. 

Um, and. It paid off.  I love that. I love that. Actually, the goal in itself is just to get to the start line, um, but actually whatever comes after that and, you know, and as we all know, you know, you're generally not really in control of what happens next despite even with the best planning, but that feeling of it.

Yeah. Okay, so actually if I even get there, if I've managed to get, you know, put everything in place and get up there and like you said, even if I get to cycle through Scotland, that would be amazing. Um, I think,  I mean, I was just thinking back to, you know, it, it's interesting, I think as well, how we can minimize. 

Because we, we're so full of stories of things or filled with stories or narratives of these really incredible, huge adventures. And I was just thinking about when you're saying about cycling from Dorset to Cornwall.  And I mean, I've driven that in an old camper van and that's, you know, I mean, I don't know my car and that is still a lot of hills.

I've done it in a camper van and I've sort of been willing the camper van to get up the hill.  Gosh, even that in itself is something that so many people would just wouldn't even know where to start or attempt to start. And like he said that that thing of every time you do something like that, which is pretty huge in itself, then to be go, you know what, I managed that. 

So, I might be able to manage this. Um,  I guess I'm just wondering, having,  you know, got to that start line, um, and sort of managed all of the, all of the logistics and the, the sort of the psychological demons probably to get there into the beginning, I mean, what, now looking back on the, the challenge itself, I mean, what was, what was the, sort of, the biggest challenge?

most challenging or the most difficult part about it for you? What was the bit that you think, actually, that's the thing that could have stopped me, and that's the thing I'm really proud in overcoming?  It's a really  good point to reflect on now, actually, because if I thought about it before I set off, I would have said, hands down, it would have been Being away from the family.

And I always thought that that would be the hardest kind of part to overcome.  But actually my girls were fine. They were with their family. They were having a really, really good fun time. Um, and life kind of carried on as normal for them. They were at school and so it wasn't actually, that is always the unexpected things I think sometimes.

Um, say.  I,  I,  so I'll share a story actually. So the prequel to this was cycling from, um, from home to Cornwall. So whenever I'm training or I'm trying to build up to an adventure, I try as much as possible to build into around the family. And so actually what we were doing is I was cycling down to Cornwall to join the family.

For May half term. So I'd cycled for four days and it was, it was really tough. It was through Devon, through Cornwall and the family were there. They were waiting for me at the end  where we were due to be staying.  And the hardest thing about the whole thing was actually then discovering that our accommodation was actually booked for the week before, not the week  that we were due to stay there.

So I was absolutely exhausted. The kids were tired because they'd been waiting all morning for mommy to finish because I was due to finish before lunchtime so we could have lunch together  and then we didn't have a bed for the night. So sometimes it is the, yeah, the, the completely, it's the, the unplanned things that actually, that was the hardest bit for that actually was, was at the end. 

I think for my journey from John O'Groats to Land's End,  it's ridiculous because The things that I thought it would be leaving the family, it'd be the hills, it'd be, you know, cycling through the Cairngorms and it would be the climbing, the relentless climbing, but actually it wasn't. There was one day that I needed to  avoid some cows, which absolutely sounds ridiculous now,  but I was in the middle of nowhere.

There was no phone reception. Um, I didn't know where dad was in the van and They, there was, there were just lots of cows and it sounds so, so ridiculous now. I live right by the new forest and encounter them every time I go for a bike ride. But on this moment, in that time, I just completely froze. So, But obviously I got through it and, and it was fine.

Um, but it, sometimes it, it was just the, the trickiest thing. Cause I felt in that moment just so very, very, very alone. Um, and I just had to kind of, yeah, get, get through it. But it was, um, yeah, that's, I think that, that bizarrely,  cause I knew the rest of it was going to be hard. Um, so it was just, um, yeah, powers, I think actually. 

It's so interesting. There's lots I could pick up with this. I think it's, it's fascinating how, like you said, the bits we know we're going to be hard and aware of the bits we prepare for. So where they are hard in the moment, they may not be as, you know, that you have strategies in place. for being able to, to navigate them, I guess, or, or you sort of, you anticipate them.

So you're like, okay, so this is going to be a hard bit because I'm going up the hills or whatever and I, and I've prepared for it and I've done the training, but those unexpected things, which can completely. throw you off track. And I think both of your stories just like totally illustrate that thing of going, actually,  a lot of what stops people going on these sort of adventures is thinking, you know, well, I'm not ready yet, or I'm not prepared enough, or I need to do all of these.

And actually, the reality is that maybe we're never going to be prepared enough. Maybe part of the preparation is just being able to anticipate that there'll be stuff that happens that you could never have in your wildest dreams come up with. I think that's it. And I think afterwards, I've been, I've been writing the journey up as part of kind of the process.

And one of the things I talk about in that is plan for the plan not to go according to plan because you can, I'm quite organized when it comes to things like this because I want to minimize the chance of this going wrong or that going wrong. But actually you've just got to roll with it sometimes and it will just unfold and it will just be, and you've got to be adaptable in that moment, I guess. 

And I guess it's then, look, you're able to look back on those moments and go, you know what?  I was able to. They might have been terrifying and scary and awful. And to be honest, the cow thing doesn't sound ridiculous at all. I mean, that's the thing that would floor me. I once made the mistake of saying to my son, I think he was scared of, I can't remember what he was scared of.

He was scared of something. And I went, Oh, do you know that more people die from cows than they die from?  I don't know what it was. Dog attacks, or God knows, I made some really stupid flippant analogy to try and stop him being scared of the thing he was scared of.  And from that moment for about, probably still now, it's been about eight years, he's still terrified of cows and every time we go to the fields we have to avoid them.

And I'm like, I mean, and they can be quite dangerous, but like you said, it's sort of always like it, this thing can take on a whole, a whole life of its own. Um, and it's also the thing, but it's also the thing that we're made to feel slightly ridiculous or silly about thinking, okay, that's, that's when you're alone and you're on your own and feeling vulnerable, absolutely, because you're not in control because there's, I guess, because they've got the mind of their own too.

And like you said, you're having to navigate it. I mean,  just moving on, thinking about.  You know, the benefits, because in a way we talked about actually when you do those hard things, then actually you're able to sort of sit with that and go, actually I managed to get through it, I did it, I overcame it, I managed to navigate it.

Um, were there any other sort of benefits that came from your achievement from, from the cycling, or even from the planning from it as well, that you, that you sort of didn't expect to,  To sort of benefit from or you didn't expect to happen and you look back and go, actually that, that to me was partly what it was about.

That was, that sort of made it feel a sort of a whole picture in a way. Yeah. Cause I think there was so many things that I was hoping to get out of it and it was almost like, uh,  it was obvious, you know, I hope that I'd get fitter and stronger and braver. Um, you know, it was fantastic doing it with my dad as well.

And so,  Kind of our, you know, friendship and, you know, the storytelling and the memories. That's, um, a wonderful, wonderful takeaway to, to kind of cherish. But in terms of the unexpected,  I think one of my other goals was to inspire my daughters. I wanted them to see mummy doing hard things. I wanted them to see women doing hard things.

Um, and to inspire, yeah, to inspire my daughters,  um, which I think it did, and I think they look at what I do and what I achieve and, um, and they just see that as, yeah, mummy's just doing something crazy again, um, and I like the fact that it's kind of normal for them to think that as well. I suppose I hadn't expected  the ripples to go further than that.

So I hadn't expected,  um, like my niece, for example, who's three, um, took up her balance bike and they sent me a little video saying, you know, Oh, Auntie Emma, I can ride my bike too. And, um, and so that was, that's really magical. Like when it kind of reaches further than you're um, anticipated it would. Um, and even my daughter,  um, on one of the calls during, during my bike ride says, Oh, mommy, everyone is talking about you at school.

And I think it was to the point where she was almost embarrassed. Like everyone knows what you're doing. And That didn't come from me and, you know, self kind of publication or anything. It was kind of just kind of people inquiring as to what was going on and, and the kind of buzz and excitement around it in the playground.

Um,  so that was, that's lovely because I think the more people that talk about it, hear about it, know about it, that, you know, Mums can do this and it's accessible and it's brilliant and I think we should be encouraging and supporting in order to kind of, yeah, pay it forward, I suppose. So I think that's definitely a huge, huge benefit.

Um, but also doing things like this, like never in a million years did I think that I'd go from doing an epic bike ride, which has been a dream for over a decade to talking to you. So yeah, there's been so many, so many kind of, yeah, unexpected benefits.  Oh, it's amazing. I love that. I, I, I feel very flattered to be included in your, your list of benefits either way.

Thank you. Um,  I love that point about ripples  and about, we can, we can anticipate like what we, like you said, what, what I'd like to come out of this, what I'd like people to get for myself, for others that, you know, who I, in my immediate circle, I'm, I'm, I'm hoping will be inspired or, you know, the example I want to set.

But that point you make about how you don't know where that's going to touch and reach to and at what point it stops, if it stops. And I think that's the other lovely bit about  when we take on a challenge or when we do something that's pushed ourselves, like you said, it doesn't just have consequences for us.

And, and I think it links to that point about, you know, one of the things that I've talked about quite frequently on this podcast with other guests is about this idea of mum guilt, this idea that actually we should feel bad for taking, you know, I was at a conference for two days this week. It's like, you know, taking time away from your kids and how can you possibly do that?

And you know, this sort of,  and it's not always said, but there's this sort of undercurrent of guilt. Of, I think that can be quite insidious in some ways of just feeling, okay, this is. This is not what I should be doing or, um, you know, what, it's selfish somehow to take that time or to do an adventure that is actually for you. 

Um,  and I think there's, there's two points, I think one that it's not even, even if it is entirely just for you, that's completely justified in the first place. Um, and then the second point that actually adventures are never just for one person because they touch so many other people. People within that person's fear and, and I know for myself, when I've gone off, if I've gone for, you know, even if it's like a week snowboarding on my own or going away for a few days with work and I come back and I just feel energized and I feel I've got so much more to give. 

to those around me. Um, and yeah, it might be crazy hectic when I get back and you know, it takes a while to sort of everyone to readjust and everything. But I think,  yeah, that, that knowledge that actually what you're doing, not just doesn't just matter to you, but matters to the rows around you too, and how you're able to show up for them, I think is really important.

Absolutely. And I think was when I was away, I think.  kind of almost went through this kind of what I describe as like a  rewilding process, where you just come back to kind of being who you really are. And you're in nature all day, every day doing something physically challenging. And I think it just set me back to kind of my roots.

And  that benefits everybody. So I think when I came back, I was more me,  if that makes sense. And I think when you do. do things and when you do prioritize things, it is important to allow yourself to do that because we spend so much time kind of looking after everybody else that actually it's, um, there's something really,  yeah, critical really about, about prioritizing that for, for us as well.

Um, and I mean, it's hugely enjoyable as well. It's physically demanding,  mentally challenging, but also hugely enjoyable as well. And I think that just gives you that fizz and that excitement that, like you say, it's that ripples that kind of, yeah, benefits afterwards.  And I think that confidence it gives you back in yourself.

I mean, I'm one of those common conversations I think I have when, when coaching, particularly working with women and parents is around that sense of feeling like they've lost a part of their identity sometimes when they, I think because of this, there are so many competing demands. On us, you know, on a daily basis, whether that's from work, whether that's from family, wider family, parents, children, you know, I think by this, a certain stage, we've all, we've all sort of  accumulated so many other needs that we need that needs to be met for other people.

And I think that sense of who am I amongst all of this. And like he said, just to be able to get back and go, this is, this is just who am I am.  at my very sort of basic and covered in mud  and peddling through, you know, plodding through the mountains and the hills and that sort of thing. I think there's something very precious about being able to, to recognize how, like you said, how important that is.

Um, and so Witch and Mine is quite a nice segue to be honest. It's not that I want to put any pressure on you, of course, but, but if you were thinking about doing another type of adventure or  You know, do you have anything in, in your mind that either you've got planned or you would like to do coming up? 

It's so funny because when I was doing, um, John O'Groats to Land's End, and like I said, my, my first kind of goal was just to get to the start. And then it was just a cycle through Scotland and I'd take it, I'd break it down and it'd be literally day by day by day. Sometimes mile by mile just to keep moving forwards. 

But there did become this point  towards the end of the ride, where I was like, in my head, I'd start to say to myself, well, next time when I do it this way, or next time, and I was like, Emma, stop, stop. What are you saying to yourself?  Um, so at some points, I would love to cycle the other way. It just, it just feels like it just needs to be done.

Um, but I'm not putting any pressure on myself as to time frame or, or when, um, but that will, it, that will happen at some point, but it's quite nice. So I completed the cycle right in May and I've just been really happy just sitting with that kind of, That excitement and that accomplishment and just  processing it.

So I said that I've been writing about it and I think. That's almost been  end of the journey. It didn't kind of, it physically ended in May, but actually mentally it's taken a long time to  process all those memories, those thoughts, those feelings. And I just wanted to kind of. Take time just to capture it really so I've kind of been quite comfortable  Not piling on lots of pressure for the next thing and chasing kind of the next one  but there will be more of course there will be more and It's funny.

It's one of the other goals that I loosely set out for myself was to cycle a hundred miles in one day because that's something that I've never done before and And I planned the route from John O'Greats down to Land's End, and there was one day where it was about 91 miles. And I thought, I'll see how I'm going on the day, I can always kind of  Do a bit more and see if I can personally hit that kind of cycle a hundred miles.

Now, of course, on the day, no, there's no chance. Absolutely no way was I gonna cycle any further than I absolutely needed to. But I think that that's, that's something that I'd like to do. I'd like to probably locally around the new forest. Take one day and just cycle 100 miles because that's still a first and still something that I'd kind of physically like to kind of push myself  to, um, to do.

And that's something that my girls could come and join and do, you know, five or 10 miles with as well. So it becomes a family adventure as well. Um, yeah, so I think that's another one. And then I think just paying it forward, having these conversations, having, you know, taking time to inform other people, educate other people about what's involved.

So  it's about for me at the moment, this kind of having those conversations as well, because I think  what I did isn't average, it did take preparation and it did take training, but it's not beyond the capability of a lot of other people. And I think whilst I wouldn't sit here and say anyone can do anything, I really firmly believe that a lot of people, especially women, can  do more than either  they think they can or that society tells them that they can.

So I think it's about, um, yeah, just kind of encouraging and nudging and supporting, um, friends, family, whoever that wants to get started because you don't necessarily need, you don't need a fancy bike. If you've got a bike, then you can have an adventure on it. So yeah, it's just about paying it forward still, um, as well as kind of those personal kind of Challenges for me as well. 

That's amazing isn't it? And I love your answer as well because often,  yeah, the response to what's next can be the next thing is what's the next adventure and I guess and it's so normal and natural as well just to sort of, you know, I'm, I'm so guilty of it, I'll come back from something and sign up straight away for something else. 

I've learned to sit with this a bit longer now, normally because I don't quite know what's going to be going on at that particular point in my life. But, but I think it is, it's a way.  Some, in some ways of avoiding the sort of the real life come down, I think from that happens after an adventure where you sort of go, Oh, okay, that's it.

Sometimes life can feel a little bit less, less thrilling than the thing you've done. But I love the, your point about actually that the next step might not be. It can involve in another adventure and might involve a different type of adventure doesn't always need to be sort of bigger or better or, you know, building on something,  but that it can also be about how you you share that story and the impact and taking time for that story to have an impact.

Um, and that that can be the adventure in itself. Um, and so if someone is listening to this and they've been hugely inspired, which I'm no doubt everybody listening to this has been, but if they're listening to this and they think, you know, I would love to get started on an adventure of my own, whether it is cycling John O'Groats to Land's End, whether it is doing a hundred miles, whether it is buying a boat, or, you know, borrowing a bike from a friend and, you know, cycling down the road.

Um, what's the one piece of advice you would give them?  So I would say, prioritize it.  I think it's so easy to say, I haven't got the time or I haven't got the energy. I haven't got the right kit. I haven't, you know, X, Y, and Z. But I think If you carve out that priority for yourself,  and it's different for everybody, so it's not necessarily people, you know, everyone needs to do what I did, but just prioritize something that you want to achieve. 

And then plan it. And I think make it playful as well. I think it's, um,  yeah, just once you allow time for it, the planning will naturally happen because you'll be driven and excited and if it's something playful, it will be something that you really want to do. And if it's something you really want to do, you'll really want to plan it.

So it's, um, I think just find something that you really want to achieve, um, and allow yourself.  To prioritize it and I think in doing so.  it will quite quickly kind of  gather momentum. I think sometimes you do need to make sacrifices. So when I had to, when I was prioritizing making, um, John O'Grace to Land End happen,  I did have to say no to things.

I did have to say, unfortunately, that I wouldn't be at my girl's sports day. And that was really, really hard.  But it also sat okay with me because I was trying to inspire them and I was having my own sports day. So you do have to prioritize it and  it's, um,  it's something that anyone can, you know, anyone can do that.

Everybody has the same amount of time in the day. It's just how we  choose to use it, I suppose. So yeah, that, that'd be my one thing to prioritize it and then to plan it, but keep it playful.  Yeah, it's, it's the, the prioritization is,  like you said, it's just so key. It's just how much, how much does it matter that I do this?

How much do I want to do this? Uh, I mean, you know, I was just thinking about it, that thing of compromise as well, that can,  you know, we can make out that these are, that is it, they're easy compromises or that we don't necessarily feel. bad alongside them, but that we find a way. I was just, I was thinking back how I did it.

Um, I went snowboarding for a week back at the end of March on my own, um, which just happened to coincide with my daughter's school play. Um, and I didn't know this at the time, clearly I'd booked it and then went, Oh God, it's the school. But it was that thing of going, I do, I'm, you know, this is hard. I would love to be at the school play.

She'd been going on about it for months. Um, so. And at the same time going, actually,  you know what, this really matters. This really matters that I go and do this thing. And like you said, for me, that's where I play. Um,  but that there were so many things that could get in the way of it, or that could stop you.

And often, you know, sometimes things do stop us doing things, but actually, what is it? How do I keep going back to that? If I've stopped this time, how do I keep going back to it and finding a way to reprioritize it? Um, and yeah, you reminded me of a conversation I had with my husband at the weekend. He was like, you know what, if you stopped signing up and going off and doing choir or this or that, then you might have time for it.

And I was like, you know what, it's the, it's the netball and the choir and the surfing and the same. Those are the things that keep me going and allow me to show up and stack the dishwasher. So, yeah, it keeps you, you, it keeps you, you. And I think the more. You can hold on to that the more you feel capable of doing in all aspects of your life.

And I think, you know, just what's come through for me in this conversation as well is just how, you know, the, the energy and the excitement that are still sustaining you from that adventure back in May is so palpable. I wish people could like see you through the screen. It is just amazing. I mean, it's, and it's that thing actually.

It can sustain you for a really long time. And you've always got that bit inside you go, you know what? I did this, I did this, I did that. And it was awesome. And, you know, and I'm never going to not feel amazing about it or yeah. Um, Emma, that's been absolutely amazing. I could keep Talking to you about this for ages, but in the interest of time, if people want to find more about you, about the adventure, is there anywhere they can go and, and, and sort of read about it or follow you? 

So this is something that I'm gonna get a lot better at because of that whole ambition of mine to pay it forward so people will be able to find me at wildly amazing,  um, on Instagram and emma@wildlyamazing.co uk. Brilliant. So I'll pop those in, um, those links in the show notes as well. So people can come and find you really easily.

Um, and I wish you all the very best for your, for your next adventure, for your a hundred miles, for your paying it forward, um, you've made an incredible start here with sharing this with everybody. So thank you so much. Um, and take care. Thank you very much, Nikki. Take care. Bye. Bye.  So a huge thank you to Emma for sharing her story.

I can think there are so many points that so many of you and certainly I were able to relate to listening back to that. Um, and again, it's hard to just choose one thing. Um, but I think.  I wanted to come back to a discussion we had right towards the end of the podcast. Again, that recording was done a couple of months ago, um, towards the end of 2023.

Um, and  one of the things that I've been  sort of thinking about and  And I suppose discussing with other people recently is this idea of, you know,  the wider effects of adventure, um, that the ripple effect that it has. And but often  we will undertake or the motivation for starting an adventure in the first place will be about something that we.

Individually want to achieve, um, that can be big or it can be small. It's about, it might be reconnecting with ourselves. It might be about challenging ourselves, trying something new. Um, just finding ways to get more excited about our daily lives. There can be all sorts of motivations behind it. Um, but we're often thinking about it from a, uh, a personal perspective as, you know, what, what will this bring to my life?

Um,  And  the first thing I want to sort of caveat with this is this is not selfish at all. This is entirely valid and important and good reasons to do this. But I love this point that Emma makes around the ripple effect that actually when you, when you undertake an adventure or shake up your life in some way, it doesn't just impact on you.

It impacts on those around you and impacts in a number of ways.  What might be perceived to be more negative impacts in that time, in the time in that you might miss things that are important, um, to that, to the other members of your family or to friends or, or whatever, that there may be things that we have to say no to, um, And that we are having to navigate those conversations and that can be quite hard.

Um, it can impact on our relationships more broadly because actually we're, we're changing something about ourselves and, and that change will impact how we relate to others.  impact on the time we have available for them. It might impact on the things that start to matter to us and that our priorities might shift as well. 

But then there's also this, this wider change in terms of one, how we then show up as ourselves, actually how we get better. Filled up by taking on something, by trying something new, by learning a skill, by taking some time for ourself, whatever it might be, that, that bit that reconnects us to who am I without, without  being reflected through other people's eyes or through need or through  For, through the role that I, I play, whether that's in work or in our lives. 

So there's this, who am I at my core? And when do I feel most like that? And, and what reconnects me with that? And when I  am connected with that, then that enables me to show up for other people in a much more whole and filled up way that maybe I can cope better. Um, and feel more able to manage those needs and to, to fulfill them as well, because I'm having some needs met for myself.

So I think there's the, the impact that it has on us and therefore how we show up for others. But I think there's also that impact of how we inspire others. And I think Emma captured it really well when she said, you know, I miss my daughter's sports day, but also I was trying to role model and show them that you can do it.

Do amazing. I was having my own sports day. I was able to do something for me. Um, and that it's important and that it matters too. And I want them to carry that through into their lives too.  Um, and so I think it's inspiring those around us. It's inspiring. Maybe our immediate. family or our friends. Um, it might be inspiring people that you meet more broadly who go, wow, I believe that's possible now.

And I think  one of the reasons, and I know I talk about this quite regularly. One of the reasons I want to start this. Podcast is because the people that I personally find inspiring those people who are next door to me or who are my friends or who are people that I feel I can relate to their lives, but who are doing things that I think, oh, yeah, well, they've managed to do that.

And that seems possible. And they've had an amazing time. They made it work. Maybe it's possible for me too.  And so that ripple effect can touch other people, not just in the immediate impact, but. It can spread quite wide. It can spread to colleagues who you might have a conversation with at work. It can spread, you know, if you share your story online or, you know, wherever it is that, that ripple  effect is, is quite profound and can go on for quite a long time.

Um, and I just love thinking about those multiple levels of impact in terms of what may feel like quite a small or quite a big adventure that we take on for ourselves. And. Yeah. How, how far that can reach. And often that we don't necessarily know the impact we've had either. So I'm going to leave you with that thought.

Again, I would love to know your thoughts, your, your ideas on this, where you've noticed that your own adventures have had that sort of impact. As always, please do reach out to me. You can get in touch via email, Nikki, Nikki at resiliencework. co. uk.  You can reach me on Instagram on the everyday adventure pod or resilience at work. 

You can find me via my website, resilience work.co.uk. Um, please do if you've enjoyed this, leave a review. Let me know what you think. Um, it's always so lovely to hear your feedback, um, and your ideas and suggestions. If you have somebody who you think would be an amazing guest for this podcast, please do reach out and get in touch.

Anyway, that's all for this time. Um, lovely to speak. As always, I hope you have a wonderful week and hope to catch up with you again very soon. Take care. Bye.