The Unrelenting Pursuit of Excellence

Dean Stott • Feb 01, 2021


“You need to do something to keep yourself physically and mentally engaged.”


The words spoken of my wife as we discussed alternative options to smuggling people across borders in war torn countries.

 

Having served 16 years in the military and culminating with serving in the Special Boat Service (SBS). My career came to a premature ending, as I suffered a number of injuries from a HAHO (High Altitude High Opening) parachute jump. Exiting the aircraft, I freakishly first got my leg caught up in one of the lines above my head. Conscious that if not cleared it could rip my leg completely off. The line went taught as the aircraft was going in one direction and myself the other. My leg got pulled up over my head and to the right. Instantly I knew I had done some serious damage as the pain was like no other, I had felt before. I was being sick because of the pain, also drifting in and out of consciousness as I was at 15,000 and limits of oxygen. 


I had to regain focus however as I still needed to land the parachute and stay with the 6-man formation who were unaware there were any issues at this time, managed to stay with the team and landed perfectly on one leg. The damage sustained on exit was a torn ACL, MCL and Meniscus within the knee, along with a torn Quadricep, Hamstring and Calf. With a certain type of skillsets and not willing to sound like Liam neeson, my next career would naturally be within the security industry. However, I wanted to find a niche and fulfil my desire to help people. 

 

Within 48 hours of leaving the military I was called upon to lead a team of 30 security operators for the newly formed DFID (Department for International Development) in Benghazi, Libya. The height of the Arab Spring in May 2011 and Gadaffi was now surrounded in Tripoli and was only months before he would be toppled. Having spoken to a number of my local counterparts, it was evident they did not wish for another Iraq or Afghanistan with troops and private security teams patrolling with weapons, they wanted to take control of their country and rightly so.


I was also aware that a lot of the larger well-known security organizations were charging a large amount of money to the O&G sector, NGOs and numerous other clients for Crisis management including evacuations. However, when you scraped the surface you soon realised this was not the case and so I wanted to exploit this weakness. Due to the high proliferation of weapons I managed to purchase 30 weapons and decided to cache these along with communications equipment and money. I spent a month working on this and designing my own evacuation plans hoping never to need them. Fast forward 5 years and I am now single handily evacuating the Canadian Embassy (18 military and 4 diplomats) from Tripoli to Tunis away from the Tripoli war, my plans were tried and tested.


It may sound very Hollywood and sexy but in fact I have never needed to use any of my caches. The success of this operation along with so many others was understanding the demographics, politics, and the tribal influences of the region. It was all about communication, speaking to the right tribal elders and showing some respect. The majority of my time within the security sector was working on my own but embedding myself with the locals and building that rapport and respect.

 

Returning home from this mission, it was highlighted that I had only been home 21 days in a 365-day calendar. Dead or Divorced were the 2 options if I was to continue this lifestyle. During this period of exiting the military and working as a security consultant I had neglected my own physical wellbeing. My injured leg now was 2 Kg lighter than my good leg. I couldn’t run anymore due to the injuries sustained but decided to start cycling instead. As soon as I was active again I felt a huge weight off and a sense of freedom. 

 

Now active again, I wanted to push myself further. I wasn’t just comfortable joining my local cycling club, I needed a challenge, something to take me out of my comfort zone. Since a young boy reading the Guinness World Records I had always fancied a challenge. My new fondness of cycling was appealing as it did not aggravate my injury, and so having only cycled 20 miles maximum to date I applied for the World record to cycle the world’s longest road. The Pan American Highway is 14’000 miles (22’000km) from the Northern part of Alaska at Prudhoe Bay to the Southern point of Argentina in Ushuaia.

 

I decided to approach this as almost a military operation, the meticulous planning would aid me in this project. Having read a number of books, magazines and online articles I was gaining information, but nothing concrete regarding this route.

I thought it best to approach the people who were previous record holders. I managed to track down a couple of these and read other articles. The 3 main questions I asked were - “what worked? what didn’t work? And if you were to do it again what would you do differently?”

 

It seems that all before me had started in Alaska and finished in Argentina, however all of their issues were in either Central or Southern America, be it bureaucracy at the borders, spares for bikes, highest mountains or hottest deserts. For me it seemed natural to deal with these issues early and get them behind you rather than take a gamble with the second half of the challenge. With this information I then formulated my plan and decided to go the opposite direction starting in Southern Argentina. Just because those before you did it one way doesn’t mean it’s the right way. 

 

After a hard year of training involving a couple of LEJOG rides, Dubai heat training, Altitude training, planning the project, identifying potential sponsors etc. I set off from Ushuaia on 1st February 2018, the record to beat was 117 days but I was aiming for 110 days. I gave myself 7 days fudge should I encounter anything out of my control such as natural disasters, coups etc. If I was unfortunate to encounter any of these issues, then it was eating into the weeks fudge and not putting me behind.

 

As you would expect on a challenge like this, it will be hard physically and mentally. The weather threw everything at me, 47 degree heat in the Atacama desert, to minus 18 degrees above the Arctic circle. Relentless winds in Southern Patagonia to tornadoes in Texas, mountains exceeding 4500m in Ecuador. Crashing my bike in Chile, food poisoning in Peru to getting knocked off my bike in Colombia this challenge tested me. As well as the natural elements it was the man-made issues I did not foresee, that being an original support team getting swapped out.

 

Having taken 10 days off the South America record completing it in 48 days and 54 minutes, I was in a good position heading into the second phase of the challenge.

 

My decision to cycle South to North was a good decision from a cycling perspective, I had a great tail wind through Peru (2500km). However logistically we were having to swap vehicles at every border and hiring new ones which was slowing me up slightly. We had an RV and 4x4 that was purchased in Florida and was to be sailed to Panama which would then see us all the way to Alaska. 2 weeks before in Ecuador I receive a call from my wife Alana who is the campaign director informing me these vehicles had not been loaded onto the ship. Thankfully my wife (Campaign Director), my PA and 2 x friends had foresight to fly over and drive them instead covering 4000 miles in 8 days from Florida to Panama to ensure I was not delayed. 

 

Good time was made again in Central America and I crossed into the USA on day 70 now 14 days ahead of the record. I received a number of missed calls from my wife. Alana was great in keeping all distractions away from me to focus on the challenge, and so my first assumption was there is a problem at home, maybe our children?

 

I called my wife and she informed me that we had kindly been invited to Harry and Meghan’s wedding. For me to get back in time I needed to be complete by day 102 (15 days ahead of the record).

 

Unlike Southern and Central America where I would be cycling from first light through to last light because of the security situation, in North America and Canada I was able to cover distance in the evening as well if needed. We hit 60mph winds and tornadoes in Lubbock, Texas and so I was grounded again for 24 hrs. I then turned to the app Windy TV and formulated a new plan. I played chess with Mother Nature through North America and Canada using winds to my advantage and cycling when winds were favorable to get myself ahead of the new target.

 

A week outside of Prudhoe Bay (finish line) I was now well ahead of my schedule when I received another call about a famous cyclist who had announced that day his challenge to become the first person to cycle the Pan American Highway in under 100 days. Thankfully I was in a good position to act on this news, I cycled 22hrs in the last 30hrs in minus 18 degrees completing the challenge in 99 days, 12 hours and 56 minutes to ensure I was the first man in history to achieve this feat and be home in time for my friend’s wedding.

 

The success of this challenge other than the endurance aspect was being reactive to the situation on the ground. You can have the best plan in the world, but things rarely go to plan, so you need to be flexible.

 

As well as smashing two world records, the challenge raised over £900,000 for the mental health campaign Heads Together.

 

My USP is to take a sport/discipline I have never done before and find the biggest challenge, I like to be the underdog. I had planned this year to kayak the length of the River Nile from source to sea. Due to the current pandemic, this will now take place in 2021. 

 

“Nothing is impossible, it just hasn’t been done yet.”

Dean Stott is a former British Special forces Soldier, a two times World record holder, adventurer, philanthropist, author and international speaker.

To Find out more, head to https://www.deanstott.com/

Do Your Beliefs Belong To You?

By Blaise Brady • 12 Sep, 2022
Most girls dream of their big day, meeting the love of their life and having the most beautiful wedding. They have a dream dress in mind sometimes well before even knowing the person they might marry. But for me it was different, I never dreamt of that day. In fact I had a perspective that was quite the opposite.

Mettle Monday - Thank You For The Life You Gave Me

By Helena Cornes • 23 May, 2022
When Brin and I brought our first house, we were beyond excited to finally have our own space. We moved in together in June 2015 and couldn't wait to start our next chapter. A few days before Christmas 2015, we were both going on our annual works night out, I dropped him off at the pub, he told me he loved me and that was to be the last time I saw him.

Mettle Monday - On The Edge Of Existence

By Wendy Searle • 28 Mar, 2022
Written by Wendy Searle When I reached the South Pole in 2020, I was exhausted, elated and not a little relieved. I had just completed a 42-day solo, unsupported expedition; over 700 miles of vast, white nothingness. Those feelings persisted throughout the flight back from Pole (which took only 4 hours, to do what had taken me five weeks), throughout the return to the UK via South America. I had already been delayed at the start, thanks to bad weather, so I returned to work after a long weekend at home. My colleagues seemed genuinely glad to see me back, and were interested in my journey. For the first week or so, I couldn’t sleep, despite being achingly tired. (I also couldn’t stop eating, after losing 10 kilos in just over a month, so much so that I once had to stop for supplies during a 15-minute walk.) I was high as a kite, and still so wired after the continual focus of expedition life. It’s akin to climbing, or skydiving, where your whole focus is in the moment. Was I too cold? That could be fatal. Was I too hot? A surprising risk in polar latitudes, as if you sweat it will freeze. Was my kit OK? How long to the next break? And on and on, for what felt like forever when I was actually out on the ice. It’s that element of total immersion, of being so far removed from the everyday – emails, traffic, work; that is at once so daunting and so addictive. After the initial high dropped to merely walking around being more back there than present here, I started to think about going back to training. For what though? I had nothing to train for, and very little in reserve. I took to tyre hauling, which is what I spent so much of my time doing in the run up to the expedition – the traditional method of building leg strength and endurance for pulling a sled (or pulk) for 11-12 hours a day. As soon as I strapped on my pulk harness, I could transport myself back to Antarctica. And that helped, because I was struggling to readjust to life after expedition. It wasn’t just those weeks alone on skis that I missed. I’d been planning, training and fundraising for what amounted to just over 1,000 hours, for five years. I’d met a team of soldiers who were traversing Antarctica, and I became more and more drawn to this extraordinary continent. I read some polar history, some accounts of the first Polar expeditions, when they were true explorers. Despite not having any kind of adventure experience to speak of, I was hooked. I dedicated my life to making the expedition happen. Everything was in pursuit of the Pole. If I read a book, it was about Antarctica, if I had free time, it was spent attending events where potential sponsors might be found. I spoke to everyone who had ever been to the South Pole that I could. After working out what training and experience would be required, I set about ticking it off; Norway training, a spectacular crossing of the Greenland ice sheet, time alone in Iceland. The training was, if not at the level of an Olympic athlete, was certainly dedicated. Twice a day, for six days a week, I hauled tyres, ran up hills, lay in rivers and ice baths, and put up my tent in my house, over and over so I’d have the muscle memory ingrained when I was tired at the end of a long day skiing. Once I was back, I decided the only cure for the huge gap in my life that all those things had left, was another expedition. I don’t think I’m unique in that regard, but I actually missed the build-up, the nurturing of this idea, which became the expedition, which eventually took on a life of its own. I missed the slightly-sick feeling in my stomach when I thought about actually having to go ahead with what I set out to do, the uncertainty of my ability to complete the journey. When COVID stopped all travel outside the UK, my plans took a hit. The world became smaller overnight – so small it really only included Wiltshire, where I live. I’d gone from an all-or-nothing challenge to, well, nothing. Ideas, plans, even talks with sponsors, were pushed into the long grass. Ironically, after finding the South Pole on my own, I felt a bit lost. But gradually I began to see that the adventure can lie in the everyday. I had to if I wasn’t going to lose my mind. I bought a mountain bike for the first time, and began to explore the local off-road routes and tiny jumps. I wrote a book proposal about my journey. In the end, I think that period of quiet gave me to time to reflect on the enormity of what I’d done – being only the seventh woman in history to complete the journey solo, unsupported, from Hercules Inlet to the geographic South Pole. Instead of jumping into another trip, I allowed that to sink in, for it to become part of who I was. And now I’m ready for the next adventure.

Mettle Monday - Sickbed To Summits

By Sara Crosland • 30 Aug, 2021
A few hours later, I’d be called back to the hospital under the pretense my consultant had a cancellation. He sat me down and told me that I had a brain tumour. It was an acoustic neuroma (sometimes known as a vestibular schwannoma), a low grade, but in my case, uncharacteristically fast-growing, cystic tumour that was growing on the hearing and balance nerves within the confined space of my skull. This explained many of the symptoms I’d been experiencing recently, but not all.

Mettle Monday - Always Believe In Yourself

By Lindsay Walter • 09 Aug, 2021
I lost all of my hair at age 2, due to the autoimmune condition, Alopecia. It was extremely hard to navigate not knowing anyone else with my condition. I felt very alone and isolated. I began to wear a wig since I can remember to fit in with everyone else. I never truly felt like “me” but I didn’t know how to be ok with my Alopecia and the emotional roller coaster that was being bald. Kids were extremely mean to me and bullied me a lot for my wig and lack of eyebrows and eyelashes.

Mettle Monday - A Sign

By Pete DePrez Jr. • 21 Jun, 2021
I don’t recall much about the call. It was a dead guy, or girl. I helped the coroner collect the body and went outside. It was night-time and the lights from our overheads were swirling in the darkness. I began speaking with another deputy, and suddenly became aware that I was seeing his face as he would look if he were dead. It wasn’t a conscious decision, it just happened. It wasn’t as shocking as one might think. I blinked and even laughed to myself about it, but I couldn’t shake myself free from what I was seeing. It should have been a sign; I should have questioned what I was seeing, but I didn’t. My mind had begun to operate on its own. I should have questioned what was happening, but I didn’t. I told myself it must be a natural repercussion of seeing so many dead people. But it didn’t stop.

Mettle Monday - Survivor

By Rachel Wild • 07 Jun, 2021
Written by Rachel wild I am a survivor of sexual abuse by my own father. Still feels like a taboo subject even currently. Therefore, it is so important for me to speak out. bravely... loudly... so everyone can hear. It was not my fault, sexual abuse is never the victim’s fault, but they carry it like it is.... they carry the shame and the guilt and the anger. The man who was meant to protect me from all evil in the world was the person who damaged me the most. Both parents were abusive physically and mentally, which I still struggle to understand as to how you can hurt your own child. I have been on an incredible journey and life has been made much harder because of this, however it has made me fight hard to do the right thing, it has made me resilient, it is developed my kindness and compassion. It also affects your ability to trust, I have nightmares, I have hyper independence as I have always had to do everything on my own. I went into care at 15, I got my own flat and three jobs at 16 and took myself to night college and studied to become a beauty therapist and Dental Nurse. I have always had a defiance, a drive, a determination to not let what has happened ruin me or use it as an excuse to behave poorly. I strive to do well in life, I have had so much stolen from me, I have a lot of life to live and make up for. I have slowly over the last two years started to process what has happened, I have felt incredible hot white rage, depression, panic, such sadness I have not wanted to go out, grief and loss of my childhood and all the things they stole from me. But I have grown as a person. I do not carry this secret alone, I feel empowered, calmer, more peaceful. It has given me kindness and compassion for myself. I want to help other survivors of sexual abuse, I want them to know life can be good, you can move forward you can heal. For me what has helped me heal, has been unburdening myself and sharing, reporting to the police, friends, support from counselling and specialist services, running, nature, mindfulness, meditation, and yoga and cheese and chocolate! Walking into the police station to report this was one of the most terrifying things I have ever done. What happens if they do not believe me? what happens if he comes and gets me and attacks me? what happens if other people attack me? I had the most incredible Detective, who listened whilst I told her some of the most intimate details of the abuse, feeling so ashamed. Not once did I feel judged, I felt listened to and cared for... and eventually so empowered. Not straight away, I felt exhausted after reporting, scared... I could see him everywhere. I had panic attacks, nightmares, I could not sleep... this lasted for about 12 months, and then eased slightly. It is normal to feel how you feel, it is important to acknowledge it and access help, the Independent Sexual Violence Advisor at the RASASC (Rape and sexual Assault Unit) probably saved my life, as did the support from my friends. If someone discloses abuse to you, be aware of the strength and vulnerability that it takes, you might be the first person they ever tell. It is so important to listen... just listen... please do not judge, please do not tell them how they should or should not feel. Just listen to them and do not interrupt, depending on the situation later ask them if they have ever spoken to anyone.... and would they like to talk to someone who deals with abuse/rape/assault like the RASASC unit. Just telling one person can start a domino effect on the path of healing. You do not have to report to the police, ringing an anonymous line, telling a friend, a counsellor, journaling can all start the process to you feeling lighter and getting on the road to peace and contentment. I reported sexual abuse by my father in 2018, he was being charged on the 15th of September and did not turn up to court. A warrant was issued for his arrest, he was found dead at home. Ten days earlier my Grandad died, he was my only family member so the past few years have been incredibly difficult. The last few months were so difficult, but also because my father is dead for the first time in my life, I feel safe. This will never go away for me, it will always have happened, so it is a life-long journey, it is part of who I am. Please do not tell survivors to put it behind them, forget about it, or move on, it is not that simple. Trauma is complex, I still have nightmares, I still think I see him, I still feel unsafe if out running and there is a man that looks like him. Even though my brain knows I am safe, my survival brain is trying to keep me safe. I have always been a very private person and kept things to myself. One of the things I have found most beneficial and helpful is talking to other survivors. I have always felt very alone and felt no-one understands (and I do not want anyone to have to experience this), especially with it being my own Father. The feelings I have had, and the experiences resonate with others and it has made me feel more understood, more normal almost. No two experiences are the same even if the circumstances are similar due to a multitude of factors, but there are some common denominators which have brought me comfort. The compassion, awe, and kindness I feel for other survivors, is something I have been able to start to apply to myself, which has been difficult. As a coping mechanism I downplayed, minimized, compared my situation, it is a survival technique that trauma victims use. This meant if I made it small it was not that bad, so therefore I did not have to deal with it. I am thankful for our incredible brains; I think it is fascinating how our brain protects us until we are ready to deal with a situation. Due to the abuse, I am a huge advocate of speaking out about abuse and rape and helping individuals to become empowered and hand the shame back to the abusers. I want to raise awareness so more people can speak out Bravely and be heard and supported and access the right help. I am working with RASASC (rape and sexual abuse Centre) this year to help provide training for the police and other agencies in how to help survivors. I am also going to train as an Independent Sexual Violence advisor, because how you are treated and supported is essential for the healing process. I also want to show people that with the right tools and support they can cope, they can have an amazing life....and that life can be great.

Mettle Monday - From Sea to Summit

By Andrea Mason • 12 Apr, 2021
My sense of adventure and my love of sports started from a very early age. I grew up in a military family which meant we travelled the world as my Dad was posted from one country to another. I went to more than 15 different schools and lost count of the number of houses we lived in. For many children this is extremely daunting, but for some reason I loved it, I was always on an adventure.

Mettle Monday - A Love Letter To My Pain

By Ruth Cooper-Dickson • 29 Mar, 2021
I wrote this letter to articulate how the experience of post-traumatic growth has affected my life and through my own lived-experience, how my friend Pain was difficult to live with for many years. It also highlights how, pain must be present in our lives to experience the beautiful, the pure and the good. Life is a short and yet bittersweet journey, that to appreciate fully will require finding your strength that is forged from within.

Together Series - Chris Michaels

By Chris Michaels • 11 Mar, 2021
It's something that I thought would never happen within my lifetime, I don’t think anyone would have thought the same. For one moment within that initial chaos, it became real that we were to put our lives on hold. Not just that, the whole of life was put on hold for everyone. So all these months later, what have we learned?......or have we? When it was first said it was only going to be 3 weeks in length but those few weeks turned into many months. For most people, everything within their life had to change. They then had to find a way to get through each day. But something I’ve realised that maybe many haven’t was in fact that, 2020 has been the biggest wake up call for humanity. So why would it be the biggest wake up call at all? What I’ve seen was how people had to adapt to this ‘New Normal’ but not just that, they had to find a way to live. I took every opportunity to build and learn. I wrote a book, started a podcast, built a business and expanded my network. But through this time, once again I often questioned a lot of what was happening. We saw a rise in celebrities carrying out morning workouts, focusing on using physical fitness to help us all put us in a positive mental headspace. For once, it seemed that all the things I had been using to help manage my mental health for years was being used to show people how effective it was. Same as going outdoors, exploring the mountains and hills, just to take time out in nature. So did it take a worldwide pandemic for people to actually get up and become active? It seems not just the power of exercise but also we saw, the canals of Venice crystal clear and the smog lifted from the Himalayas to finally see Everest. For once we could see the destruction we’ve done to this earth. But will it last? Absolutely not, it’s not that I’m pessimistic, definitely not. But I don’t have the greatest of faith in humanity at the best of times. Even though, I’ve consistently used my social media to promote positive mental health and for people to think for themselves so they can better themselves. A large majority of people will continue to carry on their usual routines ignorant of the destruction that we’re doing to this planet. Just think of that one piece of rubbish that was lingering in your hand, how powerful that is. Why you may ask, think of that one piece of rubbish, we’ve now got a choice. We can put it in our pocket and put it in a bin and let it be collected to be put in a landfill site to be covered with other millions of pieces of rubbish, slowly decomposing but working its way down to the water table. Or we can drop it with all the rest of the rubbish that another person has dropped, for it to collect and suffocate the seas, pollute the earth, choke innocent animals in their natural surroundings. The choice is yours, but one thing we need to do as a society is have a global rethink on how we protect this planet. Years ago, I came up with a recycling project that was cost effective and which would put an end to landfill sites. I was rejected by Councils and local authorities. It was simple in its approach, filling sealed Olympic sized swimming pool vats with rubbish using chemicals to break down the everyday household rubbish but leaving the materials that could be recycled. But not just that, at every level of the operation, there would be a filtration unit that would clear the rubbish in the chemicals, scrubbed and reused. The factory could be powered by green energy, reducing the carbon footprint. We are slowly choking and suffocating the earth and oceans with all the rubbish from products we consume. It’s a simple choice really, we concentrate on developing ourselves in subjects that are either intrinsically or extrinsically motivating depending on your needs Vs wants but we don’t spend enough time concentrating on how we can all improve the world around us. So whilst we’ve seen that level of self development rise and a large number of people have been intrinsically motivated to create and build a positive lifestyle, there are many that have jumped on the bandwagon and to join in this movement to escape the lockdown blues. So whilst we saw a large number of people out running, cycling, walking in the hills, using this excuse of “Because Boris said we can” what happened when the lockdown was lifted? Did they do it because it was a way to show some kind of compliance or rebellion? How many people actually changed their lifestyles or carried on post lockdown. Did they look at what they needed to become better instead of carrying on being full time members of the Netflix and Dominos club? So if Sir David Attenborough joining Instagram wasn’t enough to show the world that it needs change, that we as a population needs to open our eyes and see the destruction that we’re doing to our planet. Then I don’t know what will make people change. We as a population need to take our level of self accountability to a whole new level. 2020 has been an interesting year, one I hope we all learn from because if we don’t, then it’s only going to get more difficult. Now if I can create a business, write another book, start a podcast to get people talking more, having those important conversations and network on a higher level, then I can’t see why others can’t too. Globally, we’ve got the power to interact and connect to anyone at anytime. So let’s make a positive change, together we can make a change but let’s not carry on being politicians pawns on their global chessboard. If one person can create one positive action, just think of the possibilities of what millions can do?
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