Together Series - Jon Fearne

Jon Fearne • Dec 13, 2020

It started. At midday on the 17th March in France, we entered lockdown.


We were allowed 1 hour of exercise per day within a 1km radius of our home and were not allowed to exceed 100m of vertical gain (dictated by the regional government in our area of the Alps). We also had to fill out a paper “attestation” (online versions did eventually follow) every time we left home containing personal information and reasons for leaving the house which were regularly checked by police patrols.


Whilst we were coming to the end of a poor snow season here in Chamonix, there were definitely still more things to tick off my winter goals list. Clearly not anymore- the season had been cut short in more ways than one.  


The day before lockdown commenced, I grabbed my mountain bike, loaded up my ski touring kit along with my great friend James Cadge and we headed to the snow line. Leaving our bikes behind and putting on skis, we hit our final summit of the season before taking our last ski back down to our bikes and peddling home, dragging our heels in what was left of the slushy white stuff.

March 16th (day before lockdown) heading to the snow line.

My job for over 20 years now has been coaching and training endurance and adventure athletes to achieve their goals and dreams- from Ironman to solo unsupported South Pole skiers, world mountain bike champions to recovering brain tumour ultra-runners.

Whilst their aim and purpose varies, there is one thing these people all have in common- they are all so driven and focused. Little did they realise that 2020 was about to test them in a very different way, by removing their end goals and focus! No races, restricted travel, boarders closed and jobs being lost.


I have over 60 athletes on my books, 60 plus driven individuals who had lost their goals. These athletes are spread all over the globe and so had very different reactions and controls relating to Covid.


I have always seen my job as supporting people holistically. It’s not just about a race or a mountain summit, it’s about helping people become the best they can at their chosen sports and helping them as people as well as athletes. Doing this results in a close relationship developing as a coach and friend, enabling me to see the bigger picture- looking at life pressures and problems not just the sport specific elements. 

Much of my focus, and if you like my control of getting through the first lockdown, was keeping my athletes, friends and family on top of their physical and mental health.

What a great way of not even having to think about my own mental health! I was so focused on others that I just didn’t have the time to think about myself. My mind was full of the goals of my athletes and how I could ensure they could still progress towards their aims.

I had an athlete heading out to do a solo Biakal Lake traverse, another aiming for Elite XC MTB licence, another looking to gain their 4th World 24hr MTB title, an amazing over 70 year-old Ultra runner who was looking to go a little faster and a brain tumour survivor working towards Ultra distance running.


With this diversity in just a small number of my athletes, you can imagine how I kept so busy looking after 60 of them! The variation and the need to educate myself to become a better coach is one of my favourite parts of my job. It pushes me to ensure I am creating the best training plan for every single one of them. Every individual has personal and specific goals and training methods, with very different lifestyles that it all has to fit around! My time was full finding ways to keep everyone on point, progressing and keeping minds in a good place.


The hardest element for both myself and my athletes was the lack timeline. No one knew how long this was going to last or when it would get better. There would be a promise of an event or race, only for it to be cancelled at the last minute, often leaving people frustrated and questioning why they were still bothering with training. 

I created the above model along with an article to help athletes see the relationship between training and the current hard times

I am sure that for many reading this, you will have had similar thoughts. But I am sure there are some who will be thinking, get over it, it’s just a race, just another challenge. For many of my athletes, these events are so much more- it can be a way to cope with stress at work or home, sometimes it’s in a person’s DNA to just push limits, others can have a medical condition. For some it’s a profession as well as a passion and if we take these away from people, life can unravel quickly.


I know this from a personal perspective. At the age of 9 I was diagnosed with ADHD (back then it was named hyperactivity). I was very fortunate to have two amazing head teachers (husband and wife) who did not see my energy as bad and instead threw me into every sport possible to balance my behaviour and coping mechanisms. I used this energy to compete as a junior international in athletics, then progressed into surfing, kayaking, 12 years of martial arts, racing endurance events all around the world and same for physical adventures. Without sports and exercise, I would never have made it beyond being seen as a badly behaved kid and their efforts were quite literally lifesaving. This coping mechanism works to this day, although I get more tired now which brings its own frustrations.


I pushed myself to the maximum for the first 2 months of lockdown. I trained outdoors within the previously mentioned limitations, did strength work and turbo training. In many ways the lockdown made my training easier, I no longer had to make big decisions on my training (think kid in a sweet shop scenario, living in Chamonix) I just did what I could. 


After 2 whole months, lockdown eased just as summer began. Whilst there were still rules in place, these looked a little different and certainly offered some freedom. By sheer luck of a great introduction, my worry about my previously set summer goals was solved. Alex Buisse, a French adventure photographer (and a pretty great one at that) gave me the opportunity to exchange skills through Alpine routes and rock climbing missions. This relationship generally involved me supporting to improve his fitness levels and him scaring me to death in the most imaginative way he could come up with (I think he liked to call it pushing my comfort zone…!) 

On Mont Blanc, summer 2020, photo credit @alexbuisse

Another positive outcome from this strange year was getting to know the neighbours in our apartment block. Julien Mariuel is an amazing young French Ultra runner who I have the pleasure of now calling my friend. Now I have run a few ultras, mountain ultras, even run across the alps, but boy did I learn very quickly once out of lockdown that French Ultra runners are quite literally another breed! Julien even creates runs which involve unnecessary descents purely to increase the ascent at the other end! My mind still boggles at the concept of running down your home valley, just to turn and run back up it (past your own front door may I add).


Whilst the year has quite clearly had some considerable negatives (I won’t even start listing those) I have been fortunate enough to meet and spend time with some pretty amazing people and I hope that never changes. With the hardship of summer goals disappearing for me personally, I was able to focus on pushing myself technically and physically in our home valley.


For most of my athletes, summer did not bring the relief expected. Events were still not happening and keeping people positive was often more of a challenge. Credit goes out to them all, who accepted the situation, re-grouped and started to focus on the areas I suggested while we waited for a more stabilized program of events. For many, having an extended period of aerobic focus (without events breaking up the year) has seen massive improvements in specific endurance and this was great silver lining to hold on to. 


If we jump forward to the winter lockdown, where many of us still are, I have seen a significant improvement in positive mindsets. We are now seeing a light which is allowing us to plan a little more and to feel more of a real focus. With an influx of new enquiries, I would also say this feeling stretches beyond my current client base. With this positivity, I see many finally becoming happier in day to day life as well as in their adventures.

Surprise, surprise, this is when the wheels come off for me!


I tend to thrive through hard times, with the air becoming more positive and less of my personal energy being used to help others, I feel myself relaxing and this starts a slow yet clear pattern in me. I notice that I struggle to find my drive, I start to question my successes and whether I deserve them.


On the day our latest lockdown was eased (from 1k-1hr to 20k-3hr) I had a new trail running route planned and I felt mentally so excited.

However, what happened was not what I had expected. Whilst I knew I was in great shape physically, I was not really aware of the impending meltdown. After only 2k and a few hundred meters of vertical I was exhausted. Not letting this spoil my plan, I pushed on assuming it would pass. Man did it not pass, but instead got worse. My mind had finally relaxed and allowed a release of pressure that had been building since March and every emotion and strain of the past 9 months landed right in front of me. 


I have raced endurance events around the world across many disciplines, taken on adventures that have pushed me way beyond my comfort. But this fatigue was unreal. I actually wanted to stop and cry (maybe I even did a little). My mind had to work on keeping my legs moving while going through so many draining emotions. It was as though 2020 had hit me all in one go, broke me and then built me back up. 


To sum up a crazy year, never underestimate the power of your inner drive (not motivation, this comes and goes with the wind) to get you through. At the same time respect the impact that psychological stress can have on you physically.


Thank you to all my athletes, friends and family for all your love and energy and here’s to 2021. 

Jon Fearne has 24 years of working with athletes across all areas of endurance and adventure, whilst pushing his own limits even longer - often finding them and looking to go beyond.

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?
More Posts
Share by: