YesStories May 2017

My name is Jon Doolan and I'm a YesTriber.

There, I've said it.

Phew! Feels like a weight off my shoulders.

No, this isn't Yes Anonymous or some confessional with the priest. I just wanted to get it out there.

The movement that I am a member of, the YesTribe, is a collection of wonderful, zany, crazy, enthusiastic and like minded individuals who all want to get the best out of life by saying 'YES!' to any and all exciting opportunities that come their way. It is the brainchild of adventurer Dave Cornthwaite and has spawned a whole load of YES related activities and events (more I'm sure I will cover in later blogs).

Last night, however, was YesStories May 2017. YesStories is a chance for a variety of people in the YES community to come together and share their stories and adventures to a room full of strangers. At each event people weave a web of tales of dramatic highs and soul destroying lows. Each one I walk away from with a sense of awe and inspiration ready to tackle the next adventure that comes my way.

Andy Bartlett

First up was Andy Bartlett, the self depreciating organiser of the evening. I've met Andy a few times but I didn't know much about him until he had finished his sometimes comic, sometimes tragic story of finding a career in event management, then realising he was missing something. He quit his career, left his partner, moved house and has found life so much more enjoyable by taking up the opportunities that came his way. His message was that fear of the unknown beyond your next step is not an excuse not to take that step.

Jaqs Leui'i

Following Andy was Jaqs, a wild, spirited lady with greying hair but a youthful sparkle in her eyes. She described her challenge to walk the Great Himilayan Trail in Nepal in stages and the ongoing love affair that she has with the country. And the intense relationship that she had with Ibuprofen after one serious accident which has left her unable to run. She now organises marathons in Nepal in aid of her charity Unite for Nepal. What an excitable and bubbly lady!

Stace Martin

Next up was Stace Martin. Stace is a real honest soul among the YesTribe. A shy character who obviously has to climb great mountains just to stand up in front of people, but he does it anyway. He battles those difficulties just so that he can share his story from the heart. And you can tell he has just the biggest heart. His tale was of a bikepacking adventure down the Rhine that was cut short by his mother becoming ill. His message was that if you open yourself up to people then you will realise that everything will sort itself out.

Riz Board Shorts

2 scruffy looking lads stood up, which is weird as they were meant to be promoting men's fashion, which is also weird because you wouldn't expect that at an adventure talk night. However, these 2 guys were a little different. Ali and Riz, from Riz board shorts, were promoting an item of clothing with a difference. These men's swimming shorts were made from recycled bottles (a big item on the YesTribe agenda. More to follow in a future post). They informed us about the quagmire that is responsible retailing and the difficulties they face in producing a product and encouraging others to buy into the moral lifestyle and make conscientious decisions.

Lindsey Cole

Just before the break we had the delights of Lindsey Cole, who is recently completed the brilliant Rabbit Proof Fence walk in Australia and is currently hitchhiking around Oz with truckers, as you do. Her video message was delightful and full of her insane humour. Seriously, go and check out some of her previous videos. She's nuts (in a good way)!

Emma Karembo-Taylor

After the break we had the delights of Emma Karembo-Taylor, who showed us a whole different side of adventure travelling with Dave Cornthwaite. His daily vlogs had all been sunny and funny and full of humour and giggling. She recounted a trip of ant bites, bruises and rain. Lots and lots of rain. But the humour was still there as we had the pleasure of surreptitious videos of Dave's wonderful caterwauling. Her message was that you could always look at life from one perspective and see all the boring, mundane things. Or you could look at life from a different angle and see sunsets and adventure and fun.

After Em's video video, a bespectacled Dave stood up and showed his own video. If I'm honest I can't remember a lot of what was in the video apart from his last sentence. 'It seemed appropriate that I took a girlfriend with me on holiday and brought back a fiancée!' Congrats big man!

Darren Edwards - Strength Through Adversity

So how to follow that. Well, send in a comedian in a wheelchair! Joking (not joking!). Darren Edwards was for me the highlight of the evening. After regaling us with the horrors of falling from a mountain and breaking his back (and somehow making us laugh at the same time) he pieced together the story of how he rebuilt his life and is now trying out for the GB sprint kayak team. I will definitely be checking out his blog and website, Strength Through Adversity.

Nicola - RareRevolution

Last of all was another moving tale. This time from a mum. Nicola's boy has a rare disease called XP which means he can never go outside as he will be instantly burnt by the sun. But instead of letting this get to her she, along with some friends and family, has created a community of people called RareRevolution. She has learnt the skills of government petitioning, international sales and magazine editorial. A true inspiration for a mother of a child with a terrible condition. She is running a campaign #BearsforRare. Support it on social media if you can.

All in all a brilliant night. If you fancy coming along to a YesStories they happen pretty much every month and you can find out more at the website or Facebook group. You don't even have to be a YesTriber.

And as Dave says, 'It's definitely not a cult!'