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Primary Times Birmingham
PRIMARY TIMES EXCLUSIVE
Inspire their passion for adventure with…
Bear Grylls
Primary Times teams up with Bear Grylls to discuss Mount Everest, building
confidence in children and his own adventure heroes.
Bear, we believe every child
should be able to dream big,
how does it feel to have achieved
your childhood dream of
climbing Mount Everest?
I was quite shy as a kid but loved to climb with
my Dad. I dreamt of climbing Everest aged 8
when my dad had given me a picture of the
mountain, and to have achieved it whilst he was
still alive meant so much. The summit of Everest
itself is extraordinary - small, like a coffee table,
and standing there was a feeling like no other.
How do you give your
children the confidence
to follow their dreams?
I have tried to pass on to my sons many of
the lessons from my late father. He taught
me to follow my dreams and that failure was
just a stepping stone to success. Inspiring
our kids and giving them the confidence and
skills to succeed is so important, which is why
we are setting up an exciting organisation
called BecomingX, to help everyone realise
their potential. BecomingX will be sharing the
powerful, often surprising life lessons from so
many of the world’s most inspiring people, from
Hollywood actors to global sports stars.
Can taking adventures help
build confidence in children?
Survival and adventure is not just about
knowledge and skills, it’s even more about
positivity, resourcefulness, courage and above
all determination. Pack a sense of humour and
embrace the unexpected.
Some parents will struggle to
travel to wild places, how can
they inspire a love of adventure?
The best thing we can do for our children is to
get outside and have an adventure with them -
even if it is just camping out or going for a hike
- it brings us close to our children. The outdoors
and an adventure shared gives kids confidence
and pride that money cannot buy.
Do you have any fitness
tips for busy parents of primary
school aged children?
I’ve recently launched a fitness provider
called Be Military Fitness – It is proving such
a powerful way to help veterans and regular
people achieve their fitness goals in a positive
community atmosphere. There’s always a park
for any busy parent to get to, the training is short
and the workouts can fit around any schedule.
Is there any military-style
exercises that young
children can enjoy?
You can’t beat stuck in the mud! The
Commandos ‘play’ in the clay mud estuary by
their training centre, it is brutal and very tiring!
You’ve visited some of the wildest
places on Earth – do you have a
message about conservation for
our readers?
It’s a fact that my programs and adventures
are totally dependent on the existence of wild
places in the world, so I feel it’s part of my job
to highlight the importance of protecting our
planet. Whether that be taking President Barack
Obama to Alaska, to look at the effects of global
warming, or supporting charities such as Tusk
Trust in their mission to reduce ivory poaching. I
hope that my programming and books serve to
showcase the magnificence of nature and wild
locations and how we all have a duty of care to
protect our fragile planet
for generations
to come.
Who are your adventure heroes?
Well first off heroes come in all different
shapes and forms - there are those we publicly
celebrate for great achievement and and
for me that would be the Antarctic explorer
Douglas Mawson - his story is amazing. But
then there are the many unsung heroes, quietly,
courageously edging their way forward, serving
others, being kind, often getting knocked
down but always getting back on their feet and
never giving up! That’s what makes a hero:
selfless positive attitude and rooted in kind
deeds for others. I encounter so many people
like this in my role as Chief Scout, such as the
many volunteers who help in thousands and
thousands of Scout groups every week around
the country. This for me is one of the many
great privileges of that role and to me they are
the real heroes.
Find out more about Bear Grylls exciting
new organisation BecomingX here:
www.becomingx.org
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WINTER 2019 | www.primarytimes.co.uk/birmingham