Primary Times BirminghamPRIMARY TIMES EXCLUSIVEInspire their passion for adventure with…Bear GryllsPrimary Times teams up with Bear Grylls to discuss Mount Everest, buildingconfidence in children and his own adventure heroes.Bear, we believe every childshould be able to dream big,how does it feel to have achievedyour childhood dream ofclimbing Mount Everest?I was quite shy as a kid but loved to climb withmy Dad. I dreamt of climbing Everest aged 8when my dad had given me a picture of themountain, and to have achieved it whilst he wasstill alive meant so much. The summit of Everestitself is extraordinary - small, like a coffee table,and standing there was a feeling like no other.How do you give yourchildren the confidenceto follow their dreams?I have tried to pass on to my sons many ofthe lessons from my late father. He taughtme to follow my dreams and that failure wasjust a stepping stone to success. Inspiringour kids and giving them the confidence andskills to succeed is so important, which is whywe are setting up an exciting organisationcalled BecomingX, to help everyone realisetheir potential. BecomingX will be sharing thepowerful, often surprising life lessons from somany of the world’s most inspiring people, fromHollywood actors to global sports stars.Can taking adventures helpbuild confidence in children?Survival and adventure is not just aboutknowledge and skills, it’s even more aboutpositivity, resourcefulness, courage and aboveall determination. Pack a sense of humour andembrace the unexpected.Some parents will struggle totravel to wild places, how canthey inspire a love of adventure?The best thing we can do for our children is toget 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 outdoorsand an adventure shared gives kids confidenceand pride that money cannot buy.Do you have any fitnesstips for busy parents of primaryschool aged children?I’ve recently launched a fitness providercalled Be Military Fitness – It is proving sucha powerful way to help veterans and regularpeople achieve their fitness goals in a positivecommunity atmosphere. There’s always a parkfor any busy parent to get to, the training is shortand the workouts can fit around any schedule.Is there any military-styleexercises that youngchildren can enjoy?You can’t beat stuck in the mud! TheCommandos ‘play’ in the clay mud estuary bytheir training centre, it is brutal and very tiring!You’ve visited some of the wildestplaces on Earth – do you have amessage about conservation forour readers?It’s a fact that my programs and adventuresare totally dependent on the existence of wildplaces in the world, so I feel it’s part of my jobto highlight the importance of protecting ourplanet. Whether that be taking President BarackObama to Alaska, to look at the effects of globalwarming, or supporting charities such as TuskTrust in their mission to reduce ivory poaching. Ihope that my programming and books serve toshowcase the magnificence of nature and wildlocations and how we all have a duty of care toprotect our fragile planetfor generationsto come.Who are your adventure heroes?Well first off heroes come in all differentshapes and forms - there are those we publiclycelebrate for great achievement and andfor me that would be the Antarctic explorerDouglas Mawson - his story is amazing. Butthen there are the many unsung heroes, quietly,courageously edging their way forward, servingothers, being kind, often getting knockeddown but always getting back on their feet andnever giving up! That’s what makes a hero:selfless positive attitude and rooted in kinddeeds for others. I encounter so many peoplelike this in my role as Chief Scout, such as themany volunteers who help in thousands andthousands of Scout groups every week aroundthe country. This for me is one of the manygreat privileges of that role and to me they arethe real heroes.Find out more about Bear Grylls excitingnew organisation BecomingX here:www.becomingx.org14WINTER 2019 | www.primarytimes.co.uk/birmingham
Primary Times BirminghamSUITABLEFORAGE8+www.primarytimes.co.uk/birmingham | WINTER 2019 15
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