Endurance challenges
Some of the challenges I have taken on include completing a full Ironman Triathlon, a 100 km ultratrail run, and several other endurance events. Click here for my tips for an Ironman novice, and here for some triathlon lessons learned the hard way.
In recent years I have focused more on ultra trail running, the longest and hardest event being a 100km trail run in Kosciusko, which I completed while raising funds for charity, and featured on an interview on ABC National Radio.
Travel and exploration
I have spent over 27 months travelling overland across 35 countries in the Americas, Western Europe and India. Travelling by land created opportunities to reflect, adapt and connect with people along the way.
Highlights include multi-day treks in Patagonia, the Santa Cruz circuit in Peru, the Quilotoa loop in Ecuador, and climbing several volcanoes above 5000 m. I have also managed to visit all of the contiguous states of the USA. Trekking and climbing remain powerful ways to experience the natural world, build friendships and test personal resilience.
Sanskrit and yoga
In 2022 I began formally studying Sanskrit, motivated by a desire to connect more directly with the secular philosophy underpinning much of modern yoga. This became an intense focus during a subsequent career break.
Alongside study, I developed Sanskrit in Modern Yoga an introductory reference for yoga teacher trainers. The book outlines what Sanskrit is in relation to modern yoga, provides a technical breakdown of common terms, and offers practical steps for those beginning to learn the language.
Technology projects
Earlier in my career I revisited coding skills from my undergraduate studies and built two mobile apps in 2015 under YodaLabs. A meditation breath timer and a Reiki practice guide, they went on to achieve more than 100,000 downloads.
These projects, though simple, were stepping stones towards a planned startup in 2016 (MindAmor). They required balancing design, coding and testing with learning how to reach users through crowdsourcing, online communities and the gig economy.