• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

alex@alexstaniforth.com

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Alex Staniforth

Alex Staniforth

Adversity Adventurer, Motivational Resilience Speaker, Author and Mental Health Activist

  • HOME
  • ALEX
    • Bio
    • Charity
    • Sponsors
    • Media
  • SPEAKING
  • ADVENTURE
    • Climb The UK
  • 3 PEAKS RUN
  • MIND OVER MOUNTAINS
  • WORDS
    • FAQS
  • BOOKS
Contact Alex

I have my challenges, but they don’t have me.

You are here: Home / Challenges / I have my challenges, but they don’t have me.

December 24, 2016 by AdversityAdventurer 3 Comments

2016 draws to a close and “New Year, New Me” pledges clog my Facebook timeline as we reflect and set new goals: be it to lose weight, start a new job or take up Yoga.

After boozy office parties, over-indulgence and those sickly festive coffee menus with enough sugar to fuel an ice cream van, it’s no wonder gym memberships will soar through the roof. Sadly, it’s often the case that this fresh enthusiasm will scarper faster than politicians did after Brexit and our health clubs will resume normality. We are the result of the choices we make, and unfortunately, we are surrounded by people who may be resentful towards those who made better choices.

I don’t geddit … why wait until the 1st of January to make a change and improve our lives?

Earlier this year, I went on a course called the Starfish Project. It changed my life. It teaches a costal breathing technique to help control stammering. I’ve stammered since a toddler and never known what normal speech feels like – the simple privilege of being able to greet people, say my own name, socialize properly, make friends… the list goes on.

Here’s the weird bit. I’m a motivational speaker! This year I’ve delivered 44 talks to over 2,500 people. My last was hosting and presenting a corporate awards event in London. Most stammerers are ‘covert’, meaning we change words we can’t say with such ninja precision that you probably don’t even notice our stammer. However, when I have to announce the winner of an award (written on a card in my hand), changing a name probably wouldn’t go down too well…

Thanks to Starfish, I was in control. Truthfully, I began speaking three years before the course; but it has taken me to a whole new level. Most of all, it’s the small victories, like finally being able to make a phone call or order what I really want at a café.

Whatever your goal for 2017, focus on these small victories. Just like climbing a mountain with small steps, one at a time. For example, at half marathons, you get the runners who set off too fast and sound like they’re having a coronary by mile one – never mind thirteen. In one race this year, I made the same mistake, burnt out and bailed before the finish. To be fair, I was so dosed up on anti-depressants that even getting to the start line that day was a victory in itself.

So, a few weeks later I went back and changed my approach, focusing one mile at a time and not caring who overtook me (barring the guy dressed as Scooby Doo), knocking five minutes off my PB and winning my age group.

Every worthwhile goal will have challenges, and they don’t care how hard we’ve worked. Just when you think you’ve reached the top, the stammer will rears its ugly head, like last week, when flying back to Gatwick Airport from South Africa. Ironically I’d visited a Starfish friend out there, and how cool it is to have lifetime membership of a community across the world; who understand and face the same speech challenges as you. Two long-haul flights with a screaming contest conducted by a nearby kid would leave anyone despondent, but something caught the attention of a customs officer who asked where I’d flown in from. Not a single word came. Bugger. I can almost hear the internal dialogue saying: “No! Not now, sod off!”.

The stammer had other ideas. My case was dragged onto an inspection table, but whilst being quizzed her intimidating stare actually proved useful (since eye contact is part of the Starfish technique). Although soon sent on my way, I could have felt frustrated. But if we focus on the small victories, we’ll see just how far we have come. We can still fall off the mountain. It’s how we get back up again.

2016 has been a great and challenging year. Notably releasing my first book Icefall (now award-winning), organising Walk4Nepal, raising £25k for charity, new ambassador roles for YHA and PHASE Worldwide, a Cho Oyu expedition, a 24-hour time trial, rediscovering my love for running and of course, new friends made. Let’s just ignore the fact that Donald Trump became president…

2017 will bring my biggest challenge yet, supporting YoungMinds, and see so many people achieve their own Everest in life – the young, wise, keen adventurers, and those that haven’t tried.

Special thanks to Westgrove Group for continuing to stand in my corner and support my mission. To all my followers, sponsors, family, friends, mentors and clients, I’m hugely grateful for your support in 2016, thank you, and I wish you all a great Christmas.

Embrace your challenges in 2017 or let them have you. It’s your choice.

—–

(Tickets available to hear me speak at Ellis Brigham in January 2017 – Bristol, London and Manchester – and the new Snowdonia 3 Days event in June)

Category iconChallenges,  Icefall,  Inspiration Tag iconadversity,  alex staniforth,  bear grylls,  cho oyu,  everest,  fundraising,  icefall,  inspiration,  mental health,  speaking,  speech problems,  stammer,  stammering,  stuttering,  walk4nepal,  young minds

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 42 other subscribers.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Molly Youd says

    December 24, 2016 at 9:25 am

    A wonderfully written word of encouragement Alex. You truly are inspirational. I loved your first book and look forward to the next. Ain’t no mountain high enough. Have a wonderful Christmas and best wishes for an exciting 2017

    Reply
  2. Colin says

    December 24, 2016 at 3:39 pm

    Alex, you have achieved so much this year you are a great inspiration to many others. Whether it was sucess or failure you always held your head high, many would had given up but not you, you kept on pushing yourself to the limit and coming up with more adventures and goals.

    I envy you for that!

    I hope 2017 will be as good as 2016 for you, if anyone deserves it, it’s you.

    Have a great Christmas!

    Colin
    Mount Everest Facts

    Reply
  3. Rachel says

    January 23, 2017 at 9:44 am

    Just read this again Alex. Its both uplifting and inspiring whilst being very real. So glad your 2017 has started so well. Best wishes. See you next week in Manchester. Rachel and Harry.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

WANT A FREE CHAPTER?
Join my newsletter for new challenge announcements, blogs, events and a free sample of my new book 'Another Peak'...
We respect your privacy.

 

Partners

Footer

Alex’s Charity

 

 

 

 

Mind Over Mountains is a charity restoring mental health naturally through therapeutic outdoor experiences.

Read more and join us at: www.mindovermountains.org.uk

Contact Alex
alex@alexstaniforth.com

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Instagram

alexstaniforth_

Climbing mountains and the mind.
Charity Founder @mindomountains
🌎 The Lake District #GetOutside
Athlete @inov_8 @ordnancesurvey @ellisbrigham

Alex Staniforth - Adventurer
Back where it all began. Running with my old man! Back where it all began. Running with my old man!

Last March I got my Parkrun PB at Keswick and this weekend got my slowest at Fell Foot.

The plan was to keep my heart rate under 145bpm to avoid another crash of fatigue, which meant walking most of the hills. It took the discipline of Yoda not to set off chasing people like the good old days, especially when my dad overtook me in the first km. 

I hated exercise as a kid. On holiday in France my stepmum bribed me with €2 to run a mile with him. That was a lot of money back then... I hated every minute but dad inspired me to enter a 10km race for charity, and the rest is history. Dad came to watch every race since, as I happily claimed the family record at every distance from 5km to marathon, whilst he retired to become a Parkrun tourist. 

Never thought he'd beat me again, but never forget where you started.
.
#LongCovid #TheComeback #MatchingJackets #parkrun #loveparkrun #fellfootpark
#LakeDistrict #lakedistrictuk #runninginspiration #Fellfoot #windermere #parkruntourist #fatherson
Much-needed adventure inspiration from @mrmarkbeau Much-needed adventure inspiration from @mrmarkbeaumont on his Faster tour at Rheged last weekend. 

Mark is the fastest person to cycle around the world in 80 days (that's 240 miles a day... for perspective) amongst many other records. He's been a huge personal inspiration and kindly endorsed my 2nd book.

So much resonated, but a few favourite takeaways: 

- Trust the process, the bigger picture will always take care of itself. 

- Remove the faff. His team had to ensure he was on the bike by 4am, not 4:05am. That would have added an entire day to his record.

- Mark had 40 people working on his world record. He knew that if he failed, the whole team failed. 

- Good times won't last forever, but that means the bad ones won't either... 

Thanks Mark. Grab his books, talks and films if you're needing some adventure inspiration! 

#faster #worldcycle #ultracycling #markbeaumont #inspiration #80days #mindset #cyclingheroes #rheged #ultracyclist 
@speakersfromtheedge
214/214 Wainwrights complete! Somehow it's taken 214/214 Wainwrights complete! 

Somehow it's taken 12 years, 8 months and 25 days since my first summit, Souther Fell, aged 14 (swipe for evidence). For those who don't know, the Wainwrights are a list of 214 summits created by legendary writer Alfred Wainwright. There was no better hill to finish than the aptly named 'Great Cockup', with a great crowd of friends.

The record is 5 days 12 hrs 14 mins... If only we hadn't stopped for a sandwich 😂 

Meanwhile @thehodfather666 is currently climbing all 214 with a 4 stone hod of house bricks, to raise money for @mindomountains.

However fast you go, there's something strangely addictive about this collection of fells. It's been a fun project to explore the Lakes and maybe one day I'll start again to see how fast I can get around... 

📸@danobeaumont

#GreatCockup #Wainwrights #LakeDistrict #Hillwalking  #GetOutside #Lakes #peakbagging #wainwrightswalks
A big welcome to the first CEO of @mindomountains, A big welcome to the first CEO of @mindomountains, Ian Sansbury! 

When Chris and I founded the charity in 2020 we never imagined how big it would become. From the flagship event with @adventureuncovered to delivering 27 events last year, supporting 300+ people with their mental health, including the NHS, Police and Ambulance Service.

Leadership is about creating a vision, and building a great team to achieve it - like our wonderful trustees, team and 50+ freelance staff who continually go above and beyond. 

It’s also knowing your strengths and weaknesses, when ironically it's compromised my own mental health sometimes too. As the charity grows I'm not the right person to take it where it needs to be, so it can reach everyone who needs our help.

Feeling like a proud parent sending their kids off to start school, with less crying, but I'm super excited to see the charity grow and support even more people with Ian’s expertise. 

I’ll remain heavily involved as a trustee (and Chief Interference Officer) to support the team, tell the story and raise money through daft adventures… 

Thanks to everyone who's been part of the first chapter. Onwards!

#NewChapter #MyBaby  #MentalHealthCharity #MindOverMountains
Load More… Follow on Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2023 Alex Staniforth. All rights reserved.

Implemented by Koogar Integrated Marketing

Return to top