Wow! eBook
21 Yaks and a Speedo: How to achieve your impossible
Author(s): Lewis Pugh (Author)
- Publisher: Our Blue Future
- Publication Date: 15 May 2013
- Edition: First Edition
- Language: English
- Print length: 277 pages
- ISBN-10: 0620572884
- ISBN-13: 9780620572880
Book Description
A collection of beautifully-told short stories from Lewis Pugh – ocean advocate, pioneer swimmer, and inspirational speaker – about his expeditions and the lessons he learned along the way. Lewis Pugh knows oceans. He was the first to complete a long distance swim in every ocean of the world, and has pioneered more swims around famous landmarks than any other person in history. He swam across the icy waters of the North Pole to highlight the melting of the Arctic Sea ice, and across a glacial lake on Mount Everest to draw attention to the impact of climate change on the Himalayan glaciers. It was there that he met his first yak. Trekking behind them up the icy slopes, watching them cross skeletal bridges over dizzying ravines, and listening to them breathe outside his tent each night, Lewis got to think about the things he most admires in a yak. And found that those qualities were not unlike the ones that enabled him to meet his own challenges – and achieve things that people believed to be impossible. In 21 Yaks and a Speedo, Lewis shares his ability to dream big dreams, build crack teams, and get the job done. You’ll be inspired by his devotion to excellence, his loyalty to his crew, and his belief in never giving up. These are 21 strategies Lewis used to achieve what no one thought was possible. The principles are simple but effective. Stick by them, he says, and you will achieve your own impossible.
Editorial Reviews
Review
Lewis is an inspiration! This book will make you want to stand a little taller. –Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Laureate
Lewis is a gripping storyteller. He has gone places few would dare to go, and for good reasons. The dreams, the hardships, the hard work and the sheer heart behind his expeditions will inspire you to rethink your own ‘impossible’. I can’t wait to see what he does next … –Jack Canfield | Co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and The Success Principles
Reflections of a deep-thinking action man. Compelling. –Financial Times
About the Author
Lewis goes to extremes. He’s been to the world’s most inaccessible places. He’s put his body through unimaginably difficult conditions. He’s learned how to harness the energy that comes from overcoming extraordinary odds. And he knows how to inspire audiences to rise to their own internal challenges. His talks make a difference, to individuals, and to organizations. His dream is that they will also make a difference to the world. Lewis’s ability to make his story matter has made him one of the world’s leading inspirational speakers. On their 125th anniversary, Coca-Cola asked Lewis to address their world-wide leadership team. When Unilever decided to double their business and halve their environmental footprint, they chose Lewis to motivate their management team. And when Lloyd’s Insurance turned 200 years old, they asked Lewis to help them visualize their future in an increasingly unpredictable world. As an ocean advocate, pioneer swimmer and explorer, Lewis puts his hard-learned lessons into the context of a corporate environment. He shares the visualization that enabled him to undertake the first swim across the sub-zero waters of the North Pole. And he shares the radical tactical shift that he used to complete the first swim across a glacial lake on Mt Everest. Lewis is a vivid storyteller. His address on leadership at the Business Innovation Forum in Rhode Island was voted as one of the 7 Most Inspiring Videos on the Web. Over 2.5 million people have viewed his TED talks, and countless others have followed him on BBC, Good Morning America, CNN, Jon Stewart, National Geographic, Sky News, Al Jazeera, Jay Leno and more. His autobiography Achieving the Impossible is a Bestseller and was chosen for Oprah’s Exclusive Book List. Lewis has received a number of awards including France and South Africa’s highest honours, as well as the Freedom of the City of London. In 2010, the World Economic Forum named him a Young Global Leader for his potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world through inspiring leadership. And in 2013, the United Nations Environment Programme named him Patron of the Oceans.
