Dreams Come Alive

If there was an environment where one could develop an instant bond and trust with another person, then a desert race would be the ideal backdrop. The camaraderie and friendships that form out of adversity at a 4 Deserts event is the stuff of legend. Living in close proximity and subject to conditions to which the average person is not accustomed, a deep sense of esprit de corps is immediately established.

This fellowship manifests itself in many ways: someone waiting for you at the end of a stage to help carry your pack to the tent; or checking in on you during the evenings or early mornings; or hanging back to walk with you when you are struggling. This was service leadership at its best.

Even though we are all grappling with our own personal predicaments, we somehow discover that little extra to give someone else a shot in the arm. It’s so much easier to get outside yourself when you’re thinking about someone else. This is the best way to overcome challenges and difficulty: focus outwards.

For being there, we are already winners – we go on to run not so much to beat one another, but to be with one another. The joy of participating in such an event is the joy of adding our power and personality to the pack. And many extend their reach and influence to their wider community by raising funds for assorted charities.

As the official post-race update articulated, “The bonds made…are strong and all those who have taken part in this event are now part of a much wider family, one dedicated to seeing the world through different eyes and finding out what it truly means to be a member of the human race.”

You cannot not make a difference.