Michael:

One of the biggest laughs I get when I give a motivational talk is when I show the crowd my Guinness World Record. I’ve now learnt to deal with the fact that a certificate, even that of a Guinness World Record, that lays claim to someone being able to crush the most amount of eggs with the big toes is not something that draws applause. The funny part of this story though is that one other record I looked at attempting to break was that of trying to eat the most amount of Ferrero Rochers in 1 minute. The record was surprisingly just 8! Needless to say I failed.

So why am I telling you this? Well after hearing me give such a talk in Perth recently, a man by the name of Michael (who I saw laughing at me when I held up my record!) decided that he too wanted to lay claim to a Guinness World Record and after joining up on the 100 Things website as a campaigner, he went about making his dream his come true. After some further research into potential records to break, Michael chose to try and beat the record for the ‘quickest time to eat 14 Ferrero Rochers’ which was actually 4 minutes and 2 seconds. Two days after his attempt, it is now my duty to tell you now how this record attempt went (drum role please): less than 48 hours after stuffing his face full of chocolate in a room full of supporters and an official timer supplied by Guinness World Records, Michael managed to eat a total of 14 Ferrero Rochers in a blistering time of 4 minutes and 10 seconds. Sadly though, this was not quite fast enough! Sorry Michael.

In what I think is the best reaction to this, Michael wrote me an email saying this:

“We had a fantastic day yesterday with my attempt to eat 15 Ferrero Rochers in under 4.02mins

I failed the attempt, got really nervous and a dry mouth as 45 of my mates turned up to support me. Even though I didn’t reach my goal, I had such an amazing day and got so much more from attempting than I ever imagined. Everyone who witnessed it said that had a blast- I’ll definitely be attempting it again.

We also raised and donated $100 to Camp Quality via your website link.

Thanks for the inspiration”

Michael and a face full of chocolate shortly after beginning his record attempt!

Michael, we commend you and well done for seeing that it’s not necessarily the record that puts the smile on your face but the journey of getting there. Your kind donation to camp Quality will go straight towards the 100 Things Camp Quality pool which is aiming to raise $30,000 for Camp Quality- Thank you!

I will keep you posted with Michael’s next attempt!

Cameron:

In other Campaigner news, I received an email a few days ago from a man called Cameron. Now similar to Michael, Cam saw me talk recently at a conference in Canberra. In the auditorium were 1,400 people and when I asked if there was anyone in the room who had a dream that they’d always wanted to achieve, Cam put his hand up and shared with us all that he’d always wanted to ride a bike down the side of a volcano!

As you might imagine, I’m a lover of stepping outside the comfort zone, and so when I spoke more to Cam and learnt that he’d researched a volcano in Bali which had bike access and that he had plans to visit it soon, I asked if he could keep me updated!

Needless to say he did, and so here is a photo that Cam sent me just a few days ago with the text;

“As promised, attached is a pic of me in Bali last week riding down Mt Batur, an active volcano in Kintamani, Bali. I hiked the summit with my buddy the day before. Amazing

Smashed out your book you gave me in Canberra at the conference, whilst over there as well. Truly Inspiring!

I now have the bug and life is more about living the dream than simply existing.

Live the dream, brother.

Cam”

Have you ever ridden a bike down the side of a volcano? Cam has!

This is what my journey is now about, trying to help others. We are all capable of achieving the things that we’ve dreamed of, we just have to believe it. As Cam puts it; ‘Life is more about living the dream that simply existing’

Well said.

If you’d like to share your list and become a campaigner on the site, just click on the “Become a Campaigner” button on the home page!

100 Things… What’s on your list?

Well after her parents got in touch with me, asking whether I could help make one of her dreams come true, I have spent days on end trying to do my part. For those of you who don’t know, Bridget’s one dream is to meet her idol; music sensation Taylor Swift.

Now after saying ‘YES! I’ll make it happen‘, I must admit that my sense of purpose is huge. The funny thing of course is that I have no idea how to get in touch with Taylor Swift, but I already know that i’ll make it happen…somehow.

Anyway, fast forward to last night and I received an email again from Bridget’s parents asking whether i’d be interested in visiting Bridget in hospital. My answer was again ‘YES!‘ and so last night I swiftly took myself down to Sydney Children’s Hospital to meet an incredibly brave little girl.

Approaching her bed and seeing her for the first time, (tubes and beeping machines surrounding us) Bridget’s smile was immense and after giving her a cheeky high-5 we began talking about her situation. Sixteen months into her sickness, Bridget (and doctors) are still unsure if she’ll ever return to her normal self but she talks with passion at the mention of Taylor Swift, whose songs she has since learnt to play on guitar. Unable to attend her school and being unable to consume food with the help of a drip that deposits food directly into her small intestine, Bridget is praying that there is a cure, if not a simple understanding, to her problem sooner rather than later. regardless her smile was just amazing. A brave and lovely little girl.

As a small gift I gave Bridget a copy of my book noticing that on page 295 there was a blank page dedicated to penciling down the reader’s own list, she got a pen and filled out the first blank item. No prizes for guessing that it read; ‘Meet Taylor Swift‘.

Not that I needed any more motivation to make this dream come true for Bridget, but if I did, this was it.

We all have dreams, no matter who or where we are, and i’m finding that there really isn’t a better feeling than helping others reach theirs.

Bridget, you are a legend and I will make this happen for you!

100 Things… What’s on your list?

I won’t go into the specific details as many of the emails I receive are of a very personal nature, but I can’t help but notice that the feedback has come from people from all warps of life. From school-leavers to retirees (and everything in between), each and every email convinces me even more (not that I needed to be persuaded) that this journey of 100 Things highlights a very important something inherent to all of us-the ability to dream and achieve and grow.

Amongst the emails are those which talk of success, those that touch on harder times and even those that share amazing tales of overcoming adversity, and with all of this being said it seems that no matter who you are or where you’re from- we are all the same on a primal level. That’s why, I believe, this book connects.

Today I heard that there are currently 7,000 copies of the ’100 Things’ book out there, somewhere, in the world. Emails from Europe, the Americas, Australia and Asia are just a few regions that the book has travelled to. I even got a photo sent to me from a book store in Taiwan where my book was displayed on a shelf (I had no idea it was even being stocked in Taiwan!). It’s quite humbling in honesty.

Hannah, the first person to ever email me about my book, asked if we could meet up for a coffee. How could I say 'no'?!

So having spent many hours on my laptop recently, replying to all of your amazing emails, today I stumbled upon the first public review of my book. Nervous as to what might be said in a public forum, I was delighted to see that the message of the book rang true for this lovely girl called Pamela (she left her name on the review)

“Fantastic Story!! Here is my review….
Please take the time to buy and read a copy of Sebastian Terry’s 100 Things, as you will not regret it and you will be helping the amazing Camp Quality cause! Not only is the book so amazingly well written and easy to read, it is utterly captivating. The story of Sebastian Terry’s 100 Things adventure will make you laugh, gasp, cry and even cringe at times, but mostly it is just so inspiring. The message that Sebastian is trying to get out there is so much deeper than ‘make a list of crazy things to do’ – it is about living life as the universe intended you to live it. Story after story illustrates how everything can fall into place if you have the courage to just let it happen. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to experience Sebastian Terry’s amazing 100 Things journey documented in this book. If you would like any more information, check out his website by clicking here and make your own 100 Things list!
Pamela”

Now it would be understandable for you think that the reason I’ve shared this is because of it’s complimentary nature. Sure, it’s a lovely boost to hear such feedback but for those of you know me you’d know that I’m not here to gain notoriety. If the truth be known I’ve decided to share this because I am just so euphorically happy that the important message about life that I tried so hard to encapsulate in this book has been recognised. That’s my driver in life right now. It leaves me quite emotional, even as I type. This feeling is something that runs deep within me and I know that in my quest to further understand and learn about the things that I’m yet to define about this journey, I have found my purpose.

I hope that makes some kind of sense.

Anyway, if you think that you or someone you know (even your business) could do with a read that might make you look at life in a different way or even enforce what you already believe (albeit with a risk that you may ‘laugh, gasp, cry and even cringe’), please feel free to buy a copy of ’100 Things’ at the Random House website (e-book and paperback available) HERE.

Of course if you’d like a signed copy, please buy a copy on this site by clicking on the SHOP tab above (or click HERE).

100 Things… What’s on your list?

The story goes that after I survived being shot in Colombia (Number 73 from the list), I realized for the first time in my journey that I had reached a point of contentment. Having completed 42 items at that time, I could feel that the journey was no longer just about items that I wanted to complete- there was something at play.

With this in mind I thought I’d auction off the remaining 6 blank items from the list, with all donations going towards Camp Quality. By doing so, we’d be getting closer to ticking off Number 4- Raise $100,000 for Camp Quality!

To date I am in talks with a few organizations who have showed interest in choosing an item for me (each of whom will be donating a large amount to Camp Quality, of course) but today I’d like to talk about a man named Jan. Jan is the first individual who has asked to buy one of the vacant items from the list and after meeting in person for lunch today, I’m stoked to announce that we are going to confirm his choice of activity in the next few days. By doing so Jan will become the first person to buy one of the remaining 6 vacant items from the list!

Jan sharing his idea with me...

One observation from my own journey is that some of the happiest people I’ve met are the ones who are able to give back and help within the community. Whether it be on a personal level or a community-wide level, the philanthropic nature of these individuals is as refreshing as it is encouraging. We truly live in a world made up of amazing people. Why am I say this? Well when I sat down with Jan today, waiting to hear his suggestion for his chosen item on my list, i feared that he might ask me to do something silly like dress as a chicken and sing the national anthem (thankfully he didn’t as I already did this a few weeks ago whilst completing item Number 20- Yes Man!), but when he sheepishly asked whether I’d be open to donating blood, I could’t help but smile.

Having offered a large sum of money to donate to Camp Quality in return for choosing an item on my list, his request was completely selfless and entirely genuine. He could have thrown me under the bus, so to speak, but instead he just wanted to help someone in need. Someone he or I will never know.

“Sebastian, I also would like to join you and donate blood. Is that OK?”

I didn’t need to think about my answer; OF COURSE!

The sad part to the story is that when I rang the blood donor service half way through our lunch today, I was told immediately that due the fact that I’d spent more than 6 months in the UK in-between 1980 and 1996, I am not eligible to give blood! Admittedly this seemed strange but it was explained that it had something to do with the prevalence of Mad-Cow Disease in this time. Who am I to argue that?

With a confused look on my face, I turned to Jan and told him the bad news;

“That’s OK Sebastian. We’l find some other way to help someone in need! I still want to help and donate”

We are now looking for an alternative activity and will confirm something in the few days.

In life there are no problems, just solutions. Jan; you’re a legend and I can’t wait to see how this turns out.

Watch this space!

100 Things… What’s on your list?

Yesterday morning I got invited to give three talks to various businesses overseas. By mid-morning I’d received an offer to baptize a baby in America (remember that I am an fully-ordained wedding minister!) and by midday I’d met up with an inspirational man by the name of Sam Cawthorn for lunch. Replying to emails consumed a few hours in the afternoon and by the time dinner swung around I’d been physically beaten after an intense boxing session in preparation for my April 5th Fight Night! Before bedtime I’d been approached by a very generous man who wanted to donate a lot of money to Camp Quality and as I laid down to bed that night I got a message from someone telling me that she might be able to put me in touch with Taylor Swift as part of helping out a courageous 14 year old girl whose dream it is to meet the talented musician. These are just tray’s highlights!

I love it!

So after waking up this morning and looking out the window to life as I know it, my immediate question to myself is ‘what’s my plan today?’. The answer i just realized is- I don’t know- time management has never been my forte- but what I do know is that as soon as I get back from a run I’m going to jump onto my lap-top and get as many balls rolling in as many directions as I can just because I know that by doing so good things will happen. How do I know this? Simple- I can feel it.

Things are about to get crazy...

How can I ignore such amazing flow?

At times in life it seems that it’s all about putting your head down and your bum up. Attending to all of the smaller things that seem to pop up as the hour hand ticks around the clock, you can only hope at times that the ship is moving in a good direction. But when you do get a chance to get out of the engine room and take a moment to view your ship as a whole, there is no greater motivator than to see that your ship is sailing towards beautiful oceans ahead. This is where I’m at this evening- I’m watching the ship cruise on.

Now I have no idea what this blog update offers you- the reader- into 100 Things. Perhaps it shows you in part how my mind works, but to tell you the truth I’m not too sure, but if there is one thing that you take away from this little piece of writing, please let it be this- this journey is constantly evolving and with my finger on the pulse I can feel that we’re not too far away from taking the next big step.

At some stage yesterday I managed to find myself a notepad and pen and after freely writing a few thoughts and ideas that more recently I’ve been churning over in my head, I think i’ve stumbled upon something that will instigate even positive social change. Big words I know (and it’ll make you feel no better to know that of course I can’t define, let alone share with you what this idea is just yet) but let me just say that I can’t wait to explore this more.

As soon I’ve uncovered this a little more, you’ll be the first to know- how cryptic!

I think I’ll have to leave it there right now as the phone is already ringing and my calendar reminders are already beeping at me from my phone. This tells me that there are already things today that I have forgotten about.

Back to the engine room!

100 Things… What’s on your list?

Meet Mark

The latest campaigner I’ve been in contact with is Mark. Now Mark not only has a list but also has a massive challenge in completing it due to a undiagnosed neurological disorder that he’s had for a while. As a result, he is sadly confined to a wheelchair with very limited movement.

After seeing me give an interview on TV, Mark contacted me and told me that he too had a bucket-list. Seeing that someone was out there ticking items off gave him the motivation to re-address his list and so asked if I would help him with one of his own items; to shave his head. Immediately I fulfilled his request by flying to Melbourne and meeting him on the side of the road with a set of hair clippers, but this was just the beginning of this story.

Mark- losing his hair!

After sharing a few laughs he then told me that it was a dream of his to complete a half marathon.

Being slow on the uptake, I asked how someone in his condition would go about completing a half marathon, to which he replied;

“I just need someone to push me.”

To cut a long story short; I immediately enrolled us into the Melbourne Half Marathon where I’ll be pushing the whole way. The reason I mention this is because we’ve started a team for the race and are looking for people to join. If you’re interested in helping to get Mark across the finish line; please email me on seb@100things.com.au.

July 13th, 2011…

Half Marathon this Sunday!

I’m not going to lie to you; I couldn’t be more excited about this Sunday’s half marathon. Twenty-one kilometers of Melbourne’s toughest roads (maybe a slight exaggeration) is quite the consideration specially in light of the fact that the furthest I’ve ever run before in 10 km. This though is only part of this weekend’s challenge.

This feeling of nervousness and excitement that inside me right now is something I’m more used to feeling in anticipation of ticking off one of my own items but completing the 21k circuit this weekend is not something from my list, instead it’s an item on Mark Rostok’s list.

A long time ago this 100 Things journey turned from something about personal achievement into something that was clearly more about the community. Over time I’ve found that there’s an important message in all of this and one that shows people that anything is possible; Mark is testament to this.

July 18th, 2011…

One of the Best Days of my Life….

Yesterday at 7am on a beautiful but chilly Melbourne morning, a single hooter was sounded, indicating the start of the RunMelbourne half marathon. Moments later 20,000 competitors gathered from all over the world took their first stride on the beautiful 21 km course.
I am absolutely over the moon to announce that 3 hours, 38 minutes and 42 seconds after starting the race, this dream became a reality for Mark.

Mark and I Flying around the course!

On a personal level I don’t think I’ve ever been involved with something so rewarding but this wasn’t about me, it was about Mark and after the race he looked at me with a big smile on his face and simply said “That was special”. The day couldn’t have gone any better.

Deep breaths at the fininsh line- WE DID IT!

What’s more is that in-between making our initial agreement that we’d enter the race together, a few of Mark’s full-time carers also joined the race as well as one of his childhood buddies. As such we were a team of 7 (including Mark) and a massive thank you has to go out to each and everyone of these guys who helped Mark get across the line. Jason, Eban, Dean, Page and Tahnee; you are all legends!

The Team

100 Things… What’s on your list?

June 16th, 2011…

One of our newest campaigners to join up is a lovely lady called Tarns. Tarns sent me her list yesterday and it’s the perfect example of how someone’s list can be as simple as just 3 things:

1- Swim with Dolphins
2- Ride a Jet Ski
3- Have a Hot-Lap in a V8 Super Car

Having ticked off the first item from her list when she swam with dolphins in March last year, Tarns is now turning her attention to the remaining 2 items; riding a jet ski and going for a hot-lap in Ford V8 Supercar at Bathhurst. Now although these items may seem fairly straight forward for your average person, they actually hold a huge challenge to Tarns due to the fact she’s been confined to a wheel chair since birth. The problem clearly is not finding a jet-ski for example, it’s finding someone willing to take her out.

Tania and a strange animal...

Suffering from Spinabifida, Tarns is unable to walk but this has not stopped her from chasing her goals. At the end of the day, she knows that anything is possible.

Over a brief conversation on the phone this afternoon, I promised Tarns that we’d somehow get these items ticked off from her list and as a first step I thought I’d write about her story. If you’re reading this now and you think that you might be able to help with either of Tarns’ remaining two items, please email me on seb@100things.com.au. We’d appreciate any help with this one! 

Of course if I had either a jet-ski or a Ford V8 Supercar I’d take her for a spin today, but sadly I don’t.

June 17th, 2011…

It’s days like these that make me want to live till I’m 100 years old.

Yesterday on the Campaigners Page I introduced you to Tarns, a lovely lady who’d identified one of her life goals as wanting to get a hot-lap in a FORD V8 Supercar. Confined to a wheel chair and also being recently diagnosed with a serious heart condition (she only shared that with me on the phone today!), Tarns faces many challenges on a daily basis but all of these she stays on top of.

Wanting to help and reassuring Tarns that we’d make her goal become a reality, I decided to include her story on my Facebook page yesterday as a way of testing the water, so to speak. Of course less than 5 hours after posting the story, a lady by the name of Kel sent us a message.

Kel as it turns out works for the Dick Johnson Racing (a Ford V8 team) and immediately offered her help! To cut a long story short, Tarns will now be picked up from her house in August and taken for a hot-lap at the Ipswich race track by Dick Johnson’s son. Not only this but Tarns will get to meet the entire team who are currently competing in the Australian V8 Supercar Championship!

Dick Johnson Race Car #1

It goes without saying that Kel; you’re a legend, and both Tarns and I appreciate your generosity in making her dream a reality. It just goes to show that once you put your thoughts down on paper and throw yourself at an identified goal, anything is possible!
August 23rd, 2011…

Tania Achieves Life Goal!

After months of anticipation, today is the day that Tania will be stepping into the car and completing her hot-lap and I just want to say a big congratulations to Tania for her newly found zest for life! It is inspiring.

On that note I’d also like to thanks the team from Dick Johnson Racing, including Kel C who initially reached out having read the Facebook post.

It’s moments like this that make this journey worth it! I truly believe that one of the most important things in life lays in the strength of community.

I’m now waiting for the post-lap phone call fro Tania and will update you guys ASAP with her reaction and photos!

August 24th, 2011…

Our Amazing Campaigner Tania

You probably know from reading yesterdays blog that one of our most motivated campaigners by the name of Tania got whisked around the Ipswich Raceway in Dick Johnson V8 Supercar. By doing so she ticked off one of her life dreams.

TICK!

Of course this is a huge moment for Tania, a lady who suffers from Spinabifida, and to speak with her on the phone moments after her ride was amazing. So much energy and enthusiasm in fact that I could barely understand her!

I also just noticed that Tania even made the official V8 Supercar website with a great little article! Hats off to you Tania!

I think though the funniest thing by far was though was the fact that in the article I got referred to as an “entrepreneur”! I guess my cheque is in the post? haha

100 Things… What’s on your list?

Today was amazing!

After announcing on The Circle two weeks ago that I wanted to help a stranger, I spent the next few days going through hundreds of emails which were sent to me from people watching the show asking me to help them do an array of things. From being asked to help someone to move house, to someone asking if I could babysit their child for a week while they went on holiday, there was an interesting bunch of offers on the table.
After some deliberation, there was one email that really caught my attention and although I wrote about this last week, I think it would be appropriate to show it again now. It was from a concerned mother based in Melbourne:

“Hi Seb,

I am so inspired by your motivation and zest for life.
I have a 10 year old daughter who is beautiful, smart and has the most
beautiful and kind heart, however she is bullied endlessly by kids at
school.She cries herself to sleep on a regular basis.
Both my husband, daughter and I would be so grateful if you would talk
to her class about your life, I think it would go a long way to stop
the torture she goes through everyday.
Thanks for your consideration.

Sian”

How could I look beyond this email?
This brings us to today, where funnily enough I find myself in Melbourne. This of course is no coincidence, in fact all it took was one phone call to the school of Billie (Sian’s daughter) who eagerly invited us down talk!

As such it fills me with absolute pleasure to announce that today not only did I manage to tick off Number 26- Help a Stranger from my list but more importantly, I got to meet a lovely young girl in Billie who along with her class mates made the talk an unforgettable experience.

Mid-talk- Altona Primary School students listen intently to one of many videos in the talk

Everyone had a great time  and I’d like to thank Altona Primary School for having us. As I write this I am still nursing severe 3rd degree carpet burn to my legs courtesy of an impromptu ‘Dance-Off’ with class clown Kyle who challenged me after the talk. I should have known that a knee slide across the carpet could only have ended in pain but a dance-off is a dance-off and extreme measures need to be taken! I knew I was in trouble when I saw Kyle open up his routine with The Worm and so it should come as no surprise to announce that I think the better (and far younger) dancer won in the end.

Don't ask.... I thought this move would win the 10 yr old crowd over (it didn't).

After the speech I stuck around to meet everyone in person and spending time with Billie was just great. Billie is simply a great child and I’m hopeful that sharing some of my experiences with her class and talking about respect of oneself and others helped in some small way to showing the class that bullying is simply not cool. For some reason, I feel this was a great day for everyone in the room.

Billie smiling amongst her class mates

Highlight!

During the talk, each child wrote down 1 thing that they have always dreamt of doing and I promised that I would post it in the site. It’s amazing what things a group of 10, 11 and 12 year olds will think of and it goes to show that no matter what age, we all have dreams and aspirations. I promise if you read them, you’ll be left smiling (note that some names are missing)!

Michael – To try windsurfing
Nick – To own a goat as a pet
Nick (2) – To watch an entire episode of Doctor Phil
Haylee – To be an Australian netballer
Ana – To learn how to play the guitar
Sam – To kiss 10 girls in the same night
Maddy – To go down a hill in a shopping trolley
Nang – To swim with dolphins
Robin – To eat a maggot
Nana – To scubadive
Evangeline – To break a record
Elise – To try bungee jumping
Jack – To meet David Beckham
Liam – To pilot an airship
Jarryd – To ride a donkey
Ebony – To swim with dolphins
Heather – To kiss a dolphin
Reece – To ride a jockey that has won The Melbourne Cup
James – To eat a live snail
Lydia – To be silent for a week
Zeaton – To verse a celebrity in a dance-off
Tim – To say hi to a celebrity
Corey – To go on the red carpet
Sarah – To kiss a dolphin
Jack (2) – To skydive through a cloud and land on a trampoline
Luke – To go to jail for a week.
Sit motionless for a day
Eat raw goats testicles
Not to look at my hands for a day, while using them.
Don’t speak for a week
Drive on the busiest highway at 1km/h
Pole dance in public
Swim in the Red Sea
Get my black belt in karate
Not blink for 5 minutes
Swim with a whale shark while covered in shrimp
Fly to Mars
Sleep on a jelly bed for a week
Go to jail
Get kicked out of Disneyland
Fly a plane with over 200 passengers in it.
Sit in a graveyard at midnight
Be on a game show
Go to America
Fly in a private jet
Help Sebastian Perry  (I think she meant Terry!) with one of the things on his Bucket List
Scuba dive
Dance in the middle of the city in a penguin suit
Dance and have it be shown on TV
Smack a strangers bum
Shave my head bald
Do a nudie run in the city
Talk really fast for a dayTalk for a whole day without saying “ummmm….”
These kids were simply great and after the talk they even surprised me when they offered a generous donation to Camp Quality, the charity that I am raising money for. They had decided to have a gold-coin donation! This was not expected and again I’d like to thank the students for their kind gesture.

To me, having a boxing match is the ultimate way to challenge your mind and body against another in combat.

Now you may remember that last year I planned to tick this item from the list but with a trip to the USA and Africa opening up unexpectedly, it was something that I had to put on hold. That is until now! Timing, I believe, is one of the most influential variables in life and when it works in your favour, you have to grab an opportunity and run with it, and so when I found out that a a Sydney-based company called Black Tie Boxing was looking for one extra fighter for an upcoming charity  ‘Fight Night’, it felt rude not to at least give them a call.

One phone later and a quick training session to assess my skills and I’m over the moon to announce that I have been invited to fight!

Fight Details:

Now for those worried for me health, please don’t- I still have 9 weeks until the event and with absolute devotion to wanting to give it my best shot I will be training at least 5 times a week with the guys at Black Tie Boxing until the the April 5th Fight date! I’m full of adrenalin just writing about this and I have no idea who I’m even fighting!

You're all invited!

Now of course I should say thanks to Jono from Black Tie Boxing for taking me on board, and with a percentage of takings on the night going towards male prostate cancer, there is a fantastic cause to support as well. The night itself will comprise of 8 other non-professional fights as well as a professional bout as the main event and the best part is that you’re all invited!

The Tale of the Tape

A black tie event, the night is going to be a classy little affair with different ticketing options to suit. From a 3-course ringside meal (alcohol included) to standing room (alcohol included), there is something for everyone.

Location: Le Montage, Leichardt, Sydney

Date: April 5th, 2012.

Time: 6.30pm-11.30pm

Prices: From $95-$295

To find out more about the event and book your tickets, please CLICK HERE!

With training now started, the only other thing I need to do is pick a fighting name. Any ideas?

100 Things… What’s on your list?

“Hi Sebastian
After hearing you speak so passionately at the AMP convention in Canberra last week and the great work you have been doing for Camp Quality, I thought I would write to see if you can help with a special request I have received from one of my SES Volunteer colleagues. He has a very sick Daughter who has recently become very ill with a rare condition that will not allow her to digest food, which has had a significant effect on her lifestyle.
She is motivated by the Music of Taylor Swift and has purchased tickets to see her concert in Sydney in March. She would ultimately love to meet Taylor Swift.
I just thought there may be a slim chance you may have a contact to make this happen.
I have attached her story that she recently sent me……  

Bridget's Letter

It reads;

‘Well Hello,
My name is Bridget and I am 14 and this is my story well a very short version any way  When I was 13 I became very sick and started vomiting, about a month went by and the vomiting was continually getting worse. Now every time I eat or drink even a sip of water I throw it all back up again. Two days before Christmas I had an endoscopy and the doctor gave me some medicine I was allowed to go home so that I could have Christmas at home but on Boxing Day the medicine hadn’t fixed me so I was admitted into the children’s hospital. I had a feeding tube put in, was on a drip and a few other beeping machines and I was pricked and prodded with needles and cold hands. Since then I have seen about 30 doctors and had many many tests. I vomit at least 20 times a day. The hardest part of my illness is that it is “undiagnosed” so I am treated a bit like an experiment. I have many stays in hospital and I have since deteriorated so now my feeding tube goes into my small intestine. My life is very different from the “normal” kids as I don’t get to go to school very often and I don’t get to do many activities or go over to people’s houses cause I am sick and my energy levels are very low. A person who has inspired me to keep going and never give up is Taylor Swift she has inspired me to start playing guitar it keeps my mind off feeling sick and it helps me express my feelings. The guitar also provides me with something constructive to do with my time. I listen to Taylor’s music daily it gives me the courage to keep going with my life and when I am feeling down I just think what would Taylor do? Taylor has taught me to make a Positive situation out of a negative situation.  I know all of her songs and love to sing along to them even if I am feeling un-well and it always puts a smile back on my face. I aspire to be like Taylor, to be as kind as her as loving and caring as her. She is my role model my inspiration my idol. To meet Taylor Swift would be a dream come true it would also make living with a chronic illness just that little bit easier by giving me something to look forward to and aspire towards; it would be a moment I would remember for the rest of my life.
Kind regards Bridget’”

It’s rare in life that after reading something on a piece of paper that your body is filled with an immediate sense of purpose. Almost as if your brain has no say in the matter, determination and excitement combine to create one magnificent explosion of effort that you have no control over. After reading this email, I stood up and began to pace the room. There was only one thing that seemed important to me and that was to get in touch with Taylor Swift. If I knew where she lived I would have walked there!
A few days on now, having spoken to Bridget’s father, I already know that this is going to happen. There is no confirmation email from Taylor herself, nor is there an email from her manager telling me that Taylor is willing to help BUT I just know this is going to happen. I have no idea of course how, but I believe that if you throw yourself at any goal in the world with 100% of your efforts, there is nothing that is out of reach.
At this stage I have sent about emails to about 20 people who via the majesty of google look as though they might work with Taylor Swift in varying capacities. Through all of the media that I’ve been lucky enough to have approach me about my own journey of 100 Things in recent times, I’ve been able to approach a few TV networks as well as multiple radio stations who have all showed interest in helping and after a cheeky mention of my desire on my Facebook account, there are now hundreds of people selflessly lending a hand. As I write I’m told that Taylor’s management have been made aware of the situation.  In short- the ball is now rolling. I know what the target is but I have absolutely no idea how we’ll get there. To me, that’s the exciting part. This is when the world does it’s thing.
I could have probably saved this blog post until I had confirmation but that would be boring. I love the ‘chase’! It would also be remiss of me not to mention that if anyone reading this now thinks that they’d like to help Bridget, please CONTACT ME.
You may be able to help Bridget, and if you do I swear I’ll give you a massive hug!
100 Things… What’s on your list?