Australia Up Close
Modern Day Voyagers Pursue Their Dreams
By CHELSEA McLEAN
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夢を追いかける冒険者の生き方
今、オーストラリアで一人の少年が脚光を浴びています。現在18歳のジェシー・マーティン君は、14歳のころからの夢だった世界一周ヨット単独航海を、2年余り前に成功させました。帰国後に執筆した著書 ""Lionheart" は多くの国民に読まれています。彼によると、やりたいと強く思うこと、これが夢を実現させる第一歩だそうです。
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Modern day adventurers set out on voyages of courage to
bring their dreams to life and redefine our beliefs.
They make us believe we can, when we think we can't.
One famous Australian voyager, Jesse Martin, was 17
years old when he set sail around the world non-stop,
unassisted and alone in a yacht from Australia's Port
Phillip Bay in December 1998. He was 18 when he arrived
back home to a nation of cheering supporters, after 328
days at sea. Jesse sailed 50,000 km on his voyage and
became the youngest person to circumnavigate the
world.
Many Australians have read his book, "Lionheart,"
to get an insight into Jesse's life and the
inspirational courage behind his trip. When I read it,
my mind was challenged by the idea: "If we don't live
our dreams, what's the point of living?"
When he was a child, Jesse's parents encouraged him to
believe he could do anything and that there were no
boundaries to what he could do if he put his mind to
it. He grew up sailing with his father and brother and
decided venturing out to sea was what he would put his
mind to.
Jesse started planning his around-the-world voyage
when he was 14. Prior to his record-breaking journey,
he had already traveled along Australia's tropical
coast on a flimsy catamaran, kayaked through the
islands of Papua New Guinea and crewed on a yacht
sailing from Belize, in Central America, to Tahiti.
The physical demands on Jesse's body during the trip
were equivalent to running a marathon a day. To avoid
colliding with other boats, whales or icebergs,
there was no more than 20 minutes of sleep at a time.
Waves the size of two-story buildings and freezing
cold temperatures were a daily challenge.
"I'm not a freak capable of something beyond the
realm of the ordinary human being. I'm just a normal
person ... If I can do this anyone can. All I did was say
`I want to do this' and went to work on it," he said in
his book.
Trying to achieve your dreams is what's important, Jesse
stated. He encouraged everyone to "just have a go"
because "it is better to live one day as a lion than 10
years as a lamb."
Many of the world's great authors talk about the
courage to live life as a lion. In the book "Thick Face,
Black Heart," author Chin-Ning Chu stated: "You endure
by enduring — understand the difficulties, predict the
risks and endure the hardships." America's Kenneth
Blanchard, author of the famous "One Minute Manager,"
said we need to have the courage to be true to our own
convictions and make a commitment to hard working,
unshakable strength.
American philosopher Stuart Wilde said having the
courage to go beyond means trusting and believing.
"You have to have the courage to embrace an idea,
accept it and believe it before you have any real proof
that the idea will work," he said in his book,
"Infinite Self."
Currently, Jesse is preparing for another world voyage
with his brother and a film crew. This time he plans to
spend three years at sea in a traditional Polynesian
timber catamaran.
Many other modern day adventurers are pursuing their
dreams too.
Through one of my friends I heard about 22-year-old David
Criniti — the youngest person to participate in the
"Trans-Australia Foot Race." This 4,800 km-run started
in Perth, Jan. 6, and finishes March 11 in the Australian
capital of Canberra. The 24 participants run an average
of 70 km a day for nine weeks through 134 towns.
David's friend, Dennis, said the runners have
sustained injuries like blisters, heat exhaustion,
dehydration and cramps. "In the middle of summer the
heat in some parts of the dessert is extreme. It sounds
crazy, but they do it for the challenge and to prove it
can be done."
Though David had to withdraw because of an injury,
he covered 650 km and inspired other people through his
efforts.
Just like Neil Armstrong, people will always find
new ways to push their limits and stretch the boundaries.
Multimillionaire businesspeople, like Britain's
Richard Branson, set out on new voyages regularly. They
have the funding and the technology to make
extraordinary things happen — like flying long distances
in hot air balloons.
But there are many adventurers who must seek their own
funds to make their dreams happen. Jesse Martin worked
hard to seek sponsorship from many different
organizations.
We cannot limit other people's abilities by our own.
In Jesse's words: "Let your mind dream and achieve new
things."
Shukan ST: Feb. 9, 2001
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