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Published on : 5th July 2006
Article by: Sabrina Chew
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STRAIGHT
TO THE FINISH LINE!
On a stopover in Singapore before he continues on the
last leg of his trip, Briton Jason Lewis talks to SAFYC
about the past, the present and the future that entails
the 12 years he has spent on an expedition around the world.
SABRINA CHEW reports.
In a bid to escape the prescriptive way of
life in his native England, Jason Lewis decided to agree
to his friend, Steve's proposal to circumnavigate the world
using only human power and be the first to do it. The plan
posed as a great adventure for Lewis, who was eager to escape
London, where he found himself trapped in an endless whirlpool
of social protocol.
Cultivating the right values to the young
Since their launch in 1994, more than a decade has passed
and along the way, the spirit of the expedition has changed
too. What began as a grand adventure for two ambitious blokes
to do something memorable whilst in their youth has since
evolved into something so much greater than before. "I
left London to go on a great adventure, an exploration.
But then one side through the Atlantic, I met some teachers,
and I became really interested in the idea of using it as
an educational tool." Jason Lewis reflected.
The road to self-discovery ended up as a once-in-a-lifetime
experience for Lewis, who now uses the expedition as a "learning
tool in the classroom to connect to young people in different
cultures to promote the ideal of world citizenship, intercultural
tolerance and understanding".
He also got serious as he talked about the
motivation behind the kids programmes he produces in collaboration
with the Discovery Channel. "I think that the way the
world is going right now, we're just wrecking everything
really fast. The amount of hatred between cultures [nowadays]
is just really backward and I think that there's no excuse
given what technology can do today. If things are [to] turn
out okay, we really need to start with kids."
Making friends all over the world
Plans for educating the young aside, the expedition had
also given multiple opportunities for Lewis to meet and
interact with individuals from many different cultures.
Upon reflection, Lewis commented in awe that the most rewarding
aspect of his journey is that it gave him "the opportunity
to really explore the idea of transcending one's native
culture and [immerse himself] into the world as a global
citizen".
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Used to adapting quickly to different
cultures, he found that "everyone likes a good joke" and
in face of wide differences, "humour is a great connector".
Knowing how to play football apparently helps too. "If you
can play soccer, it's like you can make friends anywhere in the
world." He quipped.
Off on a wing and a prayer…
Judging from how far they have come and how much
they have accomplished, it's hard to believe that Jason and Steve
had near to zero experience when they ventured out on the expedition.
The humble bloke haltingly revealed that besides a Yacht Master
course where they learned how to navigate and a few sailing trips,
they had minimal preparation before the expedition. "I know
that sounds really arrogant but we didn't really [have experience].
We [also] didn't do much training with the paddle boat." Lewis
admitted sheepishly.
He confessed to being lucky to have superb support
at the start of things, having a good boat above all.
Unfortunately, all the luck in the world couldn't
have helped them with their draining ocean crossings. To keep himself
going, Lewis poured his heart and soul into the simplest things
like making tea. "It's just too far away to try and motivate
oneself towards so I actually completely forgot about all of that,
and just really got into the here and now." Lewis explained.
Worries about rejoining society
Now that the finish line is in sight, a new concern
has sprung up and that is his reconnection with civilisation. Having
spent 12 years away for the expedition, with only short rests in
between countries, Lewis realised he has much to catch up with the
rest of society. Because of his need to focus on the expedition,
he has lost touch with the latest news and trends and hence the
fear of not being able to fit in. "It's like you lose the ability
to connect with your own roots." He said.
But in spite of his fears and concerns, he had also
voiced his eagerness to get back to England. "One of the things
I do miss about England is sitting down and having a beer in a pub.
I [also] miss the dry British humour sometimes." He reminisced.
Plans after the expedition
Although there are no confirmed plans as of yet,
Lewis mentioned that his ideal, once he finishes the trip, "would
be to do something involved in kids, outdoors and media, possibly
producing a series for someone like Discovery". A book on the
expedition may be in the works as well. Oh and not forgetting, he
would also like to buy a motorcycle which goes really fast - "more
than 2 miles an hour"!
Looking back on the past
In retrospect, had he known the amount of time and
effort required for the expedition, he might have sat on it a little
longer instead of plunging headfirst into the project. But if he
hadn't come on the expedition, Lewis said he'd probably have become
a musician. "I was really into writing music and I'd like to
think I would have developed a career in music."
Straight to the finish!
"At this point, I want to see it through, because
I feel like I've committed to this and it's important to finish.
It's a balance between [the process and the end], having that end
is really important 'cos that's your ultimate goal; but ultimately,
you gotta kind of forget about that in a way. Think about the little
things that are going on around you. I think that's what makes up
a rich experience."
For the last leg of the expedition, Jason Lewis will be bicycling
from Singapore, through Malaysia to Thailand. Passing through Tibet
and China, the final stop in Asia would be Bombay, India. He hopes
to finish in Greenwich, England, in summer 2007, where he originally
started the trip 12 years ago.
The shipping of his boat to India is courtesy
of Schenker Logistics and the main sponsor for his Southeast Asian
leg is Aberdeen Asset Management. The berthing of his boat, Moksha,
is courtesy of the SAF Yacht Club. Individuals who're interested
in lending your support to Jason Lewis' expedition can visit the
official site at www.expedition360.com for details on donations.
