VECKTA CEO and Co-Founder continues this second part of our series exploring the synergy between VECKTA’s values and our Marketing Lead Team Rob’s goal of conquering the ultra-endurance Uberman triathlon. Part one can be found here.
Challenging Limits is VECKTA’s second of three core values: we never accept that something cannot be done solely on the basis that it has not been done before.
In my experience, challenging limits is all about:
- Setting audacious goals that motivate. These aspirations empower you to take another step closer to your goals, regardless of the bumps in the road.
- Embracing challenges as opportunities. If we resist the challenge and do not embrace the opportunity, we are defeated by the status quo. Trying to avoid challenges is never ending, unrealistic and exhausting.
- Being present, listening, observing, and understanding what is going on around you and pausing long enough to identify the opportunities and embrace them. It is easy to get in your own head and think about how others perceive you and what you do or see setbacks as failures.
- Challenging yourself now… and for the future. Develop that experience, gut instinct, support networks, approaches, and mind sets so you learn to enjoy challenges—even when you probably should not!
- Sharing experiences with those around us makes them more enjoyable.
For the Uberman race, Rob certainly challenged his limits and hit all of the points above. He set an ambitious goal to not only finish Uberman but also to raise money in support of awareness against human trafficking. He didn’t let the challenges along the way overwhelm him. He had the right state of mind, team, and experience necessary to be able to pause, observe and overcome.
Challenges beyond the sheer distance of the race (a 21-mile swim, 400-mile bike ride, and 135-mile run) included unpredictable and unplanned weather conditions, a complete lack of sleep (averaging just a few hours a day—to a point that he fell asleep while riding his bike and injured his ankle when he crashed), COVID restrictions, logistics management, and more. He embraced it all and had a lot of fun in spite of the pain.
At VECKTA, we are challenging the limits every day, building the Energy Transition Market Platform to drive a more distributed, sustainable and profitable future for all. This is by no means an easy feat. It is hard, it can be frustrating and exhausting at times, but it is also super rewarding, exciting and a lot of fun. We are building a culture and a product that challenges us all to break the status quo and co-create an environment and future we can all be proud of.
Personally, my life has been an incredible adventure, and it is the challenges that stand out and make up the highlight reel. Some experiences I will cover in subsequent blogs include:
- Working in Iraq, being responsible for my team’s safety and project deliverables under dangerous and stressful conditions.
- Living and working in 5 countries, chasing opportunities, packing up and moving as a family (we are in our 12th home in 10 years), leaving friends and family, adapting to new cultures, building new networks and creating new businesses.
- Completing a degree while juggling the commitments of being a volunteer reserve pilot with the air force.
- Taking on tough physical challenges such as training with the shaolin monks for 2 months in remote China, motorbiking tough off-road routes, completing an Ironman and conquering Breck Epic.
The common theme throughout has been setting my sights on the goal, being present, embracing the opportunities, growing, learning, staying calm and present, and extracting as much from the moment and experiences as possible. Above all, the best aspect has been sharing these experiences with those I am closest to. These opportunities have genuinely helped shape who I am and how I operate. Live life to the max and challenge your limits!!
Written By Gareth Evans
