The Adventurer’s Spark to Catalyse a Cross-Ukraine Cycling Expedition with Paula Reid #72
Playing small does not serve the world, and by no means does Paula Reid ever play small.
She ventures where most seldom dare, cycling across the entirety of 16 countries, and most recently adding a war-stricken Ukraine to that list in an adventure which exposed the remarkable, resilient nature of its people.
What kind of mindset takes the nub of an idea and turns it into such a bold pursuit? Paula returns to Extrology this week for us to learn more…
Lee and Paula discuss:
Paula’s love of adventure
Regaining a sense of childlike wonder
How much of our lives we should spend in the comfort zone
The genesis of Paula’s cross-Ukraine cycle, and logistical challenges
Handling the emotional weight of the stories that came from Paula’s encounters
Links & references
Lee Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecooperrecruiter/
Paula Reid: https://www.paulareid.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thepaulareid/
https://www.instagram.com/ThePaulaReid/
Siobhan’s Trust: https://siobhanstrust.uk/
Get in touch: lee@extrology.com
Episode highlights:
“What percentage of our lives should we spend in the comfort zone? It’s good for us to push, challenge, and experience suffering - out of that comes growth, vitality and self-awareness.” - 8:20 - Paula Reid
“You lose that sense of self, confidence, strength and physical fitness - diabetes, obesity and loneliness have all come into play now, because our worlds have got smaller and safer.” - 15:10 - Paula Reid
“I was like, ‘Well why not cycle across Ukraine?’ - once I had that thought, it had to happen.” - 19:45 - Paula Reid
“The days and weeks of build up and tension, there’s so much going on. I'm a believer in being pretty prepared, so by the time it's day one, I'm itching to just start!” - 28:45 - Paula Reid
“We accidentally came across a birthday party of ten 23 year old women, beautifully dressed but showing us photos of their destroyed houses & businesses in fire and ruins.” - 36:15 - Paula Reid
“Whenever I go out there, they're sad that I'm seeing the worst bits, because inevitably we go where the need is most. They always want me to see more, to see the better bits. So they are very proud of their country, quite rightly, and it is still beautiful.” - 48:15 - Paula Reid
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