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| INTERVIEW WITH ANGUS MURRAY:
“If you have a big goal and tell people about it, you're more likely to achieve it.” |
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On May 21, 2008 Angus Murray was the 50th Canadian to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. A former school teacher, he is an accomplished outdoor educator and has guided expeditions throughout North America, South America, Africa and |
Europe. He has been working in the outdoor industry for the past 30 years. Since his successful climb in 2008, Angus has spoken about his Everest experience at numerous schools and organizations. At the CNBPA’s networking event of October 27, 2011 Angus will tell the story of pursuing his dream to climb the highest mountain in the world. We interviewed him in the run-up to this speaking engagement.
EA: "How much time does it take to prepare for a Mount Everest climb?"
AM: "Probably one year until I had all the equipment. You need special altitude clothing, special boots, special mitts. Believe it or not, but the Canadian Arctic is much colder than Everest. However because you move much slower at that altitude, you generate almost no body heat."
EA: "George Mallory, when asked why he climbed Everest, said 'because it is there'. What motivated you?"
AM: "I wanted to be an outdoor guide as a living and climb the highest mountain. I wanted to go and see Everest after reading so many books and seeing so many movies about it. You hear a lot of stories about people being abandoned on the way up, but you have to realize it's quite different... You'll know when you actually see it. I wanted to know how my body would handle this kind of effort. It was a personal challenge."
EA: "When did you start Living Out Loud Adventures and how did you get the idea?"
AM: "I've been guiding for 30 years and climbed Kilimanjaro as well. I thought that would be a one-off, but it went so well that I wanted to do it a second time in 2008. That's how it got started. I love to lead trips. You have to realize that you don't make a lot of money doing this, and some people actually call the whole outdoors climbing world a 'false economy'. A bank is not going to loan you $5,000 just like that... You need a job, otherwise you have no resources to fund these climbs."
EA: "Are you still a school teacher?"
AM: "No, not anymore. I was educated and trained to be a teacher, but I'm not into class room teaching - I enjoy teaching outdoor. However if need be, I can always go back to indoor teaching! Another thing: if you're away all the time, you don't stay married. I am a father too, my son just turned three. What really |
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helps me is that my wife has been an outdoor guide as well."
EA: "How did you select the Amani Children's Home in Tanzania?"
AM: "That idea came from my business partner Alison Wiley, who had known them since 2004. I am very pleased with how well-organized they are. Amani is unique in that they reunite children with their families and support them thereafter. They monitor the placements and help families with food. Never with money, as you then have to monitor how people spend it... while if you give them a bag of rice, you can be fairly sure they would eat it. In a number of cases we also pay their school fees. This is a strange thing about Tanzania: it's a socialist country but you have to pay school fees, which means the poor can't go get an education."
EA: "How is Amani Children's Home making a difference with your help?"
AM: "We're raising $80,000 per year from our climbs. We generate 15 % of Amani's operational budget. It is a home for children, but not an orphanage. The governance is really well set up. In general, when you donate money to organizations, you always wonder where it ends up. I actually think part of our image as Canadians abroad is that we're quite savvy with money - we are reluctant to give if we're not sure who gets it. With Amani, we know where it goes."
EA: "What are some of the lessons you learned?"
AM: "One of the key lessons is the need for thorough preparation. Having climbed Everest, I've seen mistakes people have made. In those circumstances, good and bad decisions can be the difference between life and death. Also, the Nepal Tourism Bureau has realized that it can charge whatever it wants and the market will bear it. For me as a teacher, that wasn't easy but I had to reach it. So I set up a website and ran a blog and gained a lot of experience in securing sponsorships."
EA: "I've often heard that serving in the military leads to great friendships ... Does this apply to mountain climbing as well?"
AM: "Yes, I would say it's a pretty powerful shared experience. Whatever happens, we will always have had this achievement."
EA: "What would be your message to our readers?"
AM: "If you get a chance, do it. It's a very beautiful area, really gorgeous, like you see in National Geographic articles. If you have any interest, go for it. It's well worth it."
EA: "What is your next goal??"
AM: "I just turned 50. My next goal is to climb the seven summits and ski to both poles. My experience is, if you have a big goal and you tell people about it, you're more likely to achieve it."
Angus Murray will speak at CNBPA's Fall Meetup on Thursday, October 27, 2011, 6:00-8:30 p.m. at KPMG, 4600-333 Bay St. | more info or to register |
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Many thanks to our generous sponsor whose support makes our Fall Meetup event possible:
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Upcoming Events & Resources
CNBPA FALL MEETUP:
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Guest Speaker: Angus Murray "How do YOU live out loud?"
| more information or to register |
The International Trade Branch of the Ontario Government presents:
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN THE EUROPEAN UNION 2011
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3,2011, Westin Prince Hotel, 900 York Mills Rd., Toronto
(Registration is limited to 25 people per workshop. Early registration is advised. Priority registration will be given to Ontario manufacturers and companies that own proprietary technology and/or develop value-added technical solutions. Every effort will be made to accommodate other registrants provided that space is available).
| more information or to register |
SAVE THE DATE: CNBPA AGM
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 | email |
Interested in being a 2012 CNBPA Board Member? | email |
DUTCH TREAT EVENTS: DUTCH TREAT SINTERKLAAS
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2011 | www.dutchtreat.ca |
EUCOCIT: (CNBPA members are also members of EUCOCIT and, as such are welcome to attend all EUCOCIT events at reduced member rates!)
Next EUCOCIT Event: "EU financial crisis and its impact on Canada"
Thursday, October 13, 2011, 7:45 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
TD Tower, 55 King Street West, 54th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5K1A2
Speaker: Derek Burleton Vice President & Deputy Chief Economist TD Bank Group Mr. Burleton
Admission is free of charge but attendance is limited. RSVP to info@eucocit.com
| more information (PDF) | EUCOCIT Events | EUCOCIT News: Oct. 5 | EUCOCIT News: Oct. 13 |
NETHERLANDS LUNCHEON CLUB (NLC):
12th N.C.L. Stratford Festival Event "CAMELOT"
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2011 - 2:00 P.M. FESTIVAL THEATRE
Call Frits Begemann at 905-822-9279
| www.luncheon.ca |
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