It is not every day that Chanel College is honoured and privileged with a visit from an International Keynote Speaker and nationwide name, but this was the case when Damian Browne, kindly accepted Ms Gorman's invitation to join us last Friday 26th January to talk to the entire 5th year group.
Damian is an extreme adventurer, peak performance athlete, record breaker and history maker, who came to fame in Ireland when he rowed 5000km solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 112 days.
Since retiring from professional rugby, he has undertaken some of the most demanding physical and mental challenges on the planet, including the 257km Sahara Desert ultra marathon and he has currently scaled 5 of the world's 7 highest summits.
Not surprisingly Damian had some amazing adventures to recount. You could hear a pin drop in the Colin Room as the students hung on his every word, from his descriptions of capsizing and the loneliness he experienced to the mental strength it took to keep going - even losing his only spoon and eating cold rehydrated food for weeks! All aspects of his historic journey and his life were discussed in this open and frank forum.
There is no doubt that we all left the Colin Room feeling inspired. You cannot possibly engage with Damian without being moved- to face challenges, to grow, to be more determined and to believe in yourself.
What have we learned from this incredible person?
If you believe you can do something - you can - never give up on yourself.
Our young men were extremely impressed and who knows, they may be inspired to go on to amazing feats themselves some day and to live life to the full.
We can't thank Damian enough for taking time out of his busy schedule and his sell out MAN vs OCEAN Nationwide Tour to come talk to us. Considering he normally graces The Helix, conference rooms of multinational corporations, tech giants and world class sporting teams, we are deeply honoured and grateful.
Find out lots more about Damian's incredible experiences on:
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