for those who love the outdoors
8 October, 2021
We didn't just speak with Anna & Jamie, the star of the show was baby Storm. Baby entertaining aside, we had a great conversation with Anna & Jamie about their recent challenges and how they fit in the training with a relatively new addition to the family.
Jamie is unique in his ability to keep going, even when times are tough. In fact, since defying the odds to beat a debilitating childhood condition, he’s proved it beyond all doubt, twice breaking two of the toughest endurance Guinness World Records on the planet in the process.
If anybody holds the secret to never giving up, it’s him.
For the first nine years of Jamie’s life, he was in and out of hospital with a rare spinal condition called syringomyelia. Combined with a very weak immune system, epilepsy and problems with his legs; Jamie’s family feared he’d end up in a wheelchair and would never walk again.
At 9 years old, the symptoms eased, something Jamie attributes to an effort to become more active by moving his body, playing tennis and the help from doctors and nurses.
In later years, aged 25, Jamie saved up for a deposit on a house, but got that gut feeling that it wasn’t quite right and in the end; decided against buying. Jamie then began a quest, using his savings, to give back to the hospitals that supported him.
Previous adventures and challenges include; cycling 14,000 miles from Bangkok to Gloucester; breaking the world record for 11 days non-stop cycling on a static bike; running 5,000 solo miles across Canada; and then 5,500 miles across America (more than 200 marathons).
If that wasn’t enough, recently Jamie broke one of the toughest endurance world records on the planet, spending 7 days on a treadmill, surviving off less than 3 hours of sleep a night; running the most amount of miles humanly possible to this point in time; a record breaking distance of 524 miles. That’s 3 marathons a day.
Pushing his mind and body beyond painful places few will ever experience, Jamie knows what can drive humans, no matter what, to keep going.
Anna is an adventurer, speaker, author and mischief maker. Named by the Guardian as one of the top female adventurers of our time, Condé Nast Traveller included her in a list of the 50 most influential travellers in the world. She is the UK ambassador for Girl Guiding, and has cycled over 20,000 miles in Europe and the Americas, including through all 50 states of the USA. She has also run the length of New Zealand, and has a penchant for rollerblading.
In the summer of 2019 she set off on her most ambitious adventure yet – an attempt to run 2,620 miles (100 marathons) through Britain… in her bare feet.
Outside & Active is the home for those who love the outdoors. Our mission is to inspire, inform and educate people about being active outdoors in a fun, safe and sustainable way. We provide inspiration, kit, tech and advice on adventure, camping, climbing, cycling, hiking, running water and winter.
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