Everything started a few years ago after reading "Think and grow rich" by Napoleon Hill and "The Long Walk" and "Running Man" by Stephen King.
The 12 Things, which make People Rich, according to Napoleon Hill, guided me for the last 20 years, and the priorities are perfect:
1. A Positive Mental Attitude.
2. Sound Physical Health.
3. Harmony in Human Relations.
4. Freedom from Fear.
5. Hope of Future Achievement.
6. Capacity for Applied Failure.
7. Willingness to Share One´s Blessings with Others.
8. To be engaged in a Labor of Love.
9. An Open Mind on all Subjects and to all People.
10. Complete Self Discipline.
11. Wisdom, with which to Understand People.
12. Financial Security.
Well, it actually started a few years earlier in Berlin, where I grew up:
Gaining momentum, experience and endurance with my brother Michael
at Tough Guy January 2000 in England,
Marathon des Sables April 2000 in Morocco, completing a few marathons in Hamburg, Berlin, Los Angeles and Ironman triathlons in Moritzburg and Fürth, Germany, Clermont, Florida, and Lanzarote, Canarian Islands.
After the Great Floridian Triathlon I couldn´t walk too well for a while, so I got my adrenaline activated in the air.
Back in 1997 after graduating from law school at FU Berlin, I got my pilot´s license at Van Nuys Airport while setting up the distribution for GoCard in Los Angeles.
Joe Kilkenny taught me one of the biggest and most impressive lessons in my life so far, when on my first visit to the airport after a walk around the plane he got me into the pilot´s seat, explained the instruments and had me start the engine. He let me taxi to the runway, talked to the Tower, then told me to accelerate until the airspeed indicator shows 60 miles per hour and gently pull. We took off and when I looked over to Joe, I saw him with a huge smile and his hands and feet off the controls. "I haven´t been doing anything except talk to the Tower the whole time!" he told me through the microphone over the headphones, and to "do whatever it takes" to get the plane to do what I want it to, always!
The other lesson for life I got from this is to JUST DO IT. Nike is right!
Produced RealityRun August 2000 in Berlin and March 2001 in Buenos Aires with Clarin Global.
With the help of my friend Michael Barnes at Barnes Morris Partners and my agent Ben Silverman at the William Morris Agency, Lee Rierson at ABC/Disney optioned the rights to produce the show in the US in 2002.
Lee Rierson inspired me to go to Burning Man which I did in 2002, 2005 and 2006 and it´s a place like nowhere else on this planet.
After negotiating another RealityRun deal with Terry Semel (white shirt on the right), former Co-CEO of Warner Bros. for 25 years and later CEO of Yahoo, which did not materialize for a variety of reasons the right time as always was and is NOW!!!
Attending a Tony Robbins seminar for 4 days from Friday March 30 - Monday, April 2, 2007 in New Jersey with my best friend Alan Wolan, who also invented the Ballsy Awards, CEO of GoGorillaMedia and engaged to Priyanka Menon, set me in motion to create the first ExtraMileEndurathon.
Trying to get into a club, where friends of Alan´s and Priyanka´s were celebrating a birthday party on Saturday, June 2nd, 2007, the bouncer at the door not letting me in without ID did me a major favor and solved a serious logistical challenge I had not solved until then. Walking home through Manhattan after midnight lead to the inspired decision to have the races in the middle of each major city instead of parks or sports arenas. This provides the bars, restaurants and gas stations open late or even 24 hours needed for restrooms and supplies, which walkers without support staff from out of town would need sooner than later, especially when races get longer and longer and days turn into nights turn into weeks eventually.
Arriving from Los Angeles at JFK airport the morning of June 28, 2007 at 3:30 am instead of the scheduled evening of June 27, 2007 at 8 pm due to heavy thunderstorms on the east coast in the New York area and an extra landing in Philadelphia to refuel after about 2 hours in a holding pattern I decided right after getting off the plane to start into the NYC Endurathon of One.
Attended another Tony Robbins "Unleash the Power within" seminar from Friday, August, 10, - Monday, August 13, 2007, which was my 37th birthday in Long Beach, and a birthday present from Alan.
Walking barefoot on orange hot coals with Kyra got us ready for the first ExtraMileEndurathon in Berlin, September 1, 2007.
10 wild walkers from the US, Argentina, Israel, Poland and Germany joined me and walked the first Endurathon through Berlin.
SleepCheapHostel.com was our HQ and mighty manager Sylwia Senger and her dog Senator and Kim Lindow and Lars Lindow welcoming us, the press and support staff day and night, massaging and feeding us.
What we experienced was that the physical pain of constant walking was much harder to deal with than the lack of sleep, so after 36 hours the first Endurathon in Berlin was finished by Marc Peus walking the Extra Mile.
After recovering for 2 days I got on the plane to Barcelona to scout the city and met with the super sisters Cristina Tucker and Eva Armisen, who helped make the Barcelona Extra Mile Endurathon a smashing success.
On September 29, 2007, at 12:00 at Estadi Olimpic 35 wonderful walkers from Barcelona, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, France, Italy, Romania, Russia, the US and all over Spain started with me, Kyra and Aaron and magic moments happened all the time.
Athletes and mountain climbers, who started as competitors became friends fast and not knowing how long we would walk with each other connected us and released energies and feelings, most of us had not felt before. You start learning languages fast and intensely - even freakin´ French! My friend Gilbert and his super supporter Nieves, on the photo above in the left corner respecting the planet, made this a very special language lesson and the start of a fine friendship for Kyra and me.
Everybody applauded the exiting Endurathon Extra Milers, hugs, tears, phone numbers and email addresses were exchanged and the journey of life continues for a lot of us together and the inspiration initiated is incredible.
Ismael broke the 50 hour barrier along with Eduardo, on the photos below and they both walked until the blisters became BIGGER than BIG and the whole skin at the bottom of Ismael´s right foot became detouched. They removed the skin at the hospital, where my friend Richard took him, before both of them returned to the racecourse.
Eduardo below walked on without Ismael with taped toes in flip flops into night 3 until about 1:30 am and his 3 super sisters and friends took turns walking with him, the press keeping him positive and his mind of his feet, before the exhaustion ended the race for this energetic extreme ExtraMiler...
The power of Mind over Matter and bodies was a very moving experience during and after the Endurathon and life will never be the same for us.
See some vivid video impressions instantly on YouTube!
Even the last 4 could not walk each other into the ground and decided to stay friends and exit the Endurathon as Wonder Winners:
My Salutes to Jordi, Eduard, Radu and Salvador - Gran Ganadores!
After paying our visits to the Spanish press, radio and television stations, we all celebrated and recovered.
Then it was back from Barcelona to get the next Endurathons in Las Vegas and Buenos Aires going.
Flying standby, taking every jump seat available, enjoying the journey, being rewarded every step of the way.
October 25, 2007: Today I met the amazing Dean Karnazes, UltraMarathonMan and ExtraMilerExtraordinaire, who is permanently pushing the limits of physical endurance. Among his many accomplishments and Mind over Matter, what doesn´t kill you makes you stronger experiences and examples:
He ran 50 Marathons on 50 consecutive days in the 50 United States in the North Face Endurance 50 - watch the 50-50-50 video on YouTube!
Read his incredibly inspiring book "UltraMarathon Man - Confessions of an All-Night Runner", which is currently Nr. 7 of the best selling sports books in the world!
The Extra Mile Endurathon works as an inspiration for everybody getting in touch with it - as a Walker or spectator in the streets of the cities we walk or through the media outlets, which cover the events worldwide. People are prompted to go a little further in their own personal and professional lives, doing more than asked for, applying random acts of kindness without expecting anything in return and expanding their minds while leaving their comfort zones, thereby giving and growing and helping mankind in general all over the globe.
Since it is free to participate, people from all walks of life are able to enter and experience the transformation and energy of an Extra Mile Endurathon and inspire their individual families, friends and fans, who hear and see them on the Internet, TV, radio and press interviews.
For more photos and videos please take a look at
www.picasaweb.google.com/GlobalGamesGroup
and
www.YouTube.com/ExtraMileEndurathon
Marching on...the Future is ORANGE!
Alexander Skora