The two hardest parts of any project is committing to actually do it and then fundraising.  There is no golden ticket for sponsorship, but there are some simple useful tips.  Unless you have a profile and a strong track record, don’t waste your time cold contacting potential corporate sponsors.  To get started, direct network by asking everyone you know for introductions to people and businesses who may be interested in your ambition.  Then do the same with them, so that your network gets bigger and bigger.  If you simply ask for money straight away, when the answer is no, that is the end of the conversation.  Instead, ask for introductions.  When it comes to kit, it is also very unlikely to get free kit without a strong track record of publicity.  So give suppliers an easy yes, by asking for cost or trade price products.  This way you get a huge discount on the kit you need, and they aren’t making any losses.

If you are sitting in an office job imagining the freedom of running your own business in the outdoors, then be realistic about the amount of hard work to make a living.  If you build the right skills then one route is as an instructor or guide.  Likewise, if media is your passion, then volunteering and building your CV is crucial.  Many, but not all cameramen and producers have formal training.  But if you would like to build a career like Mark, running your own expeditions and with a TV profile, then you need to systematically build your brand, using social media and traditional media.  Gaining commissions for TV is very competitive and relies on having unique ideas.  Being a competitive athlete in organised competitions is unlikely to create these opportunities.  Be incredibly determined and expect set backs – discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most.

If you are planning a major expedition which will be interesting for the public to follow, then please do let Mark know through social media and he may be able to mention and RT.  However, due to the amount of requests that Mark receives for social media promotions for charity events, these is not always possible.  Mark is also not able to take on any new ongoing charity roles for the meantime, but has a discounted rate for charity talks and appearances.  Please get in touch with enquiries.

Almost everyone has the ability to take on adventure challenges, but it is sensible to build up experience and fitness over time, rather than immediately taking on the world.  For most expeditions you should start with good all round fitness and then you will get fitter and more conditioned to the long hours during the challenge.  If you are setting out to break World Records and be more of an endurance athlete than a nomadic adventurer, then this will take a more systematic approach to training.  Injury and illness are your biggest concerns on long expeditions.  If you are cycling, then correct bike fit is essential to avoid repetitive strains, and for all sports think about cross training to build all round muscle balances.  But the biggest transition from taking on one day challenges to major adventures is your mindset and there is no training book that will help with this.  Experience and time in the great outdoors is the only way to build resilience and your comfort zone so you can take on tougher challenges.