With the London Marathon over for another year, the Turner Twins, accompanied by George Bullard, are heading up to the second largest icecap in the world, situated in the Arctic, to challenge themselves against the elements in a bid to raise £250,000 for Spinal Research.

This article, using georgebullard.co.uk as a baseline, will discuss the reasons why many of the younger generation are so blinkered on getting straight into an office chair and sitting behind a computer for the next 60 years in the hope of finding fortunes and often end up regretting that move after a few years as they continue to ignore the wider opportunities to “escape” as the years roll on.

So adjust your seat height, swing back in your chair and read on and see if you can change…

When people are faced with an opportunity to do something different, out of their secure and potentially scary parameters , most people would shy away and retire into their computer or office chair. To use a common phrase to illustrate this; many of us are “afraid of sticking your neck out for fear of getting it cut off”. I want to investigate briefly what this fear is, where it is from and how to tackle it.

Fear of Failure is something that most people hide behind and use as an excuse to not follow their dreams. Everyone wants to succeed but according to Winston Churchill; “Real Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm”. But we are naturally afraid of failing before we can succeed.

This phrase could, taken literally, mean that in order to succeed, you have to fail. I would agree to an extent, but argue that failure is a vital part of success as it gives you the drive and determination to succeed next time. However, it is not a requirement. Or it could mean that those who set out to succeed will inevitably fail. I believe that there is a combination of both options but the one thing that they have in common is that success despite the risk of failure is no bad thing.

The other reason why you may be reluctant to take these opportunities when they come your way is because of the risk. There is obviously a risk that you might get hurt, lose money, lose the respect from friends and family etc. But as the famous poet T.S. Elliot wrote: “Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how much they can risk.”

In 2008 I was given the chance to break a world record for ‘the longest fully unsupported polar journey ever’. At 19 years old, this was a scary thought, which was swamped with risk (risk of never coming home again, risk of never seeing my family and friends, a risk of dying) and failure.

Having done this and having achieved our goals on this trip, my only fear would be nothing to do with risk and failure but more to do with how I feel when lying on my death bed. Have I lived a fulfilled and varied life? Have I taken those opportunities as they came, or have I let them slip by until I end up in a stupor of regret and disappointment.

On a happier note, I am about to go away again, battling with Risk and Failure but this time for one month on the Greenland icecap. Hugo and Ross Turner are identical twins with an identical goal – to raise £1/4 million for Spinal Research. Hugo broke his neck a couple of years ago and was told that he could never walk again. He is a great example of a guy who has come perilously close to death, realised how fragile life is and is set on living a fulfilled and exciting life as a result.

We desperately need your help. £1/4 million doesn’t grow on trees, so if you have a spare few pennies (they all count) click on www.theturnertwins.co.uk and then “donate” towards our cause.