0:00:09.989,0:00:13.558
Okay. I'd like to present [br]a hypothetical idea.

0:00:13.698,0:00:16.736
A way to practice taking risks, [br]because after all,[br]

0:00:16.736,0:00:19.774
practice makes perfect. Right?

0:00:19.774,0:00:22.814
So I want you to picture a stadium. [br]The biggest stadium you've ever seen.

0:00:22.857,0:00:25.776
and it's got a huge arch [br]over the top of it, [br]

0:00:25.776,0:00:26.595
a hundred meters high.

0:00:26.755,0:00:31.615
Now, most people think that that arch [br]is simply there for supporting the structure.

0:00:31.776,0:00:36.600
But others believe that arch is also there[br]so that we can tie a rope to the top of it,

0:00:36.764,0:00:39.258
we can stretch that rope[br]all the way to the rim of the stadium

0:00:39.328,0:00:42.624
and do a huge rope swing [br]all the way across.

0:00:43.296,0:00:45.895
And better still, we can do that [br]in a kayak.

0:00:46.823,0:00:50.202
But wait! What if the rope breaks? [br]You could die!

0:00:51.377,0:00:55.233
Okay, maybe you didn't ask that question. [br]But I'm pretty sure that you did ask,

0:00:55.258,0:00:59.772
"What's a professional kayaker, [br]and what's he doing on our stage?"

0:01:00.822,0:01:03.777
I haven't done much to change the world,[br]but I have made a career

0:01:03.777,0:01:07.459
out of exploring remote rivers.[br]And the rivers taught me

0:01:07.539,0:01:09.772
just about everything I need to know.

0:01:10.458,0:01:14.303
Growing up in South Africa[br]was a good life, but a simple life.

0:01:14.539,0:01:19.572
No TV, no video games, [br]but I did have a kayak and a river.

0:01:21.458,0:01:25.777
I had the disadvantage of having [br]very few kayak mentors

0:01:25.777,0:01:30.159
to teach me what could be done in a kayak, [br]but I had the distinct advantage

0:01:30.377,0:01:33.496
of having nobody to tell me [br]what could not be done.

0:01:34.322,0:01:38.258
I remember as a young teenager, [br]hearing about a French rafting expedition

0:01:38.268,0:01:42.499
that had attempted to take on and navigate [br]the world's biggest rapids, [br]

0:01:42.499,0:01:45.350
on the Congo River.

0:01:45.380,0:01:50.961
I saw this old photocopy [br]of the Paris Match magazine,

0:01:51.037,0:01:54.763
and this was the last photo ever taken of them.

0:01:54.763,0:01:56.889
Right about the same time,

0:01:57.009,0:01:59.981
I saw an old newspaper [br]with this photo of Marco Begni[br]

0:01:59.981,0:02:02.743
kayaking off a waterfall near my house.

0:02:02.743,0:02:05.925
If you look at the top left of the frame, [br]you'll see a kayak there.

0:02:07.617,0:02:10.618
I clearly remember walking into the kitchen [br]and saying to my parents,

0:02:10.937,0:02:13.154
"I'm going to kayak down [br]that waterfall one day."

0:02:13.573,0:02:16.817
And my dad said, "Well, son, [br]if you work hard and practice,

0:02:17.099,0:02:19.079
maybe one day you'll be good enough."

0:02:19.405,0:02:23.587
About ten years later I found myself [br]kayaking off that very waterfall.

0:02:23.737,0:02:28.186
And about 15 years later I found myself [br]standing next to the Congo River

0:02:28.538,0:02:32.248
on the very same spot where [br]that last photograph was taken.

0:02:33.323,0:02:37.187
Now I think the best way for me [br]to introduce you to my Congo expedition

0:02:37.218,0:02:41.022
is to play the trailer to the film that [br]I made about it. Have a look.

0:02:45.481,0:02:51.072
Some call it a calling. [br]I think of it as an obsession.

0:02:52.752,0:02:53.823
Inga.

0:02:55.943,0:02:58.259
World's biggest rapid.

0:02:59.519,0:03:03.085
Almost every attempt to survive it [br]causes death.

0:03:07.235,0:03:12.881
I've been kayaking my whole life. [br]But when is enough enough?

0:03:16.739,0:03:20.756
I first heard the story, and seven people [br]died having their attempt.

0:03:22.306,0:03:25.070
Now I've waited half my life for my turn.

0:03:26.489,0:03:29.080
All I have to do now is call a team of the best,

0:03:31.600,0:03:33.301
put my friends' lives on the line...

0:03:38.091,0:03:41.884
I've definitely been struggling with it. [br]I've woken up quite a few mornings

0:03:41.957,0:03:44.705
and just almost felt like calling the boys [br]and saying,

0:03:45.097,0:03:47.671
I just don't know [br]if I'm in for this one.

0:03:49.364,0:03:53.301
This is the obsession: to release yourself [br]by accomplishing the goal.

0:03:53.627,0:03:56.593
Or by being stopped by something outside of your control.

0:03:57.422,0:04:00.328
But once you start this journey, [br]even if you don't want to go,

0:04:01.348,0:04:03.234
you have to.

0:04:03.234,0:04:16.762
(Energetic music)

0:04:16.878,0:04:20.238
You can run all the big water you want, [br]but how do you prepare for something

0:04:20.248,0:04:22.368
that's never been done before?

0:04:22.388,0:04:25.909
In a place where help is not on its way.

0:04:28.869,0:04:29.590
Congo.

0:04:32.480,0:04:35.291
A place where experience is just a word.

0:04:54.060,0:04:57.558
The lesson that we learned today [br]is not to fuck with these rapids.

0:04:57.900,0:05:01.758
Fisher messed up because he got off [br]to the side where whirlpools form,

0:05:01.777,0:05:04.198
where all of this stuff goes down out here.

0:05:05.258,0:05:08.454
I may have had the closest call of my life, [br]but I didn't come here to die.

0:05:08.996,0:05:11.231
I came here to win.

0:05:17.287,0:05:20.894
(Helicopter noise)

0:05:22.018,0:05:56.214
(Music slowly builds)

0:05:56.873,0:05:59.965
-Steady bro![br]- Fuck, they're not gonna make it dude!

0:06:02.618,0:06:05.627
(CONGO: The Grand Inga Project)

0:06:05.906,0:06:08.766
All right, so. Spoiler alert: we survived.

0:06:09.074,0:06:10.830
(Laughter)

0:06:11.258,0:06:17.028
(Applause)

0:06:17.406,0:06:20.087
So what you just saw [br]in the introduction there, is

0:06:20.217,0:06:25.340
even us extreme sports guys feel trepidation [br]as we approach a new challenge.

0:06:25.656,0:06:29.618
And in this case, it was fearing [br]that if we took the next step,

0:06:29.779,0:06:34.085
the voyage itself would take on a life [br]of its own, and drag us along with it.

0:06:34.823,0:06:38.908
It would be like faring out into a huge river [br]with a strong current,

0:06:38.908,0:06:41.878
and you can't stop.[br]It's a commitment.

0:06:42.656,0:06:46.910
So how, then, do we prepare for something [br]that's never been done before?

0:06:47.738,0:06:50.631
In my profession I have a small box

0:06:50.631,0:06:53.524
that I start with [br]that has five tools in it.

0:06:53.524,0:06:56.419
My equipment: I make sure [br]I have the right gear.

0:06:57.017,0:07:01.057
My physical well-being: I make sure that [br]I've prepared physically for the task.

0:07:02.538,0:07:07.249
The location: I make sure that I'm [br]in the perfect place to do what I do.

0:07:07.299,0:07:10.947
And once I've checked those three off, [br]I use those to develop the other two,

0:07:11.137,0:07:13.950
which are the skills and the experience.

0:07:14.619,0:07:18.842
But you can't use any of these tools [br]until you demistify risk.

0:07:19.573,0:07:22.457
We can mitigate risks purely [br]by understanding them, [br]

0:07:22.457,0:07:25.341
and the way that we understand them

0:07:25.341,0:07:28.226
is that we take a seemingly impossible idea [br]and we break it down

0:07:28.256,0:07:32.329
into little digestible parts, [br]and we look at each step individually

0:07:32.329,0:07:34.172
and see if that is attainable.

0:07:35.102,0:07:39.197
What happens then is what we're doing,[br]is that we find that many of our fears

0:07:39.287,0:07:40.992
are unjustified,

0:07:40.992,0:07:43.217
and very often we find [br]that what's before us

0:07:43.227,0:07:45.652
is far less risky than we thought.

0:07:48.272,0:07:54.929
So... give me a second. [br]Might need some applause here.

0:07:55.446,0:08:00.598
(Applause)

0:08:02.323,0:08:06.847
So you know, as humans, [br]we are not inherently risk averse.

0:08:07.537,0:08:12.846
We evolved by taking risks, so it's okay [br]if there are risks in what we do.

0:08:12.906,0:08:16.068
We simply need to understand those risks, [br]and once we understand them,

0:08:16.406,0:08:20.161
we're ready to take the first step. [br]So let me show you what I mean.

0:08:20.177,0:08:24.861
Let me show you how I put that to use [br]every time I look at a rapid or a waterfall.

0:08:25.737,0:08:30.429
As I paddle up to the top of a waterfall, [br]the first thing I do is climb out of my kayak

0:08:30.473,0:08:34.052
and I walk down the side of the river [br]and I look at the pool below.

0:08:34.324,0:08:36.190
That's my goal, that's where I want to be.

0:08:36.323,0:08:40.096
And it's only then that I turn back [br]at the rapid, and Oh my gosh!

0:08:40.406,0:08:43.095
If I look at the whole rapid [br]it's far too daunting.

0:08:43.243,0:08:47.178
So what I need to do is break it down [br]into smaller chunks, into individual moves

0:08:47.298,0:08:50.465
and see that I can do [br]each move individually,

0:08:50.465,0:08:53.742
and only then do I figure out [br]how to link those moves together.

0:08:53.782,0:08:58.211
So let's zoom in on this photograph. [br]If I would have shown this top part of the rapids

0:08:58.217,0:09:00.303
to even an intermediate kayaker, [br]they would say,

0:09:00.303,0:09:03.929
"Okay. Well that looks fairly chunky, [br]but it's good to go."

0:09:04.289,0:09:06.803
And if I showed them the next part, [br]they would say,

0:09:06.803,0:09:10.227
"Oh, that's a pretty straightforward job. [br]Yeah, let's go do it."

0:09:10.247,0:09:11.763
And if I show them the last part, [br]they would say,

0:09:11.763,0:09:14.399
"Okay, it's pretty spectacular but it's a straight shot.

0:09:14.549,0:09:16.625
You don't really need to do anything. [br]It's good to go."

0:09:17.796,0:09:19.913
You'll have to take my word for that.

0:09:20.882,0:09:24.652
But the job is not done there. [br]Once we cut a problem horizontally,

0:09:24.822,0:09:27.514
the next thing we need to do [br]is cut it vertically.

0:09:27.573,0:09:30.288
What we're trying to do [br]is establish the path

0:09:30.288,0:09:32.753
or line that we're likely to be on.

0:09:33.583,0:09:35.929
And the reason that we're doing that [br]is to eliminate the parts

0:09:35.929,0:09:38.275
of the rapid that don't affect us.

0:09:38.275,0:09:40.623
The parts of the rapid where we will not be.

0:09:40.987,0:09:45.120
Because if we do that, then we can look and see [br]if there are any deadly features.

0:09:45.216,0:09:50.053
If those deadly features are in the eliminated part [br]we never have to think about them again.

0:09:50.738,0:09:54.411
And if those deadly features are in our path, [br]and they're unavoidable,

0:09:54.922,0:09:57.551
well then we don't go. It's far too risky.

0:09:57.905,0:10:00.475
That's how extreme sport works. [br]Sorry to disappoint you guys.

0:10:00.475,0:10:02.635
(Laughter)

0:10:02.885,0:10:05.325
So imagine you're walking along [br]a trail like this.

0:10:05.375,0:10:07.333
You're walking along [br]and you've got a cliff on your left side.

0:10:07.376,0:10:10.068
You're thinking about [br]what you're doing while you walk.

0:10:10.108,0:10:12.090
You're not thinking about [br]the cliff the entire time.

0:10:12.360,0:10:14.440
It's only if you turn towards the cliff [br]and start approaching it

0:10:14.440,0:10:16.930
that it becomes a real danger.

0:10:16.950,0:10:18.600
And then you stop.

0:10:19.940,0:10:24.362
Okay, so how do you know [br]if you're on the right path,

0:10:24.362,0:10:25.644
and what happens [br]if you're on the wrong path?

0:10:25.844,0:10:28.338
Well, in kayaking there's no turning back.

0:10:28.468,0:10:33.242
So what that teaches us [br]is not to panic when things go wrong.

0:10:33.662,0:10:37.733
When the unexpected occurs [br]we have no choice but to solve the problem

0:10:37.733,0:10:39.104
and keep on moving.

0:10:39.154,0:10:43.421
But fortunately, as in life, [br]if we zoom back just a little bit,

0:10:43.441,0:10:45.548
perhaps to where we haven't yet

0:10:45.548,0:10:47.824
climbed in the kayak [br]and made the commitment,

0:10:47.844,0:10:49.560
we get to see that very often

0:10:49.610,0:10:51.982
we can start down a path, [br]realize we're on the wrong path,

0:10:51.982,0:10:53.494
turn back and reset the plan.

0:10:53.824,0:10:55.615
Let me show you what I mean.

0:10:55.785,0:10:58.396
(Laughter)

0:10:59.646,0:11:02.559
Have you ever heard the cliche, [br]"never give up?"

0:11:02.939,0:11:07.621
Well tonight we're canceling it. [br]We don't say that anymore.

0:11:08.017,0:11:11.358
From now on we say, [br]"Don't give up too easily."

0:11:12.084,0:11:16.393
On this particular trip, [br]our plan was to use a rope to rappel down

0:11:16.393,0:11:18.142
into the base of Victoria Falls

0:11:18.142,0:11:21.173
and kayak through the rapids [br]at the very base of the falls.

0:11:21.857,0:11:25.067
Once we got down there, [br]we found the unexpected.

0:11:25.296,0:11:27.660
The wind and the spray [br]from the falls themselves

0:11:27.680,0:11:30.224
were so strong [br]that it was impossible to kayak,

0:11:30.394,0:11:32.655
so we had to fall back [br]on to our contingency plan

0:11:32.655,0:11:35.186
and climb a hundred meters back up the rope

0:11:35.266,0:11:36.939
and cancel the whole idea.

0:11:37.568,0:11:41.701
But guess what? The TV show we were [br]making about it, turned out great,

0:11:42.177,0:11:47.300
and we got this photograph. We gave up but [br]we didn't have to feel ashamed of it.

0:11:47.900,0:11:54.070
if you refuse to give up on an idea, [br]then you inhibit your ability to experiment.

0:11:54.537,0:11:58.942
But if you're willing to give up [br]after a good effort, then when you do give up

0:11:58.972,0:12:00.924
there's no reason to feel guilty.

0:12:02.030,0:12:05.346
Okay, so I think that now [br]you're starting to get to know me a little bit,

0:12:05.386,0:12:06.592
so I think that we're ready

0:12:06.592,0:12:10.088
to talk about the stadium idea again.[br]How do you guys feel now?

0:12:10.744,0:12:14.856
But wait! What if the rope breaks? [br]You could die!

0:12:15.947,0:12:18.824
The rope is not going to break, [br]and here's why.

0:12:19.296,0:12:22.007
Right from the start, [br]we're going to use a rope

0:12:22.007,0:12:25.580
that is thousands of pounds stronger [br]than it needs to be.

0:12:26.740,0:12:30.051
So we've used the right equipment [br]to eliminate the problem

0:12:30.071,0:12:32.072
and we never have to think about it again.

0:12:32.702,0:12:36.994
We've eliminated the "what if" factor. [br]It's called "pointing positive".

0:12:37.854,0:12:41.403
We can now focus on the how, [br]and in this particular case,

0:12:41.403,0:12:43.942
the more important question is,

0:12:43.962,0:12:47.613
"How long does that rope need to be [br]to make sure that we don't hit the ground

0:12:47.613,0:12:48.864
on the way down?"

0:12:48.914,0:12:52.014
And once we're finished, [br]how are we gonna get

0:12:52.014,0:12:55.534
from the end of the rope [br]back to the ground?

0:12:55.534,0:12:59.236
Now, with a few simple [br]mathematical calculations,

0:12:59.236,0:13:01.848
these are pretty easy problems to solve.

0:13:01.848,0:13:04.159
So we're ready to go. [br]Are you guys ready? [br]

0:13:04.169,0:13:05.263
Audience: Yes

0:13:05.273,0:13:06.557
All right, let's do it.

0:13:06.557,0:13:30.341
(electronic music)

0:13:30.465,0:13:38.011
(Wind noise)

0:13:53.189,0:13:59.183
All right. (Applause)

0:14:00.905,0:14:03.212
I can see you want to do that, don't you?

0:14:05.149,0:14:08.474
All right. So when we imagined [br]this idea, first of all,

0:14:08.539,0:14:14.719
the idea sounds crazy. But once [br]we break it down and demystify the risk,

0:14:14.923,0:14:19.175
then we suddenly find that it's so safe [br]that this very swing has now become

0:14:19.175,0:14:22.597
a fully fledged commercial operation.

0:14:22.597,0:14:27.680
Yes. You too can go to Durban, South Africa. [br]You can pay your money,

0:14:27.823,0:14:31.479
and you can go and do a giant rope [br]swing across a stadium.

0:14:31.687,0:14:35.207
You can take a leap of faith. [br]And hundreds of people do.

0:14:35.377,0:14:38.993
And guess what the most common thing [br]that they say is afterwards?

0:14:39.668,0:14:43.699
"Man! It just really wasn't as bad [br]as I thought it was going to be,

0:14:43.699,0:14:47.730
and I feel as if "If I can do that,

0:14:47.730,0:14:51.763
I can do anything!" [br]And guess what? They're absolutely right.

0:14:53.073,0:14:58.640
So right now, we all live always [br]at the edge of uncharted waters.

0:14:59.167,0:15:03.246
And no matter that they're something [br]meaningless like kayaking down a rapid,

0:15:03.456,0:15:08.295
or meaningful like changing the world, [br]the principle is always the same:

0:15:09.396,0:15:12.730
We need to buck up [br]and add our piece to the puzzle.

0:15:13.592,0:15:15.730
It reminds me of a quote that I heard once.

0:15:15.989,0:15:18.854
I was in the deepest gorge in the world, [br]in Tibet.

0:15:19.485,0:15:21.810
One of the boys ad-libbed [br]a quote out of a book

0:15:21.810,0:15:24.800
called "The Wanderer" by Sterling Hayden.

0:15:24.800,0:15:26.462
And I'll give you just one line.

0:15:27.924,0:15:31.428
"Ive always wanted to sail [br]the seven seas, but I can't afford it.

0:15:32.518,0:15:36.462
What these people can't afford is not to go".

0:15:36.682,0:15:38.867
End quote.

0:15:38.875,0:15:40.331
Thank you very much, Athens!

0:15:40.360,0:15:43.702
It's been a pleasure and a privilege. [br]Good night!

0:15:44.028,0:15:48.151
(Applause)