And the Winner is...This years FEAT awards!

As you know by now…we won the FEAT award! We really are so proud! And the cash prize really came in sooo handy! It is amazing to be the first winners of this prestigious award, and we hope that we can do the confidence in us justice!

It’s always more difficult to win an award for something which you haven’t even completed yet! Well there is no turning back now, and this is just the extra motivation we need to complete the mission.

Fascinating Expedition & Adventure Talks (FEAT) is an annual evening of time-limited presentations. Next year is in Cape Town so please see www.featsa.co.za for more details. We will present Whatsupzanzi at the FEAT evening in Cape Town next year and we are already so excited.

Each presenter speaks for seven minutes. Although the speakers are invited because of their achievements, presentation themes focus on an aspect of their expedition – not the entire extended expedition. Created by adventure racer and writer Lisa de Speville, FEAT brings South Africa’s adventurers together. “Most people would love to embark on an expedition; but most are tied to ‘real life’ so they settle for feeding this desire with organized sporting events. “It takes a different, special kind of courage and drive to abandon socially accepted norms (day job, family, home) to set off – often solo – on self-motivated and self-organised expeditions.

Regardt accepted the award on behalf of the team at the FEAT show in Johannesburg 2 weeks ago…and was inspired by all the other great adventurers who spoke at FEAT.

Here is the award description as appears on the FEAT website – “Does an adventure burn in your heart? Have you got something in mind that you’d like to do but for various reasons you haven’t jumped in to attempting that sea-to-summit route, that circumnavigation, that first ascent, first decent…This may be your opportunity. The FEAT award celebrates an adventurous spirit by contributing to making the adventure possible.

FEAT Award welcomes applications for adventures that are of any duration, in any destination and by any human-powered discipline,” says FEAT creator, Lisa de Speville. Adventures that are original, pioneering, inspirational and interesting are favoured in the selection process. She adds that applicants do not have to try to be the first to do something or attempt speed and distance records; she’s looking for creativity and a love for your sporting discipline.

De Speville says that in considering applications she has to give thought to how the adventure will fit in with the FEAT mix, as the Award recipient will speak at the next evening of FEAT Talks. “Within this specific category the audience will relate better to adventures that are shorter – days and weeks, rather than those spanning many months.

For FEAT Award I’d like the audience to be thinking, “Hey, I could do something like that”.”

Credit to Erik Vermeulen/FEAT for the photos – and to the FEAT for the “copying” of text from their website!