ROdown Blog

Coping with stress: Moventure of a Gentleman

Steve Crombie, Mo Bro extraordinaire, has taken to the outback to learn the ways of a country gentleman, and to raise funds for Movember. This is Part Two of our interview with him about his experiences.

What stressful situations did you face on your mo-venture?

Ha! Hmm. Well I was dropped in the middle of the Pilbara in Western Australia which has the highest average temperature on the planet with nothing more than the clothes on my back - no food, no water and no shelter this was pretty stressful. In line with Movember’s theme this year of a ‘Country Gentleman’ I was also wearing a fancy tweed suit, which added a new dimension to the stress levels! But the more problems you’ve got the more life you’ve got. If you’ve got no problems you’ve got no life and I had a lot of problems. It was 40-47 degrees every day, I didn’t find food until the 4th day and had to navigate by the sun and the stars. Basically, the most stressful situation was learning how to stay alive in elements and keep my sanity intact.

How did you cope with stress?

I dealt with each situation as it arose and focused my attention on that given problem, trying to stay present with each concern that was causing me stress and working through it. Our bodies are designed to adapt to change. I started to welcome discomfort and misfortune, assured that I would bounce back wiser and less vulnerable to the elements that surrounded me once I worked through the experience. Avoiding stressful situations never made it easier in the long run.

What advice would you give other young men faced with stressful situations?

Face your fears. Running from issues that stress you out will not make them go away. Seek help if you need it. Surround yourself with people that support and believe in you. Search out mentors who are able to provide guidance in areas of your life that you find challenging. This will give you the opportunity to learn from their mistakes, as well as your own. On the Moventure project, in order to stay alive it was necessary to conduct an extreme apprenticeship with one of the most renowned survival experts in the world, and trainer to the SAS, Bob Cooper. Having Bob there to share his knowledge gave me confidence that, given time, I would be able to survive in the elements alone. But I had to work hard to attain the skills and knew there would be a time when he couldn’t be there for me. Therefore it was necessary to glean whatever knowledge was available in our time together to prepare for what lay ahead when I would be alone. We all need to learn how to survive in our own worlds and recognise that whilst it’s advisable to seek help in time of need, it is up to each individual to ultimately help themself. The more you experience hardship, the more you appreciate the good times. When it’s good it’s really good. When it’s bad, you know it’s going to get good soon.