Lausanne, 29 April 2016
Had some unfinished business with Mike Horn, who for me is one of the most inspirational men on the planet. As much as I enjoy watching Bear Grylls on TV, Mike is the living action adventurer version of what Bear talks about and more! Mike actually has circumnavigated the globe entirely under human power, followed the Artic Circle around the globe during the Artic winter, and swum the length of the Amazon River.. I needed to interview Mike for his chapter in the Laureus Opus, (www.thisisopus.com). His availability is somewhat precious as he embarks on a two year adventure next week. Starting in May 2016, Mike begins his next great adventure, Pole to Pole 360, attempting to become the first person to circumnavigate the globe north-to-south in a continuous expedition.
You can follow Mike on this adventure and learn more about him on www.mikehorn.com.
Having taken Mike's portrait in Berlin a week or so earlier I was able to gift him some giant prints as a little thank you for making time for me. Mike is a child of planet earth. He wants to explore it, preserve it and story tell to those like myself who want to know what it feels like to be sat inside a tent by a scavanging polar bear.
A short hop from Birmingham Airport to Geneva and an even shorter train ride alongside Lake Geneva found me arriving in the beautiful city of Lausanne. Mike's daughter was waiting in her Smart car for me and we wondered if the Opus signature sheets would fit on the shelf (you couldn't call that space a trunk). But it did. The views from Mike's apartment were stunning, looking onto the mountains over pretty rooftops. His base in Lausanne didn't scream of 'I'm the worlds greatest adventurer', no obvious artefacts or giant photos, instead just a small shelf with a framed photo of him half naked in a boat paddling down the Amazon and of course a beautiful Laureus Trophy which he won in 2005 as the Laureus World Alternative Sportsperson of the Year.
In the couple of hours I had with Mike he talked about his life as an explorer, father and teacher. His chapter will truly be the most unique and original in the Laureus Opus and the photography... off the chart.