How spending time alone can complement your sociable strengths
Sailing far from land, running through the Himalayas and cycling in the Arctic: 3 athletes experienced real isolation and it gave them a chance to reflect on themselves and their relation to others.
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"I learned a lot in that relative isolation of the Himalayas. You begin to appreciate the smaller things in life," said South African ultra-runner Ryan Sandes, who in 2018 ran 1,504km over 24 days in the mountains.
"I learned how important it is to be generous and kind, and look at every person individually. It taught me to give people a bit more time," he added. The trip wouldn't have been possible without the kindness and generosity of the local people who helped him and welcomed him into their homes.
"You focus on your little milestones," said Sandes, who enjoyed the personal headspace in the peaks. "Being isolated can sometimes give you that little bit of extra time to think things through in your own head.”
Ryan Sandes relied on the hospitality locals during his epic Himalayas run
© Dean Leslie/Red Bull Content Pool
How we interact with others can say a lot about us. Forging strong, lasting connections can be key to our happiness and wellbeing, and help us meet our personal goals. The Red Bull Wingfinder test looks at our natural inclinations in how we relate to others and plots them on four scales moving from independent to sociable, emotive to balanced, autonomous to supportive and direct to diplomatic.
American mountain biker Carson Storch travelled to Axel Heiberg island in the Canadian High Arctic in 2017 to film the movie North of Nightfall. The island is unpopulated apart from a research centre, where just a few scientists work at a time measuring glaciers and the effects of global warming.
Storch spent three-and-a-half weeks there, mindful that being about as far away from civilisation as it was possible to get, he had to balance his natural desire to push himself with the knowledge that if anything went wrong, help was far away.
Sometimes the weather was so bad he had to shelter in his tent for four or five days.
Carson Storch high on a cliff high in the Arctic during filming
© Blake Jorgenson/Red Bull Content Pool
"Being in the Arctic made me grateful for the opportunity to go to a place that only a handful of people have ever been to before. I was grateful to completely disconnect from everyday life and focus 100 per cent on the task at hand," he said. "I feel like I grew as a person and it’s a trip I will never forget about. But isolation also gives you time to ponder everything, your life and how much you miss your family and friends."
While the seclusion was something new for Storch, 27, and Sandes, it's a familiar condition for 59-year-old Argentine sailor Santiago Lange, a six-time Olympian.
Competing in the round-the-world Volvo Ocean Race saw him spend nearly 40 days in a row sleeping in a small bunk in the middle of the ocean, with no option to leave.
Santiago Lange thrives in the empty expanse of the world's oceans
© Daniele Molineris/Red Bull Content Pool
"For some, it might be a struggle. For me, I feel free sailing on the seas. I love the feeling of being thousands of nautical miles away from land," he said. "Being isolated is also a chance for total introspection and I honestly enjoy that sense of being totally isolated, totally alone, whether that’s being indoors or on a boat."
Lange does however use technology to communicate with friends and family, and keep connected.
Red Bull Wingfinder can help you pinpoint your social strengths and give advice on complementary skills, so you achieve the right balance in meeting your goals and working well with others.
If you haven't done so, take the Red Bull Wingfinder test today. It only takes 30 minutes, is free and with its coaching guide tailored to your unique results, could help you to realise your full potential.
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