Podcast

“I looked at that and thought - ‘That’s what I’m gonna do.’ Right, I can become an endurance athlete in six months, I can do this race in six months’ time, it’s only 255 kilometers in a week, running through the desert.”

When a major loss in life also shatters your identity - it can seem impossible to pick yourself up from that. Yet, our guest today did just that, here’s his story.

In this episode, David sits down for a chat with a man who reinvented himself from the ground up - Luke Tyburski, ex professional soccer player, ultra endurance adventurer and the author of Chasing Extreme. 

Luke’s currently based in the UK. After he left Australia at the age of 21, he bounced to USA where he finished off his college degree while playing in the professional lower leagues in America. Following that, he played in Belgium for a while and finally came to the UK. 

The reason for transitioning from soccer to competing in extreme endurance events was a never-ending cycle of injuries and breakdowns that he got fed up with, which eventually led him on a search for a new pursuit to make up the missing part of his identity now that soccer was out of his life.

And through a lucky chance or a random thought, he heard about Marathon Des Sables from one of his mates, an event where you run six marathons in seven days through the Sahara desert, carrying everything you need for the entire week in your backpack. 

It was the sands of Sahara that would transform Luke, but he also needed something big to grab people’s attention if he was to build up his brand to fully reinvent himself, and that’s where the documentary idea for the Ultimate Triathlon came in - a solo 12-day, 2000 km triathlon, spanning multiple countries that most considered impossible. 

When talking about his actual day job nowadays, it’s not what you’d expect: “I actually open up people’s minds to help them achieve what they’re truly capable of. I do this by inspiring growth. And the avenue I do that through is ultra endurance challenges. I teach people the tools and principles and processes, move them forward in their life, to creating a mindset that they can overcome obstacles and adapt to setbacks.” 

Some would refer to Luke as a motivational speaker, but here’s why he says motivation is absolutely rubbish. You can also hear more about why Motivation is Like Fire on Luke’s Lowdown Podcast, but he goes on to explain: “Motivation is rubbish unless you cultivate the right conditions… You need to understand who you are, and the drivers that you need, then once you’re motivated, you can sustain that, which is why it’s like fire…”

Furthermore, Luke discusses his battle with depression and the huge importance of taking the time to grieve the loss of whatever’s been a great part of our life, because that’s the only way we can truly move forward. In his case, he was running from life because he didn’t want to face the fact that he wasn’t a footballer anymore.

Finally, David and Luke touch on the importance of communication in relationships and the importance of open and honest discussions, but also the benefits that come with reflection. Luke also shares his five steps of reflection: Stop, Look, Listen, Ask Questions and Learn. 

Luke’s challenge for YOU over the coming week is to use those five steps and reflect. Stop what you’re doing, turn off your distractions and look within from various lenses, from a personal and professional perspective, observe yourself from different angles. Listen to your senses and ask the uncomfortable questions. Write down the things you learned, and leave your ego at the door, and embrace the change from your learnings.