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“Extremely crazy shit” and sailing don’t usually go together, but adventurer, ex-Marine and TV star Jason Fox isn’t letting that curb his imagination.
“My imaginary ship would have a helicopter that would climb up the walls and a 60-foot ladder out the back that you could try to climb,” he enthuses. “You could go abseiling to dinner!”
SAS: He who dares wins star joins a Cunard cruise Went to Alaska this summer as an “insight speaker” – although his idea of an ideal yacht is a bit different from the traditional brand.
“I would love to climb up and jump off things,” he says.
You can forgive him for being ambitious. He once climbed up to the side of Queen Mary 2 via rope ladder at night to test the safety of her (the ship was used as floating accommodation during the 2004 Athens Olympics), so his idea of visiting a ship is a bit more practical.
He recalls, “I really realized the absolute enormity of that huge piece of metal.” “It was very rude.”
Magnificent Cunard ship, queen elizabethIt’s a little different. it got a makeover earlier this year and there is now a wellness café, ballroom dancing, three-day spa packages and a special menu prepared by Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux. Girly, it’s not like that.
However, the 10-night Alaska stay still offers its strengths. “Standing in front of a room and talking always brings some adrenaline,” he admits.
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As part of his presentation, he told cruisers about his last trip to the US state in 2019, when he rowed 1,980 miles across the Yukon River for charity.
“There was all kinds of chaos on that trip, from being chased by grizzly bears – and discovering that bear spray is absolutely useless – to getting caught in a storm.”
Health There is always a priority on the board too. “I train every day to stay healthy,” he says.
Not that he’s worried about feeling “trapped” on a ship: “I crossed the Atlantic for 50 days on a small boat with four other guys, and it stinks – so it’ll never be that bad,” he quips.
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That said, the inconvenience doesn’t bother him. “I like to push myself into uncomfortable situations,” he insists, and he manages to take regular physical breaks outside.
“I love it,” says Fox. “This is what I needed. I’ve done a lot of things where I think, ‘This is absolute bullshit,’ and then when you look back at it, you get rose-colored glasses on.”
Recalling his ultra-marathon training on skis in Arctic Sweden, he claims the endurance benefits are manifold. “It can be mind-numbing; I’m not thinking about all the other things — house, bills, work — I’m just thinking about staying on my feet and maintaining a good rhythm so I can get some miles done.
“It’s a pretty good distraction.”
However, it offers much more than that. “The only way you can really find out anything about yourself is to push yourself into dark places,” says Fox.
This is also a big part of his role SAS: He who dares winsWhich tests the mental, emotional and physical strength of civilian and celebrity recruits. Fox and a squad of former army officers recreate the SAS’s secret selection process (and its high-pressure fitness tests).
“The producers love to see us scream and yell because it makes it more dynamic,” Fox explains, “but ultimately, what you don’t see is a lot of mentoring, coaching and encouragement, too, because we really want to see the people who come on the show prove to themselves that they’re probably made of tougher stuff.”
Luckily, the rest of us don’t have to be so macho.
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“I don’t advocate going out and doing extreme things,” he assures. “My threshold is a little different, but I think people just need to look at where they are and get excited about the next thing that’s different, difficult, or uncomfortable, and then consider doing it in a smaller way.”
So, from hiking a mountain in Wales to exploring a new park in London, as long as you’re “moving yourself, getting outside, exercising, breathing fresh air,” you’ll get Fox’s approval.
As for Cunard, they’ll be glad to hear that he’s happy to enjoy the slower, more leisurely pace of travel (although it does take him a day and a half to wind down).
The former soldier still has plenty of adventure left: “I’ve always liked Kilimanjaro, more for the experience than anything else.
“Me and a friend of mine are thinking about the South Pole, but that’s too expensive, and then maybe some more remote rivers,” he muses.
Oh, but he likes the idea of cruise TV shows where people water ski off the back of the ship. Cunard, you have been warned.