You can follow her progress on her blog, twitter or podcast.

Without doubt she is a one-off and an example to all of getting out of your comfort zone. (This piece was first published in the Sunday Times, 23 April 2006.)

I Am What I Am

“The thoughts and philosophies of Roz Savage, an impressive ocean-rowing adventurer.

• Don’t waste mental energy asking yourself if you CAN do something. Just do it. You’ll surprise yourself. I did.
• Be clear about your objectives. Ignore others, stay true to yourself and measure success only against your own criteria. I was last to finish the race – big deal. I went out there to learn about myself, and I did.
• The only constant in life is change. So don’t get depressed by the bad times, and don’t get over-excited by good ones. Accept that things are exactly as they are, and even bad times have something to teach us.
• Life can be magical, but magic only gets you so far. Then you need discipline, determination and dedication to see it through.
• Hope can hurt. The danger is that you hope for too much and set yourself up for disappointment. Be optimistic but realistic. Nothing is ever as good or as bad as you expect it to be.
• Be mindful of the link between present action and desired future outcome. Ask yourself: if I repeat today’s actions 365 times, will I be where I want to be in a year?
• Decision-making: act in faith, not fear, and don’t worry about making a ‘wrong’ decision – the way you implement it is more important than the decision itself.
• Be your own best friend. The more you rely on other people, the less control you have over your destiny.
• Be proud of your own obituary: a few years ago I wrote two versions of my obituary, the one I wanted and the one I was heading for. They were very different. I realized I needed to make some big changes if I was going to look back and be proud of my life. I am making those changes, and now I have a life worth living.”

I have an eye infection, I became a ware that the upper lid of my left eye was swollen on Monday evening. I rinsed it with Optrex on Monday and yesterday (Tuesday) but the lid stayed red, swollen and sore and overnight it worsened.

So this morning I rang “MY” medical practice at 8.35 to be answered by a voice which assured me that my call was valuable, that they were aware that I was waiting, that someone would deal with my call as soon as possible and I was 4th, 3rd then 2nd in the queue. Finally top of the list after 6 minutes and the message changed; now I had to make a choice between wanting to make an appointment with a doctor or speak to a nurse. Button 1 pressed for the doctor; progress at last.

Not so fast Rees, it’s another message and I’m at the back of another queue. This time I was fifth in line but I was equally valued, the music was the same, the message still anodyne. Slowly but steadily I climbed the list and this time I got a human being. Only 11 minutes spent there then.

“Good morning this is Alun Rees; I think I have an eye infection, would it be possible to see a doctor today please?”

“You can’t make an appointment to see a doctor, give me your number and the triage doctor will call you back within half an hour.”

After the queueing system another wait, is it any surprise that people get frustrated with medical staff.

Sure enough at 8.55 the call came, quick chat with the doctor, symptoms, history & good follow up questions. “Can you come down straight away?” asked the medic, so off I went. On arrival at the practice it was time to lock horns with the guardian of the gate who had been kept out of the loop by her boss.

“Hello I’m Alun Rees I spoke to Dr Fab a few minutes ago and he told me to come straight down.” I reported with a smile. Big mistake, and as it happens a complete waste of a smile, because at no time did she look at my face let alone make eye contact.

“Have you got an appointment?”

“Well Dr Fab told me to come straight down when I spoke to him 5 minutes ago.”

“What was your name?” from between tight lips.

“Alun Rees” recalling the last time I was called and asked to come as soon as possible only to be kept waiting the early half hour and then another half an hour past my original appointment time.

“Take a seat on the left.”

“Thank you so much.” (Think Basil Fawlty)

After a wait of maybe 3 minutes I was greeted by Dr Fab, taken into his room, examined, diagnosed, prescribed and my thanks given.

Time between calling surgery and getting to speak to doc 30 minutes. Time between speaking to doc and leaving practice with prescription 15 minutes.

Next comes the pharmacy experience. Hand in prescription, do I pay? yes I do. Well it’s £7.20 for the ointment as an NHS item but £5.55 if you buy it as a private item. Funny I don’t remember it being that easy to sell private treatment v NHS treatment in dental practice but I have no doubt that it will happen soon enough with the NHS in such a deep financial mire.

OK, is it me or could that all have been done more logically?

You matter

• When you love the work you do and the people you do it with, you matter.
• When you are so gracious and generous and aware that you think of other people before yourself, you matter.
• When you leave the world a better place than you found it, you matter.
• When you continue to raise the bar on what you do and how you do it, you matter.
• When you teach and forgive and teach more before you rush to judge and demean, you matter.
• When you touch the people in your life through your actions (and your words), you matter.
• When kids grow up wanting to be you, you matter.
• When you see the world as it is, but insist on making it more like it could be, you matter.
• When you inspire a Nobel prize winner or a slum dweller, you matter.
• When the room brightens when you walk in, you matter.
• And when the legacy you leave behind lasts for hours, days or a lifetime, you matter.

He’s doing a couple of gigs with Chris Barrow “Transforming The Experience” in Dublin on October 10th and in York on October 15th. To follow on he’s also presenting “Getting to “Yes”…in One Visit” on October 17th in Wakefield at The Academy of Clinical Excellence. This course is for previous attendees.

I spent a three-day weekend doing these courses last time around, was it worth it? Most definitely yes!! I’ll see you in Wakefield.

For booking details take a look here.

I knew about Michael Collins from the pram I swear, I was told that my grandmother knew him. I know that my grandfather fought the English at the same time as him. Neil Jordan’s film was as good as we “fans” could have hoped for, Liam Neeson was superb, it was the role he was born to play.

Here’s the 21st century’s greatest exponent, he’s everything that makes me proud to be a Welshman when rugby is played.

First up a poem by Roger McGough

Let me die a young man’s death
not a clean and inbetween
the sheets holywater death
not a famous-last-words
peaceful out of breath death

When I’m 73
and in constant good tumour
may I be mown down at dawn
by a bright red sports car
on my way home
from an allnight party

Or when I’m 91
with silver hair
and sitting in a barber’s chair
may rival gangsters
with hamfisted tommyguns
burst in and give me a short back and insides

Or when I’m 104
and banned from the Cavern
may my mistress
catching me in bed with her daughter
and fearing for her son
cut me up into little pieces
and throw away every piece but one

Let me die a young man’s death
not a free from sin tiptoe in
candle wax and waning death
not a curtains drawn by angels borne
‘what a nice way to go’ death

They are running a viral marketing campaign with a “behind the scenes” mini-doc. I’m pleased to join in.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVeSPyAp8aU

One of my most vivid memories of running in London was passing a young female runner after about 11 miles who looked, at first glance to be injured. Only when I had overtaken her and glanced back and down did I realise that she was a bilateral amputee. Humbling.

Today celebrate the 400th TED talk it’s given by Aimee Mullins and she speaks about her prosthetic legs (she has a dozen pairs) which give her speed, beauty and an extra six inches of height.

Totally inspiring, (and a great line about Pamela Anderson).

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

Steve Jobs CEO Apple Computers Commencement Address Stanford University June 12th 2005.

Full address here.