Well it has been ages since I have blogged but the TV documentary On Thin Ice has compelled me to put pen to paper. In the last weeks we have been sitting down to watch Ben Fogle, James Cracknell and Dr Ed Coats, on their race to reach the South Pole. As polar novices it became a nail-biting thriller, even though we knew the ending.
But let me get to the point. Although this series was primarily about three men on an amazing adventure, it was also about human spirit, how people cope physically and mentally in challenging situations and three men who need to work together in one team.
With most TV programmes, you know what you are going to get out of it, if you know what I mean. A comedy will make you laugh, a documentary you will learn something, but this programme somehow delivered more than I had expected. It reminded me how important team work really is.
In the final days, James Cracknell, was a little at odds with his two team members. His Olympian focus and mental spirit, uncompromising, tested Ben and Ed. Their emotions, tears and pain gave a unique and special insight into these real men’s psyches. Something most of us don’t even get to experience, with our own better halves or even ourselves.
It was fascinating and I found it very moving. But the thought I will hold from watching On Thin Ice, was James and his observation that whether you are working to achieve a goal or raise a family, they have many things in common.
That made a lot of sense to me. Teams are not just something we play games in, or work with. The most important team we all operate in, especially when we are at the helm are our own family teams. It is a good thing to remember when things get tough. Thank you James, Ben and Ed
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