When we launched the Manumit Prize for British & Irish Adventures it wasn’t just about big challenges. It was about the stories behind them, the reasons people set out to do something in the first place.
One recent submission captured that really well.
Starting tomorrow, Jonny will set out to run 300 miles around the coast of Cornwall. He’ll be living out of a van with his partner and dog, stopping to surf along the way.
He’s not hoping to be the fastest to ever run the route, but might well be the first to hit up all the surf spots in the middle of a multi-day 300 mile ultra!
He’s doing it to raise money for Cancer Research UK, in memory of a close family member he recently lost, someone who had a strong sense of adventure and kept pushing himself well into later life.
What stood out most to us was his perspective:
“So many running challenges focus on suffering. But there’s already a lot of that in the world. There aren’t many stories of joy. I want to show the joy that running brings to my life and offer a different perspective.”
Jonny is calling his adventure ‘The Joy Project’.
That’s exactly why we started the Manumit Adventure Prize.
To support ideas that mean something to the people behind them. To tell better stories about what adventure can be and to encourage more people to get out and do something that matters to them.
If you’ve got an idea you’ve been sitting on, we’d love to hear it and to spread the joy of the great outdoors