and his climbing partner faced the same risk when, after reaching the apex of Everest, their Sherpa became snow-blind. It meant they faced the task of leading their own guide 8,400-metres back down the mountain. “The shoe was on the other foot for us but it wasn’t an issue.” White is now a trustee of a charity called Climb 2 Recovery (C2R) set up by and designed for military veterans. The charity takes groups of ex-forces staff climbing to build back their resilience after a physical or mental trauma. One of the founders lost both legs in Iraq and has since successfully scaled the Matterhorn, a 4,477-metre- high mountain in the Alps. “A lot of people come out of the military with either PTSD [post- traumatic stress disorder] or other mental health issues, which are rarely concurrent with physical injury,” says White, because the majority of people who have a physical injury are unconscious when it happens. “Individuals with a physical injury are usually incredibly resilient because they’ve already overcome a physical limitation,” he adds. While those who suffer from PTSD – which is more usually associated with guilt about what they’ve witnessed – are harder
and riskier to climb with because they may experience feelings of aggression or severe anxiety. White says mountaineering enables them to concentrate their mind on something other than their trauma. They must be 100% committed to it to stay safe and it demonstrates to them that they are able to take charge of their own mind and focus. “They tend to forget about their other problems because otherwise they would fall,” says White. “It helps them to realise that they can concentrate their mind elsewhere for long periods of time, which slowly helps to build back their resilience.” In business, just as in mountaineering, challenges will always occur. Some risks are known, and can largely be mitigated against with the investment of time and effort. Others will be outliers and may take you by surprise. But for both, forethought and organisation is key. “When you have a problem,” says White, “if you’ve done the right planning and preparation, and know what you’re doing, you’re more likely to cope.” Images reproduced with permission of Dan White
made a change. “People couldn’t remember why we had them, it was simply something we had always done.” He says communicating the core of the business or operation is key, especially as staff come and go. “You need to constantly reiterate communication messages and update training so staff understand what we’re trying to achieve.”
This, and increased awareness of the mental health benefits of exercising with others, has helped to boost gym footfall. “Mental and social health is vital. It’s not just about jumping on a static bike in your living room but interacting with other people, so I’m unsurprised that many exercise bikes have become high-end clothes’ hangers.” Being fit and healthy, he adds, helps people perform better in all parts of their life. “This is especially true when it comes to resilience,” he says. “You will have challenges in life and business but if you also have physical problems, because you’re exhausted or not exercising, you won’t be operating at your best. I’m 60 this year but I know I can function physically better than 90% of people who are a lot older than me.” Climbing mountains Before leaving the army, White and a partner put their training to use when they successfully scaled the world’s highest above sea-level peak, Mount Everest. The pair climbed the 8,849-metre-high mountain from the Tibetan side, going to above 7,000 metres nine times prior to their full attempt as part of their altitude training. Too few climbers now commit to prepare themselves fully for high altitudes, says White, instead preferring to rely on multiple tanks of oxygen to assist them in their ascent. This, he warns, leaves them physically and mentally unprepared for the task ahead. “If you’re above 8,000 metres on Everest and make a mistake you’re dead. A lot of people become unconscious after a couple of hours. If they don’t have enough oxygen they won’t survive the night and no-one is strong enough to carry them down off the mountain.”
The only way to rescue climbers is to try to get more oxygen to them and relying on that, says White, is a “bad supply chain problem waiting to happen.” In his case, he and his teammate invested time and effort into training fully and had just two tanks of oxygen, meaning they only sporadically relied upon it after passing 8,400-metres. “It’s not unlike the military,” he says. “You need the exact amount of kit and a clear understanding of how to operate it.” In 2000, one in every seven people who attempted the feat died. White
Despite being hit by the challenges of Brexit, the covid pandemic, and now a
recessionary climate, White is confident his business will prevail. “We’re in for a fight, but we’ve been running since 1980 so we’ve been through recessions before.” He says they are taking measures to ensure they’ll get through it based on our past experience. This includes maintaining the quality and professionalism of its provision and protecting cash flow. “This is crucial,” he says, “because it’s increasingly difficult to borrow money, especially if you need it, and it’s become harder to liquidate property assets.” White says past experience has shown that when money is tight, people typically cut back on food bills and going out, while maximising their gym membership. “People’s lifestyle and health choices are important. They consider what’s valuable to them and health is valuable.” White says the group is currently experiencing very heavy usage of its gyms – more so than pre-pandemic - and he believes people have made the link between their health and their ability to survive Covid or any other disease. “Eighteen months ago people were scared to go out in case they caught Covid; now everyone’s either had it or knows that if they do catch it, they want to be as fit as possible to overcome it.”
OPINION SNAPSHOT: “It helps them to realise that they can concentrate their mind elsewhere for long periods of time, which slowly helps to build back their resilience.”
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