The challenge was for me to swim across the widest part of Loch Ness (2.7km), climb the highest peak in the UK (Ben Nevis at 1345m) dressed in a kilt, carry my 8kg bagpipes in my backpack to play at the summit, and then make it back down before the weather turned rotten. I named this challenge “The Highlander Triathlon” and, to my knowledge, I am the first in the world to ever complete such a unique, triple challenge.

This was just the beginning of what was to become a new chapter in my life. After a deep dive into the Stoics over the past few years, two key takeaways have formed the pillars of the concept that would become DuncanDOES. The Stoics, ancient Greek and Roman philosophers who followed a school of thought founded in Athens around 300 BC, believed the practice of virtue is enough to achieve a well-lived life. Firstly, I want to be living out of service to the community. Acting with the “collective” in mind rather than just the individual. As Marcus Aurelius said, “What does not benefit the hive is no benefit to the bee”. The second takeaway, “Memento Mori”, is to meditate on the impermanence of life and to not let it go to waste. I wanted to challenge myself, physically and mentally, beyond my desk job.

I am not extraordinary, but I want to inspire people to realise they are far more capable of accomplishing extraordinary things than they realise. I am no ultra-athlete, pro skateboarder or distance swimmer. But I know whatever challenge you put your mind to, you might surprise yourself.

The purpose of my efforts is to live a life full of adventure, intention and service. I want to come out the other side by the skin of my teeth, dusty, wrinkled and with a smile on my face, knowing I squeezed every last drop out of this lemon we call life. We only have one roll of the dice here on earth and I want to live a life with real purpose, positive impact, and one hell of a story to tell the grandkids!