By his mid-30s, Wight had forged a successful career in Marketing and Events, reaching Director level and enjoying the benefits of both a senior position and the travel opportunities his work offered. But a childhood spent in Indonesia, where being outdoors was second nature, had instilled an inherent love for the outdoors and appetite for adventure – especially when it came to water sports.<\/mark> <\/p>\n\n\n\n His fascination with what he calls \u201cordinary people doing extraordinary things\u201d led him to sign up to a team competing in the inaugural 2014 Great Pacific Race<\/a>, in which small crews row from Monterey, CA to Honolulu, HA.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Although subconsciously he had wanted to go on a big expedition for years, he admits his application to take part was somewhat impulsive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI guess it was some form of escapism at the time. I just wanted to get away and feel more alive because everything was a bit stale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was probably a mid-life crisis,\u201d he laughs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The row, described by organisers as “the biggest, baddest human endurance challenge on the planet”, was planned to cover 3,862 km across the North Pacific Ocean from Monterey to Honolulu. However, after just two days the team\u2019s 12-foot ocean rowing boat began taking on water through the aft cabin<\/strong>. Efforts to seal the leak failed again and again; when a storm with 20-foot waves hit, Wight and his crew had no choice but to eventually call a Mayday. When a rescue proved too dangerous for the race support yacht, US Coast Guard were dispatched to airlift the crew to safety. The story made headlines in the UK<\/a>, USA<\/a> and New Zealand<\/a>, and was featured on the BBC\u2019s Close Calls: Caught On Camera<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019re in that moment, you don\u2019t feel as if it\u2019s as serious as it is. When you look back – yeah, that was a bit hairy.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n A return to normal life also saw a return to the corporate world he had so desperately needed a break from, but only on a part-time basis. The time for change had come. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Beginning as an online portal curating interesting stories of people with purpose behind their travel and adventures, Adventure Uncovered<\/a> focused on highlighting conservation issues, climate science, and what Wight refers to as \u201cadventures on the front line\u201d.<\/mark> The core aim was to bring new voices and more diverse narratives to the forefront. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTraditional adventure culture and narratives as we know it generally are all about people conquering things. There\u2019s an element of colonial undertones which I didn\u2019t like,\u201d says Wight. \u201cWe found other stories out there that were far more interesting and representative of the fascinating world we live in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n From its small roots, Adventure Uncovered has since expanded to live events and guided adventure trips<\/strong>, all with a focus on purpose and social and environmental responsibility in the outdoors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In September 2017, a swim weekend took place at Durdle Door<\/a> on the Dorset coast. Hosted in collaboration with the Wild Swimming Brothers<\/a>, 20 attendees were able to experience up to 2k of ocean swimming along the Jurassic Coast, attend educational talks by campfire, eat local food and drink, and learn to freedive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/escp.eu\/thechoice\/wp-content\/uploads\/james_wight_adventure_uncovered.jpeg\")
\u201cThe biggest, baddest human endurance challenge on the planet\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Not long after, Adventure Uncovered was born. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n