An inside look at some modern adventures, from crossing the Empty Quarter by camel, to rafting the Blue Nile Gorge, to motoring across Mongolia on a WWII-era motorcycle.
Every now and then I send out a newsletter - an informal update, with news of recent articles, photos, expeditions, and other going-ons.
Drop me your email and I'll add you to the mailing list. I promise to only send infrequent notes. And most importantly, no email addresses will be harmed!
NOW is more than a TV show. It is a philosophy and way of approaching life. NOW means living each day as if it were your last. What would you do if nothing held you back; no fears, excuses, routine, habit, lack of time? Think of the wonderous experiences wait outside your door. NOW is about ditching the excuses, reaching out to friends, helping others, and along the way, fronting up to the things that scare you most. And finally move past them, once and for all.
VIDEO
For more videos, check out CBC’s Video Player. You’ll find behind-the-scenes videos, interviews with our challengers, and entire episodes (posted online the day after they air). Be sure to visit the NOW Extras section, you’ll find lots of fun stuff there!
No Opportunity Wasted
The Show
Watch this fall as Phil Keoghan(of the Amazing Race) and I take Canadians outside their comfort zone,
pushing them to face their fears, and helping them tackle more in 72 hours than they ever thought possible.
In each episode, two challengers, who do not know they have been chosen, are
ambushed and asked to take on a 72-hour NOW challenge. With their schedules cleared and all excuses eliminated, these total strangers with a
common goal must work side-by-side and step-by-step to complete a series of
time targets that will push them to their limits.
NOW is produced in Canada, shot and filmed on location across the country,
with all-Canadian participants. Read my daily blog and watch all my video
reports at the official CBC website www.cbc.ca/now.
So...how the heck did you get involved?
When Phil, CBC, and the Canadian production company (Suddenly See More
Productions) decided to produce NOW for Canadian audiences, they knew they
wanted a Canadian host. A casting agent was called in, and the story took a
funny turn.
The casting agent was working at home, hunting down leads across Canada.
Her 15-year-old son, who was home for March Break, was disturbing her
concentration, so she dispatched him to his room with a simple mission:
spend an hour searching the web for possible NOW hosts, bring me back 10
names, and I'll give you $10.
Five minutes later he was back in her office. 'What are you doing?' she
asked. 'I said an hour!'
He slid a piece of paper across her desk with one name on it. 'This is the
only name you need,' he replied.
My name was on that piece of paper. (He found my website using Google)
In the months ahead, as Phil began to narrow the list down, he kept coming
back to one principal. Whoever he chose had to not just get the NOW
philosophy, they had to live their life that way. Luckily my past of
quitting office jobs, chasing dreams, and living from one goal to the next
resonated with Phil. We met, instantly hit it off, and weeks later I was
tossed headfirst into a busy summer of filming.
And the most asked question of all: What is Phil like?!
I don't own a TV, and had never heard of Phil Keoghan before
this summer. Obviously I am in a minority as nearly everyone I meet asks
about him. And the answer is he is a darn good dude. Spend any time around him and you'll notice he is a hard worker and very focused, but more than anything he reminds
me of 'one of the lads' - quick to joke, funny, and light hearted. Without
hesitation he is the type of person I'd love to go on a long mountaineering
or river trip with (which is probably the highest compliment I could give!). And despite his hectic schedule Phil went out of his way to mentor me this summer, sending emails and calling with suggestions and
comments as filming progressed.
Check out this slide show I made on Aminto. Pretty cool technology. I banged this out in five minutes!
