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Gerry van der Walt

Weekly thoughts from the edge where comfort ends and reality begins. Raw insights on pushing limits, facing fears, and moving forward when everything screams stop. No carefully curated inspiration or polished self-help - just honest truth from someone navigating both physical extremes and human potential. For those battling inner demons, chasing impossible dreams, or simply tired of playing safe. Because transformation isn't about motivation. It's about movement. Into the unknown, where hands shake and doubts whisper, but you keep moving anyway.

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What Are You Actually Avoiding?

What Are You Actually Avoiding? Hi Reader, When was the last time you turned your focus inward towards both your body and mind? This week I focused on healthspan and lifespan. I did a full panel of blood tests - all necessary markers - then a deep dive with a doctor to reassess and recalibrate my lifestyle, focus, supplements and the way forward. Why? Because mental health is downstream from physical health and I choose to focus on and control what I can. And on a side note, it's quite scary...

The Necessary Fall: Why We All Need Both Peaks and Valleys Hi Reader, I'm still sorting through the experience, memories, images and lessons that returned with me from the Arctic - not all the pieces fit back where they were, and I'm not sure they're supposed to. This week I'm breaking down one critical piece of what I learned, with much more to follow in the coming weeks as I make sense of what happened out there in the white nothing. So let me kick this one off with a question... how many...

Thoughts on Expeditions and Change from Longyearbyen Let's get real for a moment. The voices don't shut up until you force them to. They live in that dark space between what you claim to want and what you're actually willing to bleed for. That gap is where most people build their entire lives. We watch our own existence drain away while clinging to the comfort of "someday" and "when things settle down." We say we want change but your knuckles turn white gripping the familiar. Meanwhile, we're...

Chaos, Clarity, and Cold Hi Reader, Some weeks crack you open and force you to look at what spills out. This was one of those weeks. Some thoughts below and a deeper dive on the blog, not because I have it figured out, but because sometimes we need to document the storm while we're still in it. Let's get into it. Finding Your North Star When Life Goes Sideways Life doesn't ask permission before it kicks you in the teeth. Monday morning, I watched years of work vanish when someone broke into...

When was the last time you danced? Not the choreographed, Instagram-ready kind. Not the socially acceptable head-bob. I mean the kind that ambushes you between heartbeats, that cracks through your carefully constructed armour and reminds you what being alive actually feels like. After weeks of diving deep into the trenches, of unpacking trauma and anxiety and all the weight we carry like medals of honor, this week we're remembering something pretty damn crucial - that between the heavy...

White Whale Whispers Hello Reader I've been thinking about what happens when we chase something bigger than ourselves. In this newsletter you'll find my thoughts on pursuing the impossible - like for example, my upcoming Greenland crossing. Also, I have two two new posts on Insights that you can check out. One addressing the reality of life as a safari guide (the response has been overwhelming - thank, you!), and another exploring why we struggle to name what we're feeling. Let's get into it....

006 The Question "When did you start making friends with your fears?" You've gotten pretty good at it, haven't you? Dressing up your fears in rational clothing. Calling them 'preparation' or 'being strategic.' Here's what thousands of coaching hours have taught me: most people aren't planning - they're hiding. Your fears aren't your friends. They're not protecting you. They're prison guards you hired yourself. When exactly did you start treating your jailers like allies? Hit reply with your...

When Conversations Change Everything. Plus Svalbard News & iPhone Camera Review Hi Reader Before we get into this week's newsletter, a bit of news I've been itching to share. Andrew and I are putting together something very different for Svalbard 2026. This expedition isn't listed anywhere online yet - not even on Wild Eye's website - so you're one of the lucky people to get a first shot at joining us to this quintessential bucket list destination next year. We've already got some interested...

005 The Question "What's the real price of your comfort zone?" Let's get brutally honest for a minute. Every day you spend 'waiting for the right time' is another day you're choosing mediocrity. And yes, mediocrity is a choice - one you make every time you pick comfortable over courageous. I see it in coaching, in life, in the mirror - we're masters at disguising cowardice as wisdom. So tell me, what's your comfort zone really costing you? Because while you're busy being 'sensible', your...

Reflections on Growth, Resilience, and the Human Experience Hi Reader A random question to start this newsletter. Do you ever catch yourself humming? That unconscious melody that rises from somewhere deep when the world feels too sharp, too real? It's not just noise - it’s your body’s oldest survival language. Ancient code encoded in vibration, your nervous system desperately trying to pull you back from the edge of overwhelm. Science tells us that those quiet vibrations are rewiring your...