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African Dream

African Dream

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Colin Javens brought a new meaning to Driving Home during his recent talk to the Sixth Form as he shared with us how he had completed a 4x4 overland expedition from the UK to Cape Town. Having been involved in a devastating diving accident eight years ago, Colin was severely paralyzed, which left him unable to pursue his interests in sports such as squash, rugby and tennis. However, this did not prevent him from embarking on this lifelong dream in April 2006. Though physically gruelling, the expedition was completed with the help of his friends and state-of-the-art technology. He was able to raise £500,000 for spinal injury research in Africa.

Colin was an extremely engaging and humorous speaker, unafraid to share the more embarrassing aspects of his experience in order to help us to step into his ‘body’. He described how he had lost an alarming 10 kilos, sustained third degree burns and endured ten areas of skin breakdown due to pressure points. Many, like Olivia Millward-Sdougos, SFC1, felt it was “refreshing” to hear from someone who was not the foremost professional or academic in his field, but had a profound personal experience to share. “It really put things into perspective for me. Just as Colin had gained inspiration for his courage and strength through seeing the paralyzed individuals in Africa, I felt that I learnt a lot from his experience. One can’t even begin to imagine what he has to go through on a daily basis.”

Katherine Morris was similarly moved by the courage and dedication Colin showed in the face of adversity. “It is heartening to think of the possibilities for anyone with the drive to overcome what may at first seem an insurmountable barrier in their way.” The talk culminated with a video which conveyed the poignancy of Colin’s ‘Driving Home’ journey and reminded us all that “if you really take your dream seriously, it can be turned into reality.”
Anjali Tsui

For more information please visit www.drivinghome.com and www.colinjavens.com.

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