Why is Ashrita Furman one of the world’s greatest athletes? For starters middle aged Ashrita doesn’t seem to have the same unobtainable physical attributes of famous athletes.
However he seems to live life with the same passion and determination of one, what’s more Ashrita doesn’t just focus on one activity. Embracing change, he searches for new challenges and sets new standards.
Having broken the most Guinness World Records of all time, Ashrita is also a record breaker within a record breaker.
Though some might attribute his success to choosing the least popular sports/records and consequently a lack of competition, he is nevertheless relentless; planning and training to set and accomplish his personal goals like any professional. His personal accomplishments make him great to himself and ultimately the joy he gets from them is all that really matters in life.
Proof that you don’t need to play professional sports to be a great athlete.
As unusual as this short movie might seem, it’s also a heartwarming reminder that there are so many ways to experience life to it’s fullest despite the lesser cultural perception and less obvious nature of many opportunities.
To take the analogy further there was a time, not so long ago when design wasn’t considered a serious job (and when skateboarding wasn’t considered a serious sport). As an intern I remember admin assistants chuckling in disbelief that I was getting paid to sketch an ambulance light design with coloured marker pens, instead of using a drafting table and a calculator.
One of the things that makes life so fulfilling and interesting is the huge variety of things to see, do and learn about. One minute you can be at home surrounded by friends and music and the next you can be alone, completely removed on a mountain enjoying the soft sounds and natural form.
Absorbing different energies and learning about different details.
I feel lucky to testify that the same applies to being a designer, engaging differently with an equally great variety of different objects, companies, or people and learning about the very many aspects that make them up. One day you can be designing the fastest, loudest sneaker and the next the most sustainable, up-cycled dining table.
Often unpredictable, life like design is a process of continuous learning. It’s astonishing eureka moments surprising reminders that life and design is not exactly how you imagined it.
Being a designer you have to embrace change, like Ashrita Furman embraces record breaking.
What’s more Ashrita Furman shows us how passion and curiosity are important ingredients for a happy life.
Thanks for the lesson and thanks for a good movie.
74 FOOTWEAR DESIGN CONSULTING 