I've been a little quiet on the Bluewire News front during the last two weeks because, how good were the Olympics!
For a spectator like me, I'm inspired by the feats of the athletes. Their commitment, drive and execution under pressure is exceptional.
I'm conscious that for every person who competes at the Olympics there are thousands of their peers who had the exact same dream but didn't make it. There's something like 0.016% of Aussies who are Olympians. Extraordinary.
As you know, my lifelong friend and Bluewire co-founder Toby Jenkins became an Olympian in Athens in 2004. Having known him since I was five years old, I saw his level of talent and commitment first hand. I knew his goal, for over a decade, was to compete at the Olympics.
In 2004 I was in year two of a backpacking adventure and I made sure I was within cooee of Athens so that when Toby's selection was confirmed I could go and support from the sidelines.
It dawned on me that it has been exactly 20 years since I went to cheer on Tobes and his water polo team. Time flies, yet the memories are as clear as if it was yesterday.
For me, 2004 doesn't feel that long ago, but it's half my lifetime ago. I look at the scruffy, fun-loving, young 24 year old Adam in the photo, and think about his dreams and goals at the time.
He wanted the travelling adventure of a lifetime, which he got for two years, until a third shoulder dislocation meant an early trip home to see a surgeon.
Young Adam also wanted to start a business, preferably with mates, but it didn't matter what type of business. He wanted that business to be a vehicle to designing a life of freedom. Starting Bluewire with Tobes, and my other mate Tom, was the first step on that business journey.
With the passage of time, it's pleasing to reflect and see how far you've come. Those goals have all been accomplished, a dream come true. Plus there are two little dreams come true running, and nearly crawling, around at home.
What a ride those two decades have been. Young Adam would be very proud of what his future 44 year old self has managed to achieve. It didn't all go according to plan but it did happen.
A fork in the road
There was a fork in the road moment in the early days. I had to decide between a high-paying job with a pharmaceutical company or to back myself and start Bluewire Media and venture down the somewhat new and mysterious path of the information superhighway.
I've always known I made the right call to back myself, and I wonder what the next 20 years will have in store.
What were you doing 20 years ago?
