Everything that we have been working for will come to a climatic finish very shortly. Too soon, it is now only a few hours away. I got up very early this morning at 5:30am before the sun did, in the still freezing darkness: we have to get to the finish line to set things up before everyone else arrives. Part of me feels very excited to be at this stage in the race, while part of me is beginning to feel sad, having just realised that I will be saying goodbye to all the friends I have come to know and love in the past days. In any case, today should be great. A shooting star just flashed by, disappearing into the faintly lit sky.
Although the earliest start time was not be for another four hours, several racers were already up and were having their breakfast by the campfire. Amongst them was the almost certain winner in the men’s division: Mark Tamminga of Canada, who looked completely relaxed and ready for the final stretch. I guess for almost everyone here, the most important thing at this stage is the experiences and the memories of the seven days: the people you have met, the places you have been to, and the extra effort you have taken for that one more step. Any ranking in the race would just be a bonus.
We arrived at the town square of San Pedro de Atacama at 7 a.m. and it did not take us long to set everything up. Mary was busy as usual making sure that every detail had been taken care of and that everyone finishing the race would receive a very deserving hero’s welcome. Our drivers formed the band playing very festive traditional music and we have great food and drink all laid out. It looked like the greatest feast on earth after a week of freeze-dried food (although truthfully it’s not bad at all). The runners started arriving shortly after 11a.m. (we had a staggered start in reverse order) and the festive atmosphere just continued to grow. Team G.B. arrived at about 11 a.m., hence becoming champions in the team division. They were followed an hour later by Lucy Marriott of the U.K. and Sissel Smaller of Norway who shared the women’s title. Then the winners’ pack arrived at about 1p.m. – six runners hand in hand. Mark, holding the maple leaf flag high and almost overcame by emotion, became our winner in the men’s division. The Save the Rhino team came in not long after, with all seven team members crossing the line together to everyone’s cheers and well-wishes. Being there and witnessing the joy and achievements of these extraordinary people made me feel very proud and emotional to have been part of these amazing seven days.
After everyone had had a long hot shower and some rest, we gathered together again at a hotel near the edge of town for the celebration dinner. It was so nice to sit down together for a relaxing Chilean BBQ after these memorable days. After the award presentation and a short speech by Mary, we were brought to another emotional high by the best picture and video show of our time together, whipped up by Jason in only a few hours. Bravo Jason.
With a lot of good-byes, photo snapping and email exchanging, the Atacama Crossing finally came to a great end. I must say this has been the best trip I have ever been on, and there are so many things, people and places I will never forget. To all the racers and volunteers, you have my utmost respect and I have enjoyed every minute with you guys; to Mike and Chris, thanks for taking the most amazing pictures. To Cathy, thanks for helping in uploading my daily journals via satellite and to Kris, thanks for organising the logistics of the trip. Most of all, Muchos Gracias Mary, for being so extremely generous in allowing me to come and experience the race, and to learn at first hand about the management of a very interesting and different organisation by being part of it.
This trip of a lifetime has given me not only some very dear memories but also a few dear friends. It has also reinforced my views on a few things in life and work, and taught me many things that I might not have learned at school or in an office.
1.Your MBA experience, and more importantly your life, is whatever you want to make of it. There are limitless opportunities out there and all it takes is a little preparation and leg work. I was surprised at how things turned out, but then I was surprised almost every week.
2.Being a leader can be a lonely job, but it does not mean you cannot surround yourself with great allies and loyal supporters who will champion your cause wholeheartedly. Trust is extremely important, especially in this age of loose organisational structure and increasingly independent free agents. To earn trust a leader has to be authentic and to have the ability to empathize. I was glad to have the opportunity to see a great leader in action, and I know I still have much to learn.
3.As leading is a lonely job you need a rock, or an anchor, to keep you grounded. Having someone to talk things over with and to be there when you need a safe harbour makes a leader that much stronger. This I also saw first hand.
4.Even in the presence of the best advice and data, a leader often needs to trust their intuition. I saw this most clearly during times of change, in unpredictable environments and in dealing with a diverse group of people.
5.Last but not least, life is valuable and all too short. Not choosing to do something you love is wasteful of the gift of life. There is no greater tragedy than to be bored by your life and to wake up one day to the discovery that you have not truly lived it. Fear is our greatest enemy but often we are taught to be scared of things that only exist in our mind. It was very refreshing for me to discover an alumnus at our school who is doing something so non-traditional with her MBA. She is pursuing her own dream and spending time observing her creating her dream one step at a time has given me more drive to carve my own path. An MBA is a great enabler and I know it is up to me to let it help create my dream.
Writing these diary pages and sharing my experiences with you all has given me great pleasure in the last few days. Thank you all for bearing with me and taking the time to read my entries. Thank you also to everyone at London Business School for giving me the greatest support in putting these pages together and to everyone involved in the Atacama Crossing and racingtheplanet.com in creating and running the race. It has been the best ten days.
