Cas & Jonesy

2008 National Geographic Young Adventurers of the year...

THE skies are closing in; the Tasman Sea swell is angry; this is a confrontation between two exhausted young men and nature's wildest elements where it it's plainly obvious who are the outsiders in this battle for survival.

They have been going around in circles, literally, for a week, buffeted off course by the tides, giant swells and winds that caused them to paddle an extra 800kms on top of the 3000km they had prepared for. Their leg muscles were wasting, their body fat reserves depleted, their minds playing tricks. Yet their constitution refused to wander.

No one had successfully navigated, by kayak, the Tasman from Australia to New Zealand. One, Andrew McAuley, had come perilously close just months earlier but not near enough to save his life.

His watery grave sat on the ocean bed somewhere between where these two adventurers would achieve historic immortality or their own perilous end. It was in their minds every minute.

James Castrission and Justin Jones indeed reached the sand at New Plymouth on NZ's north island, and a place in history, on January 13, 2008 - 62 days after they set off from Forster on the mid-New South Wales coast. They were sun-burnt, bearded, underweight, physically and mentally wasted and most of all happy to be alive.

What sort of crazy men attempt such frightful feats?

They are two Knox College educated, articulate and life-loving young men who decided to achieve dreams beyond the corporate world.

James, 25, possesses a Bachelor of Commerce then worked as a consultant and analyst for Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu before deciding that mountaineering, rock climbing, bushwalking and kayaking should be the focus of his life. He has climbed some of the most challenging peaks in Australia and New Zealand and walked some of the most breathtaking tracks too.

Justin, 24, is studying for his masters of commerce at the University of New South Wales after having completed an advanced science degree with honours in physiology. Like James, he also graduated with a degree in extreme exploits.

They had kayaked the length of the Murray River, all 2560kms, and the treacherous Bass Strait as virtual training runs. They had run the Sydney Marathon; they had achieved their yachting crew qualifications and dueled with the open waters under sail.

They are now willing to share their secrets of survival in a documentary about their journey and privately to the many corporations throughout the world who have created a demand for their insights into the subjects of leadership, taking control of your life, challenging yourself mentally and physically, facing adversity and the strategic planning and contingency of such a mammoth task.

It is human nature to, at times, think of what we could have done with our lives, to what boundaries we could have pushed ourselves, what achievements we may have dared to have believed in and what mental and physical capacity was within us. To go beyond such thoughts, however, rarely happens.

James Castrission and Justin Jones are among the few who have searched for, and found, those personal parameters and they intend to burst the boundaries a little more.

No they are not crazy, they are inspirational, successful and great motivating figures for us all.

What now 2011?

In 100 years of polar exploration no-one has EVER walked from the edge of Antarctica to the South Pole and back without assistance. Many have tried, none have succeeded. This year two Aussie Adventurers will attempt to achieve the impossible?

For three months and over 2200km Justin and Jameswill drag 160kg sleds with everything they need to survive in the harshest environment on Earth.

They've already Crossed the Ditch - paddling 3318km without assistance for a world first. This next expedition is to Cross the Ice

Client Ovations: Funny, inspirational, motivational - an hour with Justin and James makes the spirit soar. They spent 62 days in a leaky boat and proved that with dedication, determination and two very brave hearts, it is possible to achieve the impossible dream, to stare down your greatest fears, to do the undoable and enjoy the pure rewards of achievement and triumph. After spending 62 minutes listening to these two speak, I defy you to not be inspired and embrace your own challenge and reshape your own future.

The Sunday Telegraph and Sunday Magazine

What an inspirational story. Justin and James seem like ordinary young men, until you hear their story and the journey they accomplished that you realise just how extraordinary they really are. The sheer passion they displayed is uplifting and inspirational. While Justin and James have new found fame, they still remain grounded which only adds to the realness of their story. It is their friendly manner and positive attitude that compliment the incredible footage of their expedition. It was an absolute pleasure to have them present at our conference.

CommInsure

It is with great enthusiasm that we thank Justin and James for donating their time in opening the Central Coast Red Shield Appeal 2008. Their story of will and survival had every member of the audience on the edge of their seat. Justin and James are an inspiration and example to us all and their presence at the opening event attracted the highest attendance numbers in the event's 10 year history.

The Salvation Army

Justin and James gave us a timely reminder about digging in when times are tough and never giving up. They spoke to us before training and answered a lot of questions from the team who were eager to know more. By no means what we do goes even close to the what James and Justin have done but there are some general themes that we can take on board from their unbelievable journey. They started optimistically, hit a tough patch, resolved to dig in and get on with it and achieved their goal against the odds. There's a lot we can take from that. They are great guys with an inspirational story and they will always be welcome at the Waratahs.

Phil Waugh - NSW Waratahs & Australian Wallabies

Justin and James were guest speakers at recent events we held in Melbourne and Sydney. The events were designed to give our lawyers and their client contacts the opportunity to network with their peers in a social setting. James and Justin's presentation was perfect for the occasion. We received some great feedback from our clients including 'inspirational' and 'excellent'.Their ability to describe their incredible adventure in a light hearted and entertaining way was also balanced with clear messages of the importance of planning, teamwork and persistence, giving our clients and lawyers a lot to talk about after the presentation.

Minter Ellison Lawyers