The Swedish Wealth Institute Podcast

Ep 26: Sharon Jessop on 102 Half Marathons, Mental Toughness & Turning Purpose Into Discipline

• Daniel Wood • Season 1 • Episode 26

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0:00 | 52:04

What would it take for you to keep going… when your body is breaking, your mind is doubting, and quitting feels justified?

In this episode of the Swedish Wealth Institute Podcast, Daniel Wood sits down with Sharon Jessop — endurance athlete, speaker, and conservation advocate — who ran 102 consecutive half marathons while raising awareness for rhino conservation.

This isn’t just a story about running. It’s a deep look into discipline, purpose, resilience, and mental strength — and how ordinary people can achieve extraordinary results when they connect to something bigger than themselves.

Sharon shares the raw reality behind her world-record journey: running through pain, falling and getting back up, managing a business while pushing her body daily, and staying committed long after motivation disappeared.

She also breaks down her concept of becoming an “athlete of the mind” — applying the same principles elite athletes use to business, leadership, and life.

If you’ve ever struggled with consistency, discipline, or following through on your goals… this episode will shift how you think about what’s possible.

Inside This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• How Sharon ran 102 consecutive half marathons (and why she kept going)
 • The moment she almost quit on day two — and what changed everything
 • Why motivation fades and discipline must take over
 • How a strong “why” removes the option of quitting
 • The mindset shift that turns pain into progress
 • How to keep moving forward after injury, setbacks, and bad days
 • What it means to become an “athlete of the mind”
 • How to apply athlete-level discipline to business and life
 • Why being busy is not the same as being effective
 • How to use your personal talents to create real impact

🎁 Free Gifts & Resources Mentioned:

SWI Wealth Blueprint (Free)
A step-by-step roadmap to building wealth and clarity
👉 https://swedishwealthinstitute.com

Sharon Jessop — 7Ps of Peak Performance (Free Starter Manual)
Email Sharon directly to access the guide
👉 sharon@sharonjessop.com

Free Ticket — Financial Freedom Summit
Featuring Robert Kiyosaki, Les Brown, Brian Tracy, Jack Canfield, Marci Shimoff & more
👉 https://swedishwealthinstitute.com/events

✨ Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe to The Swedish Wealth Institute Podcast so you never miss new conversations with world-class entrepreneurs, investors, and changemakers.

👉 Join the SWI community: www.swedishwealthinstitute.com

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⭐ If this episode inspired you, please rate and review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts — it helps us reach more people on the journey to wealth, freedom, and impact.

SPEAKER_03

It was insane. And I was sore. I was hurt. And my legs were sore. I had this dull headache. And I just felt so sorry for myself. And if I was ever going to quit, it was going to be on day two of 102 days. And I'm going to go. And I kind of had this moment where I thought, what have you done, Sharon? What were you thinking? You can't do this. And then obviously, you know, I have a rhino tattooed on my wrist, and that is my why.

SPEAKER_02

Welcome to the Swedish 12th Institute podcast. I'm your host, Danny Wood. Today's episode is one I'm really excited about. I have the pleasure of interviewing Sharon Jessup, who is absolutely amazing and has created such a mission around running for rhinos, raising awareness for conservation, and teaching people how to become an athlete of the mind. Because she's not just a runner, she actually had the discipline to run 102 consecutive half marathons, a world record at the time. The same discipline that goes into that is the same that goes into building a business, a body, a life that doesn't quit when it gets hard. Under pressure and and without excuses. So if you're an entrepreneur, a leader, an athlete, or just someone who knows you're capable of more, this episode will give you a simple framework for turning motivation into discipline, purpose, and daily action. Because we love spoiling you as a listener, as always, I have a gift for you. Before I share it, is it okay if I ask you a quick favor? If you've been enjoying the Swedish Wealth Institute podcast, do what thousands of people all over the world have already done. Hit follow and subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. As a thank you for listening, we have a gift for you. The Wealth Institute. It's our step-by-step roadmap to building wealth with clear principles, priorities, and action steps. You can grab it at the Swedishwealth Institute.com. We'll share the links there in the show notes. All right, here we go. Here's Chair and Jesse. Tell me about the hardest moment on this journey where you felt like I I just want to give up.

SPEAKER_03

Oh my gosh, there were actually two. So first and foremost, during the 2020 runs, um, when I started on day one, it was fantastic weather, about 23 degrees, overcast, a little bit drizzly, um lots of hype, you know, TV cameras, radio interviews, you name it, big crowd. It was all there. So I ran, had a fantastic, fantastic, successful run, woke up the next morning, and it was about 11 degrees hotter. So it went from 23 to about 34 degrees overnight.

SPEAKER_02

That's a big difference, yes.

SPEAKER_03

It was insane, and I was sore, I was hurting, you know, with COVID lockdown. All of us, I think, got a little bit unfit and a little bit fat. So I was not quite as fit as I should have been, and my legs were sore, I had this dull headache, and I just felt so sorry for myself. And if I was ever going to quit, it was going to be on day two of the 102 days. But lo and behold, I managed to drag myself out, did the run. I still had a uh two interviews, in fact, that morning before the run started. And if I look back now, you know, I had these bags under my eyes, and I just looked like someone that was busy dying.

SPEAKER_01

It's only a hundred days left, only a hundred days to go.

SPEAKER_03

Only a hundred days to go. And I kind of had this moment where I thought, what have you done, Sharon? What were you thinking? You can't do this. And then obviously, you know, I have a rhino tattooed on my wrist, and that is my why. And I just thought, you know what? I cannot let these animals down. I cannot. There's no way. Failure is not an option. So I went, I did my run, I made sure that I stayed hydrated, everything that didn't eat me first. Went to bed really early. I think I was in bed by like seven o'clock that evening, fast asleep, lights out. I slept for about 13 hours, got up the next morning and I was fine. And then I knew I've got this.

SPEAKER_02

Your body caught up finally.

SPEAKER_03

Your body just accepts this is what we're doing for the next hundred and hundred odd days, so let's just get the job done. And then in my 2022 running expedition, you said there were two or two of two times, yeah. Yes, yes. So the 2022 running expedition, when I did the 28 game reserves over 89 days and 1,889 kilometers of running, I tripped over really like a bad spot in the tar, and there was this one stone that was standing up. And I got up that morning and I felt tired, my legs felt heavy, you know, and when you have that sort of fuzzy brain feeling, and I lost concentration for a split second, tripped and literally hit the tar. My my chin actually had an abrasion mark on it, both hands bleeding, both elbows, knees bleeding. And I got up, I first rolled over and sat up, and I thought, okay, let me just take a moment. Is anything broken? You know, established that there's no broken bones, no fractures. Okay, I'm good. I can get up. Um, and then I stood there and then the shock set in. Now realized, okay, I'm actually hurt quite badly. You know, my knee was ripped to pieces, it was carnage, blood everywhere. And I thought, well, my support vehicle is about a mile up the road, about 1.6 kilometers, because they stop every three kilometers. I have some water, I have something to eat, and that's how we go. And I've got to get there.

SPEAKER_01

You gotta get there.

SPEAKER_03

I've got to get there. There's nobody else around me, there's no vehicle I can flag down, and who is going to pick up a woman that's bleeding on the side.

SPEAKER_02

At least you were in the water, like the sharks aren't gonna smell you and come swimming, at least.

SPEAKER_03

So absolutely, thank goodness. And that was on a tarot, so not in a game reserve, so the predators didn't come and find me either.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I I I I'm feeling the pain. I had a run like that. I was out running with my with my old dog, and I was just feeling good, and I was in full sprint when she leaps in front of my legs and I fall, and I like I was I was a hundred meters from my house, and I was able to, you know, drag myself there, lie down, and basically pass out from the pain. I I mean I literally passed out from the pain. So for you to be able to go another 1.6 kilometers like that, that must have been absolutely awful.

SPEAKER_03

It was, it was, and you know, when the shock sets in and you start shivering and shaking, and you don't know, should you laugh or cry or scream or fright.

SPEAKER_02

But yeah, I mean, your mind, your brain completely shuts off, and it's like you just don't know what to do with yourself.

SPEAKER_03

Absolutely, but luckily, limping along, I made it to the vehicle. We promptly made a U-turn, went back to Mpangeni about 16Ks back, went to ER, emergency rooms, and then I went into the queue and I was waiting, you know. And eventually, by the time that the doctor tended to me, they couldn't even stitch up my knee, they just had to bandage it because the skin had already started, you know, healing itself and so and swelling and everything, yeah. Absolutely, absolutely, and I still remember the doctor, the ER doctor asked me, Am I allergic to anything? And I said yes. And he looked at me over these little glasses that he was wearing, and I said, I think I'm allergic to falling. He did not even crack a smile.

SPEAKER_02

That's the worst, though. Then then you feel a new pain of embarrassment, and it at least takes the place of the pain of the body. So that helps. So did you but the next day you got up and went back out there and started running again?

SPEAKER_03

Well, I was told by this doctor in the emergency rooms that I should not run at least for the next three weeks. And I thought to myself, well, that's not gonna work for me, but I'm prepared to take a day or two off. And that's exactly what I did. From Mpangeni, we went to Tula Tula Game Reserve, and instead of running there, I participated in the elephant contraceptive program and saw how they darted these elephants and spoke to the vet, uh, lovely gentleman that explained the whole process, got it all on camera, on film. So that was actually quite epic. And then three days later, I was back on the road running, well, limping at first, all bandaged up, you know, and you get these weird looks from people driving past you.

SPEAKER_02

Like, what is this um interesting woman doing doing running across the road here?

SPEAKER_03

Absolutely, all bandaged up.

SPEAKER_02

You have done running for rhinos. Tell me how that started.

SPEAKER_03

So many years ago, probably for my sons in a previous life, I by default had a television show that involved travel, adventures, conservation, and had a very strong community feel. And I happened to interview one of my favorite humans on earth, a man by the name of Dr. William Folds. And because of my history and background growing up wild in the bush, I'd always had an affinity for the African bush, for rhino specifically. But when we spoke about rhino conservation, he happened to ask me the question Have I watched the documentary strip, which is the Afrikaans word meaning to poach? And at that point in time, I had successfully avoided it. But, you know, I put on my bicker panties, I rented this documentary. It took me about four hours to get through it, and that was really my point where I moved from caring about rhinos to wanting to do something for rhino conservation. And yeah, that's where it all started.

SPEAKER_02

I want to dive into that backstory, but but tell me what did you do then? You because this became a whole thing. You're running for rhinos, and you know, you're the rhino lady now. So, like what did you do when you decided, all right, I want to make a difference for rhinos? What was your first step?

SPEAKER_03

Well, my first thing was thinking, what talents have I got, me personally, that can contribute to rhino conservation that can really elevate the plight of these beautiful animals to the next level. And there's two things I do really well in life: I run and I talk a lot. So at that point in time, I'd also interviewed another gentleman by the name of Wayne Bolton, who had done a cycling expedition for rhino conservation. And I basically teamed up with his nonprofit called the One Land Loved Foundation, or Ollie for short, and decided that I don't like cycling, so I'll be running. And planned this expedition to symbolically link various game reserves in a rhino conservation stronghold. And the idea is not just to run to the game reserve, but to run through the game reserve, thereby creating this invisible barrier um for rhino conservation. And that was back in 2018, and it took me a while to actually get to that point, and there were various reasons. Um, one due to my clumsiness, ended up falling flat on my face and got injured. And following here, so that was going to be in 2019, and then I thought, okay, it's fine, the universe is speaking to me, so maybe I should postpone, which I did, and then I was due to start on the 22nd of September in 2020, and we all know what happened in 2020, right? And there's also a reason for wanting to start always on the 22nd of September because that is World Rhino Day.

SPEAKER_04

Right.

SPEAKER_03

So, yes, 2020 put a bit of a spanner in the works, and there were other plans made at that point in time.

SPEAKER_02

What happened? Keep going.

SPEAKER_03

Right. So, obviously, you know, we heard about the rumblings of this whole COVID-19 breakout worldwide. And I think we were very much protected in South Africa in the sense that we did not see any confirmed cases for a very long time. And I remember us running the Addo Elephant Trail run, the 100 miler, and going up this really big steep technical uphill. And there was a gentleman running with us, his name was Kevin, and he mentioned that he and patient zero, who was the first person in South Africa to be officially diagnosed with COVID-19, shared the same doctor. So me being the verbose person I am said, oh my gosh, okay, COVID, Kevin, you go run over there, stay far away from me.

SPEAKER_04

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

Little did we know that a mere three weeks later, our entire country was going to be under lockdown, you know. So that really put a spanner in the works. And with me being this very outdoorsy, very sporty person, it first made me very piss. Then I became very angry. And when I get angry, I do stupid things, as one does. You know, I organized a whole protest to him here in my hometown of Port Elizabeth in South Africa about how lockdown affects um various businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, that can't absorb that financial strain of not being able to trade. And um had some threats from the local police that they were going to come and arrest me. By the way, I'm still waiting for that.

SPEAKER_02

Well, let's hope this doesn't kick that off then.

SPEAKER_03

So, you know, at one point I I made the decision in principle that I need to backtrack here because me getting so angry and so worked up about something that I have zero control about is really not a healthy situation for anybody. It doesn't serve me, it doesn't serve my community, it doesn't serve the rhinos. So, as one does, Google then becomes your best friend, right? And I started Googling what can I do? At that point in time, we had a three-hour window period in the mornings from six until nine, where we were allowed out to go and exercise. And we could only stay within a five kilometer radius of your home. And I stumbled upon this thing called Guinea's World Records, and I thought, hmm, now what can I do in three hours? I can't run a marathon because I'm not fast enough. You know, my average marathon time is probably somewhere between three hours 30, 3 hours 45, but I can run half marathons. So I applied to do a new Guinea's World Record attempt for running the most consecutive half marathons by a female runner. At that point in time, the record was set at 50. So I thought, fine, if I start on September the 22nd of 2020, which is World Rhino Day, and I do, let's say, 86 of them or however many, I will finish at whatever time. Well, lo and behold, my application was hardly accepted, and I got an email from them saying that, oh, by the way, the new record is now 75. So I had to adjust the goalposts again.

SPEAKER_04

Right.

SPEAKER_03

No sooner had I done that than I received a phone call from a friend of mine, and she said to me, Oh, by the way, have you heard of this lady in South Africa in Durban, Trish Ekstian? Now, Trish is actually quite an athlete. I'm a plotter. Trish is an athlete, a real athlete. So Ricky says to me, Have you heard of Trish? She's doing a hundred consecutive half marathons. And I'm thinking, this cannot be true. This cannot be right. So I promptly send her a friend request on Facebook. She accepted. I then send her a direct message and said, Tresh, so here's the thing. We can run half marathons for the rest of our lives, or you can do your 100. Hers was not an official Guinness World Record. And I will do 101 because that takes me to the 31st of December of 2020. And we can call it quits. So she emailed me back or send me a Facebook message back. You go and save those beautiful animals. I am not running more than a hundred half marathons, even if you paid me. So that was settled. And she kept her word. But then obviously, you know, um, on the 31st of December, we had a massive hype. We had the local uh South African national television station come out, cover my last run live on television. And then I decided on the spur of the moment that I need to go out and do one more half marathon on the 1st of January of 2021, just to prove to myself that when there's no cameras, no hype, no people running with me, it's just me and the road. I can do one more, you know. And that's what I did, and that's how we ended up with 102 consecutive half marathons.

SPEAKER_02

Right. That is that now the Guinea's World Record.

SPEAKER_03

So that was back then, but while I was busy with my attempt, a lady from uh Wales, Helen River, started her um tennis world record and she ran 111.

SPEAKER_02

Oh no.

SPEAKER_03

And that was the new that's right, and that was the new record, and that's fine because for me.

SPEAKER_02

But you get to hold you got to hold it for a little while.

SPEAKER_03

I got to hold it for a couple of months, actually. Yeah, so the record was mine for about five months.

SPEAKER_02

Well, hey, not many of us have had a world record, period, and you had one for five months. That's not bad.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, absolutely. And you know, I pioneered this massive movement of running consecutive half marathons around the world because um another gent by the name of Micah Shivitt in um the USA actually did 1078 consecutive half marathons. And since then, another two gents have done it, and then Helen decided that she wants to do another Kiddie's world record. She was going to go for 555, and then Micah encouraged her to actually do a thousand. So both the male and the female record now is at 1,000. Actually, the males are a little bit more. But yes, quite a few people have started running these consecutive half marathons and have just taken it to the next level. I was just the original mad person that started that sparked this whole movement worldwide.

SPEAKER_02

How did you tie this in to then actually have an impact on rhinos and conservation?

SPEAKER_03

So obviously, with the 2020 runs, um, there was quite a massive Facebook campaign. I got a lot of media attention because of the runs during lockdown and basically defying the odds. You know, um, I have this thing where I always say I'm the luckiest person I know. Um, I'm always in the right place at the right time. I live in abundant flow. And the world needed in Invernal Commas a Euro. And I stepped up to the plate. So I got international television coverage, radio interviews, newspapers, you name it. So the word about the plight of the rhinos really made it around the globe, which was fantastic. I did not raise a massive sum of money, only about 46,000 Rand, which during COVID was fantastic. And part of the campaign was also bringing foot traffic to various small and medium enterprises. So the business owner would put up a cake special. If it was a coffee shop, it would be a cake and coffee special. And we would invite people to come and join, you know, come and have a piece of cake and have a cup of coffee, and share as crazy is running, you know, loops around these shops or these Holland Medium Enterprises. And then from there, as the lockdown levels were. Relaxed. My next running expedition, which was in 2021, then basically paid homage to the people, the rangers on the ground that elected to leave their families and stay behind in the reserves protecting those animals. And um, with a lot of the reserves, it was a small running expedition, small meaning I'm I only did the Eastern Cape because then our borders were closed between provinces, then they reopened. And I didn't want to be caught in a province miles away from my home and not be able to come back, you know? Yeah. So I kept it local in the Eastern Cape and only included 11 of the reserves that I had a good working relationship with. And with each of the reserves, or many of them, some of the rangers and the anti-poaching dogs actually ran with me, which was very emotional and very special. And just to see how these guys appreciated the fact that someone recognized the work that they do, which is such an important work. And sometimes, because it's behind the scenes, you don't often, as a guest at a game reserve, see them hard at work. They work behind the scenes, they work in the shadows protecting the animals. And just to be recognized and for them to be made to feel special and to give a genuine heartfelt thank you to them was really just amazing. Um, that little running expedition also got a little bit of um exposure, not as much as the 2020 runs, and also not as much as the 2022 run, which was the big expedition that I started planning back in 2018 before falling on my face in COVID, you know, trapping us in our homes.

SPEAKER_02

Right. And so tell us about the 2022 run.

SPEAKER_03

That was just absolutely epic. So that was done in tandem with Wayne Bolton from the One Land Love It Foundation. So Wayne cycled from Namibia, which is a neighboring country to South Africa, um, across the Namibian border into South Africa, finished on World Rhino Day at a local monument and park here called the Duncan. And I basically took over the baton and then ran from Port Elizabeth, my hometown, across three provinces and finished at the Labombo border post between South Africa and Mozambique, where we know a lot of our Rhino horn exits the country. So it was just absolutely amazing. I included 28 big five game reserves, ran to them, ran through them, ran the entire length of the Wild Coast, which is just breathtakingly beautiful. Literally picked victims along the road that I interviewed about rhino conservation, just testing people's knowledge about rhinos. Do they know about the poaching crisis? Do they know that rhino horn is actually nothing more than keratin, the same substance our fingernails are made of? Had some epic conversations with people in my most vulnerable form, which is on foot, and it was just absolutely amazing. There were some controversy. We got fined for me having an expired license. I had a really bad fall. But you know what? In the end, it all worked out beautifully. And then when I finished at the Labamba Border Post, I did a Facebook Live where I tagged the president and the government of South Africa and the president and the government of Mozambique doing a massive appeal to strengthen border controls at that border post. Um, whether it was effective, I cannot gauge. But, you know, it was something that I felt that I needed to do. And I still distinctly remember having a conversation with a lodge owner from that same area in the Kruger. And he said to me that if you look across the border, you can see there's double story homes and then there's normal homes. And those big double story homes are actually homes of the kingpin poachers. And he said to me, These guys will shoot you. And my reply was simple. I said to him, Matthew, if that's how I meet my end, I'll be happy to do that because that is how strong I feel about my mission, which is to contribute to preserving these amazing animals for future generations, generations to come. It is just something that I feel that strong about. And when I do my talks, I actually conservation and looking after ecosystems into the skill set that a strong leader should have.

SPEAKER_02

You know, because I just so and they're that obvious, like they have the double decker houses, everyone knows they're there, and they get away with this.

SPEAKER_03

Absolutely. Absolutely. Unfortunately, living in Africa and working with African countries, very often your police service is actually on the payroll of these hardcore criminals. Because these are not your normal run-of-the-mill person at ground zero level that is desperate for the money. These are criminals, part of organized syndicates, and they operate on a whole different level.

SPEAKER_02

And they actually just one part of their whole crime empire.

SPEAKER_03

Absolutely. And if you trace these links, they go into drug trafficking, human trafficking, obviously illegal trade in animal parts, gun smuggling. The wrap sheets are quite impressive and not in a good way.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, right. Let's let's go to the funner part about your run. I can imagine running through the game reserves, I mean, that could have been very dangerous. I mean, there are there are predators out there. How how did you look at that?

SPEAKER_03

Okay, so the fun thing is, and I and I love mentioning this, like everybody always asks me, are you not worried or scared running through a big five-gam reserve? And the short answer is no, because animals don't drive cars. Okay. But obviously, my route was plotted out long before I even started the expedition. And the first thing that I do always is establish where are these reserves, what route am I running to get there? Because there's implications, there's legal implications running on national roads. So I stick to the back roads, dirt roads, um, which inevitably makes the expedition slightly longer, which is fine. And then all of those game reserves, I engage in dialogue with them long before I even take my first step. So everything is predetermined. I know which days I'm going to be there, what their rules and regulations are. I always have a vehicle with an armed ranger with me. And if they tell me I can do X, Y, and Z, that is what I stick to. I don't argue with games.

SPEAKER_02

You don't go off-road and go swimming with the alligators.

SPEAKER_03

No, not at all. And if they tell me to get on the back of that vehicle for whatever reason, I don't stand there and argue, I climb on the vehicle. Because then I know there's either a predator or something, something is going down. Yeah. So you stick to the city.

SPEAKER_02

Something that you're not seeing, they're seeing, and they're keeping you safe. So did you have any fun running with any with any animals during these runs?

SPEAKER_03

Yes, absolutely. At Founder's Light Sharing, Port Elizabeth, well, just outside Port Elizabeth, I had a grouping, a little crash of three rhinos actually running alongside myself and Paul Gardner, which was fantastic. These rhinos are very habituated. It's more like a rhino sanctuary than a reserve. But they just decided, well, this looks like fun. We're gonna join in. And they ran probably at least 500 meters with us and then just veered off back into the bush, and that was that. So that was quite fun. And um, but I didn't feel threatened in any way.

SPEAKER_02

That must have been an intimidating moment, though. Those are big animals running next to you.

SPEAKER_03

They are huge, but as I mentioned, these specific rhinos are actually quite laid back, very chilled, very calm. They do get a lot of supplementary feeding because um, you know, we're still in the midst of one of the worst droughts ever. So a lot of the reserves are actually feeding their animals right now, supplementary feeding them. So they're quite used to the to the vehicles and they kind of associate those vehicles with food. So when they see something's going down, they're like, Oh, okay, maybe we're gonna get food again. But that was quite fun.

SPEAKER_02

And they see you running away and they're like, Hello, you're supposed to be feeding me. We're here. Why are you leaving?

SPEAKER_03

Absolutely lucky, we uh, guys, don't run, we uh oh, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_02

So so if someone else wanted to organize and and you know have an impact for for rhinos or whatever cause they're passionate about, how would they go about doing something like what you've done, like a charity run that way?

SPEAKER_03

You know, it all depends on what I always say to people first and foremost, figure out what are your talents. You know, um some people sew or knit blankets for baby rhinos. I can't knit to save my life, I can run, you know. Um, I know that there's some performing artists that will donate a portion of their um appearance fee, or they will appear or do a concert for free. So it really pertains to what are your unique talents? What can you do? As we always say to people, what is the talent that you have in your hands that you can use to either create awareness or raise funds? Because obviously, being in South Africa, that evil thing called an exchange rate, um, our rands don't quite go as far as dollars and euros. So, so we're forever looking at outside people that can, you know, that or donors that that can donate. So, for instance, my next big thing that I'm planning is, and hopefully I can pull this off, is to participate in the great world race, which is the seven marathons on seven continents in seven days, you know, which is an organized race, but through that again, elevate the plight of the rhinos to the next level.

SPEAKER_02

Because so, how do you, if you go and compete in a race like that, how do you build the attention around it? Because, you know, that's not a it's not a TV sport as if you're playing, you know, one of the the major sports. How do you create that attention?

SPEAKER_03

So I would literally then, as an individual, reach out to various media houses, your your television stations, your um social media. Social media is something that can, you know, really create a big hype if it's used correctly for the right reasons. Um with the great world race, for instance, you do have a videographer and a photographer that travels with a group and that captures some of these images and videos. And um, they get massive publicity for the great world race. So that would be something potentially that I would then piggyback on.

SPEAKER_02

But you would also do your own basically media blitz and and work with PR yourself.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, yes, 100%. You know, you have to actively drive these things, and I think that's where a lot of good work kind of falls through the cracks because people are scared to put themselves out there for the fear that people are going to think that you know you seek attention or you're doing it for ulterior motives. Well, I do have a very big ulterior motive because each of those animals weigh about two tons.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

So it's you just need to shape us and create as much hype as you can.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. This uh what I wanted to ask, and is ever anyone who's been out running, you know, you know, when you get to a certain distance, you hit a wall and and it's continuing is awful. And going day after day, you know, you're gonna be facing that wall on a consistent basis. How do you handle that when the body says, no, I'm done, this is enough, but you know, you weren't done with your mission? How did you get yourself to just keep pushing day after day?

SPEAKER_03

You know, the interesting thing is that once you've made that decision, once you've crossed those mental barriers and I've I've already gone through this whole route, in my mind, in my mind, I'm already standing at the Labamba border post, you know, with my hand in the air going, I did this, I've made it. And then it's just the physical body that needs to follow. And I always maintain you can't do something like that just for you. There's got to be a bigger picture. There's got to be a bigger why, a bigger reason while you do it. Because that keeps you going when the motivation fades away. And trust me, it does. I don't get up every day feeling like I want to run. There are days when I'm going, Do I really have to do this today? Do I actually have to put my running shoes on and get my butt out there and hit the road? But as you the trick is to take that first step, even if it's a wobbly one, even if the first 500 steps are wobbly, but you know you've got to make it on foot from this point to the next point where you can take those running shoes off and soak in somebody's swimming pool for a bit. But it really discipline.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I think what's interesting too is you know, a lot of people might look at this and go, well, if that was all you did that day, then it's not so bad. You know, you go up, run 20 20 plus kilometers, and then you just rest the rest of the day and recover, and then you go and do that again. But this isn't a full-time, like this isn't the full-time salaried gig. You have you do other things as well. So you can't just go into full-time recovery mode. So tell us about that. Like, how did you like what do you do when you're not, you know, running for rhinos? And how did you juggle, you know, exhausting yourself in the morning and then actually having to do these other things?

SPEAKER_03

Again, excuse me, again, it is all about the mindset. When your mind is in the right place, I believe you can do anything. Really doing these running expeditions while running a business and having to catch up with your administrative work on the days when you're sitting and it's hot, you're sweating, you're sore, you feel sorry for yourself, you have a few blisters on your feet. Now you've got to open up your laptop and you've got your work. It is a mindset, it is discipline, it is the daily discipline grind. Because let's face it, we don't always feel like going out and running, right? It's the same with a running expedition. You don't always feel like going out there and running. And now I get to my destination, I've just run 50Ks up the mountains, down the mountains, through the valleys, the mountain passes, and now I've got to open up my laptop and I've got to start sending emails. So you've got to make that mental switch into work mode again. You know, it is hard, it's not easy, it is not something that I would recommend people do, but it certainly taught me so much about myself and about how you can push boundaries and push limits, and how ordinary people can do extraordinary things when you just put your mind to it. But you've got to be prepared mentally that this is not gonna be easy, it's not gonna be an easy ride or a run, and real life has to continue. And in between, we have to post on social media because people want to know where are you today? What have you done today? You know, who are you promoting today? So it really is that discipline and having your predetermined actions and sticking to your action plan, and then also having to be able to adapt should something happen, like tripping and falling flat on your face.

SPEAKER_02

Tell me about your business. What what is it you do when you're not running?

SPEAKER_03

So I teach people how to become an athlete of the mind, and it's all about leadership training, it is about getting to know yourself, getting to know, you know, I'm I'm a firm believer that if you don't know who you are at your core and what drives you, how can you possibly know what your purpose is on this planet in this lifetime? You know, if you don't know you and you don't know where you're at in your life, you can't possibly know where you're wanting to go from here. So that is basically what I help people to do.

unknown

Right.

SPEAKER_02

And so, what is an athlete of the mind for a normal person? What what would it mean for me to be an athlete of the mind?

SPEAKER_03

So that would mean taking the principles and the disciplines of the elite athlete and applying it to your life and to your business. Because there's certain lessons that you learn as an athlete that you can apply across board in terms of your discipline, in terms of your training plan, which for us, a business person, would be your goal setting, right? And how to take a criticism like the coach will give the athlete feedback. You need to be able to take that constructive criticism and apply it to your goal setting and to the way that you operate so that you can become better and that you can grow and expand as a person. And then the the discipline, the daily grind, because it's let's face it, it's not motivation that keeps us going. Motivation comes, motivation goes. What motivates you today will not motivate you tomorrow. But if you have a really, really strong discipline instilled in your daily life, that will take you to the next level and the next level and beyond what you thought was possible for you. Nice.

SPEAKER_02

I like it. We wrap up every episode with our rapid fire round. So I'm gonna ask you five questions that the team has prepared. You just answer the first thing that comes to mind. You ready?

SPEAKER_03

I'm ready.

SPEAKER_02

All right, here we go. First question: What is one thing people misunderstand about mental toughness?

SPEAKER_03

Okay, so for me, most people believe that when you acquire mental toughness, your work is done. That is a myth. That's not true. It is always work in progress because practice only makes you better. It doesn't make you perfect.

SPEAKER_02

That's a good one. That's a good one. What is the scariest moment you've had on the road?

SPEAKER_03

Oh, I think definitely when I fell flat on my face outside Mpangeni and literally had my hands, my chin, my elbows, my knees ripped to pieces, and then having to get up, dust myself off, bleeding all over the place, and I had to get back to my support vehicle. Definitely one of the scariest moments for me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

That that I'm feeling my pain from that. And like I said, I had to drag myself like 50 meters, and I I cannot imagine what you went through. That is that is powerful. All right. So, what is one habit that keeps you consistent when motivation disappears?

SPEAKER_03

Hardcore discipline. That is the key to everything. You know, it means doing the right thing consistently because it is the right thing to do even when nobody's watching.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, we've heard that from multiple interviews. That's what the top performers. I interviewed Marquise Ogden, who's a former NFL tackle, and he said the same thing. It's what are you doing when no one is telling you to do it?

SPEAKER_04

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02

What is what is one peak performance myth that you'd retire today?

SPEAKER_03

The one thing that I would love to retire right now, today, is the myth that to be a peak performer, you have to be busy 247. Because it's really not. Not about that. Okay. You have to be smart, you have to be effective, and you have to focus on the 20% of actions that will bring you 80% of your results.

SPEAKER_02

We actually had a webinar last night with uh Joseph McClendon, and at the end we did a QA, and it was one of the attendees, absolute superstar, running a business, and it said, like, he's working so hard, he's you know, he he only has time to sleep three hours a night, and you know, really pushing himself and like, what is one thing I can do better? And was really like just get your eight hours of sleep.

SPEAKER_03

That's 100%. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, no, I like that because that is one thing so many coaches or you know, supposed peak performance coaches talk about is you should be busy, but but that isn't the key, is it? It's doing the right things and taking care of yourself.

SPEAKER_03

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02

So, what is a line you'd put on a billboard about ordinary people doing hard things?

SPEAKER_03

You know what? I am a firm believer that every person, each and every one of us, have that special thing. And I'm going to come back to my very first key that I'll teach, which is your person and your purpose. Okay. It's about knowing yourself and understanding how your mind works. There's something so powerful in that. And once you uncover that, you create that ability within yourself as an ordinary person to do those extraordinary things.

SPEAKER_02

Awesome. So we always like to spoil our listeners, and I know you've prepared something special for them. So, how can we connect with you and continue to learn and follow your journey?

SPEAKER_03

Fantastic. Yes, I have got my seven P's of peak performance seven days starter manual that I would love to offer your listeners or your viewers. And um, I call it the badass edition because that will take you from where you are to becoming this weird badass person and achieve your dreams, whatever those might be. And the easiest way for them to get hold of that manual is to just email me on Sharon at SharonJesset.com. Very easy.

SPEAKER_02

Awesome. And we'll add that email address to the show notes so it's easy to copy and paste. Sharon, thank you so much for joining us. Do you have any final words of wisdom you want to leave us with?

SPEAKER_03

Oh, absolutely. Again, and I'm going to reiterate this learn to know yourself. That is the biggest and best friendship that you will ever develop because you're spending all your time, 100% of it, with you. Get to know yourself. Once you know yourself, you will know your purpose, and that will unlock everything extraordinary.

SPEAKER_02

Awesome. Thank you so much for joining us, Sharon.

SPEAKER_03

Thank you. Thanks for having me. It was fantastic.

SPEAKER_02

Thank you so much for joining us on the interview with Sharon Jessup. It's time for my favorite segment of the show where the Swedish Wealth Institute team and I have broken down the interview to give you clear takeaways that you can implement straight away into your life. So here at the Swedish Wealth Institute, we're looking for the answer for one simple question. What is the difference that makes the difference? Here are five key takeaways from this episode that you can implement directly into your life. Number one, your mission doesn't need more ideas, it needs your specific talent. Sharon didn't try to do everything. She asked one question. What do I personally do well that can actually make a difference? She used her strengths, running, and communication to create awareness, momentum, and finally impact. Number two, motivation is unreliable. Discipline is undefeated. She said it clearly: motivation comes and goes. Discipline is what carries you when you don't feel like it. The real skill is taking the first step anyway, even when it's wobbly, even when you're tired, even when nobody is watching. Big results come from a bigger why. This is our number three, not a bigger ego. The reason she could keep going day after day wasn't willpower, it was meaning. It was a reason. It was her why. When your mission is bigger than your comfort, quitting stops being an option. Number four, setbacks don't require drama. They require adaptation. So injuries happen, lockdowns happen, heat spikes, bad days. She didn't pretend it was easy. She just did the plan, protected the mission, and kept on moving. That's what high performance actually looks like in real life. Staying committed while staying flexible. 5. Peak performance don't stay busy, they stay effective. One of the biggest myths that she called out was that peak performance means grinding 24-7. It doesn't. The truth is focus. The 20% of the actions that produce 80% of results are the ones you should be focusing on. Do that consistently and you will win. So thank you again for joining us. Before I leave you, I want to spoil you. One last time here with a gift from us. I want to give you a ticket to our upcoming Financial Freedom Summit in April. We have two options, one targeting the North American time zone, and one for the European and all the way down to African time zone. So you'll get to learn directly from world-class speakers. That includes Robert Kiyosaki, Les Brown, Nick Vujacich, Brian Tracy, Marcy Shimoff, Jack Campfield, Janet Atwood, and more. I want to give you a free ticket to these events. You can go to the Swedish Wealth Institute.comslash events. You can see that down in the show notes to claim your free ticket. Make sure you do that right now so that you don't miss out on one of these free seats. Before you go, let me remind you if you enjoyed this episode, please follow and subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next because next week is really, really cool. And if you know someone that feels like this that you think might fit this episode, maybe they need more discipline, maybe they need more focus, maybe they need a bigger why, and maybe they need some extra support in what they're building. Please share this episode with them. And if you did like this episode, please give us a five-star review. It really makes a difference for us in getting the word out to more people. Next week, we have an absolutely amazing episode for you. We are featuring Arthur Samuel Joseph. He's trained speakers like Tony Robbins. 20% of the NFL first ballot Hall of Famers were his students, sports athletes from many other sports, and superstar entrepreneurs, business leaders, and speakers like Tony Robbins. So if you want to learn from him directly how to command a room, how to influence others with your voice, and how to communicate like a true leader, you don't want to miss the next episode. I'm Daniel Wood, this is the Swedish Wealth Institute Podcast. Thank you for joining us.

SPEAKER_00

It's one thing to have a stellar career to make it for you. But then to become a Hall of Fame, then to become a first ballot. They may not be the most talented or the most gifted, but no one will ever outwork them, and no one will sustain it over time longer than me. Sociologists have said to empty bullet goods for decades that the greatest fear in society is public speaking. The greatest fear in society are actually two fears fear of abandonment and ownership of my power. Claiming myself and not being afraid of what you think of me while I'm being meet.