We are thrilled to announce our newest Nuzest ambassador, Mark Beaumont!!
Read on to learn more about his achievements, why he chooses to be fuelled by Nuzest, and his advice for the avid adventure seeker...
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I am best known for cycling around the World, twice, and hold the Guinness World Record for this 18,000 mile route in 78 days and 14 hours. Over the last 15 years of professional expeditions and filming, these journeys have gone to well over 120 countries, and to some fascinating and extreme geographies like exploring the high Arctic, surviving capsize in the mid-Atlantic and freeriding volcanoes. I live in Edinburgh with my wife Nicci and two young daughters, which is a fantastic base for adventures both near and far.
What did you want to be when you were younger?
I was home schooled on a small farm in the foothills of the Scottish Highlands, so for the first decade of my life I thought I would be a farmer. Then I got into skiing in a big way, was a ski instructor and big mountain skier by the time I was 16 and moved to Italy to teach as soon as I left school – so for the second decade of my life I thought I was going to be a professional skier. Then I went to University and studied Economics, so for those years I turned my attention to becoming an accountant… none of which have ended up being my life’s work!
What inspires/motivates you most in life and why?
I am an entrepreneur at heart and my main passion is building projects, trying to do things that haven’t been done before. There is still that kid inside me who wants to do firsts and go fast, follow the path less trodden and find adventure. These days I am most inspired by sharing this questioning mind with my daughters, sharing as many experiences with them and collecting great memories. Work, community and family are all important to me and in each period of time, I try and create positive impact with each. Why? Because it makes me happy.
What is your greatest achievement in life so far?
Having a family. My family have always been at the heart of my work, I was home schooled to start with and then for over a decade my mum worked with me on expeditions. These days, balancing work and public commitments and family is a juggle – but I try to bring the family into everything that I do, so they feel a part of it. As an athlete, the ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ project is my greatest achievement – supported by a team of 40 people across performance, logistics and media, this was a massive project to cycle 240 miles a day, every day for nearly two and a half months. This felt like my Everest, I can’t imagine anything harder as an endurnace athlete.
Why have you chosen to become a Nuzest Ambassador?
Mental and physical wellbeing has always been important to me – and as the years have gone by, I have paid closer attention to nutrition and in particular managing my energy levels. After using Nuzest over a long trial period I felt that the tastes, nutrients and ethos of the company were great and something I wanted to keep using and more than that, I was comfortable promoting to others.
What is your favourite Nuzest product?
The two products that I use on a daily basis are Good Green Vitality and Clean Lean Protein – whether shaken up in water or oat milk, this is how I start every day.
Have you noticed any benefits from taking Nuzest products? If so, what are they?
The biggest noticeable benefit of Nuzest is sustained energy levels through my working day, especially when I have to do long hours juggling office work and physical training.
How do you incorporate Nuzest into your daily routine?
A Nuzest shake is the first thing I take every day, so easy to build into my routine. I will often have a bar after training and occasionally another shake mid-afternoon, after a training session. But as long as I have my morning shake, I know I have got all the multi-nutrients that I need. It is important to keep nutrition simple, so that you can actually keep it going – it is what you do every day that counts – not just on the good days!
If you could create any Nuzest Clean Lean Protein flavour, what would it be?
I’m a fan of the Creamy Cappuccino, so Nuzest need to bring that out in the bigger pots! Anything which has a hint of coffee in it is good for me. Maybe banana flavour could be nice – worth a try.
What would be your recommendations for an adventure cyclist just starting out?
I’m writing a book called Endurance, which is a complete guide for budding adventure cyclists – so worth picking up a copy of that later in the year. But the simplest step is building experience, finding buddies who can take you out, stretch your comfort zone – in terms of distances, but also nutrition, hydration, camp craft and all other aspects of adventure cycling.
What does a typical day look like for you??
I get up at 5.30, have a NuZest shake and do some emails to clear the desk for the day, before the kids wake up. By 7am they are up, I do 10 minutes of core circuits, walk the dog and sit with the family as they have breakfast, enjoying a coffee. Then I tend to work in the morning in the office, which at the moment is book writing – then in the afternoon I train, whether that is running, cycling or gym work. I often need to come back to the office later in the day. Obviously, this describes a day working from home – and I am often travelling to events and conferences, in which case I still try and keep as much routine as possible. I also try and read each evening for about half an hour to unwind and get to bed around 10pm – sleep is important!
What will be your next big challenge? (When it is possible)
Race Across America is the big event on my horizon, which will be summer of 2021. This is the Worlds biggest endurance bike race. I was meant to be racing this June 2020. But before then, I will have lots of events and films, for example a four-day backpacking documentary around the Cairngorms of Scotland, the Mallorca 312 and an adventure ride to Holland, all happening in the coming months. Right now, I am also enjoying my running, and last weekend did a marathon for fun. Every Thursday evening, I head into the Pentland Hills for a few hours fell running with friends, which is good for the soul!
How have you coped with lockdown?
Because so much of my work is speaking at events and conferences, it has been a tough period for work, with cancelations across the board. However, I have managed to pivot well, start writing a new book, launch a new podcast, organise a charity fundraiser that raised £250k, and organise a project with my 6 year old daughter where we are running and cycling together every single street of Edinburgh – we have done 60 days so far and over 500 miles of streets, which has been a fantastic lock-down project, and one of those silver linings that we have managed to create, despite tough times for everyone.
