Top thinkers show power of an adventurous spirit
Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) is devoted to spreading the ideas of leading personalities. The annual conference, which was launched in California 25 years ago, invites the world's leading thinkers to speak for 18 minutes. TEDxPearlRiver is an independently organised TED event. In October, it was held in Hong Kong and two of our Junior Reporters attended the conference. Here, they share their experiences.
Gio Ambrocio
Listening to the different stories and experiences of the speakers has changed the way I look at life. One standout performance was the presentation by John Hardy, a dyslexic. He struggled throughout his childhood, and had to rely on his parents for support. But he took matters into his own hands and ran away from home. He ran a jewellery company with his wife, but in 2007 he sold it to fund a new project. His goal was to build the first eco-friendly school in Bali, Indonesia. The school was made out of natural materials such as bamboo and rubber, and there was no electricity.
Being a dyslexic, he had to pause during his speech to gather his thoughts, but everyone was impressed by his humour and passion.
Sonia Vashi
The conference inspired me and showed that dreams do come true. One of the speakers was endurance runner and mountain climber, Annabelle Bond.
Annabelle had turned down a director's post at a real estate company to pursue her passion. She was inspired by her grandmother who trekked through the high altitudes of Nepal in the 1920s. Despite her fear of heights, Annabelle became the fourth British woman to climb Mount Everest. The next year, in 2005, she became the fastest woman and fourth fastest person to ever reach all Seven Summits, when she climbed them in 360 days.
Annabelle is a great role model because she never gave up. She said we had to explore life and the experiences will stay with us forever.
