The best is yet to come
Citius, Altius, Fortius. Faster, Higher, Stronger. When Baron de Coubertin revived the Olympics in 1896, he chose that tripartite as the motto for the modern Games. It was meant to be inspirational – that you can go faster, higher and stronger. It was also meant to be a challenge – that to stand on the podium, you must go faster, leap higher and grow stronger.
That spirit of challenge is within the DNA of wellness experience purveyors Chōsen. It is, in fact, in its name. Chōsen – the diacritic macron above the ‘o’ is important, indicating a long vowel – derives its name from the Japanese verb 挑戦 (chō-sen), meaning ‘to challenge’. To go on a Chōsen experience is to embrace the precept of amazing people doing amazing things in amazing places.
Chōsen experiences lasts a week, no more, no less. Each welcomes no more than ten participants and themed around challenging yourself, through nutrition, fitness or adrenaline in the great outdoors. There is a purpose to this that sets Chōsen apart. Participants complete a lifestyle questionnaire before their place is allocated, to ensure that the programme aligns with their own expectations. With limits established, the goal of the seven days is to then gently, but surely, stretch and expand mental and physical boundaries. We are all capable of much more than we imagine.
How did this all begin?
From the pressure cooker of business and finance, as it were. Having circumvented the globe several times between them, Chōsen co-founders Robin Connelley and John Stanton were running a venture capital company, aimed at introducing clean technology to displace dirty industries in the developing world. It was a passion, but it was also high octane and highly stressful.
“We found ourselves sacrificing our health for our success. So the concept originated as a balance to the stresses of running our demanding company. Even when travelling, at luxury spas or upscale adventure holidays, it was extremely difficult to live well. Travel is one of the most inspirational learning experiences possible, and we saw the need for a thoughtful, well-researched approach to travel, with a goal of returning to our normal lives as better, healthier people. Chōsen represents an ideal lifestyle that we’re committed to living right now.”
The burden of bottom lines hasn’t gone away, but through Chōsen, Connelley and Stanton have achieved a balance for themselves. Perhaps it will work for you too. Work hard, play hard. It’s an enticing offer, and you have to wonder, how did they even begin to start creating a ‘holiday itinerary of nutritionist-designed menus, pro-athlete workouts, action adventures based on experiential learning, goal setting and mindfulness activities’?
Well, it starts with a location.
“We begin with aspirational locales with an emotional impact via both the cultural element of the destination and the natural energetic beauty of the surroundings.” Little wonder then that Chōsen began on the island of Bali, where leylines of mystic and cultural energy converge with stunning lush surroundings. A glance over Chōsen’s upcoming calendar indicate that Bali still represents the bulk of experiences, but there are other, more far-flung locations. Iceland, a land shaped by ice and fire, and according to Jules Verne, the gateway to the centre of the earth. Guatemala, home of the mysterious Mayan civilisation, which considered Lake Atitlán in Sierra Madre mountains the birthplace of all life. New Zealand, whose majestic vistas inspire a deeper appreciation for Mother Nature.
Once drawn to a location, each Chōsen experience takes between a year and three to develop. This is no cursory tour of landmarks. By diving into the depths of the land and local knowledge, Chōsen ensures that each of its experiences is not only logistically seamless, but also respectful of its surroundings. Whether it is canyoning through waterfalls in Bali or horseback riding in a dramatic, desolate Icelandic moor, Chōsen experiences are put together by an elite group of lifestyle and medical experts, including athletes, doctors and nutritionists. Food, in particular, is paramount. After all, you are only as good as what you ingest. So access to locally sourced food is a top requirement at any Chōsen destination. As aspirational as it is, it is also not rigid. Activities, menus and learning sessions are all tailored to the individual attendees, with the experts and destination merely conduits to achieving goals and overcoming challenges.
There is, actually, an Olympic connection here. Australian Olympian swimmer Michael Klim is part of the Chōsen family. With six Olympic medals to his name, Klim is a living example of the heights that humans can soar to. His role, then, is to offer advice on lifestyle optimisation – training the body and mind like an elite athlete in a way that isn’t just limited to fitness, but to life goals and entrepreneurship as well.
“We were introduced to Michael through our global network of inspirational, well-travelled people. He is an extremely successful athlete who embraced new challenges after sport and now a successful entrepreneur. His personal path to success mirrors the commitment and discipline many of our clients have on their journey. We are interested in what it means to not only be a successful athlete, but an incredible human being all around.”
He isn’t alone. Klim’s fellow Olympians Andrew Lauterstein (Australia) and Ryk Neethling (South Africa) are part of the gang. Chōsen also counts among its ranks Elisa Haggarty of holistic health and nutrition consultancy Culinary Farmacy, life coach and yoga instructor Kat Hurley, and Dr Molly Maloof, who works at the intersection of medicine, technology and wellness. They headline a vast team of expert coaches, hosts and speakers who will guide you on your experience on location, as well as before and soon, after (the Chōsen programme is being expanded to include post-experience support in top client cities).
“We appeal to curious, open-minded people who live their lives with purpose – global, successful, high-performing individuals who want to spend their holiday time effectively, as an investment into themselves while surrounded by others on the same journey. Many of them come to us at a point where they are making a life decision, an evolution of some sort. So we are here to provide them with the environment, space and tools to make those decisions clearly and with determination. That’s something you can do only when you are operating at your best level.”
Chōsen is, therefore, more than just a source of weeklong wellness escapes. It is, in fact, a community of people who have chosen to strive for excellence, not just in their professional careers, but in their personal lives. The Chōsen alumni – as the company likes to call them – spans the globe, united in their pursuit of distinction. Some experiences have consisted entirely of alumni, a sign of just how efficacious (and addictive) a week with Chōsen can be.
And they have more to look forward to. Connelley and Stanton are looking to constantly evolve their programmes, particularly the popular Iceland experiences, by adding an extra level of nurture, gleeful adventure and challenge. The Chōsen Iceland experience for September 2017 is described as a ‘skills-based wilderness adventure’, which calls to mind the ingenuity of Bear Grylls within the luxurious circumference of Eleven Experience’s remote Deplar Farm. Farther into the future, they also have an eye for developing an experience in South Africa, around the ‘magnificent nature experiences the country has on offer.’ Imagine training on Table Mountain with Caster Semenya, or swimming in Kruger National Park with Chad le Clos. In a Chōsen world, that’s entirely achievable.
When the modern Olympic era began in Athens in 1896, Baron Pierre de Coubertin said this – “The most important thing in the Olympics Games is not winning but taking part; the most essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.” In an echo of that, Robin Connelley and John Stanton ask the question – “What is more empowering, to possess or to live?” An authentic life requires constant evolution to adjust, embrace and make the most of our environment and opportunities. Chōsen does not proclaim to change lives – that’s up to the individual – but what it does is plant a seed in the mind; that you can go faster, higher and stronger. Anyone can. You just have to choose to.
