What do you plan do to on your 57th birthday?
It might not be as exciting — or arduous — as that planned by Escondido resident Michael Harlow.
Or, for that matter, as exhilarating.
Harlow has planned to accomplish 57 adventures in a 57-hour time span to celebrate his upcoming birthday on Aug. 23.
He will begin by jumping out of an airplane over the Otay Mountain Wilderness. After completing the skydiving leg, he and his team will travel to Carlsbad to continue completing the 57 adventures by heading southbound on the San Diego County coastline to the U.S.-Mexico border.
He will do beach cleanups with the Surfrider Foundation and be a surf instructor to people with disabilities with Limitless Adventures because “volunteering can be a meaningful adventure,” he noted.
Harlow isn’t jumping into this empty-handed. He has secured more than 23 sponsors who have donated the use of their sporting and adventure equipment, food, camera equipment, and other adventures.
His crew of three — his immediate family — will help document this world-record attempt. They plan to submit their documentary to the local San Diego International Mobil Film Festival and post it on various social media platforms.
It should be an eye-catcher.
“I wanted to do something epic for my 57th birthday,” explained Harlow, who considers himself an adventurer. “My wife (Melissa) and I plan something ‘out of our comfort zone’ each year on our calendar. We make a plan and stick to it based on what’s on our calendar. I wanted to take my lifetime of adventure and put it into action to help show others that they can do the same. We’d love to have as many people follow us on social media for inspiration.”
Harlow came up with the idea concept and, as far as he knows, it is the only adventure of its kind.
He said he’s comfortable with the schedule after having performed the majority of the events during previous adventures.
“My wife and I are known as The Adventure Travelers,” he said. “I consider myself a ‘waterman,’ so a lot of my adventures have to do with the ocean. I would say I haven’t thrown a lot of axes in my life and have only skydived once before. Also, not a lot of people are actively going out at night and looking for rattlesnakes and scorpions.”
Of course, Mother Nature could make things rather interesting.
“Weather and ocean swells are dynamic, so some things that may be easy during a small surf day could be challenging if the waves pick up,” he said. “Typically, in summer the waves are smaller, so surfing, kayaking, and SUP boarding should all be relatively easy. The hardest challenge of the entire 57 adventures is time, traffic, and the unknown obstacles that me and my team will face during the 57-hour timeline.”
Obviously, Harlow is excited about tackling the upcoming 57 adventures.
“I’m pumped!” he said. “This is one of the most exciting challenges I’ve put upon myself. My goal is to inspire the 50-plus crowd (and others) through social media and to help others get out of their comfort zone and try something new. If I can do 57 adventures in 57 hours, what can they do? Put a goal on the calendar and make it happen on that date.”
Harlow said he wrote the draft timetable in about a day.
“Over time, I have tweaked it to make it more achievable,” he explained. “I’m one of those weird people who love logistics and have a fun time thinking through all the scenarios. That’s an adventure in and of itself. The incredible San Diego adventure companies really made this happen, though.”
Harlow said it is super important to have the right crew when attempting something novel and ambitious.
“That’s why my crew consists of my family,” he said. “My wife Melissa is the project manager, my daughter Kayla is the head of social media and my son-in-law William is the wheelman. I know I can count on them all and we already have a great relationship.”
As for when the 57 adventures are over, what does he have planned?
“Since my 57th adventure will finish at night on my 57th birthday and I will have burned more than 20,000 calories over the last three days, I’m thinking cake! … Oh, and sleeping in at the San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Quarter hotel downtown.”
Sounds like a perfect reward.
But the 57 adventures aren’t necessarily over. They could serve as a springboard for other adventurers.
To that end, Harlow and his wife will be featured at a speaking event, Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone, Aug. 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Grossmont Healthcare District’s Conference Center Auditorium, 9001 Wakarusa St. La Mesa.
More adventures
