Fears in 30 Days

July 2008
News Release
For Immediate Release

30 Fears in 30 Days

Posing as a life drawing model, spending a day in a wheelchair, dancing as a cheerleader at a rugby game and getting buried alive are just a few of the fears Grant McNeill will face during the “30 Fears in 30 Days” challenge starting in August.

Grant, 32, of Nelson says he came up with the “30 Fears” concept after working as a staff member on the Discovery Programme, a camp for New Zealand teens designed to develop future leaders. Teenagers on Discovery learn to excel at learning, break through limiting barriers and develop motivation and self esteem.

“When I came back from the camp, I was all inspired and I started to think about what it would be like to do something that challenged me every day for a month. I talked about the idea with friends and work colleagues, and it has just snowballed from there,” he says.

30 fears in 30 days kicks off on 1st August with a sky jump off Auckland’s Sky Tower at 10.45am. Some of the other challenges include getting his chest waxed, eating an Indian restaurant’s hottest curry, spending a day in a wheelchair, getting dropped out at sea in a survival suit, going back to school for a day in school uniform and getting buried alive.

“The idea is that it’s a journey to becoming comfortable being uncomfortable. Each of the challenges has been designed to take me out of my comfort zone in some way, whether it’s physically, emotionally or socially,” he says.

“It started out as something I just wanted to do for myself to make myself into a better person, and inspire my own kids, but there has been so much interest and support from the businesses I’ve spoken to, that I realised it could also become a fundraiser for, and promotion of, the Discovery programme,” he says.

All of the 30 Fears in 30 Days challenges have been designed to fit in around Grant’s full time job as the school and community liaison at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, as well as family commitments.

“I’m just your ordinary, average guy who goes to work, has kids and struggles to pay his bills from week to week. If I can do this, anyone can!” he says.

Grant has a film crew from Duomedia following him every day and taking video footage of the highs, lows and everything in between, this will then be loaded up each day to official website www.30fearsin30days.co.nz. MediaWorks are now the official media partner and The Rock and Campbell Live will be following it on a national level. People interested in the Discovery programme can contact the Discovery Foundation by calling 0800 493 968 or www.discoveryforteens.co.nz

________________________________________

Days 1 – 30

1. Sky Jump – A 192m freefall off the Sky Tower
2. Spookers in Auckland – Like a horror movie but you’re in it!
3. Mid-winter swim at Tahuna beach at 7:30am
4. Stand down on the round-about bottom of Waimea Road with a banner saying “Have a great day at work”
5. Get my chest waxed at Body Ambience
6. Do the sky wire (intense flying fox) at Happy Valley Adventures
7. Walk through town in drag full on heels make up etc
8. Go Busking in town
9. Eat the hottest curry Little India can make me.
10. Visit The Wood Retirement Village to talk to a resident – Elders council
11. Go for a run blind folded where I have to trust the person guiding me – the Dipsy Run
12. High wire course at Whenua iti
13. Get my nipple pierced at Trendez
14. Get airlifted to safety by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter
15. Learn how to tango in an hour and give a public performance
16. Dance as a Cheer Leader for the Tasman Makos
17. ½ Marathon at FitLife before work
18. Go on a blind date with a listener – Blind folded for the whole date
19. Public speaking to over 200 teenagers
20. Do a rap battle in the Shark Club with the Kurnel MC
21. Spend the day in a wheelchair
22. Go over 200kmh on the back of a motorcycle with a professional rider
23. Spend an hour out at sea in a survival suit
24. Go back to school for a day to Garin College in uniform
25. Death bed talk to Mum and Dad – if this was my last day on earth what would I say to them?
26. Listener Choice – I’ll do the biggest fear suggested by a listener
27. Pose as a life-drawing model (that's naked)
28. Get buried alive – That’s right in a coffin dirt on top
29. Skydive with Skydive Abel Tasman, bonus 30 Fears in 30 Days tattoo from Visions
30. Strip in the Little Rock to a g-string at 1am

ends

© Scoop Media