Inspired Adventures recently held our annual Christmas Party. As usual it was a fun affair where clients, participants, suppliers and staff could mingle and be merry in celebration of another inspiring year.

In between the prop shots, catch-ups and conversations, our leader Justine Curtis, and three Inspired staff members gave a wonderful speech about what it’s like to work for Inspired Adventures and all we’ve achieved in our ten year history. So let’s take a walk down memory lane at some of the firsts for Inspired Adventures…

2005 – The first Inspired Adventure

While James Blunt crooned about how beautiful we are and the Black Eyed Peas begged us not to ‘phunk’ with their hearts, Team ATC (Australia Tibet Council) set off on the first Inspired Adventure to Dharamsala—the Trek for Tibet—raising $50,000.

2006 – Our first Kokoda adventure

This was the year that we took to the jungles of Papua New Guinea for the very first time. Walking 96km through rugged, tropical terrain, a team of 15 fundraisers trekked in the footsteps of ANZAC soldiers having raised $50,000 for Mission Australia.

Over the years, many incredible community fundraisers have also taken on the challenge and stopped to pay respect for all those who lost their lives during the Kokoda Campaign fought between July and November 1942.

Kokoda is one of our toughest adventures and we look forward to the many Kokoda adventures taking place in 2015 to commemorate 100 years since the birth of the ANZAC spirit. To date, our Kokoda adventures have raised nearly $1 million dollars for charity!

2007 – The first marathon

As the first Inspired runners pounded the pavements of New York City in 2007, there was no way then that we could have known how successful our marathon adventures would be.

But from this first marathon an amazing idea was born: 5 charities, 50 runners, $500,000 raised. Securing 50 places in the 2010 New York City Marathon, Inspired Adventures worked with 50 community fundraisers to get them across the finish line—in New York and in their fundraising.

Now in 2014, we have coached 200 Inspired runners to raise over $2.5 million across marathons in Dublin, London, New York and Paris.

2008 – The $2 million milestone

Three years and 30 adventures after the 2005 Trek for Tibet, Inspired Adventures ends 2008 on a fundraising high, hitting a collective total of $2,000,000 raised for charity!

In 2008, our fundraising adventures took over 160 amazing people trekking in northern India, Peru, Egypt, China, and Peru—climbing to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro, cycling through Vietnam and running the London and New York Marathons.

2011 – The year we doubled our achievements! 

In 2010, we raised just over $860,000 with 186 community fundraisers taking on adventures all over the globe. In 2011, we doubled both of those figures. For the first time in our history, we smashed through the $1 million in one year milestone and ended the year on $1,798,000 with over 300 fundraisers giving it their all for our charity partners! By the end of 2011, the total amount raised for charity since our first adventure surpassed $5.5 million dollars!

2012 – The first corporate adventure

Approached by SBS, in November 2012, Inspired Adventures teamed up with Australia for UNHCR to run the SBS Race for Refugees—a cycling odyssey from Vietnam to Cambodia.

With four SBS team members and four team members each from other media agencies, Mindshare Australia, MediaCom Australia and OMD Australia, 16 intrepid adventurers cycled from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh then crossed into Vietnam and continued through the Mekong Delta to Ho Chi Minh City.

This adventure is an excellent representation of Corporate Social Responsibility and how in working together with corporates and charities, we can make a real difference.

2013 – The $10 million milestone

As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Satisfaction does not come with achievement, but with effort”. The hard work and dedication of our charity partners and their community fundraisers is a constant source of inspiration at Inspired HQ, and in 2013 it all paid off as together we achieved $10 million raised for charity. Having since raised a further $4 million and counting, we are looking forward to what 2015 and the next ten years has in store!

2014 – The first Global Citizenship adventure

In September 2014, 22 students from Kimberley College travelled to Rwanda for World Vision Australia, as part of a Global Citizenship program designed to create life-changing, service-learning adventures for Australian students. Experience Rwanda inspired these students to become informed and active global citizens. With the support of Inspired Adventures, the students and their school community raised over $100,000 and while in Rwanda they were privileged to meet the beneficiaries of their fundraising.

Also this year, ATC embarked on the Dharamsala Insight Tour, a throwback to their first adventure in 2005. While the team were in this wonderful little Himalayan town, who should they meet but the Dalai Lama himself, and the man who started it all, Palden Gyatso, the catalyst for the creation of Inspired Adventures. All this in the same month that our leader, Justine Curtis, wins two internationally recognised awards, the Telstra Business Women’s Award for Business Owner and a Gold Stevie Award for Female Entrepreneur in Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

We take this as an auspicious sign of good things to come… Where will Inspired Adventures take you?