When I think of a holiday, I imagine lounging by the pool and reading a book (preferably one by Dolly Alderton).
This was tested when I was invited to the GoPro Creator Summit in Fiji alongside 50 creators from over 21 countries. The guest list included pro surfers Anthony Walsh, Coco Ho, Pacha Light and Lakey Peterson, and activities included skydiving, parasailing, scuba-diving and more.
If there’s one thing that terrifies me, it’s people who are legitimately as “adventurous” as they claim to be in their Tinder bios. Why? Because I’m uncoordinated as all hell and, for me, holidays are synonymous with relaxing and not tempting pant-poopage by jumping out of a plane.
But I couldn’t not go — I’d never been to Fiji before and I’d also never used a GoPro, so given the Creator Summit also has classes on how to use the camera, I knew I’d walk away having learned about the tool and also a new culture, even if you couldn’t pay me to “catch a gnarly wave, bro”.
While it sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, here’s what I learned after four days of being surrounded by people far more adventurous than I am.
@chantelleschmidt What happens when you put an uncoordinated writer with a bunch of adverturous people? #goprocreatorsummit #gopro #fiji #workperks ♬ original sound – Chantelle Schmidt
There’s something for everyone
Travelling in groups can be the pits. It’s almost impossible to please everyone, from what’s on the agenda that day to costs and where to go to dinner. The solution? Compromise. You don’t have to all do the same thing, and you don’t have to do everything on the itinerary.
Do you know what I did when some of the people I was with surfed in the morning? Slept.
Do you know what I did while people skydived? Jet-skied.
There are also plenty of adrenalin activities that are a good halfway point for everyone. For example, sitting on a riverboat doesn’t require so much athleticism. Neither does a jet ski. If you want to all do something together, find something that suits everyone.
Adventurous people are not the enemy
I’m not going to lie, I may have had my preconceptions about going on a trip with extremely fit people. What would they think if I was huffing and puffing up a hill? Of me freaking out over heights?
Turns out we’re all just human. Even the most adrenalin-seeking, adventurous person has something they’re scared of. Might be spiders. Might be public speaking.
And in the same way you’d help someone who was outside of their comfort zone, the people on this trip who were more skilled in certain areas were super encouraging and helpful to those who were a bit more scared (hi, hello).
@chantelleschmidt Pretty chill thanks!!! #jetski #jetskivideos #fiji #hydrosports #seadoo #goprocreatorsummit ♬ original sound – Chantelle Schmidt
You don’t have to actually do the activities to still have fun
You know what can be just as chill as reading by the pool? Watching someone skydive over beautiful surroundings. As anyone in a relationship who has lived vicariously through a single person will tell you, sometimes witnessing the ride can be just as fun.
Just because you don’t want to wet your pants while bungee jumping, it doesn’t mean you’ll feel left out or lesser-than. Besides, not everyone has a mate who partakes in adventurous extreme sports, so take the opportunity while you can.
Cheer ’em on and whip out the camera. There’s something wildly satisfying about getting *the shot*.
You might push yourself outside of your comfort zone
Like me, lifestyle blogger Amelyn Beverly tried parasailing and jetskiing for the first time during the GoPro Creator Summit — something we both probably wouldn’t have done if it weren’t for this trip.
“If it weren’t for GoPro, I would still be very safe and comfortable doing my own lifestyle thing. Because of GoPro I really like to step out of my comfort zone and have fun with all this stuff.”
Kelly Baker, Senior Director, Global Media Relations & Community Marketing at GoPro, told me that inviting people of different athletic skill and abilities is a conscious decision for these summits.
“We are always trying to fight out of that mindset of ‘My life isn’t interesting enough to need a GoPro’. It absolutely is!” Kelly explained.
I, for one, didn’t have parasailing on my 2023 Bingo card but I gave it a crack. There’s definitely a much higher chance you’ll try new things while you’re overseas and not bound by your usual mentality.
@chantelleschmidt Probs should’ve done more research on this activity #parasailing #seasickness #fiji #goprohero12 #goprocreatorsummit ♬ original sound – Chantelle Schmidt
Sure — the thought of going on a trip with people who are well beyond my activity and skill level made me want to curl up all foetal-like.
But the thought of missing out because I was too afraid of something that existed only in my head?
Far worse.
Chantelle Schmidt is a freelance writer who travelled to Fiji as a guest of GoPro. You can follow her on IG here.
