Ash Dykes receives honorary credential as he returns to China for Ecological series

Lisa Baker, Editor, North Wales Business

North Wales explorer and Guinness World Record Holder Ash Dykes, who recently became the first person to trek the entire length of the Yangtze river in China, received an honorary credential by Shanghai Media Group when he returned to the country last month to feature in a 6 part series that reached millions across China, focusing on ecological changes in recent years.

Both National and Local Governments in China are implementing actions to help preserve and protect the natural environment.

St. Asaph explorer Ash was the only westerner in the six-part series and attended a press conference regarding the success of the release. He provided a speech speaking of the changes he witnessed first hand and that efforts must not plateau, they must continue, reaching more and more people and targeting the younger generation to help put more focus and importance on what is a crucial topic.

Across his trek, climate change was one of the topics Ash regularly addressed, engaging a huge range of people who were seeing and experiencing the changes day-to-day.

Since returning from the long trek in August, Ash has already undertaken a whirlwind of media interviews, motivational speeches and lecture tours, including a three week speaking tour across Asia with Dulwich College International.
While undertaking the 6 part series, Ash was also a headline speaker at his third TEDx Talk “Life Lessons Learnt from the Extremes”.  Having already delivered so many motivational talks around Asia and Europe, Ash was eager to get on the stage – and the audience were just as keen!
Ash’s talk was so popular that the audience requested it be transcripted on to the main website, so they can access, read and learn more about these lessons.

He’s described the activity since his return as ‘a rollercoaster of complete and utter awesomeness’.  Ash says:
“I’ve not really had much time to sit back and reflect, but I’m cool with that, as I’d much prefer to keep busy and continue the ball rolling with many events, activities and plans.
“As soon as I returned back to the UK on 16th August, it was straight to London for prime time TV interviews on the likes of the One Show, Good Morning Britain, Sky Sunrise and many more.

“I had various meeting with book publishers, to discuss the second book and brand agencies/representatives. My dad and I, have brought it so far, with fantastic teams we have in the UK and China (in my next blog I’ll discuss more of this), but now it’s time we expand and take it further.
“Normally, when I return back home after a long haul mission, I go straight back into the training, but this time I decided to take a couple of weeks out to allow my body time to recover. Although I was pretty much forced to, due to how busy things were!
So does Ash, having now completed three world firsts, given lectures across the globe and no signs of slowing, have any advice for would-be adventurers?
“Your dreams are never too big, nor your ideas too ambitious, it takes time and an awful lot of hard work, but if you protect and nurture your dream, there is only one result.”