At the age of 16 in 2017, Arran was one of ten Scottish teenagers to have the privilege to complete a Polar expedition across the Arctic and have since toured Scottish schools, branches of Tiso and business events with talks to inspire others who struggle academically, to have confidence that they can still go far in life, and to encourage future sponsorship to help support others do the same. He has represented his school in various dance performances and my country in karate, training with the national squad at black belt level from the age of 11.
What inspires you?
I am inspired by helping other people who don’t believe in themselves and show them a way to help them become a better person.
What are your dreams for the future?
My dream for the future would be to become an outdoor instructor, inspirational speaker and become a guide for The Polar Academy.
Who is your role model and why?
My role model is Craig Mathieson because he taught me that you can achieve anything if you put all your efforts into it and don’t let anyone tell you what you can’t do. He showed me ways that anything is possible.
You crossed the Arctic with Craig Mathieson – tell us a little about your experience and what you learnt from it.
Me, Craig and the rest of the team crossed the artic in Greenland. We did a 2-week expedition last year between march and April 2017. The whole experience was amazing, seeing mountains that aren’t named, seeing the northern lights, meeting new friends and training for the whole year, giving all of our efforts into every part of the journey. From this, I learnt that teamwork is key as we are one team and to help each other when we needed it the most on our expedition. I also learned that staying positive and believing in yourself can help you for life.
The Polar Academy is a charity that was founded to support and develop young people in confidence and overcoming challenges in life – how did it help you and how could it help others?
It helped me become more confident since I have a speech and language disorder, dyslexia and dysgraphia. From this, I have spoken to 4,000 students and adults about my experience around Scotland. It has helped me believe in what I want to do for the future. It has also helped me to inspire people as much as I can to help them to believe in themselves.
Please finish this sentence: ‘I am Possible’ because….
I am possible because I believed in myself that I could do my expedition that helped me become a better person and overcome the challenges I have and not let anyone tell me what I can’t do.
What’s an activity you wish you could try?
I wish to try windsurfing as it looks fun to do and also gives me a challenge as it is a hard activity.
What do you think of Isossy Children clothing?
I think Isossy Children Clothing is a great company to help children become confident and stop the stereotypical fashions that let kids feel free and happy about what they wear for everyday use.
What words of wisdom do you think every child should grow up knowing?
Believe in who you are, stay positive especially throughout the tough times and don’t let anyone tell what you can’t do.
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