Anna McNuff

The adventurer and author who follows her “heart compass”.

Describe yourself in three words.

Optimistic. Excitable. Human.

Who do you love?

My family, my boyfriend Jamie, my friends and whoever invented chocolate.

As a child, who did you want to be like and why?

I wanted to be an Olympic javelin thrower and to sing and dance like Tina Turner.

When you were 11, what did you dream of doing?

I desperately wanted to compete for my country in the Olympics. I didn’t mind what sport. I never quite managed it, but it was a great dream to have.

What do you do now?

I’m an adventurer, motivational speaker (someone who gives talks to inspire people) and author.

How did you get there?

By spending time doing things that make me happy and fulfilled. I follow what I call my “heart compass”. If you listen to that, it’ll tell you whether or not you’re headed in the right direction. You don’t need to explain why you’re headed that way, sometimes it’s just because it feels right.

What do you love about what you do?

I get to be creative through writing, taking photographs and sharing stories of adventure with others. I meet all sorts of fascinating people heading off on weird and wonderful adventures.

What are you doing today?

Right now I’m in Miami, US. I’m giving a talk and working on a new book about cycling through the Andes Mountains in South America. Yee hawww!

What is the best thing about being you?

The best thing about me being me is I like myself. I know I have flaws and I’m not perfect, but I love who I am and I’m proud of the journey I’ve taken so far.

“Grab on to life and make magic happen!”