By Reagan Hilton
Photo Credit: Jeramie Lu
Tes Sewell thrives on challenging the impossible. Born in Newcastle, England, he eventually traded the British weather for a life of adventure in North America. From Whistler, Canada, to California, Tes has made a name for himself in the television and action sports industry.
As the original sport organizer for freestyle motocross at ESPN’s X Games, a producer of global sporting events, and a host for motorsports TV, Tes’s journey is marked by saying “yes” to the extraordinary.
Tes became part of a team who, not unlike the plot of Star Trek, embarked on a mission to explore strange new worlds and boldly go where no one had gone before.
This led him to take on world record adventures, including jumping a rally car onto a floating barge, riding a motorcycle off the 100-foot-tall Arc De Triomphe in Las Vegas, and backflipping a motorcycle over London’s Tower Bridge. He helps athletes achieve their wildest dreams, proving that “impossible” is just a word.
In his TEDx Reno talk, Tes recounts how Travis Pastrana set a new world record by jumping a rally car 269 feet onto a floating barge. This feat, like many others Tes has been involved in, started with someone daring to ask, “Do you think it’s possible to…?”
Tes believes that every impossible journey begins with a “yes.” Saying yes to a bold idea fuels dreams and propels them forward. While yes can be daunting and stressful, it is the key to unlocking extraordinary achievements. Tes’s approach involves assembling a team, defining goals, and practicing rigorously before the main event. This meticulous planning ensures that when the time comes, the seemingly impossible becomes reality.
Whether it’s persuading local authorities to allow a stunt or incrementally training for a high-stakes jump, Tes’s process is about overcoming impediments and meticulously planning each step. His career is a testament to the power of curiosity, the importance of teamwork, and the courage to say yes.
So, if you have an impossible dream, remember Tes’s formula: say yes, test its feasibility, build a supportive team, and take calculated steps toward your goal. With determination and the right approach, you can turn the impossible into the possible.
Watch Tes’s talk here and challenge your own impossible here:
