Dave TV x Ross Noble: Off Road

19th December 2017

Award winning entertainment channel Dave is teaming up with comedian Ross Noble for Ross Noble: Off Road (3×60’), a new series about the oldest and most difficult motorsport in the world.

Ross Noble: Off Road sees bike lover Noble return to Dave following his acclaimed series Ross Noble Freewheeling. This time a camera crew follows Noble as he takes part in the Scottish Six Days Trial, a legendary challenge where the best motorbike riders in the world come together to race a hundred miles each day in a true test of stamina, ability and willpower. It’s a race that’s defeated countless seasoned professionals who’ve been riding all their life, and certainly isn’t for the faint-hearted – or foolhardy comedians.

Ross Noble said, “This is one of the most technically difficult motorcycle challenges in the world – you have to ride for eight hours a day for six days on a bike with no seat. But as I do stand-up as a job I’m hoping that will help!”

So just how does a stand-up comedian go from zero to hero and complete this incredible feat of endurance. BRWC caught up with Greg Whyte (Sports Scientist, Celebrity Trainer and Former Olympian) who has trained mainly celebrities for Comic Relief and Sports Relief to successfully complete these types of awesome challenges.

How do you get help celebrities to achieve these types of challenges?

GW: I received a call from the CEO of Comic Relief just as Sports Relief was created. David Walliams had been asked to undertake a challenge. I’ve now done 24 Sport Relief challenges.

BRWC: What we really want to know is how do you get these celebrities to achieve the impossible?

GW: Firstly, they are ordinary people, not Olympians so it is more satisfying when they do achieve the impossible. Working with celebrities though, they know how to work hard, particularly comedians. They’ve had to hone that art and already have very competitive tendencies. They know what it takes to achieve a goal. However, what the public doesn’t always see is the misery and bad times when the celebrity is struggling with their goal, it is not always fun.

BRWC: Ok, but how do you get them to the point where they believe they can do it?

GW: We take a progressive approach. The celebrity learns how to do whatever skill repetitively, day after day, and there will be times they don’t feel like doing something and they have to learn to cope with this. With Ross, he already knew how to do trail biking but not how to keep doing this day in and day out.

BRWC: Sounds good, so what if us ordinary people want to achieve our own impossible goal eg running a half marathon when we currently can’t even run to the shops! Tell us, Greg, how do we achieve that?

GW:

Remember success breeds success, so have short, medium and long-term goals
Key thing is to have the resources required – eg running shoes etc
Set a realistic goal – losing 3 stone in a week is not realistic – make is a distinct and discreet goal.
Team – ensure that you tell your family and friends what your goal is because a support network will help motivate you.
Focus on the outcome: remember nothing good comes easy even Olympic gold medallists struggle with training. However, focus on the feeling after you’ve gone out for that early morning run, not on the fact that it is dark and cold.
3 – 6 weeks – it will take this period of time to see a behavioural change and ensure that your new habit becomes part of your everyday habit.
Mastery: either choose something you enjoy or a new skill. If you choose to learn a new skill like training for a half marathon or swimming, you’ll get a constant reward the better you become at that skill.

You read it here folks, so there is nothing to stop you achieving that goal that you thought was impossible! Midnight sun half marathon anyone?

Ross Noble: Off Road airs on Dave at 8pm on Thursday 21st December.

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