Everyday exceptionalist 15: Ben Ankobiah

Ben is a creative adventurer based in London. His love of mountaineering and dedication to confronting his fears have led him down many amazing paths.

Ben also loves to hike and has some incredible footage on his YouTube channel. As he puts it so well "The communal pain you feel with your buddies on a long and hard hike makes it seem like no pain at all."

Ben makes every day exceptional through his unwavering dedication to pushing out of his comfort zone and enjoying what's on the other side of fear.

When did you fall in love with what you do and how did you get started?

I think my outdoor work came to me innately as that’s what every organism on this planet is attracted to from the young age of about 10 when I went on a school trip which exposed me to it properly since I lived in the capital city of Ghana.

We grow up learning to be indoors and that’s a big disservice to our physical and mental health so when I found out that was the case, I told myself that I’d love to work outdoors no matter what.

Who was or still is your mentor?

A very big influence and forever mentor was my mum. The woman was a real life super hero. Always striving to be the best version of herself and making sure that she never gave up on that. Helped me evolve into the person I am today.

Ambition or talent: which matters more to success?

Ambition will always trump talent in my opinion. The urge to learn, create, experience is always a better teacher and that pushes you out of your comfort zone to venture out in the unknown. Be ambitious!

What career advice would you give your 16yr old self?

There are so many avenues available to grow and enjoy what you decide to do. There’s nothing as failure as long as you learn to enjoy it all and live in the moment. Don’t look at other people’s successes and compare it to yourself because you’ll never know if you can equally fight the demons they face because of the position they are in. Do what you love.

If there was one-piece of advice you could give to people aspiring to do what you do, what would it be?

Enjoy yourself whiles venturing into it and know that your younger self will be more proud of you than ever. Be ready to learn a lot because Nature will find the not so kindest way to humble you. Be kind and live through your younger selves eyes.

What secret ambitions do you still have?

Might not be a secret after sharing it but I’d love to become a pilot on day. It is something I’ve fancied since childhood. My father was a ship captain so I’d also like to take it to the skies.