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About Cycling Adventure 15 (CA15)

The rapidly changing world will have a huge impact on people's well-being in the coming decades, both professionally and personally. Personal growth is necessary for people to take on this great challenge.

Cycling Adventure 15 (CA15) is the path of personal growth on which Bart Van Mol will cycle 15 km in 40.075 years in different countries of all continents of the world and with which Bart wants to inspire people to develop their path of personal growth in this rapidly changing world.

CA15 is a concept of EMA Advice that is active in digital change projects. The aspect of personal growth of those involved in the project is an important tool for absorbing the impact of the change. The experience gained from the various activities of CA15 is used for devising and executing digital change processes.

Why CA15

Bart Van Mol is 48 years old at the start of the path of CA15 in 2021. All his life he has needed challenges, both privately and professionally. His father Marcel and also his best friend who passed away in 2016 could not understand that. He stayed with the same employer all his life. A job with job security was what counted for him. He was proud of his son, who immediately found a permanent position as a mathematics teacher after his studies. But after two years when Bart started to master teaching, the challenge was over, much to his father's regret.

My father was always disappointed when I started a new challenge, but in the end happy that he could enjoy it.

Whenever Bart started a new challenge, his father loved it and was proud of his son. And every time Bart had to disappoint him when he needed a new challenge. His father's biggest disappointment came when at the age of 35 Bart had fulfilled his boyhood dream and became a professional pilot and stopped after 5 years. It was no longer a challenge for him.

At the age of 40 he started competing in amateur cycling which was a huge challenge. The first months Bart was unable to finish a single race. His wife Eva and children Senne and Lien had already given up hope and thought it was unrealistic. But on the basis of external advice and a large dose of perseverance and discipline, he was able to finish the competitions. He has never been a topper but managed to keep his place in the peloton well.

For some time now, I didn't feel good about myself because I couldn't find an answer to the question of how I could spend the next few years meaningfully.

Bart has never regretted what he has done. He viewed every challenge as a project where he gave the best of himself to create added value. In this way he got to know many people and he grew on both the substantive and the human level. But for quite some time Bart felt bad about himself because he couldn't find an answer to the question of how he could spend the next few years meaningfully. What challenge could he still take on where he felt good about himself, could bring added value and at the same time grow as a person? The answer took a long time to come until he saw a LinkedIn post from Christian Tysmans. Christian guides people at a crossroads that allows them to experience who they really are, what their soul purpose is and helps them on the way to a more authentic and fulfilled life. After a few coaching sessions and tips from Christian, Bart got the answer to his question. Bart is eternally grateful to Christian for this.

My daughter Lien thought it was a special idea and fully supported it. My son Senne and my wife Eva initially hesitated.

On a Saturday in January 2021, all the puzzle pieces fell into place. Bart wanted to cover the distance 15 km that corresponds to the circumference of the earth in different countries and in all continents of the world over the next 40.075 years. His daughter Lien thought it was a special idea and fully supported it. With his son Senne and his wife Eva there was initially hesitation and concern, but in the end they were completely okay with it. His mother Lieve was not surprised. She has known Bart that way for so many years and has always allowed him his free choices.

My adventure is a combination of physical exertion, a discovery of the beauty of the world, working on my personal growth and listening to how people deal with the rapidly changing digital world as inspiration for my professional activities.

The distance that Bart covers per year amounts to an average of 2.700 km. He starts by bicycle in a certain country and then travels through 1 or more countries until he has reached that distance. Bart only takes his bicycle and the necessary equipment. He limits the duration to a maximum of 3 weeks. Besides the physical and mental challenge and admiring the beauty of nature and working on his personal growth, Bart also wants to take the opportunity to talk to people about how they deal with the rapidly changing digital world.

I share my Cycling Adventure 15 adventure in order to inspire people to develop their own personal growth path in a fast-changing world.

Bart doubted whether he would make his adventure known in this way via a website and blog. But in the end he decided to do this anyway because Bart is someone who wants to share his experience. In addition, he is convinced that there are many people who are thinking about making a change in their lives or who want to grow as a person but do not know how to start. Perhaps by sharing his adventure as he works on his growth path, he can make a modest contribution to this. He also wants to take all that life experience with him as inspiration when carrying out his work-related assignments.

I dedicate my Cycling Adventure 15 adventure to Koen, our dear friend.

For years, Koen cycled weekly with the cycling friends of which Bart is a part. Cycling was an outlet for Koen. At regular intervals, Koen set the bar high for himself and participated in heavily organized cycling tours. At the end of March 2019, the cycling friends traditionally traveled to Mallorca for a week. It is then that Koen noticed that walking and cycling no longer went so smoothly. In August of that year came the hard verdict that Koen suffered from a rare muscle condition that made him less and less mobile. It's hard and unfair how a dear friend sees his life perspective shattered overnight. Koen passed away peacefully and peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday, October 19, 2021. The Friday before Bart was still visiting him. He will never forget what Koen said then: "Bart, have respect for life and your body because it is a very precious concept." Out of respect and commemoration for Koen and out of gratitude for the life and growth perspective, the Cycling Adventure 15 adventure is dedicated to him with the well-being of Koen.

Every adventure has an appropriate song.

During the initial preparation Bart discovered the singer Danny Vera. Enjoy the beautiful song 'Roller Coaster' appropriate to the adventure and challenge of realizing a personal growth path in a rapidly changing world.

Here we go
On this rollercoaster life we know
With those crazy heights and real deep lows
I really don't know why

And I will go
To the farthest place on earth I know
I can travel all the road, you see
Cause I know you there with me

You don’t have to slow me down
Cause I will always be around
I will find my way back home
Where magnolia grows, where magnolia grows

But I guess you know
Why I do what I do and where I go
I try to fill an empty space inside
But I can't do that without you

You're even with me in my dreams
I see a sail, the seven seas
I will try to find my way
You’re always there tomorrow, you're always there tomorrow

Here we go
On this rollercoaster life we know
With those crazy heights and real deep lows
I really don't know why

And I will go
To the farthest place on earth I know
I can travel all the road, you see
Cause I know you there with me

You don't have to slow me down
Cause I will always be around
I will find my way back home
Where magnolia grows, where magnolia grows

Here we go
On this rollercoaster life we know
With those crazy heights and real deep lows
I really don't know why

And I will go
To the farthest place on earth I know
I can travel all the road, you see
Cause I know you there with me

Here we go
On this rollercoaster life we know
I can travel all the road, you see
Cause I know you there with me

Cause I know, oh know
You there with me