Paula Constant walked over 12000 km through eight countries between 2004 and 2007, including two years walking through the Sahara with her own camel train. She walked without vehicular support and used only local nomadic guides, planning, conceiving and executing the expedition solo apart from local assistance. Her expedition remains the longest of its kind solely on foot through the Sahara by a woman alone. The two books she wrote about her journey, Slow Journey South and Sahara, are published by Random House in Australia and have also been released in India.
Paula has pursued a variety of different roles since leaving the desert, living abroad in Spain and England for some time before returning to Australia. Her chief goal has been to write historical fiction, which she now does whilst also working in the mining industry in the Pilbara.
Current work
Paula speaks to audiences of all ages and interests, focussing primarily on the internal journey we all face in manifesting our own personal definition of success. Her talks are structured around the concept of taking a dream from vision to reality, and give a practical roadmap for doing just that.
Previous experience
Paula was a school teacher for both primary and secondary students, in Australia, England, and Spain. She speaks passable Spanish, bad French, and terrible Arabic. Since the walk she has been, at various times: a yoga teacher; tourist guide; freelance writer; small business owner; personal coach; minesite cleaner; mining camp manager; and, currently, a geologist’s assistant. She continues to walk long distances when she can.
Talking Points
The Power of Enough
You are already enough: recognising the power of the moment and how to seize itThe Power of Enough
The Sahara is the backdrop to discovering how our own imperfections are our best guide to what will become our greatest achievements. Paula deconstructs success and distinguishes it from achievement, helping her audience to think through the way in which their own human needs are creating the future in every moment.
Half Day Workshop - The Pot of Gold
The gift of imperfection: Acknowledge what isn’t working and turn it into your greatest asset.Half Day Workshop - The Pot of Gold
Understanding what makes us angry, fearful, and uncomfortable is the first step in creating our greatest success. Only in finding a way through that which we perceive as our own faults or shame can we begin to truly shine in our greatest capacity. Paula takes your brand, team, or individual circumstances through a carefully devised strategy that uncovers imperfection, identifies core needs, and reconstructs your picture of success from the ground up.
Video
The Power of Enough | Paula Constant | TEDxPerth
What is success? What does it mean to be enough? Do our imperfections matter? Paula Constant outlines her trek through some of the world's most hostile terrain in what was to be a journey of self discovery. Her discovery was a realisation that we need to change the way we define success. This is her story. In 2004, Paula packed her life into a backpack and began walking from London. She continued walking for three years, covering over 12,000km through eight countries, including 7,000km across the Sahara. Upon returning from the desert, Paula began to speak to schools, groups and corporations about identifying what success looks like and how to achieve it. Gradually she began to feel something was missing from her talks and she set out to find what that was. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.Paula's presentation at our NBCF Pink Ribbon Breakfast was incredibly inspiring and moving - not to mention at times humorous! Her passion and motivation to complete her walk despite the hur ... keep reading Hallmark Australia
Paula presented to the entire 220 students at Timbertop and provided an inspiring story which was perfect for our context. As well as sharing a truly fascinating story, Paula has an innate ability to condense her amazing journey into key messages that struck at the heart of many similar concepts and challenges our students will face throughout their Timbertop year. The humble air in which Paula presented was refreshing considering her astonishing accomplishments and her down to earth nature made it easy for the students to relate to her. There is no doubt Paula's story had a significant impact on the student body and her presentation provided a highly meaningful and valuable addition to our program.
Paula Constant was the perfect guest speaker for GOTAFE's four 2011 Graduation events. She totally engaged our audiences of up to 800 people from a variety of ages, professions and cultures with her entertaining presentation describing her trek across the Sahara, the challenges she encountered and the hurdles she overcame. Paula told her story with passion, honesty, enthusiasm and, where appropriate, a sense of humour. She emphasised the importance of setting goals and following dreams despite the challenges, and was truly inspirational.
The beauty of Paula’s talk lay not only in the extraordinary Saharan journey, but rather in the highly perceptive observations about society, human nature, and the wider journey we all take. It was a thought provoking and moving talk with real benefit to all who attended. Utterly inspiring.
Paula took our team through an incredibly perceptive journey that completely turned around the way we interact with each other, and how we see our joint goals. It was by far the most valuable external training we have invested in to date, and we will have her back on a regular basis to check in.
