Palmerston North adventurer Ola Walsh completes 102 adventures in one day

After much encouragment, Ola Walsh slide down the pole at the Victoria Esplanade playground as part of her 100 adventures in one day challenge. Watching is Kian Butturini, 7.

Wearing her "pants of perspective" and Choose Love T-shirt, Ola Walsh completed 102 adventures in one day.

It was to be 100 adventures but the Palmy 38-year-old managed to fit another two in last Saturday.

Her motivations were several: to challenge herself, to create memories, inspire others to get out more and to raise money for UK and US charity Help Refugees | Choose Love.

But if that wasn't enough, she found out the same day her permanent residency application has been granted.

Walsh says her mission is to live life adventurously.

The Guardian spent 30 minutes with Walsh and her family at the Victoria Esplanade playground as she was about halfway through her day of back-to-back challenges. She had already done about 60 adventures. After greeting this reporter with a hug, Walsh said it was a crazy day and she would never recommend doing it to anyone. Adrenaline was keeping her going.

On her to-do list was to have an adventure with a stranger. The stranger turned out to be this reporter and we ended up on the swings, all filmed by her husband Seamus Walsh.

Ready to offer advice and encouragement were the children of Seamus' cousin, Isla, 6, Kian, 7, and Arian, 9, Butturini. They were especially keen to see the Londoner kick a rugby ball.

Ola Walsh with her Kiwi whanau, the Butturini children, Isla, 6, Arian, 9, and Kian, 7.

Ola started the day at dawn at Ahimate Beach with a cold dip. She bushwalked barefoot through the Manawatū Gorge, learnt the Māori word for love, kayaked, rode a quad bike and a ride-on lawnmower. She cooked lunch on Foxton Beach, did a watercolour painting and found a geocache.

Also ticked off were planting a tree, making cocktails, and hosting a fundraising film night, before setting up camp and sleeping in sub-zero temperatures. She finished her adventuring about 2.30am on Sunday.

Walsh wore her favourite adventure attire. "They remind me to have fun and let go of my adult inhibitions. They help me to see the world as a child again."

The adventurer feeds the ducks seeds with her support crew, while husband Seamus Walsh films.

Walsh says she has bruises the size of melons and shopping bags under her eyes, but she has already raised enough money to support 16 rescue missions for refugees and displaced people.

In 2018, Walsh attended a festival in the UK at which Choose Love founder Josie Naughton was delivering a talk about the charity's work.

"Their message was simple - that behind every headline and statistic is a human being, just like you - a teacher, a doctor, a shop keeper, a grandparent, a mother, a father, a child," Walsh says. "Where you are born is down to chance; what you are born with is down to luck; acting with love is down to you. Her powerful presentation really struck a chord with me."

Walsh moved to Palmerston North last November, the city is where Seamus was born.

When Walsh's eight-month fundraising expedition to Africa and India came to a standstill due to Covid-19, she set herself on another journey; to have an adventure every day for a year and last Saturday's efforts were to mark the end of the 365-day challenge.

Adventuring is simply taking time each day to do something new, spontaneous, daring and challenging, she says.

"It's making life memorable, and what better way to show people the potential for adventure in everyday life than to pop out 100 in one day!"

For more information on the aid organisation, visit helprefugees.org.