Today we’d like to introduce you to Juri Barac.
Hi Juri, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I can still remember the time I was working for Red Bull and being close to the burn-out. It was a really crazy time, and I was working 12 hours a day while under so much stress. Due to lack of time, I had bad life habits.
One day, Igor, a friend of mine, came to me with the idea of organizing an outdoor event. The fact that it is easygoing and relaxed drew me in. The event is an opportunity for people to hike, meet each other, enjoy nature, and experience lifetime adventures.
Igor and I used to work together and have organized a lot of events together, so I supported his idea from day one. It was more of our exit ticket from the stressful lives we have been leading, but the real trigger was when we saw happy people at the finish line of the first-ever HIGHLANDER event! Everybody was so happy, and they couldn’t hide their emotions. It was an unreal atmosphere, and this is how everything started!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Uh, it was a high mountain – it is still!
After we fell in love with the concept, and the idea that we can help so many people in the same situation and impact the protection of our mother nature, we decided to go full throttle and bring HIGHLANDER to as many countries as possible.
In the middle of an expansion, Covid hit the ground, and our core business was more-or-less destroyed, so we finished in a real Adventure of a Lifetime.
Luckily at the time, people realized that going outdoors can help them survive even craziness like Covid, so more and more people started to hike – which was great for HIGHLANDER!
On the other hand, it was nearly impossible to find sponsors or funding because of the extensive crisis that is still present in a way, but our friends helped us, and we will never forget this!
We’ve been impressed with Adventure of a Lifetime, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Our company is called Adventure Of A Lifetime, and the main project is HIGHLANDER. My team mostly comes from the event business or are ex-athletes. All of us have the same goal – we want to improve people’s lives by protecting nature at the same time. That is why HIGHLANDER is our ultimate project.
When I’m talking about improving lives, I don’t mean only having better health or sleep. I’m talking about becoming a better person – on the mountain with no phone or fancy restaurant or a car, you realize how simple life is and how small things like a bed, shower, or a warm meal can make you happy. And that we as a people can survive everything – it is just in our heads. We want to encourage people to start living better lives, helping others, thinking about recycling, and protecting our Planet when they come back home from the adventure.
What’s next?
We were lucky that American company Spartan Race Inc. found us and invested in HIGHLANDER – this was a crucial moment for us because we share the same values. Together, we can implement the changes much faster!
With this partnership and new energy, we believe that HIGHLANDER will be in most countries in the world in the next 3 to 5 years, and we will be able to change millions of lives!
We are so happy to expand our US event lineup to Ogden, Utah; because I saw the destination and I’m 200% sure that people will love it and have a great time here!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://highlanderadventure.com/ogden/en-us
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/highlander.usa/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HighlanderUSA
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HIGHLANDER.Adventure
Image Credits
Photos of the landscape are kindly provided by Visit Ogden.
