An Exclusive Beyond Limits Feature: Unveiling the Heart of an Expedition Leader with our Founder, Scott Tay
If you have been following us closely, you’ll know that Beyond Limits (BL) is a big part of the work we do. Beyond Limits is a series of charity expeditions curated by our founder, Scott Tay, with aims to raise awareness and funds for carefully chosen causes, while also redefining personal limits for every participant who comes onboard these life-altering adventures.
At the core of the seamless execution of these expeditions is our formidable expedition leader, Scott Tay. Over the past six runs, he has not only steered the ship but has also been the guiding force behind the transformative experiences that each participant leaves Beyond Limits with. In this blog post, we delve into the essence of Scott Tay's role as an expedition leader, exploring the meticulous preparations, the challenges conquered, and even a deep dive into his own personal transformations through the various runs we’ve had so far.
Here’s Scott Tay, and everything you’ll want to know about how he does what he does best as an expedition leader!
Tell me your story again, Scott;
1. what first got you to start Beyond Limits?
Scott: “In 2017, I was fresh out of school with a marketing degree and I decided I wanted to backpack for two years. Well, that got cut short to six months due to travel fatigue; I felt jaded because of the lack of purpose in travelling to all these new places.
Mongolia was different to me in a special way, though. It became my second home, a place where the nomadic lifestyle resonated deeply, a place I genuinely want people to visit. Mongolia transformed me within and opened my mind and worldview. The nomadic lifestyle is so simple, so ‘bare’… The locals there have only the necessities but yet they seem so free, they seem so ‘enough’ on their own. It’s so unlike us, living here in Singapore with money, cars, houses, but yet we are constantly cooped up in our heads, constantly wanting more. It’s never enough.
Unlike our hectic lives in Singapore, Mongolia's simplicity felt liberating.
A shot of Scott with a big wide smile, as he stands with a Kazakh lady in West Mongolia.
I began running tours in Mongolia, but then I realise I wanted to do more than just bring people to Mongolia. That’s why in 2017, I decided to trek through the Gobi desert, inspired by people I follow on the internet and acquaintances who did adventure-related expeditions to support causes they believe in. 800km across the Gobi desert, for Singapore Cancer Society. I’d never fundraised before, so that was my first time and I was fortunate enough to raise $8000, which got me even more inspired and pumped up to explore the potential of what this could become! I decided to rally more people to join me in my mission, to create a greater impact, and THAT was how Beyond Limits gave birth, with six runs completed so far and one coming up in July 2024.”
Scott during his solo charity expedition at the “Blue Pearl of Mongolia”, the Khövsgöl lake, Mongolia.
He attempted to paddle 300 kilometres of Mongolia’s largest lake within 6 days to fundraise and spread awareness for the Down Syndrome Association Singapore.
A 1000km team expedition trek that Scott hosted back in 2018, in efforts to raise funds and awareness for Singapore Cancer Society.
Scott: “Beyond Limits isn’t just a project; it's my sanity. I wanted to run a business that was purposeful and fulfilling for me. So that’s where Beyond Limits came about.
The name came later, but the purpose was always clear; I'm driven to see every participant that comes onboard Beyond Limits, each with their own stories, directly or indirectly related to the cause we are supporting; coming together to collectively create meaning. It's fulfilling, inspiring me to do more.”
And right now, after having had 6 runs of it…
2. what keeps you running these charity expeditions?
Scott: “For me, it’s about the excitement and anticipation of seeing who will come onboard the next Beyond Limits run… that has always been exciting for me.
Meet the team of our most recent Beyond Limits 6.
Their individual profiles are exciting to connect with, their stories are amazing and incredibly inspiring. The challenges they are facing, and yet choosing to come onboard this expedition, is incredible. The way they manage to cope and exercise mental fortitude despite other responsibilities they have back home… it’s all crazy inspiring.
Connecting with each of our participants helps me myself to grow as an individual, and strengthen my own vision for BL100; the ultimate goal is to host a hundred runs of these charity expeditions.”
Scott and 3 members of the BL6 team, back in December 2023.
3. Tell me more about what you do as an expedition leader.
Scott: “As overall expedition leader, I pretty much take charge of …everything.
There’s a lot. I do the planning, the concept, discussions for logistics, and operations with local team. If we are heading to Mongolia, then it’ll be the Mongolian support crew; if Kyrgyzstan, then the Kyrgyz support crew.”
The Mongolian crew that accompanied us through BL4, back in February 2023.
Scott: “I take care of the ‘tweaks’ we need to make along the way, since things are always changing. because… it’s an ‘expedition’, right? There are just so many things to take into consideration at all times;
Do we have enough sleeping bags? Is everyone accounted for whenever we get into the van? Do we have appropriate food for halal, vegan members?
I also manage everyone’s safety, especially when it comes to taking care of people’s emotions because this is an expedition that challenges people beyond their comfort zone. Emotions are bound to run, as people confront their ‘inner demons’. How then, do I manage the atmosphere within the team when some members break down because the trek gets ‘too much’ for them to handle? Or if they begin spilling negativity into the room because of their own discomforts; how then do I handle that?
I will have to come in as an experienced expedition leader, to intervene and support every team member through the expedition. “
He’s always on the look out for anything the members may need support with.
Scott: “There’s also the fund-raising aspect to take care of; how do I motivate the members, to ground everyone in the purpose of this project and focus on the ultimate goal of raising funds for the charity organisation? I also take charge of planning necessary training sessions for the members to ensure their physical standards are sufficient to keep them safe during the trek itself, I also plan and run briefing sessions for the members at the very beginning when the expedition team is formed… that’s the gist of what I do as an expedition leader.”
A shot of Scott leading the BL4 team for a training session, in preparation for their trek across the largest freshwater lake of Mongolia in the dead of winter.
And no, we weren’t kidding about the tyre-pulling. Scott designs training sessions to prepare the expedition members mentally, emotionally and physically for each specific Beyond Limits run, according to the nature of the trek.
Scott: “The role of an expedition leader is an all-rounder job. There are just so many things going behind the scenes, that people don’t usually see. It’s never just going there, trek, and then back to Singapore and ‘done’.”
4. What then is your secret to managing so many aspects of an expedition at once, as expedition leader?
Turns out, Scott is pretty good at multi-tasking.
“I like the challenge of handling so many things at once, though there are definitely moments that were super overwhelming. Over the years of running this business, I’ve always been in this position of having many things to take care of, especially in the beginning years of starting Beyond Expeditions. There are many different aspects to handle, like finance, marketing, sales, briefings for clients, creativity in itineraries, dealing with client expectations and feedback, following up with stakeholders such as sponsors or charity organisations, negotiation and building relationships with overseas partners…
There’s no secret, to be honest. Just keep doing it over and over again until you master it.”
Scott paused, before continuing. “Though of course, for us to keep scaling the business… now we have to look at outsourcing. Finding people who are really good at what they do, even better than me, with the right mindset, who are hungry and have a strong purpose in life too, to come onboard the team.”
5. What are the greatest struggles you face that expedition members may not fully know of?
Scott: “We expedition leaders may seem 'rugged,' as if made of steel, able to deflect all kinds of ‘bullets’ shot at us. However, we're human too, also juggling various responsibilities beyond the expedition.
We have families back home, ongoing work tasks that require our attention even while occupied in this expedition. For myself, there’s this charity expedition happening, but there are also other commercial tours ongoing that I’m overseeing while leading this expedition.
Beyond Expeditions host corporate teams for team-building sessions in Singapore too, and this is one of several aspects that Scott is overseeing while leading the Beyond Limits charity expeditions.
Above and below are some photos taken during a corporate survival workshop we ran for the Timberland team.
So while he’s out of town, his local team members would still be running outdoor survival experiences for corporate teams.
Scott: “Amid challenges, we strive for solutions, but check in on us!
We might seem as calm as cucumbers on the outside, but trust me, there could be a whole circus of chaos underneath this 'cool as a cucumber' facade and we’re just hiding the madness with a smile! So expedition members, please check in on us along the way – your check-ins would be like hidden gems of treasure for us amidst this journey!"
6. Can you share about one memorable incident where you, as expedition leader, was greatly challenged (in the realm of quick-thinking and problem-solving)?
Scott: “I want to be brutally honest here. During Beyond Limits 4, several participants doubted my decision to trust our local Mongolian drivers to drive through the night for 4-5 hours, from the northern part of the lake to the southern part of the lake. They were worried and fearful despite the fact that we had already walked on the lake and even driven over the lake in the past three days…”
A shot taken of the BL4 team during their time on the ice.
Scott: “We had five cars, 5-6 experienced Mongolian drivers, and 5-7 Mongolian support crew with us.
Several expedition members were freaking out, letting their ‘inner demons’ take over. Some were even saying we should break up the group and split ways.
As the expedition leader, it was my responsibility to ensure everyone stays safe and there was no way I was letting the team split up. Deep down, I knew we had to trust our guys; our Mongolians. No one knows better than the locals, when it comes to their motherland. We even have one of our Mongolian crew members having lived beside the lake for more than 30 years, and he was the ex-mayor of the town. So to me, the call to make was pretty clear.”
Scott and the ex-mayor of the bottom half of Khusvgul Lake (the top half is governed by a separate mayor!)
Scott: “It wasn’t easy, but I bit the bullet and was firm with the team on my decision; we will get back into the van and carry on as planned, as instructed by our Mongolian crew. We proceeded with the plan and eventually arrived safely back on land, though it came with the consequence of my expedition members being unhappy and distrustful of my decision.
That was a tough experience for me. And overall, I find it quite rare to find people who show their appreciation for what we do as expedition leaders, especially when it comes to making big choices for the team, but there are a few rare gems out there who warm my heart with their support and words amidst the journey.”
7. What is the biggest transformation you've seen in yourself, in your time as an expedition leader so far?
Scott: “This is a great question. I’d say… the ability to stay calm and collected when any challenge arises during the expedition. Handling it in not only a more experienced manner, but also considering many aspects such as their well-being, safety. It seems like with every BL now, I can just sit back and observe with this ‘aerial’ perspective; kinda like a bird, watching from above, carefully evaluating the situation and then swooping in with the right ‘bullets’ to handle each challenge in the most effective way.
I can see myself strengthened in terms of critical thinking on the spot. Back in the past, I’d say when anything happens, I was much more reactive and often finding solutions from a reactive, emotional place. Which wasn’t the best, because my emotions are clouding my mind. But now, I am able to cater to everyone’s needs.
Or rather… ’Almost’ everyone’s needs, since we can’t ever make everyone happy.”
A shot of Scott and some of BL6’s expedition members in Taiga, Mongolia.
8. What would you say is your favourite part of being an expedition leader?
Scott: “To see the growth of my fellow expedition leaders, from being totally inexperienced to learning some valuable skills;
1. PR Skills:
Proactively solving client problems, learning how to speak their ‘language’ and foster allyship between us and the participants.
2. Foresight:
Having the capability to anticipate daily challenges like weather changes, participant exhaustion and team dynamics.
3. Effective Client Management:
Understanding client needs, knowing how best to provide support and solve problems collaboratively.
Fiza, Shah and Scott, three expedition leaders of the recent BL6 run.
Scott: “Seeing expedition members meet up even after the expedition, getting closer together because they can empathise with each others’ journey.
And, and… There are just so many things actually.
One more would be when expedition members thank me and the BE team after the trip, for curating and organising the expedition, giving them the opportunity to do something meaningful.
When I hear their words, it is very… (he paused and took a slow breath)
Fulfilling. And satisfying.”
9. So... what's next for you, when it comes to Beyond Limits?
Scott: “BL 100.”
Scott raps the table with his knuckles, with this glint of strong resolve in his eyes.
“We are going to go deep into Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and several other destinations in the pipeline such as Bhutan, Tibet… we may potentially be running Beyond Limits there once we are familiarised with the areas.
It’s going to be an exciting couple of years ahead, as we grow the BE team and be even more capable of curating these experiences that will strengthen the core belief of Beyond Limits.
It is truly exciting for me. There’s just so much growth and potential direction to come, since there’s so many more to go for BL100. Very exciting too, to see what the other BL expeditions will be like. Things constantly change, so can’t give you clear answers now for what exactly will come next, though what I do know is that…
It will be exciting.”
Just like how the recent run of BL6 ended with a bang, the next 94 runs of Beyond Limits shall too!
Our next Beyond Limits will be our 7th one yet.
I’m excited to see if you’ll be there; and if you are, who knows?
You might just find your own personal breakthrough in this gruelling, and meaningful experience too, whether expedition leader or not.
And well, it’ll be even more interesting for you because now that you’ve read this article… you get to walk into this expedition, knowing part of what Scott and our expedition leaders are experiencing in their roles.
Here is an article feature of two other members of the Beyond Expeditions full-time team; check out how Shah and Fiza lead the way in the most recent Beyond Limits expedition! And if you want to know more about the expedition itself, I’ll recommend you go to this article, where pictures will whirl you through the magical moments our team experienced in mystical Taiga.
I’ll see you soon, maybe!
Article written by: Valerie
Valerie, a freelance writer with a quirky infatuation with steamed buns and slightly bizarre food combinations.
(“Try soft-boiled eggs and hot milo!”)
She wishes to keep writing stories that bypass typical food reviews and appreciation of scenery, stories that inspire readers to pursue curious conversations about the unique cultures and lifestyles of every country.
