ABOUT DARRYL:
For all its health benefits if exercise came in pill form, we would only be too eager to take our medicine. But is working-out as medicine too difficult a pill for the majority of us to swallow? By understanding that nature has hard-wired us to hate exercise, but encourages us to love movement, we can examine our attitudes to exercise. If working out isn’t working out, what should we do instead?
Darryl Edwards is a play advocate, movement coach and author of the April 2018 best-selling book Animal Moves. Darryl developed the Primal Play Method to make activity fun for children of all ages (4-to-94) while getting healthier, fitter and stronger in the process. He is most passionate about working with those who don’t really like to exercise! His work has been published in titles such as Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Elle Magazine, Top Santé and featured on the BBC documentaries Eat to Live Forever and Doctor In The House.
What 3 words would you use to describe your TEDx talk?
Playful, practical and powerful.
What was the main motivation for you to do a TEDx talk?
I want people to have a life-long love affair with physical activity and movement.
What do you hope the audience will feel after your TEDx talk?
Inspired, energized and reconnected with their inner child.
Were there any challenges in the preparation of your TEDx talk?
Yes it was challenging - trying to find a title that would encapsulate my idea was tough, adding fun to a serious subject matter is difficult.
Do you have any goals for your TEDx talk?
To connect, to deliver a talk that will resonate and to present a challenge that inspires those listening to take action.
What is your favourite TED talk and why?
I immediately connected with Bryan Stevenson’s talk. It made me not only consider my personal experiences of injustice but also the struggle that humanity continually has with this issue.
His ideas around our shared human identity mean we all have a part to play in promoting equality and eradicating injustice.
Why do you think Tunbridge Wells has proven to be such a welcoming and receptive audience for stories like yours?
The tradition of TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells has seen a breadth of topics, discussed by a diverse range of individuals - while this continues to be the case there is a place for stories like mine.
What advice would you give to other people considering giving a TEDx talk?
Be brave. Make sure you have an idea that you are passionate about - but also worth listening to. Strip the idea back to its core, build on it and appreciate any feedback you can to ensure it will make a difference to those who have the opportunity to listen to it.
Finally, what’s the one change you’d like to see in the lives of our audience this year, following your talk?
That people will fall in love with physical activity through play.