The Great Outdoors – Finding new heights

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WBUP) — The Great Outdoors is an opportunity to learn more about exciting activities in the Upper Peninsula.

Sometimes those activities can be difficult, make us uncomfortable, or be down right scary.

Reporter Ronnie Das focuses on the inspiring work of former astronaut Scott Kelly who paved the way for the future of space travel and exploration.

Scott Kelly set a record of 340 days on the International Space Station where he traveled over 143 million miles, witnessed over 10,000 sunrises and sunsets, as well as orbited the Earth over 5,400 times.

The veteran of four space flights says what he likes about being an astronaut is that it is a really hard thing to do and it is really challenging.

As a former aviator for the U.S. Navy, he was trained to stay focused even when the world, or space, around you can seem overwhelming.

As we settle into the winter during the pandemic, we find ourselves increasingly isolated. This is a similar experience to the challenges of being on the International Space Station.

Scott Kelly says what helped him overcome the challenge of isolation was having a plan, following a schedule, pacing himself, trusting experts, making his weekends different then his weekdays, balancing work with hobbies and exercise, as well as taking time to connect with friends and family.

He found that following these guidelines helped him have as much energy at the end of the trip as he had in the beginning.

Scott Kelly added that if we set our mind and choose to do the hard things, then the sky is definitely not the limit.