49ers get in the zone for victory

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49ers get in the zone for victory

Methodology for Assessment of Natural Hazard Vulnerability in U.s. Coastal Zone Using Remote Sensing

INTRODUCTION

Coastal zone is defined as “the coastal waters (including the lands therein and thereunder) and the adjacent shorelands (including the waters therein and thereunder), strongly influenced by each other and in proximity to the shorelines of the several coastal states, and includes islands, transitional and intertidal areas, salt marshes, wetlands, and beaches.” Coastal locations were some of the first settled in the country, and have always accounted for a major percentage of the overall population. They were the primary centers for transportation, tourism, recreation, commercial fishing, and other industry. This coastal zone remains a crucial segment of the nation’s overall economy. A variety of natural hazards regularly threaten this coastal zone. Severe meteorological events such as hurricanes, tropical cyclones, and nor’easters are particularly harsh on coastal areas, often resulting in damages from high winds, storm surge, flooding, and shoreline erosion. Tsunamis, whose destructive force is characterized by potentially devastating flood inundation, are uniquely coastal events resulting from offshore earthquakes, landslides, or volcanic activity. Coastal locations are also subjected to the impacts of long-term hazards such as chronic coastal erosion, potential sea-level rise, and global climate change.

Coastal hazard events can significantly affect or even alter the natural environment. Their impacts are generally not considered to be “disastrous” unless they involve damages to human populations and infrastructure. When people and property are not present, hazards are merely natural processes that alter the environment. When people and property is present then the impacts of hazards are viewed quite differently. The primary focus is no longer on the natural processes associated with a major hazard event, but instead on the disastrous results that can be measured by lives lost, property damages, and economic and environmental impacts.

The impacts of natural hazards are becoming increasingly costly and devastating. Hazard impacts on the natural environment become more devastating because human development has altered the ability of natural systems to recover from such events. Experts believe that the statistics on disaster losses continue to rise worldwide due to a combination of factors that include a rise in the number of hazard events due to global climate change or natural cyclical trends, and an increase in human exposure in hazardous locations.

Some of the decrease in disaster damages worldwide could also be the result of improvements in disaster monitoring and reporting capabilities, particularly in developing countries. But disaster loss increases in the United States seem to be most closely tied to increased human exposure in high risk areas such as the nation’s coasts.

The United States has an expansive and diverse coastline that supports a disproportionate percentage of the nation’s population. The nation’s 451 coastal counties contain just over 50 percent of the U.S. population, yet only account for about 20 percent of the total U.S. land area. During the last decade, 17 of the 20 fastest growing counties were located along the coast. In addition, 19 of the 20 most densely populated counties in the nation are coastal counties. These coastal counties possess economic gain through natural resources, maritime trade and commerce. These coastal counties also possess economic loss due to the natural hazards, overexploitation and exponential population growth. An assessment of both the economic gain and economic loss is briefly discussed as follows.

Economic gain in U.S. coastal zone

Nature article (May 1997), a group of ecologists estimated the value on ecosystem in the coastal zone. They estimated that the worth of the services for marine ecosystems is approximately $21 trillion per year. According to Sea Technology magazine, the value of goods and services sold by the ocean/marine industry was estimated in 1995 as $60 billion annually. Offshore oil and gas production has become very important and the 1996 value was more than $8 billion and the annual offshore production is increasing. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 77 million pounds (meat weight) of shellfish were harvested from U.S. coastal waters in 1995, with a dockside value of $200 million.

Current NOAA estimates concerning the recreational uses of U.S. coastal areas includes: approximately 94 million people boat and fish annually; the average American spends 10 recreational days on the coast each year; The coasts (excluding the Great Lakes coastline) support 25,500 recreational facilities; More than 180 million Americans visited ocean and bay beaches in 1993; Recreational fishing contributes $13.5 billion annually to the U.S.

economy; Coastal recreation and tourism generate $8 to $12 billion annually.

Economic loss in U.S. coastal zone

Disaster losses in the United States coastal zone are currently estimated conservatively at $50 billion annually. The disaster loss between 1975 and 1994 is estimated as $500 billion. 80 percent of the losses were imposed by meteorological events and 10 percent were the result of earthquakes and volcanoes. A great earthquake (magnitude 8 or larger) has not struck a major metropolitan area since the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. An extreme or catastrophic hurricane (Class 4 or 5) has not directly struck a major urban area since the one that hit Miami, Florida, in 1926. Yet even without such disasters, which might create losses well over $100 billion, the overall costs of natural hazards, such as extreme weather, drought, and wildfires, are estimated at $54 billion per year for the past 5 years, or approximately $1 billion per week. In the United States, the direct costs to repair the damage average about $20 billion per year, of which over $15 billion is due to tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and earthquakes.

The FEMA coastal erosion study conducted by The Heinz Center for Science, Economics and the Environment estimates that approximately 25 percent of homes and other structures within 500 feet of the U.S. coastline and the shorelines of the Great Lakes will fall victim to the effects of erosion within the next 60 years. Especially hard hit will be areas along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines, which are expected to account for 60 percent of nationwide losses. The report estimates that costs to U.S. homeowners will average more than a half billion dollars per year, and that additional development in high erosion areas will lead to higher losses. Thirty-four floods have been reported in Wake County (data source: NDCD and SHELDUS). The total coastline of mapped shoreline of Gulf of Mexico coast is about 8058 km out of which 3387 kms is in very high risk, 1056 kms is in high risk, 2968 km is in moderately risk and 547 kms is in low risk category due to sea level rise. So the 42 % of the coast line is in high risk, 37 % moderate risk and 8 % low risk (Robert Thieler et.al. 2001).

Hurricane Mitch, one of the most powerful and damaging storms experienced in Central America, struck between 26 October and 1 November 1998. A Category V hurricane, the event was characterized by intensive rainfall and high winds, dumping a year’s worth of precipitation in less than one week on the region, causing the overflow of rivers, floods, mudslides and landslides. Thousands of people were killed and left homeless. Mitch caused billions of dollars of damage, and left huge tasks of reconstruction, resulting in the loss of decades of development efforts in the region.

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) estimates that the direct cost of replacing the lost and damaged infrastructure in the region after Hurricane Mitch is some US$5,000 million (Caballeros, 1999).

Recent large-scale disasters such as Hurricane Mitch and Georges, and the earthquake in Armenia, Colombia have demonstrated the vulnerability of society. It is widely recognized that recent population growth, rapid urbanization and the socioeconomic structure in Central America have increased vulnerability of these countries to natural hazards.

These disasters faced by the inhabitants both by natural and anthropological effects lead to the formation of legislation / laws to govern.

Legislation & major acts in U.S. Coastal Zone

The economic loss and economic yield as such felt by the inhabitants of the Earth has resulted in the formation of legislation. This legislation is framed for the sustainable use of the available natural resources. When the loss is severe or the gain is enormous; the laws needs some revision hence they were amended periodically. Some of the Laws and Acts pertaining to U.S. coastal zone were National Environmental Policy Act, Clean water Act, Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, Ocean Dumping Act of 1972, Water Resources Development Act of 1996, Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 Endangered Species Act 1973, Nation wise Invasive Species Act of 1996, Oil Pollution Act of 1990, Comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act of 1980, Rivers and Harbor Act of 1899, The Submerged Lands Act of 1953, The Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1934, Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 and The Coastal Barriers Resources Act of 1982.

Hence in order to amend these laws the integration in different fields is attempted and discussed as follows.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Assessment of Natural Hazard

Natural hazard is a phenomenon which occurs in proximity and poses a threat to people, structures or economic assets and may cause disaster. They are caused by meteorological, biological, geological, seismic, hydrological, or conditions or processes in the natural environment. Hazard assessment is the process of estimating, for defined areas, the probabilities of the occurrence of potentially – damaging phenomenon of given magnitudes within a specified period of time. Hazard assessment involves analysis of formal and informal historical records, and skilled interpretation of existing meteorological, topographical, geological, geomorphologic, hydrological, and land-use maps.

Office of United Nations Development Relief Organization (UNDRO), defines the term vulnerability as: “The degree of loss to a given element or set of elements at risk resulting from the occurrence of a natural phenomenon of a given magnitude. It is expressed on a scale from 0 (no damage) to 1 (total damage)”. The vulnerability of an element is usually expressed as a percentage loss (or as a value between 0 and 1) for a given hazard severity level. The measure of loss used depends on the element at risk, and accordingly may be measured as a ratio of the numbers of persons killed or injured to the total population, as a repair cost or as the degree of physical damage defined on an appropriate scale. In a large number of elements, like building stock, it may be defined in terms of the proportion of buildings experiencing some particular level of damage.

Assessment is an interdisciplinary process under-taken in phases and involving on-the-spot surveys and the collation, evaluation and interpretation of information from various sources concerning both direct and indirect losses, short- and long-term effects. It involves determining not only what has happened and what assistance might be needed, but also defining objectives and how relevant assistance can actually be provided to the victims. It requires attention to both short-term needs and long-term implications.

The United States is becoming more vulnerable to natural hazards mostly because of changes in population and national wealth density. Due to this, people and infrastructure have become concentrated in disaster-prone areas. Natural Hazards threaten the sustainable development of United States, destroying years of development efforts and investments, placing new demands on society for reconstruction and rehabilitation, and shifting development priorities away from long-term goals while immediate needs are met. For most of the 20th century, the United States has largely spared the expense for catastrophic natural disaster. Significant progress has been made in understanding the various impacts that hazards produce on human and natural environments. Numerous research activities have been undertaken following the major hazard events of the past few years. Unfortunately, much of this research is piecemeal and has not been incorporated into any type of comprehensive database on disaster losses.

Natural hazards such as hurricanes and earthquakes do not have to become natural disasters. With proper planning, including proper environment management, much of the risk can be reduced. The risks posed by natural hazards in United States are exacerbated by social and environmental trends such as rapid urbanization and unplanned human settlements, poorly engineered construction, lack of adequate infrastructure, poverty, and inadequate environmental practices such as deforestation and land degradation.

Given the significant costs of the nation’s catastrophic natural disasters, focus has shifted in recent years to expand beyond emergency preparedness and response to include a more long-term emphasis on disaster loss reduction. Hence it requires for a quantitative assessment of natural hazards vulnerability for coastal zone. This quantitative assessment of natural hazards is aimed to minimize either an individual’s or a community’s vulnerability to future disaster damages. Over the years, progress has been made in reducing hazard impacts through better predictions, forecasts, and warnings, particularly for meteorological hazards such as coastal storms and floods. General improvements in hurricane and tsunami prediction, and river and lake level forecasting, have been possible using the latest in computer modeling technology. NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) is currently working with several new technological systems that are intended to significantly improve future flood forecasting capabilities. Though there were lot of techniques available to assess vulnerability due to natural hazard quantitatively still it is necessary to acknowledge the scientific and technological information needs throughout the various hazards-related disciplines and integration. Although significant progress has been made in the research and science associated with natural hazards during the past 20 years, and improvements in technology and understanding about natural hazards and how to access its vulnerability quantitatively requires a real-time networked scientific database.

Universities and research institutions (particularly the National Science Foundation), along with government agencies such as NOAA and USGS that maintain scientific hazards-related responsibilities, have contributed to advances in the scientific study of natural hazards. There is now more quantitative information available about the origins and behavior of hazard events but the concept of integration of the available data sets is lagged.

This study is to integrate all the fields acting in coastal zone for the assessment of vulnerability. Maps delineating hazard-prone areas at national, state, and local levels are needed to provide more comprehensive hazards assessment using information on a variety of natural phenomena, including coastal storms, floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, typhoons, landslides, wildfires, drought, earthquakes, etc. Much of this information already exists, but issues such as data integration, compatibility, scales, accuracy, and resolution need to be addressed to make the information useful at the local level. Better methodologies and models are also needed for conducting hazard vulnerability assessments that can incorporate highly variable local conditions and characteristics. This calls for the site specific models for better estimates.

Computer-based geographic information systems could be used to analyze hazards information and provide national risk assessment data to state and local governments in quick and easy manner. Specific models could be generated by using the GIS software. New high-resolution remote sensing capabilities could be examined for use in large-scale risk and vulnerability assessment. Hence, remote Sensing and GIS is to be intergrated and modeled for the assessment of quantitative natural hazard vulnerability.

Improvements in monitoring, data collection, and data processing account for most of the advancements made in short-term weather-related forecasting. Better modeling capabilities, along with a more thorough understanding of variables, such as global climate change and sea-level rise, are needed to improve long-range forecasting and planning for coastal hazard impacts.

GIS integration / modeling for natural hazard vulnerability

GIS is one of the powerful tools which can be used for the assessment of Natural Hazards Vulnerability (NHV). Due to these techniques, natural hazard mapping and vulnerability assessment could be performed for the coastal zone. These maps will help the authorities for quick assessment of potential impact of a natural hazard and initiation of appropriate measures for reducing the impact. This data will help the planners and decision-makers to take positive steps in time.

GIS applications in the coastal zone are diversified and case-based. Applications studies such as (a) coastal mapping, (b) environmental monitoring, (c) coastal process modelling, (d) navigation and port facilities management, (e) coastal environmental / hazard assessment, (f) coastal management / strategic planning, and (g) coastal ecological modeling could be done through GIS.

Coastal Mapping is mainly focused on thematic mapping in the coastal zone, such as mapping chlorophyll concentration using TM data (Chen et al. 1996). Environmental monitoring is one of the routine tasks in CZM, which include monitoring water quality and habitat/biodiversity, and beach watch. Coastal processes modeling of physical environment change in the coastal zone includes the simulation of effects of sea-level rise (Ruth and Pieper 1994, Grossman and Eberhardt 1992, Zeng and Cowell 1998, 1999, Hennecke 2000), the assessment of human intervention of shoreline change (Huang et al. 1999), the use of historical data to predict future coastline change (Sims et al. 1995) and the study of beach morphodynamics (Humphries and Ligdas, 1997). There are another two subcategories of the applications of hazards, namely, short-term and long-term tasks. The former is exemplified with monitoring and predicting oil spill (Belore, 1990), while the latter is demonstrated by coastal hazard / vulnerability assessment due to climate change (Lee et al. 1992, Sims, et al., 1995; Deniels et al. 1996, Hickey et al. 1997, Zeng and Cowell 1999, Hennecke et al. 2000, Esnard et al. 2001). Coastal management / strategic planning involve assessing sustainability of the environment, social and economic viability. The above said studies carried out in coastal zone are to be integrated using remote sensing and GIS for analysis.

The categories of GIS applications in coastal zone could be broadly categorized into three levels.

a) Level 1: as data management and mapping tools,

b) Level 2: as basic data analysis (query) and mapping tools, and

c) Level 3: as decision-supporting tools (modelling / simulation).

Most current implementations of Coastal GIS are still at Level 1 and Level 2. It is expected that Level 3 implementations will rapidly increase in the near future as the continuing improvement in GIS functions and more user-friendly interface become available in the market. Hence for the study of Quantitative Assessment of Natural Hazard Vulnerability Level 3 application is to be adopted.

The two basic approach / analysis, which should be followed for geospatial database development were given below.

Integrated approach:

a) integration of different level of application,

b) integration of vector and raster (data and functions),

c) integration of knowledge of different expertise, and

d) integration of different scales in time and space.

Because of the nature of integration, GIS applications should consider long-term integration. This includes the vertical integration that involves different application (and potential) levels, and horizontal integration that involves other interest groups. Therefore, issues must be addressed from database design, data sharing to tool-making (analysis functions) and experience sharing.

Multi-criteria analysis

a) multi – factors controls

Since coastal system has a complex hierarchical structure with multi-forcing exerting on each of subsystem, no mater which aspect of the system to be investigated, multi-variable analysis is an essential methods in the coastal environment.

b) multi – discipline approach for decision Other than the multi-factors, there are multiple interest groups of coastal community, therefore, good solutions to any coastal issues can only be derived from multidiscipline approach.

Output of the analysis

I. Historical and real-time information with respect to natural hazards will be gathered by satellite remote sensing, aerial photographs and by other conventional means and integrated with GIS RDBMS. This results in an extensive geo- database.

II. Through the modeling technique and by using the GIS RDBMS we can evaluate the likelihood of experiencing specific natural hazard in the future, and an estimation of intensity and probable level of impact.

Each natural hazard will be evaluated for three characteristics:

1. Likelihood of Occurrence, i.e., expected frequency;

2. Likely Range of Impact, i.e., predictable size and location of impact; and

3. Probable Level of Impact, i.e., estimated strength and damage potential.

III. The level of severity of natural hazards will be quantified in terms of the magnitude of the occurrence as a whole (event parameter) or in terms of the effect the occurrence would have at a particular location (site parameter).

IV. For quantitative natural hazard vulnerability, some weight value has to be added to the attribute column (slope, subsurface geology, current action, wave action, meterology, wind action etc). The values that will be given in the attribute columns could be calculated with the help of the equation 1 modeled in GIS environment.

Natural hazard = (Wgeology + Wslope + Wwind + Wmeteo + Wsiesmisivity

+ Wgeomorphology + Wetc…) (1)

Based on the above formula, natural hazard vulnerability values could be retrieved by clicking on any land parcels from the coastal zone map. Such kind of values will have no meanings for the end users. To make the result more acceptable, a separate domain is to be created in which the resultant values will be divided into three classes: very high, high, moderate and low hazard areas

Weights Class:

Values below than 30 Low hazard Area

Values between 30-40 Moderate Hazard Area

Values between 40-50 High Hazard Area

Values between 50-60 Very High Hazard Area

V. Hazard mitigation plan is to be developed and it will possess these five steps –

• identification of natural hazards that could impact the community,

• assessment of the community’s vulnerability to natural hazards,

• assessment of the community’s capability to respond to a natural disaster,

• assessment of the community’s current policies and ordinances that affect hazard mitigation, and

• development of hazard mitigation strategies that can be implemented to reduce future vulnerability.

VI. By using all the above factors site specific models for the assessment of natural hazard vulnerability could be generated using GIS for U.S. coastal zone. This will serve as an input for further amendment of legislation concerned with U.S coastal zone.

CONCLUSION

U.S. coastal counties possess economic gain through natural resources, maritime trade and commerce and economic loss through natural hazards, overexploitation and exponential population growth. About 80 percent of the losses were by meteorological events and 10 percent were by earthquakes and volcanoes. Hence in order to minimize the loss due to natural hazard a computer based geospatial database methodology is adopted for natural hazards information retrieval and to provide national risk assessment data to the state and local governments. Site specific models were proposed for U.S. coastal zone by integrating GIS software and high-resolution remote sensing to quantify the large-scale risk and vulnerability. This modeling study could also be applied to developing countries such as India, Pakistan, Srilanka etc. for the natural hazard vulnerability assessment in their coastal zones.

Purchasing Property In The Euro Zone

The main aim behind the creation of the Euro currency was the creation of greater political solidarity within the EU, but by having a common currency participating member states have additional benefits such as the elimination of currency fluctuation risks, transparency of pricing, reduced transaction costs and increased market expansion opportunities for greater inter-Europe trade.

The introduction of the Euro as a physical currency back in 2002 went quite smoothly, and until now the Euro Zone enjoyed a relatively strong and stable economy.

However, some experts believe those seeking the best value for money in the current climate in terms of the property they can buy, the Euro Zone is not necessarily the best place to be looking. The strength of the Euro against both the pound and the dollar has some say, taken the shine off the traditional overseas property markets in countries such as Spain, France and Italy.

Plus Europe’s worrying state of stagflation, (stagnant growth combined with inflation), is causing concerns about the overall Euro Zone economy and member nation’s forecasts for the near-term, an increasing number of astute buyers are looking further afield to see where the better property deals are to be purchased and where a more affordable lifestyle can be enjoyed. Below are some key markets to consider:

Turkey

According to Dominic Whiting from Buying In Turkey Collection, Turkey is an exceptionally good choice for those who specifically want the ease and affordability of European accessibility but who want to buy outside the euro zone and its current economic instability.

He said: “The cost of living in Turkey and the cost of buying property is a fraction of what it is across the Euro Zone, and what’s more, as Turkey aligns itself for ultimate EU entry, anyone buying in Turkey today is essentially gaining all the benefits of a European purchase without the resultant economic headaches caused by a strong euro and high levels of inflation.”

Buying In Turkey Collection has for example, Dream Village, a development of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, duplexes and villas with private gardens and swimming pools set in the area of Tuzla on the Bodrum peninsular. Conveniently close to the golf courses and airport, the prices start from 59,000 pounds / 75,000 euros.

Spot Blue has a villa development for sale in Gocek close to the local marina and with their own private swimming pools, parking and gardens at prices from 115,000 pounds / 160,000 euros.

USA

Thanks to the US dollar’s demise against the pound, America is certainly a favourite with British buyers looking to get more for their money abroad. However, pockets of the American housing market are to be avoided as over supply and lack of mortgage financing is stifling potential at least for the short-term. Astute buyers are looking for dollar priced property in locations where there is reason for strong and increasing demand.

Canada

If America does not appeal because its economy is suffering, John Prior, MD of Undiscovered Properties argues that there is only one alternative worth considering, Canada.

To suit someone seeking attractive property for both lifestyle and potential rental reasons, the Louisbourg Resort Golf and Spa might be the answer.

The resort has The Fortress18-hole championship golf course, complemented by a par 3 18-hole course, both designed by Nick Faldo. Located on the island of Cape Breton, Louisbourg is just 2km from the shore and close to the mountains so that residents can enjoy everything from fishing, whale watching, hunting, watersports, skiing, diving, snowmobiling and hiking.

The properties that are available for sale will be built to the architectural preference of the purchaser with 2, 3 and 4 bedroom styles available with a range of 8 architectural designs to choose from. Each lodge property comes with a basement, sauna and Jacuzzi. Prices start from 215,000 pounds / Canadian 438,512 dollars.

Bahrain

Those who have seen how the Middle Eastern property market in Dubai has rocketed and who want to get in on the next wave of property success in the region are targeting Bahrain.

Barton Wyatt International is marketing Riffa Views, the first residential golf resort in Bahrain. There are 870 high-end villas all set around the Colin Montgomerie designed 18-hole championship golf course. For sale are a range of townhouses and villas with between 2 and 5 bedrooms.

Riffa Views include a country club with a Boris Becker tennis academy, a health centre, community centres and sports and outdoor leisure activities including hiking and bike trails and water sports. Other features include a shopping mall and Fun Land for the children. Prices start from 260,000 pounds / 342,200 euros through to 1,800,000 pounds / 2,300,100 euros.

Isla Margarita

Isla Margarita in the Caribbean is, according to Mark Andrew from Emerging Earth, property an island that is particularly attractive for British and European buyers because some of its best property projects such as Caracola Beach and Spa Resort are soon to be priced in the weak American dollar.

He said: “Isla Margarita is just the perfect location for an investment property in a rapidly up and coming resort. The island benefits from the fact it is outside the hurricane zone yet well within the Caribbean and therefore of maximum appeal to all those going in search of warm seas, perfect soft sand and an ideal climate for most of the year.”

The island is seeing massive increases in tourism numbers and there are tax breaks for buyers plus insurance bond backed guaranteed rental returns of 7 percent pa for 10 years. Properties for sale are apartments and duplexes. There are on site restaurants, bars, swimming pools, chill-out areas, a spa, gymnasium, beauty salon, high-end retail outlets and landscaped gardens.

All apartments are 1 or 2 bedroom, come fully furnished and are also SIPP qualifying for British buyers who want to include property within their pension. Prices start from 79,000 euros / 63,000 pounds and are soon to be available in US dollars.

Egypt

Egypt offers European and British buyers one of the closest locations to Europe and the Euro Zone with year round sunshine, which has helped Egypt emerge as a tourism and property hotspot.

The Egyptian property market can be considered young in terms of international investor interest, and the nation certainly offers buyers a chance to get in now and potentially profit for the longer terms as tourism arrivals are set to increase over the coming decade. For sale in Egypt from Experience International and located on the Red Sea Coast 15 minutes from Hurghada International Airport is the Veranda project.

Veranda, situated on a white sandy beach, is a gated resort with 24-hour security and a wide range of facilities including swimming pools with waterfalls, tennis courts, restaurants, a luxury spa, a gym and a cocktail lounge.

Properties range from one and two bedroom apartments to three bedroom townhouses and four bedroom villas. Prices start from 60,750 pounds and allow the British buyer to secure their purchase in pounds sterling.

Malaysia

Also from Experience International is an opportunity in Malaysia which is a nation emerging as one of the strongest economies in Asia with growing tourism appeal.

The level of tourism demand presents Fly to Let investors with the chance to profit from rental returns, and it has ongoing property based interest from affluent expats seeking property for sale giving any buyer a strong exit strategy.

Experience International has a development for sale called Golden Palm Tree Water Villa in Sepang. It is located on what has been dubbed ‘the longest coastal paradise in Asia,’ the Golden Palm development is an exotic Gold Coast resort with properties having the unique architectural feature of being situated on stilts and being constructed out over the sea.

Facilities include swimming pools, a gym, spa and a library. Prices start from 147,709 pounds.

Brazil

Brazil is buzzing both economically and in terms of the attention it is receiving from overseas investors. In southern Brazil the Rio de Janeiro housing market is proving massively popular with investors seeking long-term rental units, and in Northern Brazil on the East coast the tourism market is booming.

The accessibility of the destination has already massively improved, and as a new international airport is nearing completion, so savvy investors know that the record growth the market in the region of Rio Grande do Norte has already seen will very likely continue as the region opens up to even greater numbers of visitors.

The Pipa Hills resort from Experience International comprises of 3 bedroom villas set in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and 200 metres from the centre of the town of Pipa Beach.

The development is also very close to Pipa’s pristine beach and it has luxury amenities such as a lagoon, swimming pools, bars and restaurants all on site. Prices start from 131,152 pounds.

Botswana

For investors seeking an alternative market opportunity the Limpopo-Lipadi Game and Wilderness Reserve is a unique investment opportunity in the heart of the southern African country of Botswana.

The reserve covers an expanse of over 80,000 acres with various lodges located throughout the reserve – but the properties themselves are just a slice of what the project offers purchasers. As an investor into the reserve one contributes to a unique and internationally acclaimed ecosystem model that Limpopo-Lipadi’s founders hope will set the standard in conservation sustainability in the 21st century.

An investor into the project effectively owns part of the game and wilderness reserve and can visit as often as they like, be part of the decision making process of the reserve or just simply enjoy the many diverse ecosystems.

Investment capital will be used for everything from further land purchase to the development of the lodges, camps and two commercial tourism properties for the introduction of paying guests to the reserve.

There are different levels of investment involvement that one can commit to from a purely financial point of view, entry level investment is 195,000 dollars, but the difference that you can practically make and the benefits that you can personally witness and enjoy are limitless.

Thailand

The appeal of Thailand is indisputable which is why it has an incredibly strong tourism market.

Buyers who want to tap into the high-end might like to consider The Village development on the Maphrao Island, Coconut Island, Thailand. The luxurious property development has been carefully designed to ensure that all properties enjoy views of the Indian Ocean whilst at the same time homes are situated around waterways and palm groves.

The Village is a haven for water sports lovers, with its own pier for boating enthusiasts and it has boat storage and quick launch facilities.

Fishing, diving, snorkelling and general exploration of the Phuket Islands are also activities available from the resort development. Phuket’s golf courses are a short boat ride away, and the resort has a private beach for sunset walks, all day sunbathing and swimming.

Prices for a sea view villa with two bedrooms, two en-suite bathrooms, one guest bathroom, a spacious living area and swimming pool start from 302,950 pounds / 18,950,000 THB.

Spirit in Sport: Peak Performance & the Zone in Sport (from a World Champion & Olympian)

Spirit in Sport: peak performance & the zone in sport

Book Intro (Preface)
By Fiona Taylor, 1992 Olympian, mystic, coach and former World Champion Windsurfer

“The board glides smoothly across the water.
Under my feet the board feels light and responsive. It is purely an extension of me,
there is no resistance.
The sail is an extension of my upper body. It feels comfortable.
The rig feels right. It responds effortlessly to the increase in wind.
My body feels lean and strong.
I love being on the water. I love being here.
I have an inner knowing of all that is today. I am at home on the water.
The wind, the waves and the water are my friends.
I am at One with them.
Unity. No hesitation – just inspiration
A feeling of Lightness of being.
Joy, a rush of energy as I accelerate in a 3 knot gust………
Whee. I am free.
The six minute start signal is about to go.
My timer is set for the 6 minute count down to the start.
It is about the wind and me.
There are other boards around. I know who they are, and I know that I know this place better than them and I will win this race. There is no doubt whatsoever.
My focus is on just being in the moment..
I am not thinking.
I am just feeling. Everything feels surreal, my focus is not on any ‘one thing’ but simply being at one with all that is.
Intuitively I approach the line. I have already chosen where I want to start.
No one is in my way. I have claimed my starting position.
As I look up wind towards the top mark, the wind has remained steady. I have a race plan and I just know. I am just in the now moment.
Bang – the start gun, with four pumps I am off the line with a clear start.
I am fast, I feel fast as the board glides up wind……………
My focus is on being at one with the wind, as I round the top mark first.
My focus is on feeling light and at one with the board. I am so far ahead now that I can still sail completely free, me and the wind, without needing to protect my position from the windsurfers behind me. This race is mine. I knew it was before the start……
I love windsurfing……I love just being out here on the ocean………..”

This was the natural state that I was in when I was spending every spare minute of my day at Davey’s Bay Yacht Club as a young teenager.

In 1983 I was a 12 year old who spent her entire summer either in the water swimming, snorkeling or in boats. My dad had introduced me to sailing as a young girl and had thrown me into a sabot which is about 7 feet in length with a small sail. It is the first boat usually that kids learn in. My sister and I used to call them ‘bath tubs’. Dad bought a sabot for my sisters and I to sail in and we called it ‘Bubbles’. Bubbles was a sturdy, heavy and slow sabot.
I was the middle child of three girls and my older sister Anna was three years older than me, so she got to steer the boat, and I was the crew. I have a vivid memory of dad sending us of to sail in Sabot Week at Frankston Yacht Club when I was 9 years. The first race Anna and I spent arguing and fighting on which way to go and who was better at steering the boat. We were so engrossed in our own chaos that we had no awareness of the rest of the fleet.
After some time a rescue boat drove up to us as told us that the race was finishing (as all the other boats were finishing) and that we had better head back to shore. We had not even made the first mark yet because we were absorbed in trying to get our own way in our boat. After that I realized that I really was more suited to sailing on my own, and was much happier that way, being my own person and making my own decisions.
Soon after that when I was 12 the sport of windsurfing came along and it was the ‘new thing’ to do. In 1983 and 1984 more and more people at the yacht club and other clubs started windsurfing and there was soon a regular weekend windsurfing race that was attracting more people than sabot sailing.

Our good friends the Gold’s lent me their windsurfer and gave me my first go at it. I could hardly reach the boom when I first started, and as a 12 year old I had to use the adult equipment with larger sail, as the manufacturers had not yet made boards for kids. My fierce determination allowed me to overlook the bruises, cuts and sore hands to keep on trying to pull the sail up out of the water. I eventually did, thanks to the support from those on the beach who egged me on. The first time I managed to get going and glided along the surface of the water I was on a high. I only managed to go 20 meters before I fell off, but that was enough to get the feeling of it. I was hooked on the thrill of windsurfing across the water on my own.

It used to take me a long time to pull the sail out of the water because I was small, but once I got it up and going it all felt so natural to me. I had a natural feel for the board and the wind and by the end of that summer it just seemed to ‘click’ for me and I could sail in all directions, go where I wanted to go, and more importantly get back to the beach! I lost count of how many times I fell in, crashed, dropped the sail or got stuck out at sea needing to be rescued. One thing that worked for me was that I did not have any fear of the sea. We grew up 200 meters from the beach on the Mornington Peninsula and I learned to swim at an early age. In fact I felt more at home on or in the water, than on the land.
At the end of that summer mum bought the family our first second hand windsurfer. But you can guess who used it most of the time. My poor sisters, mum and dad had to really work hard to get me away from it, and actually have a chance to use it. Soon all my friends and I at the yacht club were having fun, mucking around on windsurfers, trying new things, new tricks and racing against each other every weekend.

I am eternally grateful to the wonderful support I received from the members at Davey’s Bay Yacht Club. Everyone was so supportive in helping me learn to windsurf. Very shortly after I starting racing I started to win the races. Men and women of all ages entered. I vividly remember sailing towards the finish line and I was coming second. Another guy Ashley was winning the race and he was about 50 meters ahead with only about 200 meters to go. The finish line was just inside the cliff face where the wind started to shear away and get gusty. I naturally kept an eye on the wind and where the next gusts were coming from. I could see Ashley sailing a bit too close to the Cliff, even though it was a more direct route to the finish line. But there was less wind in there, so I decided to stay in the gust a bit further out, and then turn towards the finish line inside the cliff at the last minute. This paid off and I passed him and won the race. He had not seen me coming and was quite surprised to see me pass in front of him. There was no doubt he was stronger than me and had good windsurfing skills, but I was able to read the wind better on the day. I rushed home and told mum that I had won the race. Her comment was “Gee darling, were you the only one in the race?”

Such faith I thought. But mum and dad soon realized that winning the race at the club was a weekly occurrence for me. I then moved on to race the regional clubs and in those days 120 windsurfers would turn up to race, people of all sizes and abilities. I ended up winning those too, to the surprise of all the strong guys with the latest and fastest equipment. But again it was my ability to read wind shifts that enabled me to win the races. In the early days, a lot of the people who started windsurfing did not come from a sailing and tactical background with knowledge and understanding of the wind and so they could not quite work out why I used to win, even though I was 13 and they were 25.

From the beginning I always windsurfed with the guys and always aimed at beating everyone. Because of that I never saw myself as weaker or lesser ability by being a girl. And in the old days men and women raced together, but they were scored individually, so that you could be the ‘first woman’ or ‘first man’. When I was 14 I had the opportunity to compete at the Australian Windsurfing Championships in Adelaide. Mum and dad decided to make a family holiday out of it and we drove over to Glenelg in January that year. I had recently placed third in the women’s event at the State Championship but the Nationals were a little more daunting and the ocean waves at Glenelg caused me to come to grief on the downwind legs. Anyway, I met some wonderful fellow competitors who I became friendly with and I placed 8th that year. From 1986-1990 I won several Australian Open Championships. During that time I would go out and windsurf around all on my own as training and I had no coach or lessons or feedback from anyone. I just went about it on my own and did well, won and never really analyzed anything about my performance. I watched and learned and just did what I always did, felt how I always felt and had an unquestionable knowing that I was the best out there and that I would win.
And I did. The space I was in when I raced was like being on auto pilot, I felt the wind, I felt when to tack or turn; I did not have to ‘think’ about it.

In 1988 the International Yacht Racing Union had managed to include Women’s windsurfing as a Full Medal Sport to be introduced at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. The men’s windsurfing event had been included in 1988, and the sport was an exhibition sport at the LA Olympics in 1984. In 1988 I was studying for my VCE (Higher School Year 12), in my final year of high school and I was ranked number 1 in Australia. I made a decision then that I would go the 1992 Olympic Games.

During my final year of High School I was windsurfing after school each night to train up for the World Youth (Under 19) Championships in Spain in July that year. I had been selected to go, and the whole trip was funded by the Australian team. It was my first international event and the standard was very high. There was a team coach which was new to me, as I had never had a coach before. He was a nice guy but mainly focused on the boat classes as he did not know much about the Mistral Windsurfing Class so he left David, my fellow male counterpart, and me to do our own thing. David was a brilliant windsurfer and he won every race at the Youth Worlds and I only won one, to finish 6th overall. I returned to Australia, back to homework and the world of school.

On finishing high school Mum and dad at the time were concerned that I get a proper education and not be side tracked by this ‘windsurfing thing’. But nevertheless I convinced them that I would travel for a year overseas, compete at some events, work and have some fun before I return the following year to start University.
My first event after high school was in Palermo, Sicily. It was the World Windsurfer Team’s Championships where they have two men and one woman from each country. We made the final against the Sicilian Team and there was much cheering going on from the side lines for the Sicilian Team. A floatilla of boats came out to watch as we raced the best of three races. It came down to a grueling last race win, whichever team won would win the event. I was coming ahead of the Sicilian girl and all I had to do was cross the finish line and we won the regatta. However, the Sicilian team wanted to win ‘at all costs’ and Alfredo decided to sail downwind and try and stop me from crossing the finish line before Giarda, the female member of their team. Team tactics can get pretty nasty, especially in Sicily where the race committee did have a reputation for turning a blind eye to what was going on. There was much yelling as Alfredo came down and literally pushed his boom into my head to try and knock me off. In the end I dropped my sail unable to keep my height towards the finish line and Giarda crossed in front of me. It was pretty obvious to all the other teams and the jury boat that Alfredo had broken a rule. After much commotion and yelling, in Italian and English the protest flag went up. We had no choice but to protest. After two hours of testimony the jury awarded us with the win. This was a good start to my first campaign over seas winning the World Team Windsurfing Champs. From 1985 to 1999 I won a total of seven world windsurfing titles in the Windsurfer and Mistral Classes and thirteen Australian titles. There were many times where I felt in the zone and in my magic, where winning was effortless and enjoyable.

But there were times, particularly from 1994 onwards where I lost my magic and sense of feel. I had illness, injury and chaos which I could not pinpoint the origin of and the flame of my inspiration went out. By the time I retired in 1999 I was angry and exhausted feeling that I had never actually realized my dream of Olympic Gold, particularly when I knew I had the desire and the natural ability to achieve it.

On retiring from competitive windsurfing at the end of 1999 I launched myself straight into a corporate sales role. It was the first time I had been a full time employee in the corporate environment. During my windsurfing years I had run my own event management business and had been self employed since I was 17 so I was used to being my own boss. Within a year I realized that I was not suited to working for a large corporate and decided to go back and do contract marketing and sales work instead.

Up until this point in my life I had always lived with clarity of purpose. I made decisions and had the determination and drive to make them happen. But in 2000 and 2001 every thing I touched seemed to fail. Within 12 months my personal relationship finished, my health had deteriorated significantly and I had clients who failed to pay me which sent me into to the red financially. My stomach had swollen up, I had pain in my pancreas and liver all the time, my face had bloated up. I was now twenty kilos overweight. I felt terrible. My self esteem hit the floor. Financially I worked one sales contract after the other trying to play ‘catch up’ financially. I worked seven days a week. As a result I burned out completely – emotionally, physically and spiritually.

During this time I read every book I could find about health, psychology and spirituality. I attended workshop after workshop: including Qi-gong, emotional freedom technique, heart coherence, quantum physics, sacred geometry, spiritual manifestation and emotional intelligence. I was spending over twenty five hours a week on research. I was desperately searching for answers.

I then went to a doctor who practiced western and eastern medicine who threw the book at me. He told me that my body was shutting down. He said I was a toxic waste dump. My lymph system was not working efficiently. I had a build up of cancer cells in my body. He wanted me to go on his strict diet and have treatment each week at his clinic to get me back to health. At the time I had no money to even pay for extra vitamins, let alone weekly treatment. I was under huge stress and as a result had begun to drink too much alcohol. For a period of 8 months I had buried all my pain in drinking to numb myself from feeling.

When I left the doctors clinic that day, after he threw the book at me, deep down I knew that even if I did everything he told me to do it would not have made any difference. An inner voice told me I had to find the answer at the spiritual level. I felt that I would slowly die if I did not find the spiritual answer. And I felt so exhausted at the time that I did not really care if I did die. In fact at the time all I wanted to do was to curl up in bed go to sleep and not wake up.

My search continued and I went to a naturapath healer who did a chakra balance on me and helped clear my body at the astral level. This seemed to help me for a short while. Very soon after this I went to Sydney to meet a French lady who had a new electro-magnetic machine that could bring your spirit back properly into the body. I was willing to try anything at this stage. When I arrived at her clinic I held on to these two metal handles and she said my spirit was eight metres away from my body. In other words I was not spiritually grounded and balanced. Somehow she brought my spirit back into my body. Within two minutes my lymphatic system started to gurgle and move. I went to the loo about ten times that day emptying fluid. I certainly felt more grounded after her treatment.

But still a deeper part of me kept searching for answers. My stomach was still bloated and I still had constant pain in my pancreas, like a knife in my back. A year before I had prolapsed a disc and had a knee reconstruction to mend my ACL that I tore snow skiing. I had never felt the same since being on anti-infalammatory drugs for my prolapsed disc. These injuries had also caused me to lose confidence in my physical ability to exercise. As a result I had lost all the fitness I had taken for granted in all my years of windsurfing.

Finally I met a metaphysical counselor and mystic Yvonne Evans who also worked as a corporate coach in Melbourne. In one session with her she cleared my energy field (aura, mind field, at the astral and spiritual level). Immediately after she cleared my energy field my hips shifted back to their correct posture and the pain went from my pancreas.
She told me to rest afterwards and I went home and had the deepest and most restful sleep I had had for a long time. A week later I had the first mystical experience that woke me up about the nature of the soul and past lives.

I was sitting in a coffee shop with Yvonne and we were talking about what could be the cause of my swollen stomach. We had discussed much of what had happened to me in this life including several operations I had had as a baby and child on my small intestine. (At four weeks old the doctors cut out one fifth of my small intestine because of a cyst. I then had plastic surgery on the scar tissue that spread right across my stomach when I was eight.) The answers didn’t seem to reside in this life time. Then out of my mouth came “I think I have been stabbed in another life.”
Yvonne, being a mystic, was able to tune into my soul story and access the relevant information at that level. She said that I had been disembowled on a battle field as a soldier. I immediately felt a shiver up my spine as I saw flashes of this past life. I went home and went to bed. I felt exhausted. For over two hours this past life trauma was released from my memory at soul level. My body shook and trembled and contorted as the memory was released via the physical cells in my body. This is called a physical catharsis. All I could do was surrender to it and consciously allow it to happen. Meanwhile I had the visual images and memories of being disembowled. It was not physically painful, but extremely overwhelming and exhausting.
After I released this memory my body literally morphed. My stomach went in three inches, all the aches and pains I had been feeling for two years disappeared. My face changed back to its normal state and I felt spiritually grounded for the first time in over three years.
The physical change in my body was so profound that my neighbour saw me the next morning and couldn’t believe the instant change in my appearance. This was when I realized that if we change at the mind-field level, in this case at the level of the unconscious – the soul, then our body can change instantly. A friend of mine had also done this herself when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. She tuned into her Soul Self to get the answers. She received the answers and released the energy (in the mind) that caused the tumour in the first place. She went back for an x-ray a week later and her brain tumour was gone.

I had read a lot of material including books by Dr. Valerie Hunt from the Bio-energy fields foundation and Professor William Tiller, head of materials science at Stanford University who all confirmed that mind precedes matter. I had read that we create our own reality with our thoughts and our feelings. But it was not until I connected with my Soul did I realize the truth, that yes, we create reality. The good, the bad and the great.

(Quantum scientists have confirmed since the 1920s that we create our reality. Spiritual mystics and teachers throughout time have told us that we in fact create our own reality. The mind/body/spirit and new age movement have repeated over and over again that what we think about, we bring about. It is only when we connect to our spiritual intuition do we realize the truth of this. The rational mind, or ego, cannot fathom that we create our reality.)

From this point on I was able to reconnect again with my spiritual intuition and inner guidance from Soul. I was able to wake up to all the unconscious themes that had played out for me in my windsurfing career. I realized that I had caused, or allowed in the chaos, illness and so called ‘bad luck’ at the unconscious level when I competed in windsurfing. I was responsible for it all. There was no such thing as bad luck.

During this time I had started to facilitate workshops on reality creation and transforming unconscious themes that were holding people back in their lives. My mystical abilities returned and I was able to assist others to heal past lives that affected their current reality. (A mystic is someone who can access information at the level of the Soul whilst remaining grounded in physical reality. Information at the Soul level vibrates at a higher frequency than the information we receive via our five physical senses.) I realized that two in three clients had deep Soul themes playing out for them that originated from another lifehood (or past life). Once we healed these deeper themes their reality would change instantly. They would be free of pain and fear.

My clairvoyance, clairsentience and clairaudience returned and I was able to communicate with the Arch Angels again. I had had this ability as a child but had lost it in my teens. This enabled me to help people heal physical ailments together with assisting them to intellectually understand the origin of their pain and crisis. I could vibrate them up so they could access this information and transform it to higher awareness.

I had read as much as I could find on emotions and emotional intelligence and one of the people who discussed emotions in a way that I understood them, and had worked with them, was Dr. Valerie Hunt. She too had helped people heal past life (or lifehood) themes. She understood the nature of emotions held at Soul level that were deep and profound and shaped all other perceptions and behaviour. In her book Infinite Mind she shares over forty years of research into the human energy field (the mind) and the spiritual nature of who we are. She stated that emotions were the organizer of the energy field (the mind). Her work greatly appealed to me as it blended the scientific research together with the spiritual, eternal, nature of who we are.

I realized that you could not change limiting beliefs, that resided at the subconscious and unconscious mind, by using the power the conscious mind alone. I discussed this with two friends who were both NLP experts and hypnotherapists who had also done the deeper spiritual healing work on themselves. They both agreed that you could not heal these deeper themes without going first finding the cause of the theme – the origin of behavior.
You could use self affirmations until the cows came home but they were not going to change unconscious behaviour. Traditional psychology also did not discuss the nature of ‘past lives’ or the fact that we are multi-dimensional in nature. And most psychologists assist people from the perspective that they are victims of their reality, rather than the fact that they create their reality. So they treat the symptoms rather than the cause.

After healing my own Soul themes I was finally free from regret and the disappointment of never attaining my dream of Olympic Gold. I thought about all those athletes who had retired from sport never having realized their own dreams. If only I had understood and healed my unconscious themes (beliefs and emotional wounds) whilst I was at my peak in windsurfing. What could I have gone on to achieve if I did not have sabotaging behavior?
I thought about those athletes that have ‘accidents’, ‘illness’ or keep coming second when they have the ability to win. If these athletes healed their own unconscious beliefs they could change their reality and performance quickly.

The times when I had won in windsurfing I realized were the times when I was physically, emotionally and spiritually coherent. When I felt in the flow where everything felt easy; I was spiritually connected. My mind was present and I was more in a feeling, rather than a thinking state of mind. To me being in the zone was a spiritual experience.

In 2004 I decided to write a book about the nature of ‘spirit in sport’. Rather than simply sharing my own story I wanted to speak to other athletes about their own personal experience of the zone. I was intrigued as to whether or not other athletes felt that the zone was a ‘spiritual experience’.

After speaking with other athletes I realized that each of them had their own understanding of how the mind works; their own relationship with their own mind, the Self, spirit, and a higher source or God. Some athletes referred to the zone as being fully prepared and doing the training necessary to win. Others suggested it was when they were able to mentally focus without chatter in their head. Whilst other’s shared that their experience of the zone was more a spiritual or an out of body experience.

In my book ‘Spirit in Sport’I share some of my experiences and those of fellow world and Olympic Champions about the zone in sport. There are times where I share my story from the perspective of me the windsurfer and there are times that I put my ‘teaching hat on’ and share it from my perspective now – Fiona the mystic.

From the perspective of an athlete I realize that all we really want to do as an athlete is achieve our dreams, whether it is to win, be top three or top ten. As an athlete I was totally focused on my training and competition schedule. I would plan for four years ahead, each Olympiad.

Whereas today I can look back in hindsight and have the luxury of seeing my windsurfing career through the eyes of my own Soul’s evolution. I understand the nature of Soul purpose, divine timing and the spiritual lessons I needed to learn.

Which leads me to pose the following questions:

What makes athletes great vs just good?

Are we pre-destined to be great, or do we become great?
Why do some people have more chaos than others?
What are our own spiritual lessons to learn in this life?
Can we change our destiny?
Can we fast track our evolution?

These are all questions that all of us ask at some point in our lives. Are the great athletes throughout time born to be great or is it by pure chance that they are great?
If we view our life through the eyes of the ego self, or rational mind, we do not know. But if we connect to our Soul Self, our bigger story, we are able to feel our divine truth and Soul purpose, whether it is to be a great athlete or simply be a competitor and learn along the way. If we take responsibility for our own reality creation we can transform any unconscious themes that are getting in the way of winning much faster than if we deny we have them.

From the perspective of our Soul we choose the story of our life before we incarnate. At our highest level of play we choose the major events and wins in our sporting career and any chaos that we experience. Chaos provides the experience to learn and grow. For without chaos and challenge the ego experiences very little growth in consciousness.

We all have a bigger story, a divine Soul purpose with spiritual lessons to learn in this life.
Sport provides a play ground for this learning, growth and self awareness.

I postulate that the ability to experience the zone in sport, and reproduce optimal states of performance over and over again, relates to a person’s level of consciousness. The more spiritually evolved we are, the higher our consciousness level. The more we can access power at the universal/spiritual level the more we can access the zone.

This brings us to the nature of authentic power vs force. When I personally accessed the zone state in my windsurfing I felt ‘spiritually powerful’, like I was connected to All that Is. In my book I have written about this as being Authentic Power as opposed to force where we feel we are forcing things to happen. Authentic power feels effortless.

When we compete with pure desire from the Soul and spirit we not only achieve greatness in sport we live a fulfilling and rewarding life.

I share my story and those of 15 other World and Olympic Champions in my book ‘Spirit in Sport. The book is for fellow athletes, sports coaches, psychologists and the sports fan who want to discover the ‘missing pieces of the puzzle’ in performance.

Fiona Taylor
March 2007
www.barakaya.com

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