edited by Christopher Simmons, senior news editor
AUTHOR TO MAKE 8000-MILE JOURNEY ACROSS 28 STATES IN TOPLESS ROADSTER
Pacific City, OR -- (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE via PRNetwire) -- March 21, 2002 -- In April 2002 Oregon author Alyce Cornyn-Selby will get into a topless vintage roadster and drive across America. The journey will take two months and will cover 8,000 miles in 28 states.
"This trip is about 'Some Day I'm gonna...'," says Cornyn-Selby. "Don't wait. Your 'Some Day' may have been yesterday."
An author of books on procrastination and self-sabotage, Cornyn-Selby is a researcher of American attitudes and motivation. She helped develop a method of overcoming self-defeating behaviors that includes career sabotage, weight loss and financial sabotage. Nicknamed the "High Priestess of Procrastination" Cornyn-Selby maintains a 100-pound weight loss; she is an internationally known conference speaker.
WHAT: Drive of A Lifetime--
Across America in an "open cockpit" roadster
WHERE: Pacific City, Oregon to Atlantic City, New Jersey
WHEN: April 11, 2002 - June 18, 2002
WHO: Alyce Cornyn-Selby
WHY: 1. Part of an ongoing research study on motivation
2. Fulfillment of lifetime dream
Progress of her trip will be covered on a web site dedicated to this story: www.GoingTopless.info ("Going Topless, Across America in an Open Car" is also the title of the book Alyce Cornyn-Selby is writing about this adventure).
FACTS ABOUT THE ADVENTURE
Q: The car: what is it?
Assembled in someone's garage over 30 years ago, this roadster is a replica of a 1927 Type 35 Bugatti, the winningest race car of its decade. The car has no top, no doors, no windshield wipers, no heat and no radio. Alyce Cornyn-Selby bought the car from Matthews Memory Lane Motors in Portland, Oregon five years ago and began preparing the car for this trip 18 months ago. Improvements include a 1600 single port 70 horsepower engine that uses regular gas and will cruise at 65 miles per hour with a stiff tail wind. The car has always been left hand drive, operates on a 6-volt system, is a 2-seater and sports a wooden dashboard and wooden steering wheel.
Q: What do you do when it rains?
"Pull over, park and meet new friends," explains driver Alyce Cornyn-Selby. She has also designed a rain poncho that snaps onto the body of the car, an idea inspired by kayak enthusiasts.
Q: Is there a support team?
No. Alyce Cornyn-Selby is a resident of Portland, Oregon--she will drive round trip to Pacific City, Oregon on the west coast and then begin the trip to Chicago. For these 2,000 miles she will have a support vehicle as insurance over mountain passes and arrive in the Windy City April 18, 2002. For the rest of the journey--approximately 8,000 miles total--she will not be traveling with a backup maintenance team.
Q: How do you plan an adventure like this?
The 18 months of preparation included updating and modifying both Alyce and the car. Cornyn-Selby became certified in driving Skid cars and passed the advanced course. She completed a hiking program, did strengthening yoga and practices Tai Chi. Car modifications include new engine, brakes, tires, paint and many smaller items. Ten of Alyce's friends scattered across the country became the connecting destination points.
Q: Alyce, have you ever done anything like this before?
"Never. But once I thought of it, I couldn't NOT do it. Imagine wiping out over two months of your life to something you're bound to be uncomfortable doing--anything requiring a helmet seems extreme to me."
The longest trip Cornyn-Selby has made in this open roadster was to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho in September 2001, a round trip of 800 miles.
THE ROUTE
(Subject to change at any time due to weather.)
Pacific City, Oregon
Portland
Twin Falls
Salt Lake City
Cheyenne
Omaha
Des Moines
Chicago--April 18 - 21, 2002
Dearborn
Dayton
Pittsburgh
Atlantic City
Chestnut Hill, NY
Bridgeport
Hartford
Portsmouth
Portland, Maine
Burlington, VT
Albany, NY
Harrisburg
Roanoke
Knoxville
Memphis
Little Rock--May 26, 2002
Kansas City
St. Paul
Rapid City
Billings
Yellowstone
Idaho Falls
Reno--June 13, 2002
home to Portland
Book excerpt available at the web site.
Alyce Cornyn-Selby's journey across America is being sponsored in part by the Institute for Behavioral Research as part of an ongoing research project to study the fluctuations of motivation during a sustained effort. When influences affecting motivation can be identified and analyzed, the results could help anyone who tries to accomplish anything, including weight loss, career changes and goals that become passions that simply won't go away.
In 1901 a discouraged Wilbur Wright said, "Not within a thousand years would man ever fly." And yet, twenty three months later he and his brother Orville Wright accomplished the first successful manned flight at Kitty Hawk.
What elements influence motivation? Even when convinced that it won't work (like the discouraged Wilbur Wright), some people continue anyway. Evidence indicates that blind faith or self-esteem have little affect on accomplishment. Then what does?
Cornyn-Selby's motivational level, from -10 to +10, will be charted and analyzed as she progresses up to leaving and while on her cross country trek. Information about influences affecting motivation are critical to athletes, entrepreneurs, health care providers and management.
"At one point, he was so frustrated and demoralized about their experiments with flight that Orville Wright took up the study of German and French, just to keep his mind off the airplane," wrote biographer Tom Crouch (The Bishop's Boys, A Life of Wilbur and Orville Wright, W.W. Norton, 1989)
"Some days I wish I'd never thought of this idea," writes Cornyn-Selby, "and other days I can't wait to put more miles on this roadster." This reaction is no different than the dieter who is successful for only two weeks or the exercise program that "fails" after a few days. The other side of motivation is the person who says, "Once I thought of it, I couldn't NOT do it." Authors, scientists, inventors and artists fall into this category.
"Sometimes it's easier to make a dream come true than it is to kill it," says Cobar Pita, spokesperson and researcher on motivation for the institute.
Strong influences on motivation include: curiosity, anger, humor, stubbornness, risk and support.
url: http://www.GoingTopless.info
Media Contact:
Travis Duncan
503-232-0433
justalyce@usa.net
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