What does it take to make the San Miguel Rich List?
San Miguel’s rich history of exploration is something they love to share – and has led them to unearth people who are truly life rich, and pursue a different kind of wealth. Now they want you to find your rich
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Your support makes all the difference.Many of these people decided to make radical life changes – abandoning lucrative careers, such as blacksmith Leszek Sikon, or re-evaluating their life after being forced to think about it, as was the case for stone balancer Adrian Gray. Others live normal family lives, but use their downtime to participate in extraordinary activities such as volcano hunting – just like mum-of-three Selina Boyd.
What united them is a fierce single mindedness about chasing what truly excites and rewards them deep inside.
Now entering its third year, San Miguel is again searching for people who have chosen a different kind of wealth. People who have found their rich. Could you, or someone you know, join The San Miguel Rich List this year?
Leszek Sikon, blacksmith
Leszek Sikon was materially wealthy as a retail sector manager – but he was bored. “I ended up Googling ‘blacksmith’,” he says. “I like getting dirty and working with my hands. The next thing I knew, I’d quit my job and started training. It was a risk, but it’s paid off.” He’s since produced a series of stunning artisan tools. “I love the traditional methods of hammer, tongs and fire,” he says. “I come from the countryside in Poland, where we do everything by hand, repair things if they break. Now, when things break, people often throw them away. But I think there is a trend back towards the old ways. I feel really satisfied being part of a profession which makes objects that last. I’ve put my heart into it.”
Adrian Gray, stone balancer
Adrian, above, was an adventure tour leader, travelling the world relentlessly. But when sickness forced him to sit still, he found his true calling. “I had to recuperate from a fatigue illness, and went from a very active lifestyle to a sedate one,” he recalls. On Lyme Regis beach, he turned his casual hobby of stone balancing into stunning art. “People got interested, and I was soon earning a living selling photos of my work,” he says. “I found it very therapeutic, it got rid of my stress," he adds. “It helped me to heal. I love choosing stones and creating the illusion of the improbable. That sense of wonder doesn’t go away. The only way to balance work and pleasure is to make work more pleasurable.”
Selina Boyd, volcano hunter
“It’s not like an ordinary mountain,” says Selina Boyd, above, about her love of scaling craters. “You’re on living earth. It’s an incredible sensation being on top of something so powerful. When you get to the top and watch a sunrise, there’s nothing like it. You are on top of the world.” Selina is a mum who works in the education sector, but a trip up a volcano in Singapore brought out a wild side. Now she runs trips for fellow volcano-hunters all over the world, and the appeal continues to grow.
The search has started for The San Miguel Rich List 2018. San Miguel is looking for a new group of inspirational people who lead rich, rewarding lives. If you, or someone you know, shares a thirst for discovery, creativity or new experiences, nominate them, or yourself, here
Terms & Conditions: UK residents, 18+ to nominate, 25+ to feature. 1-4 Rich List places available. Promotion closes 23:59 10 June 2018. To see full T&Cs visit Standard.co.uk/RL2018
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