Sebastian Terry, 30, Manly, NSW
Cries of pain filled the room as the mum-to-be pushed with all her might. With her partner willing her on, I was right on the front line - huddled next to the midwife with the mum's ankle flung over my shoulder. After another heroic push, a tiny baby appeared. Bursting into tears, I couldn't believe I'd just witnessed the miracle of birth.
By rights I shouldn't have been there. I wasn't a nurse, or a family member. In fact, I'd only met the parents, Carmen and Dane, a few hours before. But after hearing media reports about a project I'd started, called 100 Things, they had offered to help tick off number 23 on my bucket list: deliver a baby.
I started my quest six years ago when a good mate, Detho, passed away at the age of 24. Losing him at such a young age made me take a long, hard look at my own life. I wasn't who I wanted to be. I was a drifter with no real direction. Something needed to change. So, picking up a pen and a scrap of paper, I wrote down everything I'd ever dreamt about doing - breaking a Guinness World Record, chasing a tornado, kissing a celebrity... Before long I'd completed my list and called it 100 Things. My ideas ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous, but it didn't matter because these were my dreams, no-one else's.
Splashing out on some flights, courtesy of my credit card, the next day I flew to Las Vegas to tick number two off my list and marry a stranger. It was something I had always wanted to do. I found the perfect girl for the job working at a bar in town. Or so I thought. Three days later I was left red-faced when my bride- to-be, a dancer called Crystal, stood me up at the altar and I had to start my search again. With just 20 minutes to go until I was due to say 'I do', I called the receptionist of the backpackers hostel I was staying at. With a wicked sense of humour, I knew if anyone could help, it was her. Laughing hysterically as I told her of my predicament, Chevali agreed to be my blushing bride and came straight down to the drive-through wedding chapel. Stifling giggles as an Elvis impersonator pronounced us husband and wife on top of a stretch Hummer, we could hardly believe what we were doing. It was all a bit of fun - we didn't even have a photographer - and the marriage was later annulled, but the memory will stay with me forever. Still, I wasn't about to be constrained by married life. The next day I waved my new bride goodbye and flew back to Sydney to work day and night to fund my next adventure.
Over the next few years, I completed number six: a triathlon, starred in a music video for number nine, and I even visited a death-row inmate for number 12. I challenged a world champion for number 64, getting splattered by Ollie Lang, the greatest paintballer of all time, in the process. Cycling through Cuba - number 42 - taught me that money has nothing to do with happiness. Most of the people I met on that journey didn't have two coins to rub together, but they always seemed to have a smile on their faces. One of the most humbling experiences I had was number 41 - buy a stranger lunch.
I met Chris and Emily in Sydney and they were homeless. When I took them to a cafe, they insisted on ordering the cheapest thing on the menu - a plate of hot chips. Thousands of people began contacting me to offer their assistance, whether it be a bed to sleep in, free flights or casual work in between challenges. My mum, Ingrid, thought I was mad. But when I explained to her I was raising awareness and money for children's cancer charity Camp Quality with my tasks, she started to see that my mission had a deeper significance.
From that moment on, I had her full support. As time passed, people began asking me to help them with their own bucket lists. One fella's story stuck out a mile. Mark had been left wheelchair-bound by a neurological disorder. He wanted to complete a half marathon and asked me to push his wheelchair. I was honoured to do so and now Mark and I are in training for a full marathon. One of the most common questions people ask is how I can afford to fund my trips. I'm not a rich man so I just do what I can, when I can. I work hard between adventures doing anything from bar work to casual labouring, and my credit card has taken a real pounding. But I've learnt that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
I'm a normal Aussie guy taking a chance by following my heart instead of my head. It's all for a good cause too. Number four on my list is to raise $100,000 for Camp Quality and I'm well on my way to achieving that amount. So far, I've completed over half the things on my list - including writing a book about my adventures - number 100. I don't know when I'll actually complete everything or what I'll do when I've finished - but it's not the destination that's important, it's the journey.
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