Latest news with #SimonFasolo
The Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Rollercoaster chaser could still set record despite Storm Floris setback
A thrill-seeker who set out to ride every rollercoaster in the UK in a little over two weeks has had his plans scuppered by Storm Floris – but could still break a world record. Dean Stokes, 36, originally organised a trip to go on 120 rollercoasters in 32 theme parks in 16 days across the UK, travelling alongside his friend and former colleague Simon Fasolo, 44. Mr Stokes, from Brighton, East Sussex, worked for five years at Google before leaving the corporate ladder to set up his own business delivering technology training, having grown tired of being unable to try new things. The former UK head of Google for Education believes people should be encouraged to do what they love and has taken time away from work to complete and document the challenge on social media. But he has since run into problems, with Storm Floris closing several theme parks less than a third of the way into his journey. Despite the route not going to plan, Mr Stokes has been contacted by Guinness World Records, who say it could still be possible to set a new record. He said: 'We were scuppered by Storm Floris, as two of the parks we visited did not have coasters operating because of wind and rain. 'The day I was in north Devon, we were meant to get on eight rollercoasters, but I only managed one. 'Most of the rides were shut down for safety reasons, which is understandable but it was really frustrating when we got there. 'I originally didn't reach out to the Guinness World Records because I just hadn't had the time in planning all the trip and I'm not really doing this to break a record, I'm doing it for fun. 'But two days ago, they emailed me asking if I'm interested in it, and I said yes – I would love to hang a world record at my office and have it in the background of my video calls. 'So, despite Storm Floris setting us back on the original plan, we could still break a record. We're just working out what the details are. It may be something like most rollercoasters ridden in a week – I'm trying to work with them to figure out what's a good record that we can set.' Mr Stokes says he has been overwhelmed by the support both on social media and in person at the theme parks. Along with Mr Fasolo, the pair have been recognised by several fellow thrill-seekers and ride operators. Mr Stokes even had a follower join him for the first ride, the Pinball X at Flamingo Park in Hastings, East Sussex. He said: 'Before Storm Floris, it was going really well. Someone was even there to meet me in Hastings – a kid called Jack and his family. 'I was so surprised when I turned up and there was someone there – he said 'I'm here to ride this with you'. 'Jack said they were planning on going to a different theme park but decided to come to Hastings to join me, which was lovely. 'One of the ride operators recognised me from the videos on social media as well, which has all been so surprising but really amazing. 'I've been going live on TikTok, so when I drive quite I'm often doing quick live streams talking to people that are joining on there. 'We're starting to build a bit of a crowd for Thorpe Park, which would be the last park of the trip – I think we're going to get a little bit of a group together to ride my last ride together which is fun.' Mr Stokes maintains that it is important to encourage people to follow their passion and not to worry about what others think when pursuing something they enjoy. He said: 'The big reason that I'm doing it is that I really think that people should just get out there and do more of what they love. 'We spend too much time these days feeling embarrassed about things that we want to do, or not pushing ourselves to do something because we're worried about whatever people might think. 'In fact, being confident to go out and do what you want is super important.'
The Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Roller coaster chaser could still set record despite Storm Floris setback
A thrill-seeker who set out to ride every roller coaster in the UK in a little over two weeks has had his plans scuppered by Storm Floris – but could still break a world record. Dean Stokes, 36, originally organised a trip to go on 120 roller coasters in 32 theme parks in 16 days across the UK, travelling alongside his friend and former colleague Simon Fasolo, 44. Mr Stokes, from Brighton, East Sussex, worked for five years at Google before leaving the corporate ladder to set up his own business delivering technology training, having grown tired of being unable to try new things. The former UK head of Google for Education believes people should be encouraged to do what they love and has taken time away from work to complete and document the challenge on social media. But he has since run into problems, with Storm Floris closing several theme parks less than a third of the way into his journey. Despite the route not going to plan, Mr Stokes has been contacted by Guinness World Records, who say it could still be possible to set a new record. He said: 'We were scuppered by Storm Floris, as two of the parks we visited did not have coasters operating because of wind and rain. 'The day I was in north Devon, we were meant to get on eight roller coasters, but I only managed one. 'Most of the rides were shut down for safety reasons, which is understandable but it was really frustrating when we got there. 'I originally didn't reach out to the Guinness World Records because I just hadn't had the time in planning all the trip and I'm not really doing this to break a record, I'm doing it for fun. 'But two days ago, they emailed me asking if I'm interested in it, and I said yes – I would love to hang a world record at my office and have it in the background of my video calls. 'So, despite Storm Floris setting us back on the original plan, we could still break a record. We're just working out what the details are. It may be something like most roller coasters ridden in a week – I'm trying to work with them to figure out what's a good record that we can set.' Mr Stokes says he has been overwhelmed by the support both on social media and in person at the theme parks. Along with Mr Fasolo, the pair have been recognised by several fellow thrill-seekers and ride operators. Mr Stokes even had a follower join him for the first ride, the Pinball X at Flamingo Park in Hastings, East Sussex. He said: 'Before Storm Floris, it was going really well. Someone was even there to meet me in Hastings – a kid called Jack and his family. 'I was so surprised when I turned up and there was someone there – he said 'I'm here to ride this with you'. 'Jack said they were planning on going to a different theme park but decided to come to Hastings to join me, which was lovely. 'One of the ride operators recognised me from the videos on social media as well, which has all been so surprising but really amazing. 'I've been going live on TikTok, so when I drive quite I'm often doing quick live streams talking to people that are joining on there. 'We're starting to build a bit of a crowd for Thorpe Park, which would be the last park of the trip – I think we're going to get a little bit of a group together to ride my last ride together which is fun.' Mr Stokes maintains that it is important to encourage people to follow their passion and not to worry about what others think when pursuing something they enjoy. He said: 'The big reason that I'm doing it is that I really think that people should just get out there and do more of what they love. 'We spend too much time these days feeling embarrassed about things that we want to do, or not pushing ourselves to do something because we're worried about whatever people might think. 'In fact, being confident to go out and do what you want is super important.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Roller coaster chaser could still set record despite Storm Floris setback
A thrill-seeker who set out to ride every roller coaster in the UK in a little over two weeks has had his plans scuppered by Storm Floris – but could still break a world record. Dean Stokes, 36, originally organised a trip to go on 120 roller coasters in 32 theme parks in 16 days across the UK, travelling alongside his friend and former colleague Simon Fasolo, 44. Mr Stokes, from Brighton, East Sussex, worked for five years at Google before leaving the corporate ladder to set up his own business delivering technology training, having grown tired of being unable to try new things. The former UK head of Google for Education believes people should be encouraged to do what they love and has taken time away from work to complete and document the challenge on social media. But he has since run into problems, with Storm Floris closing several theme parks less than a third of the way into his journey. Despite the route not going to plan, Mr Stokes has been contacted by Guinness World Records, who say it could still be possible to set a new record. He said: 'We were scuppered by Storm Floris, as two of the parks we visited did not have coasters operating because of wind and rain. 'The day I was in north Devon, we were meant to get on eight roller coasters, but I only managed one. 'Most of the rides were shut down for safety reasons, which is understandable but it was really frustrating when we got there. 'I originally didn't reach out to the Guinness World Records because I just hadn't had the time in planning all the trip and I'm not really doing this to break a record, I'm doing it for fun. 'But two days ago, they emailed me asking if I'm interested in it, and I said yes – I would love to hang a world record at my office and have it in the background of my video calls. 'So, despite Storm Floris setting us back on the original plan, we could still break a record. We're just working out what the details are. It may be something like most roller coasters ridden in a week – I'm trying to work with them to figure out what's a good record that we can set.' Mr Stokes says he has been overwhelmed by the support both on social media and in person at the theme parks. Along with Mr Fasolo, the pair have been recognised by several fellow thrill-seekers and ride operators. Mr Stokes even had a follower join him for the first ride, the Pinball X at Flamingo Park in Hastings, East Sussex. He said: 'Before Storm Floris, it was going really well. Someone was even there to meet me in Hastings – a kid called Jack and his family. 'I was so surprised when I turned up and there was someone there – he said 'I'm here to ride this with you'. 'Jack said they were planning on going to a different theme park but decided to come to Hastings to join me, which was lovely. 'One of the ride operators recognised me from the videos on social media as well, which has all been so surprising but really amazing. 'I've been going live on TikTok, so when I drive quite I'm often doing quick live streams talking to people that are joining on there. 'We're starting to build a bit of a crowd for Thorpe Park, which would be the last park of the trip – I think we're going to get a little bit of a group together to ride my last ride together which is fun.' Mr Stokes maintains that it is important to encourage people to follow their passion and not to worry about what others think when pursuing something they enjoy. He said: 'The big reason that I'm doing it is that I really think that people should just get out there and do more of what they love. 'We spend too much time these days feeling embarrassed about things that we want to do, or not pushing ourselves to do something because we're worried about whatever people might think. 'In fact, being confident to go out and do what you want is super important.'
STV News
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- STV News
Thrill-seeker to attempt to ride 120 rollercoasters in UK in just over two weeks
A thrill-seeking man is to begin an attempt to ride every rollercoaster in the UK in little over two weeks. Dean Stokes, 36, believes he will become the first person to achieve the feat if he can succeed in riding 120 coasters across 32 theme parks in 16 days, starting in Brighton and ending at Thorpe Park. Mr Stokes worked for five years at Google before leaving the corporate ladder to set up his own business delivering technology training, having grown tired of being unable to try new things. The former UK head of Google for Education decided to set up his own YouTube channel as part of his new work and has already seen his videos about his planned adventure viewed hundreds of thousands of times across social media platforms. Mr Stokes, from Brighton, in East Sussex, told his former Google colleague Simon Fasolo, 44, about his plan to travel the UK in pursuit of the aim. And Mr Fasolo, from Perth, Australia, decided it would be a great way to explore the country – despite hating rollercoasters himself and refusing to join his friend on the rides. The two will begin at Brighton Palace Pier, home to the Crazy Mouse and Turbo rollercoasters, and, according to the route map on the website, hope to have conquered four parks and eight rides in total by the end of the first day. Dean's challenge will end at Thorpe Park. / Credit: PA Mr Stokes said: 'I've ridden over 100 rollercoasters in around 25 different theme parks across 10 different countries. 'But I still haven't actually ridden loads of rollercoasters in the UK, so I just thought, why not? 'One of the reasons I left the corporate world was to have a bit more variety in the work that I do and so starting the YouTube channel on the tech side was part of that. 'And I just thought, if I was going to make a channel that was completely different to that, what would it be? And it would probably be rollercoasters and theme parks because I'm a big fan. 'I've included every rollercoaster that's classed as a thrill or extreme rollercoaster, to avoid family and children's rides. But we plan to do all of them consecutively. 'As far as I know, I think I'll be the first person to do it – the only person mad enough to do it.' Mr Stokes said he is open to ideas or suggestions from his followers on social media of tasks within the challenge. The duo have booked around half of the hotels, and plan to travel in a hire car, but delays and unforeseen issues could lead to a stressful journey. Mr Stokes, from Brighton, in East Sussex, told his former Google colleague Simon Fasolo, 44, about his rollercoaster challenge. / Credit: Handout/PA He said: 'I think it's going to be quite a lot of stress at points, but I'm looking forward to it overall. 'On social media, I realised it was really resonating with people. 'I think people want to go out and have fun and I think that often we are too scared to get out and just do the things that we love, especially as adults. 'There's this whole community out there that loves theme parks, whether they're proper enthusiasts or just people that like going in the summer with their family, and they are now really excited to follow my progress.' He added: 'Someone commented and said it is the UK theme park enthusiast's dream. It might be difficult, so I'll have to decide whether it feels like a dream at the end of it or not. There are theme parks the two plan to visit across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and they are planning on driving to Dublin for an extra set of rides in the Republic of Ireland. Mr Stokes is excited to support many of the amusement parks which are run as independent businesses, as well as visiting historic seaside resorts, such as Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, which is over a hundred years old. He has asked for permission to film for his YouTube, TikTok and Facebook, and a number of the theme parks have even offered him free tickets. Mr Stokes said: 'A lot of the parks have come back to me and are really on board with the whole idea. 'I need the good summer weather to continue, as I've only packed shorts and T-shirts, and one jacket. But if it all goes to plan, it should be a great trip 'And I'm already looking for inspiration for my next challenge once it's complete – I think the natural next step would be to choose another country and do the same. 'Germany has loads of world world-class theme parks, so we could go and do it there. 'But maybe it could be a country that I've never been to. I know Japan has a few theme parks that'd be cool to get around. But I'll do well to finish this challenge first.' Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know… Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Thrill-seeker to attempt to ride 120 rollercoasters in UK in just over two weeks
A thrill-seeking man is to begin an attempt to ride every rollercoaster in the UK in little over two weeks. Dean Stokes, 36, believes he will become the first person to achieve the feat if he can succeed in riding 120 coasters across 32 theme parks in 16 days, starting in Brighton and ending at Thorpe Park. Mr Stokes worked for five years at Google before leaving the corporate ladder to set up his own business delivering technology training, having grown tired of being unable to try new things. The former UK head of Google for Education decided to set up his own YouTube channel as part of his new work and has already seen his videos about his planned adventure viewed hundreds of thousands of times across social media platforms. Mr Stokes, from Brighton, in East Sussex, told his former Google colleague Simon Fasolo, 44, about his plan to travel the UK in pursuit of the aim. And Mr Fasolo, from Perth, Australia, decided it would be a great way to explore the country – despite hating rollercoasters himself and refusing to join his friend on the rides. The two will begin at Brighton Palace Pier, home to the Crazy Mouse and Turbo rollercoasters, and, according to the route map on the website, hope to have conquered four parks and eight rides in total by the end of the first day. Mr Stokes said: 'I've ridden over 100 rollercoasters in around 25 different theme parks across 10 different countries. 'But I still haven't actually ridden loads of rollercoasters in the UK, so I just thought, why not? 'One of the reasons I left the corporate world was to have a bit more variety in the work that I do and so starting the YouTube channel on the tech side was part of that. 'And I just thought, if I was going to make a channel that was completely different to that, what would it be? And it would probably be rollercoasters and theme parks because I'm a big fan. 'I've included every rollercoaster that's classed as a thrill or extreme rollercoaster, to avoid family and children's rides. But we plan to do all of them consecutively. 'As far as I know, I think I'll be the first person to do it – the only person mad enough to do it.' Mr Stokes said he is open to ideas or suggestions from his followers on social media of tasks within the challenge. The duo have booked around half of the hotels, and plan to travel in a hire car, but delays and unforeseen issues could lead to a stressful journey. He said: 'I think it's going to be quite a lot of stress at points, but I'm looking forward to it overall. 'On social media, I realised it was really resonating with people. 'I think people want to go out and have fun and I think that often we are too scared to get out and just do the things that we love, especially as adults. 'There's this whole community out there that loves theme parks, whether they're proper enthusiasts or just people that like going in the summer with their family, and they are now really excited to follow my progress.' He added: 'Someone commented and said it is the UK theme park enthusiast's dream. It might be difficult, so I'll have to decide whether it feels like a dream at the end of it or not. There are theme parks the two plan to visit across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and they are planning on driving to Dublin for an extra set of rides in the Republic of Ireland. Mr Stokes is excited to support many of the amusement parks which are run as independent businesses, as well as visiting historic seaside resorts, such as Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, which is over a hundred years old. He has asked for permission to film for his YouTube, TikTok and Facebook, and a number of the theme parks have even offered him free tickets. Mr Stokes said: 'A lot of the parks have come back to me and are really on board with the whole idea. 'I need the good summer weather to continue, as I've only packed shorts and T-shirts, and one jacket. But if it all goes to plan, it should be a great trip 'And I'm already looking for inspiration for my next challenge once it's complete – I think the natural next step would be to choose another country and do the same. 'Germany has loads of world world-class theme parks, so we could go and do it there. 'But maybe it could be a country that I've never been to. I know Japan has a few theme parks that'd be cool to get around. But I'll do well to finish this challenge first.'
