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Becoming an astronaut, travelling to much than 100 countries, having luncheon connected the Titanic wreck astatine the bottommost of the ocean, becoming a stone star.
These are among the ten “impossible” goals Nik Halik (Nikos Halikopoulos) wrote down astatine the property of eight, increasing up successful Port Melbourne.
For the Greek Australian entrepreneur, beingness since has been defined by a determination to signifier his ain communicative and garbage to regularisation retired the impossible.
“As a young 8-year-old, I became the actor, the shaper and the manager of my ain screenplay … And each I’ve truly been doing is I’ve conscionable been acting retired my screenplay,” Halik told Neos Kosmos.
His story circles backmost to a elemental idea: that beingness grows successful the absorption of what we situation to pursue.
“The large happening astir being 8 years of property is you truly judge you tin bash thing successful the world.”
“The originative big is the kid who survived.”
At 8 years old, Halik wrote a database of 10 beingness goals that helium would spend the years up trying to achieve. Photo: SuppliedA puerility shaped by struggle
Halik grew up successful a household defined by hard work.
His father, Konstantinos Halikopoulos, from Gargalianoi successful Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece worked arsenic a truck operator and was often distant for weeks.
His mother, Dionisia from Raptopoulo successful Messenia, worked agelong shifts arsenic a machinist successful the textile industry.
For overmuch of his aboriginal life, helium was homeschooled owed to chronic allergies and “debilitating asthma.”
“Doctors were saying to my parents, hole yourselves, this kid’s … he’s not going to pb an mean lifestyle.”
And successful galore ways, helium didn’t.
While different children played outside, helium immersed himself successful encyclopaedias and escapade stories similar Tintin—stories that became much than a way to walk time.
“Tintin explored the pyramids, Tintin went to Everest, Tintin went to space, Tintin explored shipwrecks. Well, conjecture what? It’s precisely what I’m doing.”
Nik Halik arsenic a baby. Photo: SuppliedIt was during this clip helium began to representation retired his aboriginal and wrote a database of ten beingness goals:
1. Become a stone ‘n’ rotation star
2. Become a millionaire
3. Run with the bulls successful Spain
4. Climb the highest mountains successful the world
5. Have luncheon adjacent the Titanic (wreck) astatine the bottommost of the ocean
6. Travel and research much than 100 countries
7. Own spot astir the world
8. Become an astronaut
9. Travel to the International Space Station and unrecorded there
10. Walk connected the Moon
Nik Halik’s father, Konstantinos HalikopoulosThe migrant story of the Titanic
As the son of Greek immigrants, Halik recovered idiosyncratic meaning successful the Titanic story.
“There were a batch of immigrants [on the Titanic] that were fleeing the aged world, heading retired to the caller world… I conscionable emotion the migrant story, the migrant dream.”
That connection, helium says, led him to take portion successful a deep-sea expedition to the wreck site, where wrong a submersible helium claims helium had luncheon and a changeable of vodka adjacent the bow of the Titanic.
Looking retired done the larboard window, helium recalls:
“All I tin spot there are shoes scattered each astir beside the wreck and suitcases. Those suitcases were the immigrant’s.”
“I’m looking astatine that and I’m thinking astir my parents.”
“Our stories are very akin successful the consciousness that our parents came with conscionable leather suitcases backmost successful the day.”
Konstantinos Halikopoulos, Nik’s father, playing the bouzouki. Photo: SuppliedPursuing the “rock star” dream
Inspired by his father’s bouzouki playing, Halik picked up the guitar and chased his “rock star dream”.
“I grew my hairsbreadth agelong and said I want to determination to Los Angeles to get a gig successful a stone set and beryllium similar a pb guitarist.”
And so, helium did.
At astir 17, helium near Australia with savings from teaching guitar and moved to the United States.
“I was the archetypal kid to permission the house, and I bought a one-way summons to Hollywood, California.”
Throughout the 1990s, helium says helium performed a batch of gigs while besides investing successful property.
“I worked 7 days a week. That’s each I knew.”
After years successful music, helium closed the “rock star” section and moved connected to the next.
At astir 17, Nik Halik (right) near Australia with savings from teaching guitar and moved to the United States to prosecute his “rock star” dream. Photo: SuppliedChasing space
For Halik, becoming an astronaut had been a “boyhood dream” since the property of four.
In the precocious 2000s, helium joined Russia’s civilian space programme astatine the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre.
“I came from the euphony industry, agelong hair, precocious nights … and present I’m surviving connected a Russian subject base,” helium notes.
Part of the experience, helium says, was besides a way of honouring his father’s pro-Russian views.
“If my begetter was still alive, helium would person been so proud.”
Training was intense.
“For three years, each time of my beingness astatine 7am, I would vomit.”
“This wasn’t the euphony thrust oregon Disneyland.”
Halik was selected arsenic a backup spaceflight subordinate successful a backstage Soyuz ngo to the International Space Station but did not extremity up flying.
Nik Halik shared a “very adjacent bond” with his mother. Photo: SuppliedNorth Korea
While successful North Korea astir a decennary ago, Halik says helium visited a garment mill that was aboriginal linked to an probe into Australian surfwear marque Rip Curl’s supply chain.
Photographs from his visit were aboriginal used successful reporting that recovered some “Made successful China” covering was successful information produced successful North Korea under mediocre working conditions.
Halik says helium saw textile workers connected the mill level working agelong hours for debased pay.
“These were ladies, machinists, textile workers, conscionable similar my mom.”
The acquisition struck a idiosyncratic chord.
“Because I ne'er got to spot my parent increasing up due to the fact that she was ever working… I was emotionally connected to the story due to the fact that of my mother’s experience,” helium explains.
Nik Halik with his mother, Dionisia Halikopoulos. Photo: SuppliedA “crazy” lifestyle
The adrenaline-seeker often describes his younger aforesaid arsenic a driving unit down his decisions.
“That eight-year-old that still resides successful maine is my manager and mentor still to this day.”
“I person a fiduciary and manner work to fulfill my boyhood dreams.”
Among the “crazy” adventures helium speaks of are high-altitude mountaineering, skydiving and lava expeditions.
The database goes on.
In 2007, helium says helium spent a nighttime wrong the Great Pyramid of Giza aft negotiations with Egyptian officials.
“The woody was this: I want to spend a nighttime unsocial successful the pyramid, alone, lights out, and I want you to fastener maine up inside.”
“One of the oldest antiquities successful the world, was my edifice country for the night.”
In the precocious 2000s, Nik Halik joined Russia’s civilian space programme astatine the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre. Photo: SuppliedInherited paths
Halik speaks astir the power of his household inheritance connected his beingness trajectory.
He recalls his father’s experiences during the Greek Civil War era, noting helium yet aligned with the communist side.
“A batch of things that I’ve done successful my beingness had these Russian connections,” helium says.
Rather than coincidence, helium sees patterns operating beneath conscious intention.
“I’m thinking similar I’ve done things subliminally due to the fact that of my dad.”
“And there’s different elements due to the fact that of my mother, successful North Korea.”
The adrenaline-seeker often describes his younger aforesaid arsenic a driving unit down his decisions. Photo: SuppliedLife today
Today, the space enthusiast says helium splits his clip betwixt the Caribbean, the United States and Europe, while investing successful businesses, startups, and entrepreneurial projects.
“Everything that I bash is to money my manner and implicit the top 10 database of goals.”
Halik’s purpose-driven mindset has shaped the way helium lives.
Today, the space enthusiast says helium splits his clip betwixt the Caribbean, the United States and Europe. Photo: SuppliedHis publication 5 Days Weekend reflects his doctrine of entrepreneurship arsenic a way to state and power implicit one’s life.
Beyond concern and ambition, Halik points to household arsenic cardinal to his outlook.
His mother, with whom helium shared a “very adjacent bond,” passed distant successful caller years.
“There’s not a time that I don’t think astir her,” helium says.
“Everything I did successful my beingness was for my parent … The past three years, I ever inquire myself, well, who the f**k americium I doing things present for?”
Still, an interior thrust continues to propulsion him guardant arsenic helium embraces a doctrine of surviving beingness to the fullest.
“I conscionable want to unrecorded retired loud, and I want to spell retired connected an bare tank of state … I want to sleep successful peace, and I want to wake up excited,” helium says.
As for the proposal helium would springiness immoderate young kid with dreams arsenic large arsenic his eight-year-old self:
“Just marque your beingness an epic, bonzer adventure.”
Nik Halik. Photo: Supplied
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