Title:  Our “Marvell Moments” Story!
          Anu Agrawal’s Unforgettable Journey in Antarctica

 Join us as we launch “Marvell Moments”, our new series of stories that will run on Marvell Exchange on a regular basis to celebrate the extraordinary experiences of our employees.

In each Marvell Moment, our employees will share their personal tales of triumph, and share how they took Marvell’s Core Behaviors along with them on their journey to success. At Marvell, our Core Behaviors define who we are as a global company and how we conduct our relationships with each other and our stakeholders. They are: Act with integrity and treat everyone with respect, innovate to solve customer needs, execute with thoroughness and rigor, and help others achieve their objectives.

These Core Behaviors help shape our company culture and drive us to do great things. Through this series, you’ll read how these values come to life and empower our employees to conquer challenges and inspire others both at work and outside of work.   

Our first story focuses on Anu Agrawal, who recently completed a half-marathon in Antarctica.

Just to reach her destination, Anu’s ship needed to cross the notorious Drake Passage, an icy expanse situated at the foot of South America. Alongside her fellow travelers, she encountered towering waves measuring 25 feet and beyond. The journey itself was challenging, and by the time Anu was ready to run, she had gone almost two weeks without engaging in any exercise. This extended hiatus from training added an extra layer of difficulty as she prepared to tackle the race.

Once underway, Anu found herself navigating a course that was hilly, gravelly and muddy, making it the toughest course she and many of her 150 fellow runners had ever experienced. The challenging conditions prompted several participants to switch from the full marathon to the 13-mile half marathon. Despite the real risk of hypothermia in the frigid Antarctic environment, Anu and the other runners remained undeterred. They embraced the tradition of the “polar plunge” into icy waters.
At the end, Anu says she simply felt a strong sense of accomplishment. So many things had to align correctly to just complete the race and she was very glad that she did it.

Here’s Anu in her own words on how she embraced Marvell’s Core Behaviors.
“Anyone who has done an endurance sport will tell you that it is a test of your grit, your perseverance, your ability to innovate and adapt, and to do what is necessary to be successful. There were many challenges and hurdles that I had to overcome for this specific trip – from training to logistics to minimizing disruption at work. I met some incredible people, and I learned that nothing worth achieving and feeling proud of is easy.”

 “It’s easy to follow the beaten path, but creating a new trail requires a certain sense of confidence in our ability to solve problems and not be afraid to be that first person. However, it also means that it can make people around us uneasy, and so it can be hard when there are a lot of naysayers.”

 “I reflected quite a bit during and after my trip and I feel one of the reasons I was successful was because I was in control even when it seemed like I was not. I took ownership and responsibility; I was making decisions, delegating, problem solving. I was in my element, and I loved it! I’m currently planning my next adventure. But until then, I’m focusing on some family time.”

Anu lives in the Bay Area and is a Director in Incentive Compensation Strategy & Sales Operations at Marvell.

If you have your own stories for “Marvell Moments”, please submit them via Submit a Story on Marvell Exchange. We look forward to hearing from you!