Carpe Diem: Live Your Dream

Here’s a story about three teens, each taking their own unique 500+ mile, 7 week adventure near the Arctic Circle. Two things their journeys had in common were the personal growth that came out of their experiences, and the amazing organization which arranged things.

So this guy has a spontaneous dream to take a canoe 1,000 miles around the entire island of Ireland. And he manages to find another guy who decides it sounds like a fun challenge. Hear the wonderful story of adventure and chasing a dream in a canoe. And their dreams of adventure don't stop there!

What inspired this 11 year old girl to dream of biking the entire Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR)? That’s more than 2,500 miles of pedaling over 45 days, including almost a quarter million feet of elevation gain.  She not only dreamed of doing it – she did it, and is likely the youngest to ever do so. Hear about her adventure, and her wonderful advice to others, both old and young.

Here’s an 80 year-old woman who dreamed of hiking the Appalachian Trail for nearly 70 years before one day realizing she’d better get going or she’d never do it. She laughs off her many challenges (including knee replacement surgery) while achieving the record as the oldest female thru-hiker to complete the trail. This one’s got spunk!

Can you imagine traveling 100 mph or more skimming just inches above a frozen lake? Try ice boat racing. Until the early 1900s, ice boats were the fastest human vehicle on the planet. Today you can find them cruising or racing on frozen lakes all over the world. Here’s an 8-time world ice boat racing champion describing the sport.

If we’re lucky, we get about 4,000 Mondays in our life. How many do you have left? And what do you want to do with your remaining ones? Here’s the author of “You Only Die Once” who gives an uplifting take on the seemlingly morbid concept of memento mori to help us live a more fulfilling life.

What's it like to go a mile deep into a cave to take photographs? Here's a fascinating episode with one of the world's top cave photographers describing how he combines the artistic flair for professional photography with the challenging environment of spelunking in the longest and deepest caves in the world. Such adventures from deep underground all around the world.

I appreciate meeting people who achieve way more than I believe I ever could. It gives me inspiration to strive harder to get there myself. This episode profiles a 75 year old who joined me in last week’s Arrowhead 135 Ultra winter trail race and became the oldest finisher in the race’s 22 year history. It was a tough race, but listen to the end and you'll discover he doesn't plan to stop there.

The author of “Tough Broad” and “Gutsy Girl” knows a thing or two about adventure herself. She talks about the benefits of getting outdoors for adventure, about the power of awe, about leading with bravery in life rather than with fear, and about the 5 dimensions necessary for a long and fulfilling life. She’s inspirational for all, but is especially encouraging for women, old and young.

When I first met him, this doctor seemed like just a normal guy. It turns out he has climbed the Seven Summits while managing a career, raising a family, and maintaining a fantastic blog. His summiting of the Vinson Massif in Antartica was impressive, but so too were his two seasons on Mt. Everest – especially the first. Hear why, and how he squeezed so much into his life.

An annual Great Norse Run across Iceland. Another across Tajikistan. A bicycle adventure from the UK to India. A charity relay across the U.S.  All with energy posing out at the seams. That's the kind of stuff a Chief Vibe Maker would do, and that's exactly what my guest this episode is - a Chief Vibe Maker. Tune in and hear what that's like. 

Four friends decide to try a new way to explore the Brooks Range above the Arctic Circle in Alaska. They stuff small whitewater rafts in their backpacks and spend a month pack-rafting hundreds of miles through seldom-seen wilderness. Listening to all four of them in this episode, it’s clear they had a great time!

My guest for this episode hiked, paddled, and skied the entire Trans-Canadian Trail connecting three oceans. She created a spectacular documentary film “500 Days in the Wild” from that adventure, naming the film before she realized her journey would actually require 6 years! Listen to this episode to hear why.

Here’s a dynamic, fascinating individual who picked up photography in his 30’s and has now had three National Geographic magazine cover stories. He’s roamed the Arctic and so many other far-flung places, capturing the essence of wildlife, scenery, and the indigenous cultures. If you think it just takes being a guru behind a camera lens to make it big with Nat Geo, listen in to this episode to hear the real story.

Ann Bancroft has a lifetime of amazing firsts in the world of polar exploration: first woman to reach the North Pole, first woman to reach both the North and South Pole, first woman to ski across the Antarctic continent, and many other big adventures. She has also accomplished so many other achievements in her life through her curiosity and determination. Hear about them in this episode.