Wild Ideas Worth Living
High-impact interviews for those who love adventure and the outdoors. Host and journalist Shelby Stanger interviews world-class explorers, athletes, authors, scientists, health experts and entrepreneurs about how they’ve taken their own wild ideas and made them a reality, so you can too. Some of the wildest ideas can lead to the most rewarding adventures.
Episodes
Sean Jansen, a lifelong surfer and adventurer, standup paddled over 1,000 miles along the coast of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula with his camping gear, food, and camera strapped to his board. His goal was to document the journey and raise awareness about the vaquita, an endangered porpoise native to the region.
Connect with Sean:
- Website
- Purchase Sean's book, Paddling with Porpoise
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Jessa Williams is the founder of Intrsxtn Surf, a Los Angeles-based surf collective dedicated to empowering Black women and women of color through surfing. After discovering the ocean as a space for healing and self-discovery, she launched Intrsxtn just one year after learning to surf. Since then, she has introduced hundreds of women to the waves, creating a supportive community that challenges traditional surf culture and celebrat...
Melissa Arnot Reid is a legendary American mountaineer, adventure guide, and author who has summited Mount Everest six times—more than any other American woman. She was the first American woman to climb and descend Everest without supplemental oxygen, pushing the limits of human endurance. Through extreme challenges and high-risk climbs, Melissa has found strength, resilience, and purpose in the mountains.
Connect with Melissa:
David Kilgore has been a lifelong runner who found his stride in the world of ultra marathons in his 20s. Rather than pursue running as his sole profession, he charted a unique course— joining the early team at On Running while continuing to compete at an elite level. From setting records to winning the Great World Race twice, David's journey has made him a standout in the global running community.
Connect with David:
Ayesha McGowan went from teaching music and delivering packages on a bike to shattering barriers in professional cycling, becoming the first African American female road cyclist in 2021. Though health challenges led to early retirement, Ayesha is now focused on empowering women of color in cycling and expanding access to the sport.
Connect with Ayesha:
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Shyanne Orvis is a Colorado-based fly fishing guide and content creator whose deep connection to nature shapes both her career and her approach to motherhood. From the rivers of Carbondale to destinations around the world, she’s building an inclusive community on the water—inviting more women to experience the transformative power of fly fishing.
Connect with Shyanne:
Purchase tickets to Outside Festival 2...
Harvey Lewis is an elite ultra runner and Guinness World Record holder for most laps completed at Big’s Backyard Ultra, a race where athletes run a 4.167-mile loop every hour until only one remains. Known for his endurance, strategy, and mental resilience, Lewis has become a defining figure in the world of ultra distance running.
Connect with Harvey:
If you enjoyed this episode, listen to Winning the Triple Crown ...
Liz Thomas is one of the most accomplished hikers in the U.S. She's completed the Triple Crown and set a self-supported, fastest known time on the Appalachian Trail in 2011. Liz has a ton of experience in remote parts of the wilderness, but for the past 10 years, she's been creating and hiking long-distance routes in 15 cities around the U.S.
Connect with Liz:
Stephanie Vermillion is a travel journalist and author whose fascination with stargazing led her to seek out even more adventures after the sun sets. Her latest book, 100 Nights of a Lifetime, is filled with suggestions for nocturnal adventures for anyone looking to experience nature from an entirely different perspective.
Connect with Stephanie:
- Website
- Check out Stephanie's new book, 100 Nights of a Lifetime
Than...
Brooks Bash is an entrepreneur and endurance athlete known for pursuing extraordinary challenges. In 2023, he ran a relay from Canada to Mexico to promote his natural energy drink company, Earthy. Later that year, Brooks completed 100 marathons in 100 days, equivalent to running from L.A. to New York. Just three weeks after his 100th marathon, he tackled another feat, running a 320-mile race from Santa Monica to Las Vegas.
Connect w...
Mo Beck is an elite climber who was born with a limb difference. For Mo, rock climbing is a puzzle, requiring her to find unique routes up the wall. Over the course of her career, Mo earned a spot on the national paralympic climbing team and has been a top tier competitor at countless national and international climbing events. Now, she's encouraging other adaptive climbers to rethink the limits of what their bodies can do.
Connect ...
Knox Robinson is a unique running coach and founder of the Black Roses running group in New York City. His coaching methods, inspired by music, culture, and the urban environment, are unconventional and effective. The Black Roses practice like an elite track team, but instead of high-end facilities, they use urban areas like parks, city streets, and local trails as their training grounds.
Connect with Knox:
Nick Schwanz and Spencer Scott are the visionary couple behind Solar Punk Farms in Guerneville, California. They transformed their lives from careers in brand strategy and bioengineering to create a community-focused, environmentally conscious farm.
Solar Punk Farms grows food and flowers, enabling Nick and Spencer to host memorable community gatherings and provide environmental education in hopes of making the sustainable revoluti...
Erik Weihenmayer made history in 2001 as the first blind person to summit Mount Everest. By 2008, he had completed the Seven Summits, the tallest mountains on each continent. Since then, Erik has embraced a wide range of adventure sports from paragliding in the Rocky Mountains and ice climbing in Nepal to kayaking the length of the Grand Canyon.
Connect with Erik:
Tara Dower has become one of America's top ultra runners, winning numerous 50 and 100-mile races and setting speed records on some of the nation's most challenging trails. In 2024, she achieved a monumental milestone by completing the 2200-mile Appalachian Trail, surpassing the previous fastest known time (FTK) by 13 hours.
Connect with Tara:
Listen to the Camp Nowhere Podcast
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Philip Henderson is a legendary outdoor instructor, adventurer, and mentor. With 30 years of experience leading expeditions and teaching sports like whitewater rafting, skiing, climbing, and mountaineering, Philip has made a significant impact in the outdoor community. In 2020, he was honored with the Outdoor Afro Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2022, he made history by leading the first all-Black team up Mount Everest.
Connect with ...
In 2020, Tez Steinberg rowed roughly 2,700 miles from California to Hawaii. He spent 71 days on the water, facing bad weather and extreme isolation. Surprisingly, when he landed on Oahu, he decided he wanted to do it again. This time, he would row from Hawaii to Australia, more than twice as far as his first expedition.
Connect with Tez:
A few years ago, Annijke Wade's career as a professional mountain biker changed dramatically after an accident that left her paralyzed from the chest down. Since then, she has become a talented para-cyclist, riding a three-wheeled mountain bike and propelling herself forward by rotating her handlebars. Even though her relationship with cycling has changed over the years, Annijke continues to love the thrill and freedom of whipping ...
In the summer of 2023, West Hansen led a team of kayakers, known as The Arctic Cowboys, through the Northwest Passage, making history as the first people to cross it by human power. The journey took them 103 days to complete, during which they encountered polar bears, icebergs, and some of the most intense weather of their lives.
Connect with West:
Thank you to our sp...
Emily Ford, the queen of winter adventuring and frigid thru-hikes, shares her recent wild ideas and offers listeners tips and tricks for thriving in cold weather camping. Denver Green Vest, Justin Borak, weighs in on staying warm and optimizing battery life on winter trails.
Connect with Emily:
Gear & apparel mentioned in this episode:
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