Rapid Ascent

In this episode of the Rapid Ascent Podcast, Jez sits down with one of the most understated yet profoundly dominant forces in the Aussie trail running scene: Piotr Babis.  Originally from Poland and now a Park Ranger based at Fortescue Bay, Piotr has been quietly chipping away at some of the most brutal Fastest Known Times (FKTs) in Australia. From the Southwest Traverse to the Overland Track, Pio...

What does it take to go from crashing twice in your first race to becoming one of Australia's most formidable off-road endurance athletes? In this episode, Jez sits down with Courtney Sherwell — dual Australian National Champion, 3x Queen of the Otways, and self-funded privateer who placed 7th in the 2025 Life Time Grand Prix. Courtney's story is one of pure grit, resilience, and an unwavering lov...

What does it take to WIN an elite mountain biking championship WHILE working as a high-powered lawyer? In this episode, we sit down with James Kelly to deconstruct his incredible journey to claim the green and gold at the 2025 XCM Nationals. He shares the training secrets, mental tactics, and the one race that changed everything, offering a blueprint for balancing a demanding career with elite ath...

Get ready for a rip-snorter of an episode! We're back from our summer break with a massive chat with one of the most underrated cyclists on the Aussie scene, Brent Rees. This young gun has been tearing it up, from out-sprinting the big names to win the 2023 Australian National Marathon Champs to back-to-back Oceania titles. He recently went toe-to-toe with some of the world's best at Radl Grvl in...

In this episode, Jeremy sits down with his own coach, renowned Australian cycling coach Adam Kelsall, to tackle one of the hottest topics in sport right now: can you trust AI to build your training plan? Jeremy reveals he used a specialised AI tool, Manus, to create a full suite of training plans for every event at the Otway Odyssey. But with the finished product in hand, he lacks the confidence t...

What does it truly take to be a champion? In this episode, Jez sits down with Brendan "Trekky" Johnston — one of Australia’s most accomplished and respected cyclists — for a conversation that goes far beyond race results. While his six National Titles and victories at iconic races like the Melbourne to Warnambool and Otway Odyssey are legendary, it’s the story of how he got there that offers a mas...

What does it take to not just win the Otway Odyssey, but to dominate it from the front, leaving a field of world-class athletes in your dust? In this episode, we do a deep dive with Tali Lane Welsh on his incredible solo victory at the Otway Odyssey In 2024. Tali got away early and, in the words of Australian MTB legend Dan McConnell, "No one seemed to give him much respect". He then proceeded to...

What if you had to choose between a pro cycling career and your love for the sport? Australian mountain bike legend Peta Mullens made that exact choice in her early 20s — walking away from a world tour road career to rediscover her passion on the trails. Fast forward to today, she's a 15 time National Champion (across multiple disciplines), the winningest Otway Odyssey champion – with 7 Odyssey ti...

Episode Summary In this episode, Jez sit down with Australian ultra-running sensation Holly Ranson, just 11 days before she attempts to break the 24-hour ultra running world record in France. Holly shares her incredible journey from professional triathlete and NRS cyclist to a dominant force in the world of ultra-endurance running (she's only a few laps of Courtney Dewaulter on the Backyard Ultra...

In this episode, we sit down with Kate Kellett to hear the incredible story of her nine-year journey to become the 2023 Elite Women's 24-Hour Solo World Champion. From a late start in the sport to a nail-biting finish in the final hours of the world championships, Kate's story is one of incredible resilience, dedication, and the power of a supportive team. Join us as we delve into the physical and...

There's something uniquely transformative about multi-day, stage races... Especially when they take you to far flung corners of the world and cut you off from social media, creature comforts and your "normal" routine.  That's why Sam Maffett & Marcel Shields not only deliver stage races as part of their work with Rapid Ascent, but also PARTICIPATE in them in their spare time.  In this episode,...

Sophie Geraghty is not your ‘typical’ runner — but then again, who is? Growing up with two alcoholic parents, living through chaos and instability, and battling an eating disorder for over two decades, Sophie has faced challenges that would stop most people in their tracks. But instead of letting those experiences define her, she used them as fuel — choosing to rewrite her story through running. F...

Shortly after their wins at the 2021 Otway Odyssey we conducted a live interview with Dan and Bec McConnell at the Forrest Brewery on Saturday afternoon - and here is a recording of that fascinating discussion. Hosted by Adam Kelsall, their conversation starts with how they started on bikes, and expands to include like details on their racing highs and lows overseas, how they celebrate World Cup p...

Make sure you tune into the final episode of the Rapid Ascent podcast with your host Ben Hucker and special guests Sam Maffett and John Jacoby. Sam is the General Manager of Rapid Ascent and John was the founder of the company in 2004.  They have some important updates for participants doing Rapid Ascent events in 2020. They also share some of their thoughts on the current situation with COVID-19....

We're very excited to announce pro multisport triathlete, Ben Allen, as our guest for Episode 11 of the Rapid Ascent podcast. We've had some ultra runners, adventure racers and mountain bikers to date but Ben is our first pro (off-road) triathlete. Ben has more than a decade of racing experience specialising in the non-drafting format of Triathlon, from 70.3 Ironman, Long Distance, and the XTERRA...

Brendan Johnston has cemented himself as the most consistently high performing mountain biker in marathon XC events all over Australia in recent years. He has collected 4X National XCM Championships, 19 straight Marathon wins and was a National XCM Series Winner in 2016/17. But he took the long road to get there. At just 17 years of age he had a paratesticular lump that needed to be removed. What...

From windy Wellington to sunny Wollongong, Samara Sheppard had her sights firmly set on Tokyo 2020. Her Olympic dreams have been shattered though. Changes to the Olympic selection policy made it almost impossible for Samara to qualify. Find out how she still manages to keep a big smile on her face though and hear about her new plans for the 2022 UCI Road World Championships. All the action will be...

We're super pumped to announce  Kellie Emmerson  as our guest for Episode #8 of the Rapid Ascent podcast. Kellie's a 3x Australian long-distance trail running champ, a PhD Student, Ultra Trail World Tour Runner, a Neurological Occupational Therapist and in-demand Running Coach. Oh and she's won the Surf Coast Century x3 times! But the best thing of all? She remains a humble, down to earth girl who...

He's got a ready smile, an infectious laugh and one of the most engaging personalities of anyone in the pro mountain bike ranks. He's also been described as the "Riders Rider" by the mountain bike fraternity. Meet GIANT sponsored rider  Josh Carlson . After years of racing motocross and Supercross events in Australia at a pro level, Josh suffered a nasty injury that threatened to derail his moto c...

In the 1990s, Deanna Blegg was a super-fit 24-year-old. But she soon became a super-sick 24-year-old. She lost 20 kilograms in six weeks. She had constant fevers, sweats, nausea, and swollen glands. She could barely stand without passing out. A round of antibiotics had no effect. So she went back to the doctor who gave her the bad news... she was HIV-positive. Just two years later, HIV developed i...

Paul van der Ploeg  has cemented himself as a force to be reckoned with in mountain biking over the past several years. Not only on the Australian mountain bike circuit, but also in Europe and around the world. The monster from Mount Beauty embraced the modern Eliminator XC format early in his career and picked up a World Cup Eliminator win in England 2011. In 2013 he WON the World XC Eliminator t...

He's a father of four and runs a local gym in Geelong with his wife. But he's also a Guinness World Record holder and just completed 535 consecutive half marathons in June 2019.  In Episode 4 of the Rapid Ascent podcast we interview running machine and 2019 Surf Coast Century participant, Matt Daniels.   He's incredibly humble despite his achievements. And he's raised almost $100,000 for charity d...

In Episode 3 of the Rapid Ascent podcast we interview the founder of Rapid Ascent—the man himself, John Jacoby. At just 19 John became a World Marathon Kayak Champion. He went on to win 3 more World Kayak titles along with 3 Multisport World Championships. He was the given the keys to the city of Melbourne at the tender age of 22 in recognition of these achievements. His crowning glory was perhaps...

Sharn Coombes was a Crown Prosecutor in Victoria for three years. She is now a member of the Victorian Bar and manages a busy schedule bringing justice to some of Victoria's worst criminals. She's also a devoted wife, Mum of four kids, an endurance athlete and Runner-Up Australian Survivor 2018. Find out what her secret is...

Sean Purcell is lucky to be alive. In 2014 he went for your typical Sunday morning jog with his dog. His wife and 4 kids expected him home not long after. Well, he never came back. Find out what happened next and the transformation that ensued...