Wild Ideas Worth Living

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...

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:  Website  Instagram  The Arctic Cowboys website &...

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:  Instagram  Gear & apparel mentioned in this episode:  Z-Lite Sleeping Pad  Therm-a-Rest Puffy Camp Bla...

Kimmy Fasani is a groundbreaking figure in women’s snowboarding, known for her fearless innovation and inspiring journey. She began competing nationally at just 15 and made history as the first woman to land a double backflip in a terrain park. Since becoming a mom six years ago, Kimmy has continued to break barriers for women in sports while navigating profound challenges, including a breast canc...

Dr Jon Kedrowski is an adventure coach and seasoned mountaineer who helps athletes prepare for their biggest expeditions. John holds a PhD in Environmental, Geography, Weather, and Climate, and he's summited Mount Everest four times.  Connect with Dr Jon:  Website  Instagram  If you enjoyed this episode:  Listen to  Becoming Someone You're Proud Of with Mike Posner   This episode is presented by C...

On January 23, 2012, Felicity Aston made history as the first woman to ski solo across Antarctica. Her remarkable journey and extensive career as a Polar Explorer and Climate Researcher have taken her to some of the most remote and challenging environments on Earth. Connect with Felicity:  Website  If you enjoyed this episode:  Listen to Exploring the North and South Pole with Ann Bancroft This ep...

In May of 2017, Hellah Sidibe set a goal for himself: to run for 10 minutes a day for two weeks. Little did he know that once he started, he wouldn't want to stop. Hellah has run every single day for the last seven and a half years. Connect with Hellah:  Instagram  YouTube  If you enjoyed this episode:  Listen to Becoming Someone You're Proud Of with Mike Posner  This episode is presented by Capit...

Cody Townsend is one of America's most well-known and beloved professional skiers. In his 20s, Cody made a name for himself as a competitive alpine ski racer before starring in dozens of blockbuster ski movies. His fame skyrocketed in 2014 when he skied The Crack, a steep and narrow gully in Alaska. Following this feat, Cody embarked on an ambitious journey to ski the 50 classic lines in North Ame...

About a decade ago, entrepreneur Karla Amador set her sights on completing 52 hikes in a year. She didn't consider herself outdoorsy, so it helped to break down her goal into small, actionable steps, like hiking at least one mile each weekend. She called this project "The 52 Hike Challenge." 10 years later, she's turned it into a national company that encourages thousands of participants to get ou...

Will Gadd has spent his thirty-year career mastering the balance between risk management and innovation in extreme sports. He has set two paragliding distance records, won numerous ice climbing competitions, and achieved multiple first ascents. In 2015, Will became the first person to ice climb Niagara Falls. Connect with Will:  Website  Instagram  If you enjoyed this episode:  Listen to The Wisdo...

Jessie Krebs is a wilderness survival expert and Air Force veteran who prepares people for worst-case scenarios. Since her time in the Air Force, Jessie has used her experience to open her own wilderness survival school with a mission to share her knowledge with everyone, especially women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ folks, so they can more confidently, and safely explore the outdoors. Connect with Jessie: ...

12 years ago Martinus Evans went on his first run. Despite the initial struggle, he went on to complete his first marathon just 18 months later. Today, Martinus is a marathon runner, author, speaker, and the founder of the Slow AF Run Club, a community of over 40,000 members that motivates runners of all speeds to go after their big goals.   Connect with Martinus:  Website Instagram Slow AF websit...

Pat Gallant-Charette is a 73-year-old record-breaking marathon swimmer with nine Guinness World Records under her belt. From swimming across the English Channel to navigating Lake Ontario and Lake Zurich, Pat has proven that age is no barrier to big dreams. When she’s not taking on epic swims, you’ll find her tending to her garden, beekeeping, or tapping her own maple trees. Connect with Pat:  Web...

In 2022, Dan Hobbs achieved the record as the fastest self-supported person to climb all 58 of Colorado’s 14ers— a mountain that exceeds 14,000 feet in elevation— in just 14 days.  Connect with Dan:  Instagram  If you enjoyed this episode:  Listen to 100 Peaks in 50 Days with Jason Hardrath Thank you to our sponsors:  Capital One:  Check out the REI Co-op Mastercard program  and learn about  local...

Mario Rigby is a serial adventurer who pushes himself to his limit out in nature. He's kayaked across Lake Ontario, biked across the entire country of Canada and walked the length of Africa. No matter what kind of expedition he's on, the motivation remains the same, to witness the good in humanity and challenge others to see it as well.  Connect with Mario:  Website Instagram  YouTube Thank you to...

Angelina Huang is a former Team USA figure skater who made the bold decision to retire from the sport at just 18 years old. After taking a step back to reconnect with herself, Angelina found a new passion—wild ice skating, where her love for the ice was reignited by the beauty of natural landscapes around the world. Connect with Angelina:  Website Instagram & TikTok  Thank you to our sponsors:  Ca...

Comedian Matt Lyons— trail name Schmutz— is a thru-hiker who makes a living poking fun at outdoor enthusiasts. With a sharp wit and countless trail miles under his belt, Matt brings humor to everything from gear obsessions to the unpredictable mishaps of wilderness life. Connect with Matt:  Instagram & TikTok Website Thank you to our sponsors:  Capital One:  Check out the REI Co-op Mastercard prog...

Denise Joi is a wildlife pilot and conservationist who’s taken her passion for the outdoors to the skies. Denise works alongside biologists to research, survey, and transport species in an effort to protect biodiversity. Her job is incredibly challenging and takes a lot of planning. But for Denise, it is beyond worth it. Connect with Denise:  Instagram  Thank you to our sponsors:  Capital One:  Ch...

At 19, Jade Darmawangsa took on the wild challenge of surfing Pipeline—the most iconic and dangerous wave on the planet. There were two major obstacles: she didn't know how to surf, and she couldn’t swim. Connect with Jade:  Website  Instagram  TikTok YouTube Thank you to our sponsors:  Capital One:  Check out the REI Co-op Mastercard program  and learn about  local REI Fund grantees Merrell Liste...

Eric Carter is an alpine athlete and endurance coach who discovered the niche sport of ski mountaineering, or "skimo," and never looked back. Skimo involves skiing uphill in the backcountry and riding the slope back down. Eric also founded Ridgeline Athletics, where he helps mountain athletes chase their own wild outdoor adventures. Connect with Eric:  Website Instagram  Ridgeline Athletics websit...

Lauren Bash is an environmentalist and storyteller who breaks down the complexities of climate change in an inspiring, accessible way. She empowers people with simple, actionable steps to create a healthier environment—and ultimately, a healthier world. Connect with Lauren:  Website Instagram  TikTok  If you enjoyed this episode:  Listen to  Uncovering Climate Mysteries with Lonnie Thompson Listen...

For the last 20 years, researcher and journalist, Dan Buettner has been studying the happiest, healthiest people on earth. In 2003, Dan started exploring Blue Zones— regions where people live longer than average, many living to be over 100. His work has revealed that by living in places that encourage healthy habits, living a long fruitful life is more possible than people realize.  Connect with D...

Dani Reyes-Acosta is a runner, a snowboarder, a climber, and a filmmaker who is intentional about the why behind her adventures. She’s currently in the middle of making her first independent film series, called OUTLIER. The series tells the stories of boundary breaking Latina athletes as they explore their own identities and the great outdoors. Dani’s path to adventure film started in corporate Am...

Joe and Ann Evermore live in Colorado and they take wild parenting to a whole new level. Their kids are five, eight and 10, and each of them is a skilled hiker and rock climber. In 2022, their oldest son Sam became the youngest person to climb El Capitan via rope ascent.  Connect with Sam & Joe:  Website  Instagram  If you enjoyed this episode:  Listen to Raising Kids Wildly  Thank you to our spon...

Taku Kondo makes delicious meals outside with ingredients that he forages or catches in the wild. He documents his cooking creations on his YouTube channel, Outdoor Chef Life, which features videos of Taku harvesting the ingredients and preparing meals back at camp. Connect with Taku:  Outdoor Chef Life YouTube channel Website Instagram Jocelyn & Taku's YouTube , Instagram & website  Thank you to...