Wild Ideas Worth Living

Kit DesLauriers is a ski mountaineer, two time Freeride World Champion, and the first person to climb and ski down the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each continent. She completed the historic project in 2006, cementing her place as one of the most accomplished ski mountaineers in the world. A National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and member of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame, Kit has spent her career pushing the limits of human powered adventure. Connect with Kit: Website Instagram Purchase Kit's book, Higher Love: Climbing and Skiing the Seven Summits Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard® Smartwool Salomon Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alison Mariella Désir is a runner, activist, author of Running While Black , and host of the award winning PBS series Out & Back . In 2013, she started a community run club in Harlem with a simple goal: help more Black and Brown people experience the joy and connection of running. That grassroots effort helped launch a career dedicated to building community, expanding access to the outdoors, and empowering others to pursue their own adventures. Connect with Alison: Website Instagram Substack Watch Out & Back on PBS Purchase Running While Black Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard® Smartwool The North Face Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rob Lea is an endurance athlete, mountaineer, and open water swimmer who became the first person to complete the Double Seven in June 2026. The project combines climbing the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each continent, with the Oceans Seven, a collection of iconic open water crossings that includes the English Channel and the Strait of Gibraltar. By uniting two of the world's most demanding endurance challenges, Rob set a new benchmark for adventure, mountaineering, and marathon swimming. Connect with Rob: Instagram Check out REI’s 2026 Editors’ Choice Awards Thank you to our sponsor: Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard® The North Face Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jenn Dice is the CEO of PeopleForBikes, a national nonprofit dedicated to making biking safer, easier, and more accessible across the United States. As a lifelong cyclist, she has spent decades exploring the outdoors on two wheels and advocating for better places to ride. Her work is driven by the belief that bicycles can improve health, strengthen communities, and create more connected places to live. Connect with Jenn: PeopleForBikes website & Instagram Instagram Check out REI’s 2026 Editors’ Choice Awards Thank you to our sponsor: Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard® The North Face Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Anton Nootenboom is an endurance athlete, mental health advocate, and world record holder known as the Barefoot Dutchman. He has walked thousands of miles barefoot through some of the world's most challenging landscapes, including the Himalayas, the Australian coast, and across the United States. A former Dutch soldier, Anton uses his expeditions to raise awareness for men's mental health and inspire more open conversations around mental well-being. Connect with Anton: Instagram Brave Men Talk website Check out REI’s 2026 Editors’ Choice Awards Thank you to our sponsor: Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard® The North Face Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rachel Entrekin is an ultrarunner and three time champion of the Cocodona 250, one of the most demanding ultramarathons in the United States. Known as the "Queen of Cocodona," she became the first woman to win the race outright in 2026, covering more than 250 miles across Arizona in 56 hours, 9 minutes, and 58 seconds while setting a new course record. Connect with Rachel: Instagram If you enjoyed this episode, listen to Winning the Triple Crown of Ultra Running with Courtney Dauwalter Check out REI’s 2026 Editors’ Choice Awards Thank you to our sponsor: Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard® Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Courtney Conley is a movement specialist, foot health expert, and author of the national bestselling book Walk . Through her work as founder of Gait Happens, she helps people build stronger feet and ankles to improve mobility, prevent injury, and stay active for life. Whether you love hiking, running, biking, or climbing, Courtney believes better movement starts from the ground up. Connect with Courtney: Website Instagram If you enjoyed this episode, listen to Movement Diet with Katy Bowman Check out REI's 2026 Editors' Choice Awards Thank you to our sponsor: Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard® Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Samer Abouhamad is a long distance cyclist who biked 46,000 miles through 61 countries during a three year journey around the world. He began the ride just outside his family's home in Brookline, Massachusetts, and completed it in Beirut, Lebanon, in September 2025. Connect with Samer: Website Instagram Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard® Benchmade Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael Koppy is a 75-year-old ultrarunner and retired engineering professor from northern Minnesota who is still breaking records in endurance sports. Over the past decade, he's completed two fastest known times (FKTs) and continues to compete in some of the country's most demanding ultramarathons. In 2026, he became the oldest person to finish the Arrowhead 135, one of the toughest winter ultramarathons in the United States. If you enjoyed this episode: Listen to Breaking the Record at Big’s Backyard Ultra with Harvey Lewis Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard® Benchmade Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Breannah Yeh is a slackliner, highliner, and content creator who has spent the last six years dedicated to life on the line. Whether she's landing tricks on a slackline in Los Angeles or walking highlines suspended thousands of feet above the ground, Breannah brings a joyful and creative approach to a sport that demands intense focus and balance. Through her videos, she shares the challenges and rewards of slacklining with a community of more than 2.5 million followers. Connect with Breannah: TikTok YouTube Instagram If you enjoyed this episode, listen to: Learning Something New with Dylon Efron Life on a Highline with Faith Dickey Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard® Benchmade Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lisa Jhung is a writer, trail runner, and ultramarathon pacer who first began pacing runners more than 25 years ago. Drawn to the challenge and camaraderie of endurance sports, she's helped athletes through some of the most demanding miles of their lives. What keeps her returning to the trail is the opportunity to support someone else's big goal and be part of their journey to the finish line. Connect with Lisa: Website Instagram Substack Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard® Benchmade Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lucy Barnard is an Australian adventurer walking the length of the Americas, a years long expedition from Argentina to Alaska she began in 2017. Along the way, she adopted a blue heeler named Wombat, and together they navigate deserts, mountains, jungles, and remote terrain on foot. By 2026, Lucy had reached northern British Columbia, steadily continuing north toward Alaska. Connect with Lucy: Website Instagram YouTube Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard® Benchmade Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On June 12, 2025, 15 year old Tasia Linwood set out to kayak 310 miles down the Klamath River, from southern Oregon to the coast of northern California. She went with several other young Indigenous kayakers, from different tribes who live along the river. Their journey marked the first descent of the Klamath after the removal of four dams, which her community had fought for for decades. Connect with Tasia: Watch: First Descent: Kayaking the Klamath River after the largest dam removal in U.S. history Support Paddle Tribal Waters: https://www.tattoo34pdx.com/ptw Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard® Benchmade Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Liam Garner is a long distance cyclist who set out at 17 to bike from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina, completing nearly 20,000 miles and becoming the youngest person to ride the length of the Americas. Now, Liam is continuing his global cycling journey, riding roughly 15,000 miles from Portugal through Europe, the Middle East, and Asia toward Singapore as part of his goal to bike across every continent. Connect with Liam: TikTok Instagram Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard® AeroPress Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lindsay Branham is an environmental psychologist exploring how we build deeper, more reciprocal relationships with nature. Her work invites us to go beyond simply spending time outside and consider what it might look like to truly listen and even communicate with trees. Connect with Lindsay: Website Instagram Purchase Lindsay's book, Heartwood: The Wisdom and Healing Kinship of Trees Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard® Ocean Bottle Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Yassine Diboun is a Portland-based ultrarunner and coach who found endurance sports during recovery from addiction. After signing up for his first triathlon in 2004 to bring structure to his life, he discovered a talent for running that quickly evolved into a career in ultramarathons. Since then, he has become one of the sport’s most respected athletes, with top 10 finishes at Western States 100, multiple course records, and a place on the U.S. trail running team. Connect with Yassine: Instagram Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard® AeroPress Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Joe Holder is a Nike Master Trainer and GQ fitness columnist with a track record of coaching elite athletes and high profile clients. Grounded in a background in health and wellness, he brings a practical approach to endurance training and overall fitness. His work spans marathon training, thru hike preparation, and strategies to support long term health and performance. Connect with Joe: Instagram YouTube Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard® AeroPress Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In January 2026, Taryn Smith became the third American woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean, completing a 46 day Atlantic Ocean crossing in open water conditions. With no rowing experience beforehand, she leaned on a foundation built through world travel, the New York City Marathon, and summers exploring Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains. Website Instagram Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard® AeroPress Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shane Schieffer is an endurance swimmer who spent more than 15 years dreaming of a full length swim of Lake Powell, the desert reservoir stretching from Utah into Arizona. In September 2025, he became the first person to complete it, covering 140 miles in 11 days while towing 215 pounds of gear. The route carried him through a remote landscape of sand colored canyons, rock formations, and isolated shorelines. Connect with Shane: Instagram Explore the REI and Intrepid Travel collections Shop The North Face Universal Collection Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard® AeroPress Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nikki Bettis turned a simple hike on the Appalachian Trail into an audacious plan to thru hike the entire trail with her fifteen kids, ranging in age from 4 to 21. As a single mom in rural Virginia facing financial and emotional strain, Nikki hoped the physical challenge and months spent outdoors together could help her family reconnect and find a way forward. Connect with Nikki: Website Instagram YouTube Explore the REI and Intrepid Travel collections Shop The North Face Universal Collection Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard® AeroPress Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.