Atomic Rambo Podcast

Atomic Rambo Podcast

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Atomic Rambo Podcast episodes

  • From Hunting IEDs in Sangin to Choosing Gratitude | Danny Bourne

    A former Royal Engineers commando and IED searcher on Afghanistan, mental health after the military, and building a veterans' clothing brand with a mission to prevent suicide.

    Danny Bourne served on Herrick 9 in Sangin, one of the most dangerous places British troops have deployed. He spent his tour on search patrols where the threat from IEDs was constant. In this episode of the Atomic Rambo Podcast, Dan sits down with Danny to talk about the reality of that tour, what it left behind, and how he turned it into In the Dead Ground: merch with a message, built to get people talking about their mental health.

    Danny grew up on the Wirral, never fitted at school, and found his direction through gym work before joining the Army four years after 9/11. He started in the RLC, transferred to the Royal Engineers, and earned his green beret on the All Arms Commando Course despite injury. He was put on search almost by accident. Within five days of landing in Afghanistan, he was on patrol in Sangin.

    He talks openly about what search in Helmand actually involved: a bomb maker breaching the cordon, a spider device, a plastic mine sitting under a Jackal, and an IED found on the track rather than in the compound. He explains arming lights, remote triggers and ECM. He also describes how his fear turned into switching on, and why the conventional soldiers of Herrick carried a huge risk that no one saw. He reflects on the tour with gratitude rather than anger.

    The conversation then moves to what came after. Danny talks about loneliness during COVID, going to therapy, health anxiety, and the pressure of a family health crisis. He explains why being a PTI and training recruits shaped him more than combat did, and what it taught him about leadership, accountability and reading people. That path took him into coaching and Mental Health First Aid training, and then to In the Dead Ground.

    Danny uses it as a metaphor for the threats in our own lives that we can't yet see. He explains how the brand uses clothing and message cards to open up mental health conversations with people who would never go near therapy language. He also covers why the brand is for robust people and not only veterans, and how the ring-fenced veterans' therapy fund works.

    He is also honest about running a small business: cash flow, VAT, product cycles, why so many veteran brands fail, and why he is cutting back the range in order to grow.

    TIMESTAMPS

    00:00 Herrick 9 vs being a PTI

    01:00 COVID loneliness, therapy and health anxiety

    05:05 Growing up on the Wirral

    17:44 The All Arms Commando Course

    21:33 How he ended up on search

    24:29 On patrol in Sangin from day five

    32:41 The bomb maker and the spider device

    41:51 Pharmacy Road and the plastic mine near miss

    52:48 Looking back with gratitude, not anger

    57:38 PTI work, leadership and accountability

    65:42 How In the Dead Ground began

    76:37 The veterans' therapy fund

    79:29 The reality of running a small business

    91:10 Family pressure and emotional honesty

    97:01 The biggest life change: stop moaning

    Keep in Touch: 

    Follow Dan Keep in Touch: 

    Follow Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dutyhappybloke/

    Follow the pod on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atomicrambopodcast/

    ARC website: https://www.atomicrambo.com

    Take the free ARC assessment: https://arcassesment.lovable.app/

    Follow Danny on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/inthedeadground/In the Dead Ground: https://www.inthedeadground.co.uk

    1 hr 39 min
  • “Cocaine Made My Brain Go Quiet" - The Truth About ADHD & Addiction | Sam Beresford

    ADHD, cocaine, and alcohol addiction - how a late ADHD diagnosis became the turning point for ADHD coach Sam Beresford's recovery, relationships, and sobriety. Real, unfiltered mental health conversation on the Atomic Rambo Podcast.

    Sam Beresford is an ADHD coach from Derby who has lived through cocaine use, alcohol misuse, and full sobriety - and now uses that lived experience to help other neurodivergent people build awareness and rebuild their lives. In this episode, Dan sits down with Sam for a raw conversation about what happens when ADHD goes undiagnosed for years, and how understanding it changed everything.

    We go deep into Sam's school years - being labelled the "naughty kid," excluded in primary school, and placed in a behaviour clinic that never actually fit who he was. From there, Sam explains how cocaine affected him differently to most people: instead of hyping him up, it quietened a busy ADHD brain, functioning as a form of self-medication long before he understood what was actually going on. Alcohol became the second half of that coping pattern, and the two fed off each other until addiction took hold.

    This episode doesn't stop at substance use. Sam opens up about rejection sensitivity dysphoria, emotional regulation, and how ADHD shaped his relationships - missed red flags, delayed communication, and intense reactions that pushed people away. Dan and Sam talk honestly about rock bottom, the relationship collapse that forced change, and the friends who pulled him back from a dangerous spiral.

    From there, it's about rebuilding: therapy that uncovered the real issues beneath the addiction, fitness and structure that gave him new dopamine sources, and a physical transformation that took him from 95kg down to around 72kg. Sam explains why sobriety often feels like grief and identity change, why hyperfocus can become a genuine strength when it's channelled right, and how his own diagnosis became the foundation of his coaching work today.

    If you or someone you know is dealing with ADHD, addiction, self-medication, or late diagnosis, this conversation offers clarity without judgement - and proof that awareness really can be the starting point for lasting change.

    TIMESTAMPS
    00:00 Intro 

    02:14 Sam's background & late diagnosis 

    06:43 Cocaine as "silence" 

    08:39 School struggles 

    22:21 Alcohol & coping 

    26:17 Relationships & RSD 

    30:07 Rock bottom  

    36:46 Therapy 

    44:28 New dopamine sources 

    62:43 95kg to 72kg 

    69:18 Where to find Sam

    Keep in Touch: 

    Follow Dan Keep in Touch: 

    Follow Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dutyhappybloke/

    Follow the pod on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atomicrambopodcast/

    ARC website: https://www.atomicrambo.com

    Take the free ARC assessment: https://arcassesment.lovable.app/

    Follow Sam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samberesford_coaching/

    1 hr 10 min
  • He Died Capturing Pegasus Bridge - His Grandson Became a Cop | Steve Jackson, Cop Coach

    His grandfather died capturing Pegasus Bridge the night before D-Day. Steve Jackson carried that legacy through the Army Cadet Force, Germany, two tours in the Falklands, and peacekeeping under Op Grapple in the former Yugoslavia - before a heart tumour and open-heart surgery forced him to face everything he'd buried.

    Steve Jackson is a former City of London Police detective, military veteran, and founder of Cop Coach. In this episode he traces his family's military lineage, his own path through operational deployments, the drinking culture baked into forces and policing life, and the health crisis that became a full mental reset. He talks candidly about PTSD, identity loss, burnout, and how writing and dark humour became tools for recovery - eventually leading to a stage show at the Edinburgh Fringe. Now, through Cop Coach, he works with people in blue-light services preparing for promotion, rebuilding purpose, and processing trauma most never talk about.

    This is a conversation about military service, Police service, mental resilience, tactical mindset under pressure, sobriety, burnout recovery, and personal transformation after trauma.

    Timestamps
    00:00 – Introduction to Steve Jackson
    00:54 – Granddad's role in Pegasus Bridge and D-Day minus one
    03:50 – Killed in action and the impact on the family
    06:14 – Cadets, belonging, and early discipline on the Isle of Wight
    10:59 – Harrogate, Army training, and first posting in Germany
    12:19 – Military initiation culture
    15:11 – Two tours in the Falklands and logistics at Mount Pleasant
    19:25 – Op Grapple in former Yugoslavia and peacekeeping under pressure
    23:17 – Bishopsgate bombing and the decision to leave the Army
    31:23 – Joining City of London Police and training at Ashford
    38:33 – The push into promotion and detective leadership
    48:55 – Drinking culture in the forces, police, and recovery
    52:48 – Collapse, hospital admission, and discovering the heart tumour
    56:51 – Open-heart surgery and the shock of recovery
    61:31 – Letters home, emotional processing, and the mental aftermath
    66:19 – Writing with a friend and turning trauma into a Fringe show
    73:01 – Drinking after surgery, rebuilding health and routine
    75:26 – Finding purpose after retirement and moving into coaching
    76:51 – Building Police Now's frontline leadership programme
    85:47 – Creating Cop Coach: promotion and assessment support
    90:36 – How people can work with Steve and what Cop Coach offers
    93:24 – Why his work is about the real issue, not just alcohol
    97:41 – Identity, endurance, and returning to long-distance running
    101:59 – Charity run for the CSNK Foundation
    103:24 – Closing reflections: three tips for his younger self

    Keep in Touch: 

    Follow Dan Keep in Touch: 

    Follow Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dutyhappybloke/

    Follow the pod on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atomicrambopodcast/

    ARC website: https://www.atomicrambo.com

    Take the free ARC assessment: https://arcassesment.lovable.app/

    Follow Steve - www.copcoach.co.uk

    Email Steve- [email protected]

    Linked in - Steve Jackson or CopCoach

    1 hr 48 min
  • He Wasn't Supposed to Survive Royal Marines Training | Tom Foxley

    At 13, doctors warned Tom Foxley his heart could stop without warning. Sudden death syndrome. No clear fix, just uncertainty. Most kids would have been wrapped in cotton wool. Tom joined the Royal Marines Reserves. In this episode, Dan sits down with Tom Foxley - mental performance coach, former Royal Marines Reservist, and ski mountaineer - for a raw, wide-ranging conversation about identity, masculinity, and what it actually feels like to be tested to your limit, not just once, but repeatedly, across completely different arenas of life. Tom opens up about growing up in Cambridge with a heart condition that stripped his athletic identity overnight, and how that early loss of self became the engine behind everything that followed - the pull toward the Marines, the punishing reality of selection training while juggling a business, debt, and family life, and the moments on the endurance course where his heart nearly pulled him out for good. He's honest about what he got wrong: misreading support as criticism, not asking for more from the process, and the regret of not staying longer. The conversation moves beyond the military into what Tom does now - coaching six and seven-figure business owners and founders on stress, capacity, and performance. He draws a hard line between mental health and mental fitness, explains why he studies psychology but rejects a lot of its illness-focused framing, and unpacks the "craftsman versus empire builder" mindset that shapes how he runs his business. Then the story takes a turn into the mountains. Tom talks about relocating to British Columbia, the clarity he finds in ski mountaineering and avalanche terrain, and a brutal trip into Pakistan's Karakoram range where altitude broke a body that had never failed him before. That same underlying heart issue resurfaced mid-ultra training - leading to a catheter ablation for SVT this year, and a new relationship with fear, agency, and what it means to keep choosing the harder route. This is a conversation about identity built and rebuilt - through fear, failure, physical limits, and the refusal to quit. 

    TIMESTAMPS 

    00:00 – Intro: who Tom is and what he does now 

    06:08 – The heart condition at 13 and losing his identity 

    16:09 – Joining the Royal Marines Reserves 

    27:29 – Palpitations on the endurance course 

    40:55 – Leaving the Marines and his biggest regret 

    49:23 – Mental health vs. mental fitness 

    78:45 – The Karakoram: when altitude broke him 

    87:55 – Heart surgery and what it changed 1

    00:20 – Closing remarks 

    Keep in Touch: 

    Follow Dan Keep in Touch: 

    Follow Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dutyhappybloke/

    Follow the pod on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atomicrambopodcast/

    ARC website: https://www.atomicrambo.com

    Take the free ARC assessment: https://arcassesment.lovable.app/

    Follow Tom on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomfoxley.coach/

    Tom website: tomfoxley.me

    1 hr 42 min
  • I Spent Every Day Hunting IEDs in Afghanistan | Bradley Knight

    Royal Engineer searcher Bradley Knight breaks down the real job of hunting IEDs in Afghanistan, the psychological toll of search, and rebuilding identity after the Army. A raw conversation on Herrick 7, Herrick 12, and life after combat.

    Bradley Knight grew up in Salford, Manchester, and joined the British Army at 16. He deployed to Afghanistan as a Royal Engineer combat engineer searcher on Herrick 7 and Herrick 12, working IED threat, road and building search, and lead searcher tasks in Nadi Ali. Since leaving the Army he has processed the trauma of search through writing, coaching, and self reflection.

    In this episode Dan and Bradley cover:

    • Growing up in Salford and joining the Army at 16
    • Herrick 7 as a young driver and first exposure to indirect fire
    • The searchers course: road search, building search, tunnels, sewers
    • How a ten liner callout becomes a full search task
    • Isolation, ATO exploitation, and secondary search
    • Becoming lead searcher and switching off emotion under pressure
    • Taking contact while searching a compound and finding multiple devices
    • ATO Gareth Wood and his Military Cross
    • British search doctrine versus American EOD, shaped by Northern Ireland
    • Identity loss after leaving the military
    • Writing a book about Herrick 12 as a way of processing it
    • Transition to civilian life: bike shop, the post-COVID bike market crash, waste work
    • Breath work, nature, exercise, and reconnecting with people as tools for managing his mental health now

    Timestamps
    00:00 Opening the conversation and recognising the searcher role
    01:02 Salford upbringing and unusual family story
    02:28 Why he joined the Army at 16
    03:56 Herrick 7 and early exposure to danger
    06:45 What a combat engineer searcher actually did
    08:56 Selected for the searchers course
    10:29 Why search was more than roadside bomb hunting
    11:24 Arriving on Herrick 12 in Nadi Ali
    12:16 How a ten liner callout becomes a search task
    13:43 Isolation, ATO access, searching for secondaries
    15:06 Becoming lead searcher and turning off emotion
    17:35 Cordons, infantry frustration, the reality of search
    18:56 The role of the ATO and Gareth Wood
    19:53 The patrol where a mastiff hit an IED
    22:49 Close contact in the compound
    25:34 Finding multiple devices under pressure
    27:48 Getting swapped out after a long day
    30:38 Moving to BRF and a more kinetic role
    33:30 Taking direct fire and fighting from a compound
    36:10 Why he would still do the job again
    36:41 The anniversary of getting blown up
    38:28 American EOD reactions to British search methods

    Watch more Atomic Rambo Podcast episodes and find out more about Atomic Rambo Coaching, Dan's veteran-led mindset and resilience coaching, at the links below.

    Keep in Touch: 

    Follow Dan in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dutyhappybloke/

    Follow the pod on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atomicrambopodcast/

    ARC website: https://www.atomicrambo.com

    Take the free ARC assessment: https://arcassesment.lovable.app/

    Follow Bradley -  https://www.instagram.com/brimstone_bradk/

    Youtube - Hidden in plain sight- Brimstone_42

    1 hr 10 min
  • He Drank to numb himself for 20 Years. Here's What Broke the Cycle | Cameron Springett

    Cam drank to cope with life from age 13. Twenty years later, a free 12-week program, therapy, and one hard decision broke the cycle - here's what worked when AA didn't.

    Dan sits down with Cam for an honest, unfiltered conversation about addiction, recovery, and the long road from self-destruction to stability. Cam traces his drinking back to age 13, with weed, coke, pills, and gear following through his teens — tied to social life, coping, and eventually self-harm. A move to Australia changed his environment but not the underlying issue, and returning home around his nan's death triggered a major emotional crash that led to two more years of heavy use.

    Cam and Dan both walked into AA and felt like they weren't "that bad" - and Cam explains why the identity of being powerless never suited him. What actually worked was different: a free 12-week CGL program in Crawley, weekly therapy, EMDR, PT, and a clear decision that alcohol was no longer on the table. They dig into why drinking kept him from ever knowing himself, and why the real work wasn't just quitting — it was learning to be okay with who he was without the coping mechanism.

    The conversation widens into "picking your hard" - the idea that quitting is hard, but continuing gets harder later because of consequences, and the real choice is which hard you're willing to live with. Cam talks about why journaling became a tool to get thoughts out of his head and reduce shame, how writing on X built him a community, and how one conversation exposed a gap in his own readiness to coach - he had no safeguarding, ethics, or supervision in place. Both agree that lived experience alone isn't enough, and that proper training exists to protect the people being coached. They close on grief, suicide, and the importance of checking in properly - discussing a friend's death and why you have to ask twice if someone seems off. The message: listen, don't just advise, and encourage real help when it's needed. For Cam, stopping drinking didn't just remove alcohol - it gave him the space to understand himself, build compassion, and move forward.

    This is a practical, grounded episode about what change really looks like when it's not clean, easy, or linear.

    TIMESTAMPS
    04:04 - First drinking and drug use from early teens
    06:34 - First AA meeting and why it didn't fit
    17:10 - The turning point at 33
    19:34 - The CGL 12-week program and how he quit for real
    25:39 - What CGL gave him and why the tools still matter
    31:09 - Why Cam writes things down
    37:17 - Realising he had no safeguarding in place
    44:22 - Dan's goal-driven route out of drinking
    49:55 - Would he be here if he still drank?
    52:11 - Ted's story, suicide, and the need to talk
    55:48 - The biggest change: stopping drinking and learning himself

    "Picking your hard." — "I don't have a drink problem because I don't drink."

    Keep in Touch: 

    Follow Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dutyhappybloke/

    Follow the pod on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atomicrambopodcast/

    ARC website: https://www.atomicrambo.com

    Take the free ARC assessment: https://arcassesment.lovable.app/

    Follow Cam on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/cameron_springett/

    Cam Website- www.camspringett.cloud

    1 hr
  • Uncovering London's Past: Mudlarking, Artifacts, and Community | Frank Mnich

    Roman coins. Medieval mail armour. Human teeth pulled straight from the mud. On this episode of the Atomic Rambo Podcast, Dan sits down with  mudlarker Frank Mnich to dig into what the River Thames has been hiding for centuries - and why searching for it might be one of the best things you can do for your mind.

    Frank a  tree surgeon  and  full-time relic hunter, spends his days scanning the Thames foreshore for objects that haven't seen daylight in hundreds - sometimes thousands - of years. In this conversation, he walks Dan through the regulations that protect London's buried history, the community of mudlarkers who trade discoveries and stories, and the surprising mental health benefits of slowing down and searching the riverbed with your own hands.

    What you'll learn in this episode:

    • How mudlarking evolved from Victorian scavenging into a permit-regulated modern hobby
    • Where to find Stone Age tools, Roman coins, and medieval beads along the Thames
    • What the Treasure Act means for anyone who finds something significant
    • The strangest finds Frank has pulled from the mud - including musket flints, flea traps, and a Great Fire of London coin
    • Why this hobby became a lifeline for so many people during lockdown
    • How a shared obsession with history builds real community

    Timestamps: 

    00:00 – Introduction to Dan and Frank - the allure of mudlarking in London 

    00:40 – Historical origins of mudlarking in the Victorian era 

    02:10 – The extensive history of the Thames and its artifacts 

    05:05 – Getting permits through the Port of London Authority (PLA) 

    08:25 – Regulations around permitted zones and restrictions 

    13:42 – What happens when artifacts are found under the Treasure Act 

    16:08 – From Stone Age microliths to medieval objects 

    18:25 – A fragment of chainmail from the 1400s 

    30:05 – The Portable Antiquities Scheme and reporting finds 

    38:42 – Military relics: musket flints, bullets, and WWII remnants 

    54:53 – Human teeth and remains: a reminder of London's long history 

    61:43 – The Great Fire of London coin and its symbolic significance 

    69:14 – Mudlarking as a therapeutic hobby and mental wellbeing booster 

    73:00 – Encouragement for newcomers and respecting regulations 

    74:28 – Final thoughts on the significance of London's hidden history

    Keep in Touch: 

    Follow Dan in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dutyhappybloke/

    Follow the pod on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atomicrambopodcast/

    ARC website: https://www.atomicrambo.com

    Take the free ARC assessment: https://arcassesment.lovable.app/

    Connect with Frank: Instagram: @frankfinds

    1 hr 19 min
  • I Went Back to the Arena That Nearly Broke Me | Kyla

    ARC Client journey

    She survived the Manchester Arena bombing. Years later, she walked back through those doors - and rebuilt the identity she lost that night. Kyla  joins the Atomic Rambo Podcast to share her raw, honest journey through PTSD, trauma-informed coaching, and the moment she chose to face her fear head-on. Kyla worked one-on-one with Dan through Atomic Rambo Coaching's positive psychology programme - this episode is the story of that work, in her own words. In this episode, Kyla and Dan cover: - Her background and the lasting impact of the Manchester Arena bombing - How PTSD symptoms developed and why they didn't show up right away - The reality of accessing therapy, and how EMDR helped her process the trauma - Losing her sense of self - and the identity work that helped her find it again - The practical planning behind returning to the arena, safely and on her terms - Self-soothing strategies for managing anxiety in high-stakes moments - How reframing and acceptance became turning points in her healing - Moving from grief to growth - and using her story to help others - The role positive psychology and trauma-informed coaching played in her recovery - Her advice for anyone struggling: seek help, do the work, and trust the process.

    TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Introduction: Kyla story of trauma and recovery 

    00:23 – The aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing and initial struggles 

    02:09 – Challenges faced with therapy access and processing PTSD 

    05:32 – The approach of trauma-informed coaching and identity work 

    12:09 – Planning and preparing to revisit the arena safely 

    14:04 – The day of the concert and managing anxiety through simplification 

    17:05 – The emotional breakthrough of returning and the healing power of facing fears 

    24:15 – Grieving and moving on: the importance of closure 

    26:36 – Embracing a new perspective and helping others with her story 

    28:02 – Advice for others experiencing trauma and the importance of self-awareness 

    30:18 – Accepting vulnerability and setting healthy boundaries 

    32:07 – Progress, accountability, and future goals in her journey of recovery 

    33:27 – Final reflections and encouragement for listeners 

    This episode is a testament to resilience - proof that recovery is possible with the right tools, the right support, and the courage to face what scares you most. Kyla's transformation was made possible through Atomic Rambo Coaching's positive psychology programme, built to help people rebuild identity and resilience after trauma. 

    🔗 Listen to the full episode on all podcast platforms 

    🔗 Work with Dan Holder -ARC: www.atomicrambo.com

    Email us - [email protected]

    31 min
  • I Finished the Arctic Spine. He's the Man Who Helps Make It Run. | Alex Buckland

    Exploring the Winter Spine and Arctic Spine with Dan and Alex

    293 miles. Sub-zero cold. No sleep for days. Dan actually did it - he finished the Arctic Spine Race. On this episode, he sits down with Alex Buckland, who volunteers as Assistant Race Director for the Arctic Spine, to unpack what it takes to get runners across one of the most brutal courses on Earth, and what it looked like from the other side of the finish line.

    Alex went from a childhood of health issues to mountain biking to ultra running himself, before giving his time to the race as a volunteer, now supporting, tracking, and pulling competitors through the Spine and Arctic Spine - races where DNF (Did Not Finish) is the norm, not the exception. In this conversation, Dan and Alex get into what it's really like on both sides of the race: the mental health battles behind the miles, the community that carries runners through the darkest stretches, and what it means to know your limits when your body is screaming at you to stop.

    Whether you're an ultra runner, a weekend hiker, or someone who's never run further than the bus stop - this one will make you want to go outside and test yourself. Thanks to Alex for pulling back the curtain on what it takes to run a race like the Arctic Spine.

    What you'll learn in this episode:

    • Dan's firsthand experience finishing the Arctic Spine Race
    • Alex's journey from mountain biking to ultra running to volunteering as Assistant Race Director
    • Why so many competitors say a DNF taught them more than a finish line ever could
    • How cold-weather racing builds resilience and rewires your relationship with fear
    • The navigation, planning, and preparation courses that keep runners alive in extreme terrain

    Timestamps:

    00:56 – Alex's journey from mountain biking to ultramarathons 

    04:58 – Overcoming childhood health issues and mental health battles 

    07:27 – The journey into ultra running and racing highlights 

    12:50 – Lessons from failed attempts and DNF experiences 

    18:42 – Supporting and volunteering in the Spine Race 

    24:17 – Long-distance Arctic expeditions and future aspirations 

    27:53 – What is the Arctic Spine Race? Details and challenges 

    31:33 – Race strategy, DNF rates, and participant stories 

    36:40 – Knowing your limits and preparing properly 

    44:04 – Training courses and community involvement 

    48:13 – The future of the Spine Race and upcoming initiatives 

    56:23 – Aspirations for Antarctica and other extreme explorations 

    59:17 – The allure of mountain adventures and Denali 

    60:31 – Family adventures and the human side of outdoor pursuits

    Keep in Touch: 

    Follow Dan in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dutyhappybloke/

    Follow the pod on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atomicrambopodcast/

    ARC website: https://www.atomicrambo.com

    Take the free ARC assessment: https://arcassesment.lovable.app/

    Resources & Links: The Spine Race: https://thespinerace.com/

    Connect with Alex: LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/alexbuckland

    1 hr 1 min
  • Double Peak Syndrome: Why Winning Never Feels Like Enough | Will Foden

    Achieving every goal but still feeling empty? Will Foden — professional rugby player, ultra-endurance athlete and coach - breaks down "Double Peak Syndrome" and what it really takes to build unshakeable mental resilience. Will Foden has lived high performance from every angle:  professional rugby, Ironman triathlons and Ultra marathons.  In this episode he unpacks the mental models, emotional control, and hard-won philosophy that carried him through injury, identity loss, and extreme endurance racing - and what he learned about purpose, ego, and authenticity along the way. 

    TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Introduction to Will's background & upcoming challenges 

    03:26 – Stress inoculation and performance environments 

    05:03 – Double Peak Syndrome: when achievement isn't enough 

    09:55 – Military experience and the transition to civilian life 

    13:09 – Injury, identity loss, and resilience in recovery 

    16:01 – Mental toughness and emotional regulation 

    20:29 – Overcoming hurdles in rugby & endurance racing 

    24:41 – Lessons from ultramarathons and mountain expeditions 

    29:51 – Calibrating control and flow in high-stakes environments 

    33:40 – Authenticity: managing ego vs. performance 

    39:20 – Emotional intelligence and self-awareness strategies 

    44:01 – Building mental capacity through hard experiences 

    48:55 – Purpose and meaningful pursuits 

    53:58 – The adventure mindset and living intentionally 

    58:05 – Mountaineering, exploration, and the art of failure 

    63:33 – Lessons from ultra-endurance disciplines 

    68:14 – The power of acceptance & surrender under pressure 

    73:22 – Past trauma and PTSD's influence on performance 

    78:37 – Community, connection, and shared purpose 

    83:09 – Final reflections on humility and lifelong growth

    Keep in Touch: 

    Follow Dan in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dutyhappybloke/

    Follow the pod on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atomicrambopodcast/

    ARC website: https://www.atomicrambo.com

    Take the free ARC assessment: https://arcassesment.lovable.app/

    Follow Will: https://www.instagram.com/willfoden/

    Company - Built for Pressure.net

    Podcast Music: Transition X by Mehul Chaudhary

    2 hr

About Atomic Rambo Podcast

From the publisher's feed

The place for inspirational stories from real people and lessons we can all learn from.

Hosted by Dan Holder, a decorated former Royal Marines Commando, mountaineer, climber, endurance…