The longest annual paddle race in the world is in….Alabama! It’s the Alabama 650 and John Knippers is the first person to ever finish the race on a paddleboard. Today we’ll hear John’s story and how we was able to achieve a 650 mile paddle in just 8 days.  Also, if you want to meet me and John this weekend, come by the Last Paddler Standing, a paddleboard race that only finishes when there’s one paddler left.  We’ll be livestreaming the whole thing! Follow along on the Facebook page and YouTube to be notified of the livestream for the start on Sat, Dec 2nd at 9am.  https://www.youtube.com/@LastPaddlerStanding-ic2bc https://www.facebook.com/lastpaddlerstanding https://lastpaddlerstanding.com/ Both the Alabama 650 and the Last Paddler Standing are put on by Greg Wingo, alumni of the podcast from episode 670.  Learn more about Alabama 650: https://www.alabamascenicrivertrail.com/great-alabama-650/

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Ep. 986: Paddleboarding Across Alabama - John Knippers

Listen to in-depth interviews twice a week from adventure sports enthusiasts from around the globe. You&#39;ll hear from athletes, adventurers, explorers, guides, authors, business owners and many more who live their lives pursuing fulfillment through adventure and the outdoors.

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In today’s episode, we delve into the extraordinary journey of Madison Blagden, the second female thru-hiker of the more than 5,500-mile Eastern Continental Trail. Since her first encounter with thru-hiking in 2017, Madison, aka “Peg Leg” has been captivated by the trails, embarking on epic adventures that defy the ordinary. Despite facing setbacks like losing her job during the COVID-19 pandemic, she turned adversity into opportunity, spending two years traversing the US in a vehicle. From tackling 1,300 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail between college semesters to completing the entire PCT in 2022 via a SOBO/flip-flop hike, Peg Leg's determination knows no bounds. Her latest conquest, the "Bama to Baxter" journey, saw her connecting trails from Alabama to Maine, including the Pinhoti Trail, parts of the Benton Mackaye Trail, and the Appalachian Trail. But Peg Leg's thirst for exploration didn't stop there; inspired by an encounter with an ECT hiker in Vermont, she extended her trek to include the International Appalachian Trail, spanning 1500 miles across diverse landscapes. From Maine to Newfoundland, Peg Leg's footprints left a trail of resilience and passion. Currently en route from Alabama to Key West, Florida, she has become the 2nd woman in history and the 9th person ever to complete the entire Eastern Continental Trail, a testament to her unwavering spirit and love for the great outdoors. Join us as we uncover the highs, lows, and unforgettable moments of Peg Leg's awe-inspiring journey. Madison’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/madisonblagden/ Blog on the Trek https://thetrek.co/author/madison-blagden/

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Ep. 1026: Thru-Hike of the Eastern Continental Trail - Madison Blagden

Originally aired on March 22, 2021 Christine’s love for backpacking started the same way many of the adventures on this podcast start, with a Google search. Her quest that day? To find out what this backpacking thing was all about.  After only a few articles into her search, Christine decided to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. It was a huge leap of faith but she immediately got to work to make that dream come true. The funny thing about making a dream a reality is that it’s not what we typically imagine. The realness of life usually gets in the way and what actually happens before, during, and after an adventure is anything but what we plan for.  Today we’re going to hear Christine’s story of how her experience hiking the AT changed her and all the adventures that have come before and after it.  She has written her experiences in a new book after a life-altering trip on the Wonderland trail called Alone in Wonderland, which can be found at her website, aloneinwonderland.com Follow Christine on social:  @ruggedoutdoorswoman

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Ep. 1025: Alone in Wonderland - Revisited - Christine Reed

Award-winning adventure journalist Will Cockrell took one look at the infamous Everest “traffic jam” photo in 2019 and knew the time had come to dispel the narratives of that pixel-perfect misconception by unpacking the mountain’s far-more thrilling reality. In EVEREST, INC.: The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World (on sale April 16, 2024; Gallery Books), Cockrell presents the untold and definitive history of guiding on the world’s most famous peak, in all its complicated and exhilarating glory. Will Cockrell is the author of EVEREST, INC. He has spent more than twenty years as a senior editor, writer, and consultant for national magazines including Men’s Journal, Outside, Men’s Fitness, and GQ. His work has been awarded by the American Society of Magazine Editors and Professional Publishers Association UK. A former outdoor guide, Cockrell has covered Everest throughout his career, and has visited Everest base camp in Nepal. He lives with his family in Los Angeles, California. Find more at his website, WillCockrell.com. You can learn more about Will and purchase EVEREST, INC. in the link below:  https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Everest-Inc/Will-Cockrell/9781982190453

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Ep. 1024: The Mt. Everest Industry - Will Cockrell

Back in 2017 while sitting on the couch and watching sports news coverage, Laura noticed the dismal amount of time dedicated to women’s sports. What struck her the most was “the fact that there are more stories about horses than women in the sports pages”. Being a proficient soccer player herself and experiencing the frustrations of minimal coverage and a general lack of opportunities, she decided to do something about it.  A quick Google Maps search and a few emails later, Laura devised a plan to elevate women’s sports higher than it has ever gone, literally. The idea was to gather a group of women to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and play an official game of soccer near the summit.  The journey became a gathering of 60 women from around the world with referees, goals, etc. all climbing above 18,000 ft. to play a soccer game. Their efforts stand as a Guinness World Record, a testament to their dedication to raising the coverage and opportunity for women in sports, and was the genesis of Equal Playing Field, a non-profit Laura co-founded.  After the success of climbing Kilimanjaro, Laura continued to chase Guinness World Record soccer matches to raise awareness for women in sports and show the world women can do anything. The lowest elevation soccer game was played at the Dead Sea in 2018, and two world records were achieved in France thereafter for the most nationalities represented in a soccer game.  The long-term action Laura has taken is through her startup, Ida Sports, which is aiming to create a soccer boot specific to women, something that has never been done successfully, but something needed due to fundamental differences in men's and women’s feet.  If you learn anything from Laura, it’s that you shouldn’t be afraid of going down a path no one has ever gone before, especially if a better world is on the other side. To learn more about Laura and her work: Idasports.co @idasports Equalplayingfield.com @equalplayingfieldinitiative

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Ep. 1023: Playing Soccer on Kilimanjaro - Revisited - Laura Youngson

There is no one "right way" to lead--you don’t have to be the fastest, strongest, or most experienced to be a great leader. What the best leaders possess is a deep commitment to the greater good. Drawing on her decades of experience as a national outdoor leader, Jeannette Stawski explores the elements of transformative leadership. Using real-life examples from the outdoors and every day, she focuses on the essentials: resilience, grit, integrity, tolerance for adversity, and highly developed listening and communication skills. Whether you spend time in city parks, on mountains, in rivers, or beyond, you know that nature is a powerful teacher. Stawski shares inspiring stories from a range of outdoor enthusiasts and professionals, including Elyse Rylander, Kenji Haroutunian, Joe Stone, Stacy Bare, Victoria Lopez-Herrera, and more, as well as key principles from the Cornell Outdoor Education program, co-directed by Karel Hilversum. Jeannette Stawski serves as executive director for the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE). She is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and a Certified Executive Coach. She was the director of Outdoor Adventures at the University of Michigan for eleven years and has worked as a professional outdoor guide, a wilderness medicine instructor, and NOLS instructor. She is currently the chair of the Coalition for Outdoor Access (COA) and lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with her husband and their two children. Learn more and buy The Outdoor Leader from our good friends at Mountaineers.org. www.leadingvaliantly.com www.aore.org

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Ep. 986: Paddleboarding Across Alabama - John Knippers

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