Ryan Sandes is for South African Trail Running like Siya Kolisi is for South African Rugby: an icon whos name will stand the test of time, not only for the incredible results and personal success that he has achieved but for the lasting and transformative impact that he has had on the sport as a whole.

16 years ago a young Ryan Sandes, who was completing his honours degree at the time, signed up to run the Kysna Marathon. Where he'd usually be in attendance of the Annual Oyster Festival, him and his friends decided they'd shape up and participate in the run element of the festivities as well. Having left it to the last minute, he pulled the short straw and was the only one who wasn't able to secure an entry to the half marathon. With youth and bravado on his side, he figured "oh well, half marathon or full, can't be that difficult"...and so one of the most iconic Ultra Distance Trail Runners of all time discovered his talent.

Since that fateful day Ryan has had a prolific career of racing for podium positions, he has won an ultra on each continent and has racked up a bucket list of world-wide adventures that have taken him from the depths of the Amazon Rain Forrest to some of the highest peaks on the globe.

But what distinguishes Ryan from the rest is his mental stoke and absolute passion for nature, people and using his sport as a vehicle for good.

In this conversation you'll hear about:

• Ryan's circumnavigation of Lesotho and multi-day exploration of the Himalayas, plus the lessons in humanity and compassion along the way.
• The teachings of hindsight and the beauty of relinquishing control.
• The pinnacle of Ultra Trail Running: UTMB, the 4 failed attempts and the one in which he triumphed.
• How trail running has evolved as a sport, what it is doing for the people and communities that are involved and Ryans influence on South African trail running.
• Mindset and why if more people spent time alone in nature "we'd be able to solve more of the world's problems".

This episode was a true bucket list one for us but we couldn't have predicted how epic it would be!

If you need visuals to help you paint the picture find Ryan's Red Bull photo library here:

https://www.redbullcontentpool.com/search?q=Ryan%20Sandes&sort=-score

Enjoy.