Safety Third

Eric Jackson has built a life and a career around kayaking, a sport that is foundationally individual. You are alone in a boat. And while kayaking is his life's purpose, Eric's responsibilities extend far beyond the river to his family, his business, and his community. But there’s a stark difference between paddling a kayak and navigating a life filled with priorities. It is the age-old outdoor sport conundrum: how do you pursue an individual sport while still being a functional part of a team and family? To answer this for himself, Eric had to become unwavering in the pursuit of his purpose and priorities. 

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Stacy Bare's life has always been big. He's a big man with an even bigger personality. ROTC scholarship at age 17. Played rugby when he wasn’t deployed during his time with the Army. Served in the Army with tours in Sarajevo and Baghdad and civilian stints in explosive ordnance disposal in Angola and the Republic of Georgia. When Stacy returned from military service, his big life turned into a big problem — alcoholism and addiction. Stacy knew the way he was navigating life no longer worked, so he sought the camaraderie of the outdoor community. However, he found that it could just as nearly kill him, as save him.

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Kareemah Batts is many things. A woman. A climber. An African American. A cancer survivor. An amputee. A self-described “broke girl from Flatbush.” She’s not just one thing. After being overlooked for conversations about diversity in the outdoor community, Kareemah decided to jumpstart a new conversation — she wants to expand the outdoor community’s definition of diversity and to rethink how we approach inclusivity. Because, as it turns out, diversity is a pretty damn diverse subject.

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At 14-years-old, Erik Weihenmayer lost his eyesight to a rare disease. He was devastated, feeling the crushing grip of loneliness and perceiving a limited future. Then, a rock climbing trip to North Conway, NH changed his perspective on what was possible. Erik has used his blindness, his so-called barrier, to charge to the top of Everest, propel himself through the rapids of the Grand Canyon, and as fuel to pass on his passion for adventuring to others.

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Luis Benitez spent his twenties atop the world’s most famous mountains. After witnessing the Nangpa La shooting at Cho Oyu and meeting with the Dalai Lama, Luis changed his trajectory through life. Now he’s in charge of bringing recreation to the center of the political debate. If we want to protect the places we love, Luis thinks we need to take a page from the oil companies’ playbook. 

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Jainee Dial and her boyfriend Brad took an ordinary climbing trip to Yosemite. They were a young couple doing what they love. When Brad died while climbing the Matthes Crest, Jainee’s life was turned upside down. Faced with the most devastating loss of her life, Jainee broke free from tradition to forge a new path through grief.

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Deep within our humanity is an engrained desire for companionship, but within our culture, there’s a need to have a clear identity. That’s what makes relationships challenging and wonderful. Host Paddy O’Connell’s parents, Molly Ryan and Mike O’Connell, discuss the trials, tribulations and discoveries created over 40 years of marriage. 

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Chris McNamara has spent his life pursuing risky outdoor activities, like big wall climbing and BASE jumping. To him, they’re essential avenues of self-discovery. But what happens when an essential part of who you are has the ability to lead you to disaster? You find different ways to take risks. 

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More fun than a powder day. Riskier than leaping from a mountain. Weirder than a week on the playa.

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