Most of us will never see Antarctica. Even fewer will try to cross it. And almost no one will spend longer alone on that frozen continent than today’s guest.

In this episode, Sam Penny sits down with Aaron Linsdau, engineer turned polar adventurer, who became the second American to ski solo from the Antarctic coast to the South Pole, setting the record for the longest duration solo South Pole expedition: 82 days.

Aaron shares how an ordinary guy from San Diego transformed himself into one of the world’s most resilient explorers. From pulling sleds loaded with 160kg of supplies across endless whiteouts, to losing half his calories when his butter went rancid, to hallucinating in the silence of Antarctica - this is a story of endurance, mindset, and what happens when you refuse to quit.

But this isn’t just about ice, storms, and survival. It’s about the power of incremental action, the mental game behind big goals, and why bravery isn’t recklessness - it’s putting one foot forward when your whole body is telling you to stop.

Whether you’re chasing your own version of the South Pole - starting a business, running a marathon, or simply daring to step outside your comfort zone. Aaron’s story will show you what’s possible when you decide that quitting isn’t an option.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How growing up in scouting shaped Aaron’s resilience and leadership 
• The transition from a 20-year engineering career to becoming a polar adventurer 
• The incremental steps that prepared him for Antarctica (and why small adventures matter) 
• The reality of 82 days alone: whiteouts, hallucinations, hunger, and mental battles 
• Lessons from near failure — including rancid butter and breaking gear 
• Why bravery means putting your toe over the line, not chasing adrenaline 
• Practical lessons anyone can apply to everyday life — from setting goals to facing fear 

Connect with Aaron Linsdau:

• Website: AaronRLinsdau.com
• YouTube: A. Linsdau

• Books & Films: Available via Amazon
• Show on Amazon Prime

Connect with Sam Penny:

• Website: sampenny.com
• Follow on social: @90dayswithsam

Quote to Remember:
"As long as you keep chipping away at it, you always have a chance. Quitting simply isn’t an option." – Aaron Linsdau

What if the very thing holding you back could become the thing that carries you forward?

In this Breakthrough episode of Why’d You Think You Could Do That?, host Sam Penny shares how Aaron Linsdau found progress in the middle of Antarctica’s brutal storms, starvation, and hallucinations. His lesson: the mind screams loudest just before progress shows

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why the hardest days and darkest moments often sit right on the edge of breakthrough.
• The truth about fear: it doesn’t vanish — you move forward with it.
• A simple exercise to transform fear into forward motion.

Key Takeaway

Breakthroughs don’t arrive when fear disappears. They arrive the moment you refuse to let fear stop you.

Power Move

Take the fear you wrote yesterday and complete this sentence:

• Even though I’m afraid of ____, I will ____ anyway.

Say it out loud. Let yourself hear your own voice commit to moving forward.

🌍 Explore Aaron’s full story and resources at his guest hub: sampenny.com/aaron-linsdau

🚀 Ready to break through in your own life? Work 1:1 with Sam: sampenny.com/action

What if the thing standing between you and your dream isn’t the world outside you, but the voice inside your own head?

In this Struggle episode of Why’d You Think You Could Do That?, host Sam Penny takes us inside Aaron Linsdau’s 82-day solo expedition across Antarctica — where silence, hunger, and hallucinations weren’t his biggest enemies. The real battle was with the voice inside his mind telling him to quit

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How Aaron endured the relentless mental storms of Antarctica.
• Why fear and excuses are signs that you’re pushing into territory that matters.
• A practical exercise to shrink your struggle by naming it out loud.

Key Takeaway

The voice that says stop isn’t reality. It’s your brain trying to protect you, pulling you back to comfort. Recognise it, name it, and keep moving forward. Because the brave ones aren’t the ones without struggle — they’re the ones who walk through it anyway.

Power Move

Take the spark you wrote yesterday. Now write the fear that stands beside it. Start with:

• “I am afraid that…”

Then say it out loud. Struggles grow in silence. When you name them, they begin to shrink.

🌍 Explore Aaron’s full story, interviews, and resources at his guest hub: sampenny.com/aaron-linsdau

🚀 Ready to take on your own impossible? Work 1:1 with Sam at: sampenny.com/action

Most people will never step foot in Antarctica. Even fewer will ski across it. Almost no one will spend longer alone on that continent than Aaron Linsdau. For 82 days, it was just one man, two sleds, and the endless white stretching toward the South Pole

In this Spark episode of Why’d You Think You Could Do That?, host Sam Penny draws from Aaron’s powerful mantra:

What You’ll Hear in This Spark

• How to capture the thing you truly want.
• The importance of writing it down and declaring it out loud.
• Why the first step is where impossible dreams begin.

Key Takeaway

Aaron didn’t reach the South Pole in one giant leap. He got there step by step, ski by ski, refusing to give in. And you don’t need Antarctica to prove it—you just need to take the first step and remember that quitting isn’t an option.

Power Move

Write it down:

• I want to…
• I am going to…

Then say it out loud. Because when you give words to your spark, you give it weight.

For Aaron's Guest Hub, head to sampenny.com/aaron-linsdau
To work !:1 with Sam, head to sampenny.com/action

Making a difference doesn’t always mean changing the whole world overnight - it begins with one undeniable step.

In this short, powerful episode of Why’d You Think You Could Do That?, Sam Penny takes inspiration from adventurer and conservationist Sacha Dench, whose decision to follow migrating swans turned into a 7,000km flight across continents. But more remarkable than the distance was the ripple effect of her action; hunters, fish farmers, kitesurfers, and even power companies changed their habits, leading to the first rise in swan numbers in 25 years.

Sam challenges you to take your own step. This week, you’ve identified your spark, acknowledged your struggle, and declared your breakthrough. Now it’s time to move from thinking to doing.

Your Power Move:
 Write this sentence: “This weekend, I will make a difference by…”—and finish it. Keep it simple. Keep it real. And act before Monday arrives.

Because impossible doesn’t begin with giant leaps. It begins with one choice, one action, and the courage to follow through.

👉 Listen now and discover how a single step could be the spark that changes your world- or someone else’s.

For the Power Move action sheets, CLICK HERE

To work 1:1 with Sam, head to sampenny.com/action

What does it take to face your deepest fear, strap a propeller to your back, and follow swans 7,000 kilometres from the Russian Arctic all the way to the wetlands of Britain?

In this inspiring episode of Why’d You Think You Could Do That?, host Sam Penny sits down with Sacha Dench — biologist, conservationist, adventurer, and the woman known worldwide as the “Human Swan.”

Sacha once admitted she was terrified of flying. Yet instead of letting that fear define her, she leaned into it, learned to fly, and turned it into the backbone of one of the most extraordinary conservation projects of our time: Flight of the Swans. Along the way, she became the first woman to cross the English Channel by paramotor and showed the world that bravery isn’t about fearlessness — it’s about choosing to fly anyway.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Overcoming fear: How Sacha turned a near-death flight in Panama into the catalyst for mastering aviation.
• Flight of the Swans: The inside story of her 7,000 km journey alongside Bewick’s swans, facing storms, freezing equipment, and solitude.
• Resilience and ingenuity: From knee injuries in remote Russia to makeshift paramotors tied together with string, hear how setbacks became solutions.
• Conservation without borders: The powerful impact of her expedition — from hunters in the Arctic to power companies in Estonia — and how it helped reverse a 25-year decline in swan numbers.
• Everyday bravery: Lessons you can apply in your own life about breaking down the impossible into achievable steps.

Why This Episode Matters

Sacha’s story isn’t just about records or paramotors. It’s about ordinary people doing extraordinary things when they say yes to a cause bigger than themselves.

If you’ve ever wondered how to:

• Push through fear,
• Turn a wild dream into reality, or
• Make a meaningful impact on the world around you,

this episode will leave you with practical insights and unforgettable inspiration.

Key Quotes

• “This is not just a story about birds. It’s about what happens when an ordinary person says yes to the impossible and discovers she can fly.” – Sam Penny
• “Most people have dreams they put on the back burner. Dare to map yours out, step by step. That’s how impossible things become possible.” – Sacha Dench

About Sacha Dench

• Nickname: The Human Swan
• First woman to fly across the English Channel by paramotor
• Founder of Conservation Without Borders
• Former freediving record holder and passionate biologist, dedicated to protecting migratory birds and ecosystems.

Follow Sacha’s work at Conservation Without Borders
and on her social channels. Instagram LinkedIn

Want to Work 1:1 With Sam to Build Dreams
For podcast listeners, Sam opens a small number of spots to work 1:1 with him so you can pursue adventure, with him in your corner. CLICK HERE

What if the very thing holding you back could become the force that carries you forward?

For Sacha Dench, fear of flying nearly stopped her in her tracks. A storm in a small plane left her terrified of the skies. But instead of waiting for fear to vanish, she chose to work with it. She studied it, understood it, and turned it into a skill.

That shift made her swan migration journey possible — flying thousands of kilometres, influencing communities and industries, and proving that courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s moving forward in spite of it.

Today’s Power Move:

• Take the fear you named yesterday.
• Write this sentence: “Even though I’m afraid of ____, I will move forward anyway.”
• Say it out loud.

Because the moment you declare it, fear loses its grip. And that’s when progress begins.

On Thursday, you’ll hear how Sacha carried this breakthrough into the sky and used it to inspire change across Europe. But today, your step is simple: reframe your fear. Refuse to let it own you.

In this episode of "Why'd You Think You Could Do That?", host Sam Penny explores the power of confronting fears to unlock potential. Discover how Sacha Dench transformed her fear of flying into a bold conservation mission. Sam shares a powerful exercise to help you name and conquer your own fears.

Key Takeaways:

The importance of facing fears to fuel courage and achieve the impossible. Sacha Dench's journey from fear of flying to leading a conservation mission. A practical exercise to identify and diminish personal fears.

Call to Action: Don't let fear hold you back. Name it, speak it, own it, and take the first step towards making a difference.

Next Episode Teaser: Tune in Thursday to hear how Sacha Dench turned her deepest fear into the fuel for one of the boldest conservation missions ever attempted.

#Courage #Fearless #PersonalGrowth

Most people see a bird fly overhead and think nothing of it. But Sacha Dench saw swans migrating thousands of kilometres and asked herself: What if I could fly with them?

That one wild idea led to an extraordinary journey — 7,000 kilometres from the Russian Arctic to the UK, with nothing but a motor strapped to her back. But this wasn’t about glory. It was about impact.

Because she acted, hunters changed their practices. Kitesurfers gave up part of their lake. Fish farmers adjusted their cycles. A power company buried power lines that had been killing birds for decades.

All of it started with one spark.

Today’s power move:

• Write your spark down. Start with “I want to…” and then “I’m going to…”
• Say it out loud.
• Give it weight.

You don’t need to change the whole world. You just need to make a difference. And difference always begins with one step, one spark, one voice.

Tune in Thursday to hear how Sacha’s decision to fly with the swans shifted entire industries and communities.

What makes someone believe they can row across oceans, cycle across continents, and spend more than five years completing the first solo human-powered circumnavigation of the planet?

In this episode of Why’d You Think You Could Do That?, Sam Penny sits down with Erden Eruc—adventurer, mountaineer, ocean rower, and Guinness World Record holder. Erden’s story is one of resilience, tragedy, and extraordinary determination.

From the death of his climbing partner that pushed him to honour a promise, to 312 days alone at sea battling rogue waves and isolation, Erden’s life is proof that ordinary people can achieve the impossible when they refuse to quit.

You’ll discover:

• 🌍 The pivotal moment that sparked Erden’s five-year human-powered circumnavigation.
• 🚣 What it feels like to row across three oceans—alone.
• 💡 How he managed fear, boredom, and doubt on the open water.
• 🏔 Why discipline and routine are the keys to survival and success.
• ⛵ His preparation for the upcoming 2026 Golden Globe Race.

This is not a story about superhuman strength—it’s about choosing to keep going, stroke after stroke, when everything says stop.

🔗 Connect with Erden: erdeneeruc.com

👉 For coaching with Sam Penny: sampenny.com/action