Wild Ideas Worth Living

Kimber Cross is an adaptive ice climber and mountaineer who has spent the last decade tackling some of the most demanding ice routes in North America. Born without one hand, she climbs with a custom prosthetic featuring an ice axe that extends from her right forearm. In 2026, Kimber made the first adaptive female ascent of Bridal Veil Falls in Telluride, Colorado, one of the country's most challenging ice climbs.

Connect with Kimber: 

• Website 
• Instagram 

If you enjoyed this conversation listen to, Becoming a Professional Adaptive Rock Climber with Mo Beck

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Mohamed Lahna is a Paralympic medalist, endurance athlete, and one of the world's most accomplished para-triathletes. Born without a femur in his right leg, he didn't begin running or cycling until his twenties. On July 29, 2026, he completed a self-designed triathlon across America: a 28 mile swim around Manhattan, a 3,000 mile bike ride from New York to Las Vegas, and a 350 mile run to Venice Beach. He completed the journey in 47 days while raising more than $150,000 for Save the Children and the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

Connect with Mohamed: 

• Website 
• Instagram 
• Donate to Save the Children and The Challenged Athletes Foundation

Listen to REI’s Camp Monsters podcast!

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• Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard®
• Benchmade
• AllTrails

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Kelsey Pfendler made history on July 3, 2026, when she became the first American woman to row solo from California to Hawaii, completing the crossing in just 43 days and setting a new speed record. An open ocean rower and longtime Grand Canyon river guide, Kelsey spent two years preparing and funding the expedition herself. Her journey culminated in a record that shattered the previous men's mark by nearly nine days and established one of the fastest solo ocean rows ever completed across the Pacific.

Connect with Kelsey: 

• Website 
• Instagram

If you enjoyed this conversation, listen to episodes with Taryn Smith, Tez Steinberg and the LAT 35 team. 

Listen to REI’s Camp Monsters podcast!

Thank you to our sponsors:

• Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard®
• Smartwool
• AllTrails

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Sunny Stroeer spent years working as a business consultant before burnout pushed her to rethink what success looked like. She left the corporate world in search of adventure and went on to become one of the most accomplished endurance athletes in the outdoors, setting more than 20 Fastest Known Times across the globe. In 2024, she became the first woman to ski the full Iditarod Trail, a feat that cemented her reputation for taking on ambitious challenges in some of the world's harshest environments.

Connect with Sunny: 

• Website
• Instagram

Listen to REI's Camp Monsters podcast!

Thank you to our sponsors:

• Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard®
• Smartwool
• Salomon 

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Tyler Mitic is an endurance cyclist and mental health advocate who spent 27 days riding a tandem bike the length of California. Along the way, he convinced more than 40 strangers to hop on the back of his bike, creating opportunities for connection, conversation, and shared adventure. What began as a cycling challenge became an exploration of rejection, friendship, and the power of showing up for people. The project ultimately raised more than $20,000 for Bring Change to Mind, a nonprofit focused on mental health awareness and support.

Connect with Tyler: 

• Instagram 

Thank you to our sponsors:

• Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard®
• Smartwool
• Salomon 

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Kit DesLauriers is a ski mountaineer, two time Freeride World Champion, and the first person to climb and ski down the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each continent. She completed the historic project in 2006, cementing her place as one of the most accomplished ski mountaineers in the world. A National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and member of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame, Kit has spent her career pushing the limits of human powered adventure.

Connect with Kit: 

• Website 
• Instagram 
• Purchase Kit's book, Higher Love: Climbing and Skiing the Seven Summits

Thank you to our sponsors:

• Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard®
• Smartwool
• Salomon 

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Alison Mariella Désir is a runner, activist, author of Running While Black, and host of the award winning PBS series Out & Back. In 2013, she started a community run club in Harlem with a simple goal: help more Black and Brown people experience the joy and connection of running. That grassroots effort helped launch a career dedicated to building community, expanding access to the outdoors, and empowering others to pursue their own adventures.

Connect with Alison: 

• Website 
• Instagram
• Substack
• Watch Out & Back on PBS
• Purchase Running While Black

Thank you to our sponsors:

• Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard®
• Smartwool
• The North Face

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Rob Lea is an endurance athlete, mountaineer, and open water swimmer who became the first person to complete the Double Seven in June 2026. The project combines climbing the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each continent, with the Oceans Seven, a collection of iconic open water crossings that includes the English Channel and the Strait of Gibraltar. By uniting two of the world's most demanding endurance challenges, Rob set a new benchmark for adventure, mountaineering, and marathon swimming.

Connect with Rob: 

Check out REI’s 2026 Editors’ Choice Awards

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Jenn Dice is the CEO of PeopleForBikes, a national nonprofit dedicated to making biking safer, easier, and more accessible across the United States. As a lifelong cyclist, she has spent decades exploring the outdoors on two wheels and advocating for better places to ride. Her work is driven by the belief that bicycles can improve health, strengthen communities, and create more connected places to live.

Connect with Jenn: 

Check out REI’s 2026 Editors’ Choice Awards

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Anton Nootenboom is an endurance athlete, mental health advocate, and world record holder known as the Barefoot Dutchman. He has walked thousands of miles barefoot through some of the world's most challenging landscapes, including the Himalayas, the Australian coast, and across the United States. A former Dutch soldier, Anton uses his expeditions to raise awareness for men's mental health and inspire more open conversations around mental well-being.

Connect with Anton: 

Check out REI’s 2026 Editors’ Choice Awards

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