Episode 208 of The Adventure Podcast features writer, adventurer and father, Mark Agnew. Mark is a self-confessed failed adventurer, at least he was, until he became one of the first people to kayak the entire Northwest Passage under human power. This is the second time Mark has been on the podcast. The first was not long after he’d come back from this major expedition, and it’s always fascinating to learn what’s changed in someone’s mind after time has gone by and they’ve had time to reflect. Matt and Mark cover some of the same ground in this episode, but it’s clear that Mark is looking at things differently now. In this conversation, Mark opens up with rare honesty about failure, redemption, and the shifting tide of ego. They discuss the year long court case hanging over him and the expedition. He talks about fatherhood, about needing adventure and feeling guilty for needing it. About rethinking what success looks like, and learning to pursue experience, camaraderie, and meaning, rather than just the finish line. This is a conversation about discomfort, doubt, and quietly rebuilding your inner world. It’s about how adventure can hold a mirror to who we are, and how the version of us that emerges on the other side isn’t always who we expected to become.

For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.

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Episode 207 of The Adventure Podcast features runner and author, Elise Downing. Elise is, by her own admission, not your typical adventurer. She didn’t grow up wild swimming or scrambling ridgelines. In fact, she used to hate the outdoors. But in her early twenties, during a time of deep personal disquiet, she made a decision. She laced up a pair of running shoes and pointed herself at the coastline. What followed was a slow, vulnerable, and deeply human odyssey, running 5,000 miles around the coast of Britain with no real experience, very little money, and only the kind of faith that says ‘I’ll figure it out when I get there.' In this conversation, Elise talks with extraordinary honesty about imposter syndrome, crying in graveyards, running through grief, and the strange awkwardness of coming home after something that should have changed everything, but somehow didn’t. She also speaks to what comes next, how she’s slowly built a life that holds adventure in its everyday edges, and how she’s learned that the most powerful journeys often start not with courage, but with not knowing what else to do. This is a conversation about the long way around. About patience. About learning to move slowly, and gently, and with kindness toward yourself. And about the beauty of having no idea what you’re doing, but going anyway.

For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast.

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Episode 206 of The Adventure Podcast features adventurer and amputee, Luke Tarrant. In 2024, Luke was travelling from the USA to Antarctica on his motorbike when he crashed in Colombia. He had to have his leg removed after contracting sepsis and was left fighting for his life. Matt got in touch with Luke after seeing his dad's update post on Instagram, and they quickly became friends and started filming together. All while this was happening, Luke blew up on social media and has gathered a massive following that has completely changed his life in lots of ways. In this episode, they go into the full story. Who was Luke before the crash? What happened? What changed? How has he changed? This episode is raw and honest, and it’s a fascinating blend of two different sides of our world. Luke wasn’t interested in fame before his accident (and spoiler alert, he kind of isn’t now). He just wanted to ride his motorbike around the world get into (mis)adventures. But, as Luke puts it, what’s happened has happened, and now he gets recognised walking down the street. What will he do next? Who knows, but it’s bound to be special.

For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.