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The RunOut Podcast · April 20 · 1 hr 22 min

The RunOut #166: Melissa Strong: Grit, Healing, and Second Chances

Melissa Strong is a climber, restaurateur, and writer. In 2017, she nearly lost her life in an electrical accident that left her with amputated and disfigured hands. Her new book is called Climbing Through: A Courageous Story of Grit, Healing, and Second Chances. But first, we talk (more) about Dean Potter, the late climbing and BASE jumping visionary who is the subject of a new documentary called The Dark Wizard. Today’s final bit is a listener-submitted homage to some climbing partners and community, from Daniel Kent. Show Notes Melissa Strong: https://www.melissaistrong.com Follow Melissa Strong: https://www.instagram.com/melissaistrong/ “Climbing Through: A Courageous Story of Grit, Healing, and Second Chances: https://www.melissaistrong.com/about Watch The Dark Wizard: https://www.hbomax.com/shows/dark-wizard/76e78c26-21c9-45b4-b84b-4c3e1f8ff763 Still getting “free climbing” wrong: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/the-dark-wizard-hbo-max-review/ The True Story Behind The Dark Wizard, via TIME: https://time.com/article/2026/04/13/the-dark-wizard-dean-potter-true-story/ Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast Contact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. andrew@runoutpodcast.com // chris@runoutpodcast.com

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transcript

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show notes

Melissa Strong is a climber, restaurateur, and writer. In 2017, she nearly lost her life in an electrical accident that left her with amputated and disfigured hands. Her new book is called Climbing Through: A Courageous Story of Grit, Healing, and Second Chances.

But first, we talk (more) about Dean Potter, the late climbing and BASE jumping visionary who is the subject of a new documentary called The Dark Wizard.

Today’s final bit is a listener-submitted homage to some climbing partners and community, from Daniel Kent.

Show Notes

Melissa Strong: https://www.melissaistrong.com

Follow Melissa Strong: https://www.instagram.com/melissaistrong/

“Climbing Through: A Courageous Story of Grit, Healing, and Second Chances: https://www.melissaistrong.com/about

Watch The Dark Wizard: https://www.hbomax.com/shows/dark-wizard/76e78c26-21c9-45b4-b84b-4c3e1f8ff763

Still getting “free climbing” wrong: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/the-dark-wizard-hbo-max-review/

The True Story Behind The Dark Wizard, via TIME: https://time.com/article/2026/04/13/the-dark-wizard-dean-potter-true-story/

Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast

Contact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. andrew@runoutpodcast.com // chris@runoutpodcast.com

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