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Wild Ideas Worth Living

REI Co-op

High-impact interviews for those who love adventure and the outdoors. Host and journalist Shelby Stanger interviews world-class explorers, athletes, authors, scientists, health experts and entrepreneurs about how they’ve taken their own wild ideas and made them a reality, so you can too. Some of the wildest ideas can lead to the most rewarding adventures.

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28 episodes
weekly
Avg 27 min
English

Episodes 28

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#422
Tuesday · 29 min
First Woman to Ski the Full Iditarod with Sunny Stroeer
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 environme
#421
September 22 · 27 min
This Is What Happens When You Ask a Stranger to Ride Your Tandem Bike with Tyler Mitic
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 focuse
#420
September 15 · 35 min
Climbing and Skiing the Seven Summits with Kit DesLauriers
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.
#419
September 8 · 27 min
Expanding Access to the Outdoors with Alison Mariella Désir
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.
#418
September 1 · 28 min
The First Person to Complete the Double Seven with Rob Lea
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.
#417
August 25 · 26 min
Why Bike Commuting Makes Us Happier with Jenn Dice
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.
#416
August 18 · 30 min
Walking Barefoot Across the US with Anton Nootenboom
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.
#415
August 11 · 28 min
Setting Records and Winning the Cocodona 250 with Rachel Entrekin
Rachel Entrekin is an ultrarunner and three time champion of the Cocodona 250, one of the most demanding ultramarathons in the United States. Known as the "Queen of Cocodona," she became the first woman to win the race outright in 2026, covering more than 250 miles across Arizona in 56 hours, 9 minutes, and 58 seconds while setting a new course record.
#414
August 4 · 32 min
The Secret to Healthy Feet and Pain Free Adventure with Courtney Conley
Courtney Conley is a movement specialist, foot health expert, and author of the national bestselling book Walk. Through her work as founder of Gait Happens, she helps people build stronger feet and ankles to improve mobility, prevent injury, and stay active for life. Whether you love hiking, running, biking, or climbing, Courtney believes better movement starts from the ground up.
#413
July 28 · 26 min
A 3-Year Bike Journey Around the World with Samer Abouhamad
Samer Abouhamad is a long distance cyclist who biked 46,000 miles through 61 countries during a three year journey around the world. He began the ride just outside his family's home in Brookline, Massachusetts, and completed it in Beirut, Lebanon, in September 2025.
#412
July 21 · 30 min
Setting Ultramarathon Records at 75 Years Old with Michael Koppy
Michael Koppy is a 75-year-old ultrarunner and retired engineering professor from northern Minnesota who is still breaking records in endurance sports. Over the past decade, he's completed two fastest known times (FKTs) and continues to compete in some of the country's most demanding ultramarathons. In 2026, he became the oldest person to finish the Arrowhead 135, one of the toughest winter ultramarathons in the United States.
#411
July 14 · 26 min
Slacklining Around the World with Breannah Yeh
Breannah Yeh is a slackliner, highliner, and content creator who has spent the last six years dedicated to life on the line. Whether she's landing tricks on a slackline in Los Angeles or walking highlines suspended thousands of feet above the ground, Breannah brings a joyful and creative approach to a sport that demands intense focus and balance. Through her videos, she shares the challenges and rewards of slacklining with a community of more than 2.5 million followers.
#410
July 7 · 23 min
How to Pace an Ultramarathon Runner with Lisa Jhung
Lisa Jhung is a writer, trail runner, and ultramarathon pacer who first began pacing runners more than 25 years ago. Drawn to the challenge and camaraderie of endurance sports, she's helped athletes through some of the most demanding miles of their lives. What keeps her returning to the trail is the opportunity to support someone else's big goal and be part of their journey to the finish line.
#409
June 30 · 29 min
First Woman to Walk the Length of the Americas with Lucy Barnard
Lucy Barnard is an Australian adventurer walking the length of the Americas, a years long expedition from Argentina to Alaska she began in 2017. Along the way, she adopted a blue heeler named Wombat, and together they navigate deserts, mountains, jungles, and remote terrain on foot. By 2026, Lucy had reached northern British Columbia, steadily continuing north toward Alaska.
#408
June 23 · 24 min
Kayaking 310 Miles Down the Klamath River with Tasia Linwood
On June 12, 2025, 15 year old Tasia Linwood set out to kayak 310 miles down the Klamath River, from southern Oregon to the coast of northern California. She went with several other young Indigenous kayakers, from different tribes who live along the river. Their journey marked the first descent of the Klamath after the removal of four dams, which her community had fought for for decades.
#407
June 16 · 28 min
Biking Across Every Continent with Liam Garner
Liam Garner is a long distance cyclist who set out at 17 to bike from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina, completing nearly 20,000 miles and becoming the youngest person to ride the length of the Americas. Now, Liam is continuing his global cycling journey, riding roughly 15,000 miles from Portugal through Europe, the Middle East, and Asia toward Singapore as part of his goal to bike across every continent.
#406
June 9 · 25 min
How to Talk to Trees with Lindsay Branham
Lindsay Branham is an environmental psychologist exploring how we build deeper, more reciprocal relationships with nature. Her work invites us to go beyond simply spending time outside and consider what it might look like to truly listen and even communicate with trees.
#405
June 2 · 29 min
Finding Purpose in Endurance Running with Yassine Diboun
Yassine Diboun is a Portland-based ultrarunner and coach who found endurance sports during recovery from addiction. After signing up for his first triathlon in 2004 to bring structure to his life, he discovered a talent for running that quickly evolved into a career in ultramarathons. Since then, he has become one of the sport’s most respected athletes, with top 10 finishes at Western States 100, multiple course records, and a place on the U.S. trail running team.
#404
May 26 · 21 min
Training Tips for Your Next Adventure with Joe Holder
Joe Holder is a Nike Master Trainer and GQ fitness columnist with a track record of coaching elite athletes and high profile clients. Grounded in a background in health and wellness, he brings a practical approach to endurance training and overall fitness. His work spans marathon training, thru hike preparation, and strategies to support long term health and performance.
#403
May 19 · 26 min
Rowing Solo Across the Atlantic Ocean with Taryn Smith
In January 2026, Taryn Smith became the third American woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean, completing a 46 day Atlantic Ocean crossing in open water conditions. With no rowing experience beforehand, she leaned on a foundation built through world travel, the New York City Marathon, and summers exploring Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains.

Showing 1–20 of 28 episodes