Saddle Sand Sea is a multi-year, multi-event challenge dreamed up by Seamus Crawford and Paddy Montgomery. They completed the first challenge, The Race Across Europe, in 2015; cycling 2,933 miles in 12 days crossing the Pyrenees once and the Alps twice. Next, in 2016, they completed the Marathon des Sables billed as the toughest footrace on earth. It’s 6 marathons in 6 days across the Sahara desert. Finally, in 2017, they will compete in the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge, a 3,000 nautical mile row across the Atlantic Ocean. They are doing this to raise funds for The Prostrate Project and Shooting Star Chase and you can learn more about their adventures at saddlesandsea.com. Seamus and Paddy, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.
TPZ118: Cycling, Running & Rowing with Seamus Crawford & Paddy Montgomery
TPZ117: Cycling Around the World with Adam Sultan
In 2015 Adam Sultan ran 15 marathons. It was part of a project he created called #LifeYears aimed at making every single year of his life memorable and unique. In 2016, Adam is setting out on a new challenge and multi-year cycling adventure called #RideTheWorld. After years of working in a job that wasn’t satisfying, Adam has devoted himself to living a purposeful life pursuing adventure and sport. While cycling, Adam plans to participate in Citizen Science and fundraise for several charities including SEED Madagascar which does humanitarian and conservation work in one of the poorest countries on the planet. You can learn more about Adam at his website adamtsultan.com. Adam Sultan, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.
TPZ116: Rim to Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon with Ted Olson
Starting at the Bright Angel trailhead in the Grand Canyon National Park, Ted Olson and his daughter hiked rim to rim and back again without camping. It took them 32 hours to hike the 47 miles gaining and losing over 21,000 ft of elevation. This is not an adventure for the unprepared because if you are, there’s a chance you might die. Ted shares his experiences that made his trip a success. Ted Olson, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.
TPZ115: Volunteering Around the World with John Marshall
John Marshall set off on a 6 month volunteering adventure with his wife and teenage son and daughter in 2010. Their travels brought them to a wildlife sanctuary in Costa Rica, WWOOFing in New Zealand, teaching English in rural Thailand, and working at an orphanage in India. His book about their journey is titled Wide-Open World How Volunteering Around the Globe Changed One Family’s Lives Forever. You can learn more about John and his latest project at JohnMarshall.com and neworphanage.org. John Marshall, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.
TPZ114: Walking India with Oli Broadhead & Angus Walker
For 2 months in the summer of 2015, Oli Broadhead and Angus Walker trekked over 600 miles east to west across southern India from the Bay of Bengal to the Arabian Sea. They walked 20 miles a day across the diverse landscapes of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala. Oli and Angus are currently students so their budget was low and their kit minimal. They are both aspiring filmmakers and are working on a short film of their adventure. You can learn more at their websites olibroadhead.com and anguswalkerphotography.com. Oli and Angus, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.
TPZ113: Ganges River Expedition with Krushnaa Patil
Krushnaa Patil is a mountaineer and motivational speaker who became the youngest Indian to summit Mount Everest in 2009 at age 19. Between attempts to complete the Seven Summits, she joined the Access Water Expedition – a 55-day, 1500 mile journey along the Ganges River also known as the Ganga. From Gomukh in the Indian Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, the team of 8 women met with young people to raise awareness and inspire future leaders to work toward access to abundant, clean water. You can learn more about their adventure at yourexpedition.com. Krushnaa Patil, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.
TPZ112: Climbing El Potrero Chico with Evan Johnson
Evan Johnson has been climbing for over a decade. During the winter of 2015, he rode a motorcycle from Minnesota to the winter climbing destination of El Potrero Chico Mexico. It’s a 3 hour drive southwest from Laredo Texas and it’s easy to find climbing partners, the prices are low, and there’s plenty to do if you want to take a day off from climbing. You can learn more about it at potrerochico.org. Evan Johnson welcome to The Pursuit Zone.
TPZ111: Running the Marathon des Sables with Sarah Williams
It was on a solo South American backpacking journey in 2013 when Sarah Williams decided she’d had enough of office work and was energized to start Tough Girl Challenges – a website and podcast aimed at inspiring listeners through inspirational stories from adventurous women. Sarah also inspires by completing her own challenges like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and running the Marathon des Sables, a 6 marathons in six days race across the Sahara Desert in Morroco. You can learn more about Sarah at her website toughgirlchallenges.com. Sarah Williams, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.
TPZ110: Mountain Biking & Cycle Touring with Andy Welch
Andy Welch and two friends set off from England on a planned around-the-world cycle tour in the summer of 2007. Their journey to Armenia is chronicled in Andy’s book Weave of the Ride. After Armenia, Andy went solo and continued his cycling into Georgia, Iran, Pakistan, India, and Nepal. His second book, Between Worlds, tells this part of the story. Eventually, Andy cycled his way back to Tiblisi Georgia and co-founded GeoRiders, a company offering mountain biking tours in Georgia. You can learn more about Andy at his website andrewwelch.info. Andy Welch, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.
TPZ109: Trekking Madagascar with Ash Dykes
In February 2016, 25-year-old Ash Dykes became the first person to traverse the length of Madagascar through its interior. It was an adventure spanning 155 days and 1,600 miles during which Ash summited eight of the highest mountains on the island. Madagascar’s land area is roughly 2.5 times larger than the UK and provides plenty of challenges from thick jungle to crocodile infested river crossings to bandits, military conflicts and the opportunity to contract the deadliest strain of malaria. Ash partnered with the Lemur Conservation Network which works to help protect Lemurs and their habitat in Madagascar and you can learn more about Ash and his expeditions at ashdykes.com. Ash Dykes, welcome back to the show.