Wild Ideas Worth Living | Interviews On Adventure, Outdoors, Travel, Health, Fitness, Running, Business, Surfing, Exploring

Over the past few years, alpinist, filmmaker, and climate activist Graham Zimmerman has watched his home in Bend, Oregon get consumed by smoke over and over again. As someone who loves spending time outside, Graham wondered what exactly he could do to help. He created the podcast Wildfire to dig deep and investigate the raging infernos that threaten our homes on planet Earth. Connect with Graham:Website Instagram Resources:Check out REI Co-op Studios Wildfire PodcastLearn more about Protect Our WintersSponsor: Sonos 

The Boogie Board Wave Chasers is a club of women between the ages of 55 and 95. Five days a week, on the beaches of San Diego, these women charge waves, and have the time of their lives. Boogie boarding keeps these women young. It is a workout to swim against the current, hop up on their boards, and get up off the sand. Most of all, together, these women have built a community that cheers them on, in and out of the water.Learn more about the Boogie Board Wave Chasers: Drew Barrymore ShowABC 10Sponsor: Sonos 

In 2018, writer and journalist Katie Arnold took the ultrarunning community by surprise when she won one of the toughest ultramarathons in the country, the Leadville 100. When an opportunity arose to compete in this famous 100 mile race, Katie committed to training for Leadville her way. Her training was “unconventional”, but it totally worked. At 46 years old, Katie completed the course with one of the fastest women’s times in race history.Connect with Katie:Website InstagramPurchase Katie's book, Running HomeTwitterFacebookSponsor: Sonos

Chalk artist David Zinn is known for leaving anonymous work on sidewalks, under rocks, and in other unexpected places. He walks around Ann Arbor, Michigan with a little wooden box of brightly colored chalk. As David strolls the neighborhood, he looks for features of the streetscape– oddly shaped cracks in the pavement or chunks of brick missing from retaining walls– to use in his drawings of whimsical, mischievous little creatures. The lines of the sidewalk become a tightrope for a rabbit to balance on, a sprinkler head becomes the eye of a frog, a pine cone becomes the tail of a cat. Connect with David:Website InstagramTikTokFacebookSponsor: Sonos

Mario Stanley started rock climbing in his early twenties and quickly fell in love with the sport. He became a climbing coach and an outdoor guide, and now runs his own company, Highpoint Expeditions. Climbing gave Mario’s life a sense of direction at a time when he was feeling lost. He’s learned over the years that it’s about more than scaling to the top of a wall. Climbing is an exercise in freedom, trust, and pushing through fear.Connect with Mario:Website InstagramYouTubeResources:Sends and Suffers Podcast Highpoint ExpeditionsSummit Climbing GymsEpisode sponsor: SonosListen to: Tooth and Claw podcast

Laurie Watt is an ice climber and mountaineer who became a professional adventure guide at age 55. She spent most of her adult life indoors- parenting and working as a physical therapist. In her forties, she found her way into the mountains. Now, Laurie  is teaching us all that getting older doesn’t mean that we have to forgo our wild ideas. Some of us might even get better and wilder with age.Connect with Laurie:WebsiteInstagramEpisode sponsor: SonosListen to: Tooth and Claw podcast

Silvia Vasquez-Lavado summited Mt. Everest in 2016, and was the first Peruvian woman to do so. Her trip up the world’s tallest mountain was part of an incredible journey toward healing - from sexual abuse when she was a child and from alcoholism as an adult. Her book, In the Shadow of the Mountain, tells the story of her childhood in Peru, her immigration to America, and her climb up Mt. Everest. Connect with Silvia Vasquez-Lavado: WebsiteInstagramFacebookTwitterCourageous GirlsEpisode sponsor: SonosListen to: Tooth and Claw podcastArtwork photo credit: Emily Assiran

Group runs changed Iman Wilkerson’s life and contributed to the confidence she needed to go after her wildest ideas. Now, she is channeling her inspiration into supporting others to connect with their local community through running. In 2020, Iman created The Run Down, a web-based app that brings together local runners and shares different routes to explore in their community. The service started in San Diego, and it’s quickly spread to LA and beyond. Connect with Iman:InstagramJoin The Run Down community: WebsiteInstagramFacebook Episode sponsor: SonosArtwork photo credit: John Onelio

Getting outside can be intimidating — it feels like there’s a lot that can go wrong. Luckily, Miranda Webster, host of the REI YouTube series Miranda in the Wild, is here to show you that it doesn’t have to be hard or scary. Miranda is like your best friend from middle school, and she’s been working at REI since she was 18 years old! It took her some time to find the right role, but hosting a video series was a perfect fit. In Miranda in the Wild, Miranda and her production team create educational and endearing videos to help encourage others to get outside.Connect with guests:YouTube ChannelFacebookInstagramMiranda in the Wild episodes to watch:My Friend's FIRST TIME Planning a BACKPACKING TRIP!How to Backpack During Your Period!Episode sponsors:SonosTevaArtwork photo credit:  Chelsea Newton 

Mylo Fowler is a landscape photographer who takes pictures of his homeland, the Navajo Nation. The images he captures are stunning - they feature the rock formations, plants, and skies of the southwestern United States. His photography holds layers of meaning that celebrate and preserve Navajo culture, and he’s also figured out how to use his photography to bring electricity to people who live on Navajoland. Connect with Mylo:WebsiteFacebookTwitterInstagramResources:Learn more about Mylo’s work with Goal ZeroEpisode sponsors:SonosTeva

Noami Grevemberg is an activist, podcaster and entrepreneur. In 2016, she and her husband Dustin left their home in New Orleans and moved into a 1985 Volkswagen Van. The pair has figured out how to make van life sustainable for them. They make a living as digital nomads. They do their best to practice a zero-waste lifestyle. And Noami has created a platform and community of BIPOC and LGBTQ van lifers with her platform Diversify Vanlife. Connect with guests:WebsiteFacebookInstagramResources:Diversify VanlifeDiversify Vanlife Instagram

When we get out in nature, we can come up with ideas that change the course of our lives. For David Sacher, a 19,000 mile bike ride from the top of North America to the bottom of South America gave him the time and space to dream up his next wild idea. As he pedaled through the Andes mountains, he came up with a business idea: VITAL, a unique 24-hour climbing gym that runs on trust and community. Now, David’s business has grown significantly, and VITAL has several locations across the country.Connect with David:WebsiteInstagramYouTubeTikTok

In 2019, Brittany Washington was burnt out. She was ready to pursue something a little more wild, and she was thirsty for knowledge. In January of 2020, Brittany left New York City for a trip around the world. She was in Bali, Indonesia in March of 2020, when the world stood still with the COVID-19 pandemic. She was stuck. During the year that Brittany spent in Bali, she continued to seek out adventure, and even made a video series titled Ms. Communication.Connect with  Brittany:WebsiteTikTok TwitterInstagramYouTube

For Chris Burkard, photography has always been more than just taking spectacular pictures. He’s used his craft as a way to tell stories, inspire people to adventure outside, and most of all, to push himself to the edge of his comfort zone. He’s caught freezing cold-water waves with professional surfer Pete Devries. He’s biked with champion mountain biker Rebecca Rusch. He’s hung off cliffs in Moab, surfed in Iceland, and skied near the Arctic circle. After spending much of his career documenting other people’s lives and adventures, Chris recently decided to turn the camera on himself and share stories from his own travels in his memoir called Wayward.Other episodes to listen to:Chris Burkard 2017 episodeConnect with Chris Burkard:WebsiteFacebookTwitterInstagramResources:The book that Chris mentioned, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

For Raquel Gomez, getting outside has always been a way to be playful and adventurous. She’s done a lot of hiking, rock climbing and camping around the U.S. Raquel also has a passion for working with kids — she’s a youth climbing coach and has worked as a Wilderness Therapy Guide. But building a career in the outdoors wasn’t easy for Raquel. She loved to get outside as a kid, but didn’t see many outdoor athletes that looked like her. That’s why she founded Atabey Outdoors, a program that provides safe and fun outdoor adventures for Black, Indigenous and Girls of Color in Phoenix, Arizona.Connect with Raquel:WebsiteInstagram

In the summer of 2018, many of us were glued to news for updates on the Tham Luang cave rescue. A Thai youth soccer team and their coach were exploring the Tham Luang caves when the monsoon rains came early. The rising water trapped the boys inside a cave. While the rest of the world was watching from afar, cave diver Rick Stanton was diving into the situation head on. His team was able to guide all twelve boys and their coach to safety. No one had ever done a rescue like this before, and suddenly Rick became an international hero. Resources:Learn more about Rick Stanton's book, AquanautWatch The Rescue Learn more about the film, Thirteen Lives, coming out November 18th 2022

Helmets reduce the likelihood of getting a serious head injury by 60%. Even though they make it safer to ride your bike, skateboard, one-wheel, or even roller skates, a lot of people don’t wear them, citing bulkiness and inconvenience. Gloria Hwang felt the same way, so she designed a more exciting, user-friendly helmet and launched the product on Kickstarter. Since the first sale, her company Thousand has become a thriving brand in the outdoor industry and is changing the helmet game. Connect with Gloria:WebsiteFacebookTwitterInstagram

Steph Jagger’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 2015. Despite their complicated relationship, Steph decided to take her mom on one more adventure — a two week camping and road trip through three national parks. In a time when she needed comfort, confirmation of her own identity, and strength to confront her mother’s decline, Steph turned to Mother Nature. Her new book, Everything Left to Remember, documents the women’s trip and beautifully captures Steph’s reflections on childhood, motherhood, and losing the woman who guided her through life.Connect with Steph:WebsiteInstagramResources:Everything Left to RememberSteph Jagger's website

Davis Smith is an outdoor adventurer and mission-driven entrepreneur. That’s why he founded Cotopaxi in 2014. Best known for their bright colors, Cotopaxi doesn’t just make good gear, they make gear for good. The brand is committed to minimizing their impact on the planet, and maximizing the benefit for the people who live here. Davis spent a lot of his childhood in Latin America, and his parents were committed to serving others and getting outside, values that he still carries with him today. For him, Cotopaxi is a perfect way to honor his upbringing and the places that mean a lot to him.Episodes to listen to:Cotopaxi ambassador, Nicole Ver KuilenConnect with guests:WebsiteTwitterInstagram

At 10 years old, Nicole Ver Kuilen was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer, that led to the amputation of her lower left leg. Nicole has always been an athlete, but the prosthesis supplied by her insurance was holding her back. In 2017 Nicole completed an ultra triathlon down the western coast of the United States, walking, biking, and running over 1,500 miles to raise awareness about the lack of access to prostheses. Based on that journey, she founded a nonprofit organization called Forrest Stump to fight for better equipment for amputees. Show artwork photo: Adam Wells (@ajwells)Connect with Nicole:WebsiteFacebookInstagramResources:Forrest StumpCotopaxi Do Good AmbassadorsROMP