Out There

How many times have we been told the story of the fearless leader — in work, in politics, in the mountains? When the stakes are high, it’s natural to place our confidence in strength and certainty. To turn to the leader and believe they have no doubt. This story, which originally aired on She Explores in 2020, isn’t about how to become a fearless leader in the mountains. Nor is it about how to overcome your fear, or even how to harness it. But it is about listening to what fear is trying to teach us. It’s an opportunity to consider what kind of leader you need, as well as the one you might want to be. Hear more from She Explores here. Music in this episode includes works by Gracie & Rachel via Music Bed.

In 2001, Donna Martino stuck a newspaper clipping on her fridge. It was a photo of a handsome kayaker paddling through the surf. A few months later, Donna matched with the man on a dating website. We tend to assume that improbable beginnings are a recipe for disaster — that sappy romances can’t last — that fairytale endings are only for movies. But sometimes, the real world serves up a dose of schmaltz. This story, which first aired in 2020 and went on to win a national award, is about what happens when coincidences pile up, and strangers go out on a limb and take a chance on each other. Sign up for our email list Share Out There, win rewards Take our survey

Melat Amha had been struggling with chronic illness for years, when she decided to move to an organic farm in the Sierra National Forest. On this episode, she shares her story. It’s a story about finding your way back to health when modern medicine has failed you. And it’s about learning what it means to love yourself and honor your needs. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS: Take our audience survey to get a FREE Out There sticker and be entered into a drawing for an REI gift card REFER A FRIEND: Refer friends to the podcast and win rewards SUPPORT OUT THERE: Become a patron

On the surface, competing as a runner seems straight forward: the winner of a race is the fastest person from point A to point B, and to progress, you just have to be a better runner than everyone else. Right? Turns out, it’s not so simple. Fairness is a surprisingly complicated concept. On this episode we bring you the story of two athletes — a “ghost runner” from the U.K. and a phenom from Uganda — and we explore how rules meant to ensure fairness can end up excluding some of the best athletes from competitions. Get involved: Take our survey Share this episode Support Out There

Growing up with a rare bone condition, Will Cox was constantly in and out of hospitals — and constantly fearful of the world around him. The fear eventually took over his life, controlling almost everything he did. And that’s probably the way his future would have played out, had it not been for a mountain bike. On this episode, Tanya Chawla brings us Will’s story. REFER FRIENDS, WIN REWARDS: Sign up for your personal referral link here NEW OUT THERE MERCH: Check it out here SUPPORT OUT THERE: Become a patron  

We often hear that you shouldn’t worry about what society thinks of you — you should chart your own course in life. But that’s easier said than done. What if different parts of you are at odds? How do know if you’ve made a mistake by following your gut? This is a story about learning to trust yourself on a mountain bike, and in life. Share Out There & win rewards! Get your personal referral link here.

Molly-Anne Dameron had struggled with severe mental illness her whole life. And, after years of drug addiction, she had recently gotten sober. But — as she puts it — getting sober is "not always f*cking rainbows." She wasn’t sure she was going to make it in sobriety, with the added isolation of the pandemic. So she set out to skate from Maine to New Jersey. SHARE THIS PODCAST, WIN REWARDS: Get your personal referral link here. MERCH SALE: Get 30% off Out There merch with promo code FALL30. Now through Oct. 10, 2021.

Shannon Prince comes from a family with a rich relationship to the natural world. Her Cherokee ancestors were skilled at using plants as medicine. But her family’s eco-literacy had been stripped away over the generations. Yearning to rediscover forgotten knowledge, Shannon traveled across the world to Mongolia, where ancient traditions were more intact. On this episode, she explores the surprising things that can happen to you on a personal level, when you attempt to preserve a way of life that’s slowly disappearing. REFER FRIENDS, WIN REWARDS! Sign up for your personal referral link.

Becky Jensen had given herself the perfect present for her 50th birthday: a two-week solo backpacking trip. But when she emerged from the trail, she learned that a wildfire had started near her home in northern Colorado. Her house might already be gone. On this episode, Becky shares her story. She takes us from the tranquility of the San Juan mountains to a cramped basement where she waited out her evacuation, and explores how you find serenity when a natural disaster threatens everything you’ve built. Refer friends, win rewards! Get your personal referral link here.

After a demoralizing hiking trip in college, Ava Ahmadbeigi gave up on nature. She had never been outdoorsy, and now she knew she didn't belong. But that hiking trip kept haunting her. On this episode, Ava tells her story. She takes us from a cramped apartment in NYC to a mountain in the Adirondacks, as she seeks to find her place — both in her own body, and in the world outside her walls. Click here to read the transcript for this episode. Sign up for our email list and be the first to know about our upcoming referral rewards program! SUPPORT OUT THERE: Become a patron

A career in the arts is tough. Creative professionals are notoriously overworked and underpaid. Even if you “make it,” it’s easy for your passion to turn into just another stressful job. On this episode, we bring you a story about photographer and skateboarder Khaleeq Alfred, who has been learning how to walk the line between following his dreams and paying the bills. It's a story about getting the compensation you deserve without sacrificing your artistic integrity, and about finding balance between happiness and the hustle. You can read the episode transcript here. Support Out There by becoming a patron today!

On this episode, we talk with Sarah Maslin Nir, author of the book Horse Crazy. Horse Crazy is part memoir and part cultural exploration. It’s a love letter to an animal. It’s a story about the struggle to belong. And it’s a deep dive into the fascinating things that horses — and the humans connected to them — can teach us about ourselves and our society. SUPPORT OUT THERE: Become a patron

Many of us assume that self care is inherently selfish — that we either focus on ourselves, or we help others. But what if that’s a false dichotomy? This story explores how self care can end up being good for the greater community. The story follows a woman named Linda Mohammad, also known as the Bucket List Traveler, who set out to visit all the national parks in the United States. When she started the project, she was just trying to get in shape and unplug from her hectic life. But the experience snowballed into something much bigger, and much more beautiful, than that. EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: Click here to read the transcript as you listen. PITCH US A STORY: Story pitches for our upcoming season, "Things I Thought I Knew," are due July 30, 2021. Click here to see our pitch guidelines. HEAR OUR AWARD-WINNING EPISODE: Our episode "A Series of Unlikely Events" won a silver medal in PMJA's annual awards. Listen now. SUPPORT OUT THERE: Help us pay for the beautiful stories you hear on the show.

My mother always told me I shouldn’t take “no” for an answer. If you don’t get what you want, she said, keep pushing. Growing up, I took that advice to heart: whatever the task at hand, I charged forward with dogged determination. But in 2018, a bicycle accident changed my outlook on what it means to back down, and I started standing up for myself in a new way.   SUPPORT OUT THERE: Become a patron on Patreon

How Harriet Tubman could change your perspective on who belongs outdoors You probably learned about Harriet Tubman in school growing up — how she led slaves to freedom on the underground railroad. But she was a lot more than an activist and freedom fighter. She was a daughter, wife, entrepreneur — and a talented outdoorswoman. On this episode, we explore Tubman’s relationship with nature; we unpack how that history shapes the way Black Americans engage with the outdoors today; and we show how a closer look at Tubman could offer new perspectives on who belongs outdoors. FOR FURTHER LISTENING: Check out our "Black & Outdoorsy" playlist for stories celebrating Black experiences outdoors Hear the Following Harriet series

When Paul Barach embarked on his first thru-hike, he was expecting a life-changing experience. The Shikoku Pilgrimage, which traverses Japan’s most rural island and takes visitors past 88 Buddhist temples, promised to be a spiritual and meditative journey, as well as an epic adventure. But the reality wasn’t so nice. On this episode, Paul tells the story of what happens when the adventure of a lifetime doesn't turn out the way you'd hoped. How do you make peace with the worst parts of hiking, when those parts never end?

Climbing a mountain can be a lot like coming out. That’s a metaphor filmmaker Devin Fei-Fan Tau explores in his new documentary Who’s On Top. The film follows four LGBTQ climbers who set out to summit Mt. Hood. It explores their connection to nature and their efforts to challenge stereotypes about gender and sexuality — and it offers an inside view into the literal and metaphorical mountains they face. Devin joins us on this episode to talk about it. WATCH THE FILM: Apple TV | Vimeo SUPPORT OUT THERE: Patreon | Venmo | Other

As more people get vaccinated and the world starts opening up again, many of us are reflecting on the unprecedented isolation we’ve experienced over the past year. Extreme isolation was new for many of us, and we’re looking forward to getting back to normal. But not everyone can escape their aloneness. This is the story of a runner named Luanne Burke, who has been dealing with deep isolation for decades and will continue to experience it, even after much of the world returns to a “new normal.” SUPPORT OUT THERE: Patreon | Venmo | Credit Card

In the wake of natural disasters, those affected are faced with a tough decision: do you leave and go somewhere safer, or stay put and try to rebuild your life? How do you navigate that choice? And for those who decide to stay: what seals the deal? Why do we remain in disaster-prone areas, after losing so much? This episode takes us to an island in North Carolina and tells the story of one man who finds himself firmly rooted to place, despite growing environmental threats. FOR FURTHER LISTENING: Check out our playlist "After the Storm," which explores why we live where we live, as the climate warms. SUPPORT OUT THERE: Patreon | Venmo | Credit Card/PayPal

In 2015, Australian journalist James Bennett moved to India, to take up a long-coveted role as a foreign correspondent. James was an outdoorsy type: he liked to cycle, surf, camp, and fish. So he knew the move to India's crowded capital city was going to be hard. What he didn’t realize was how the experience would change his perspective on speaking up about your problems. On this episode, he shares his story. It’s a story that first ran several years ago, but which feels surprisingly relevant again now. Support Out There: Patreon | Venmo | Credit Card