Safety Third

There is no clear way to cope with death and grief. Moving forward is often heartbreaking, baffling, and uncertain. So, how do we best honor those we’ve lost? When he was 12-years-old, Navy Seal and backcountry snowboarder Josh Jespersen tragically lost his father. Confused and angry, Josh drifted in school and got into legal trouble. He joined the Navy Seals, where death was a constant. Josh would drink to celebrate the life of his fallen friends, but this led to more legal trouble, more confusion, more anger. Ultimately, Josh realized that the best way to honor the dead was to embark on an outdoor adventure that would amplify their memory. He realized he had to live for those he had lost.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From birth we are often told to be good. But what does that mean exactly? Kate Williams, CEO at 1% For The Planet, created her own “be good” guidelines when she was a child: achieve in the classroom, achieve on the lacrosse field, do what you’re told. Kate stayed within those boundaries until she attended Princeton University, where she realized that being good meant she was stifling her growth. Kate was living in accordance to the expectations and wishes of everyone except herself. In order to realize her full potential, especially within her environmental work, Kate had to find the soft spot between her wishes and the well being of those around her. Kate would have to summon the bravery it takes to be kind.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Authenticity is a marketing buzzword that has trickled into our everyday. But what is authentic? And what happens to a person when their persona becomes a commodity? Today, our two guests discuss the intersection of individuals and brands in the age of social media. First up, Luisa Jeffrey. On a Grand Canyon trip, Luisa watched her friends snapping staged camp photos. When she returned home, she realized manicured, curated outdoor photos peppered her Instagram feed. Fed up with the lack of transparency in marketing, Luisa created @youdidnotsleepthere and began to poke fun at the phony presentations of tent sites on social media. Then we talk with Fitz Cahall, creator of The Dirtbag Diaries. Fitz realized the negative potential of acting like a brand following two near-miss climbing accidents-- you limit your ability to grow as a person. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Skiing with her family in Sun Valley, Idaho, and fishing in Alaska under the tutelage of her father shaped how McKenna Peterson navigates life. She learned dedication, resilience, hard work, and how to adjust plans while on the move. McKenna has an uncanny ability to try new things, seemingly without fear. At the University of Colorado, McKenna balanced studies and ski racing before she committed to competing in the Freeride World Tour. Then she eyed a pro ski career. In 2017, following the tragic death of her father, she took over as captain of the family fishing business. With every new opportunity, McKenna leaps first and then builds her own net. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Romping around the Wasatch mountains as a kid taught Carl Richards that the outdoors had a certain value, albeit hard to define. Carl majored in finance and and began a career as a financial planner. He worked for some major firms before starting his own business-- managing clients’ money, public speaking, illustrating, and writing the New York Times column, The Sketch Guy. Carl felt successful. And with that came a sense of security and “stuff”-- money in the bank, a big house, international trips, the latest outdoor gear. But after nearly losing everything he had worked for, Carl redefined the value he places on stuff and experiences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bianca Valenti fell in love with surfing in the breaks of Orange County, California, when she was seven years old. Soon after, she started competing, gained sponsorships, and won competitions. Even at a young age, Bianca noticed a discrepancy in the treatment, recognition, and reward of male versus female surfers. It was discouraging and disheartening. She left the surf scene entirely but the siren’s call of riding 30-plus foot waves drew her back in. As one of the sport’s best big wave surfers, it was crushing to discover that the premier big wave competition, Mavericks, didn’t allow female competitors. So, Bianca set her sights on confronting another towering giant — sexism in surf culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Len Necefer grew up splitting family time between the Midwest and the Four Corners, between auto workers and Navajo faith healers. One side of his family taught him the importance of hard work. The other showed him the necessity of connection to the natural world. These two truths have guided Len’s life. When Len returned back to the Southwest to be closer to his passion, he noticed something in the outdoor community. We were good at connecting, but not always good at putting in the hard work to take care of the landscapes we cherish. He thinks we ought to approach our relationship with the natural world the same way we would our finances. It’s time to start saving for the long term.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a first generation Mexican American raised in a strict household, Bam Mendiola felt the pressure to live up to the dreams of his parents. He had to look a certain way, be successful in school, and achieve, achieve, achieve. And he did for as long as he could, but at the cost of hiding his true self. After coming out to his family and friends, Bam found empowerment through mountaineering and cemented his own powerful identity. Bam now takes pride in being his ancestors’ wildest dreams.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Steele grew up in Geneva, Switzerland, surrounded by some of the world’s most famous peaks, as well as a multitude of people dedicated to philanthropy, service, altruism, and conservation. So when she joined the fledgling Virtual Reality team at Google, Sarah had a bold idea to harness the budding technology to protect the places that she loves — our most wild and sacred environments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following a miscarriage, filmmaker Hannah Maia felt that her body had betrayed her. She was angry and felt a growing discomfort in her own skin. In the past, Hannah had bike packed on the Continental Divide Trail, rafted the Grand Canyon — and yet more adulting, plus the miscarriage, had led her to less and less physical activity. To rattle herself out of this dark time, Hannah committed to swim in open water once a month for an entire year. And while filming her endeavor, Hannah moved from devastation to self-love and epiphany. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eric Jackson has built a life and a career around kayaking, a sport that is foundationally individual. You are alone in a boat. And while kayaking is his life's purpose, Eric's responsibilities extend far beyond the river to his family, his business, and his community. But there’s a stark difference between paddling a kayak and navigating a life filled with priorities. It is the age-old outdoor sport conundrum: how do you pursue an individual sport while still being a functional part of a team and family? To answer this for himself, Eric had to become unwavering in the pursuit of his purpose and priorities.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stacy Bare's life has always been big. He's a big man with an even bigger personality. ROTC scholarship at age 17. Played rugby when he wasn’t deployed during his time with the Army. Served in the Army with tours in Sarajevo and Baghdad and civilian stints in explosive ordnance disposal in Angola and the Republic of Georgia. When Stacy returned from military service, his big life turned into a big problem — alcoholism and addiction. Stacy knew the way he was navigating life no longer worked, so he sought the camaraderie of the outdoor community. However, he found that it could just as nearly kill him, as save him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kareemah Batts is many things. A woman. A climber. An African American. A cancer survivor. An amputee. A self-described “broke girl from Flatbush.” She’s not just one thing. After being overlooked for conversations about diversity in the outdoor community, Kareemah decided to jumpstart a new conversation — she wants to expand the outdoor community’s definition of diversity and to rethink how we approach inclusivity. Because, as it turns out, diversity is a pretty damn diverse subject. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At 14-years-old, Erik Weihenmayer lost his eyesight to a rare disease. He was devastated, feeling the crushing grip of loneliness and perceiving a limited future. Then, a rock climbing trip to North Conway, NH changed his perspective on what was possible. Erik has used his blindness, his so-called barrier, to charge to the top of Everest, propel himself through the rapids of the Grand Canyon, and as fuel to pass on his passion for adventuring to others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Luis Benitez spent his twenties atop the world’s most famous mountains. After witnessing the Nangpa La shooting at Cho Oyu and meeting with the Dalai Lama, Luis changed his trajectory through life. Now he’s in charge of bringing recreation to the center of the political debate. If we want to protect the places we love, Luis thinks we need to take a page from the oil companies’ playbook.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jainee Dial and her boyfriend Brad took an ordinary climbing trip to Yosemite. They were a young couple doing what they love. When Brad died while climbing the Matthes Crest, Jainee’s life was turned upside down. Faced with the most devastating loss of her life, Jainee broke free from tradition to forge a new path through grief. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deep within our humanity is an engrained desire for companionship, but within our culture, there’s a need to have a clear identity. That’s what makes relationships challenging and wonderful. Host Paddy O’Connell’s parents, Molly Ryan and Mike O’Connell, discuss the trials, tribulations and discoveries created over 40 years of marriage.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris McNamara has spent his life pursuing risky outdoor activities, like big wall climbing and BASE jumping. To him, they’re essential avenues of self-discovery. But what happens when an essential part of who you are has the ability to lead you to disaster? You find different ways to take risks.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More fun than a powder day. Riskier than leaping from a mountain. Weirder than a week on the playa. Welcome to Safety Third-- Ideas forged from adventure. The first season launches May 23rd. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices