Climbing phenomenon Brette Harrington has spent her life chasing adventure on bold lines in remote places – but few climbs demanded more courage, resilience and emotional strength than her historic free solo of Chiaro di Luna in Patagonia. What began as a shared dream with her partner Marc-André Leclerc would ultimately become a powerful tribute to him, after his tragic passing. In this episode, I talk with Brette about the mental preparation it took to free solo one of the most difficult routes...
Jun 26, 2025•32 min•Season 3Ep. 11
At 52 years old, endurance swimming legend Martin Strel set out on one of the greatest adventure feats in human history – to swim the entire length of the Amazon River. Battling exhaustion, treacherous currents, parasites, piranhas and mental collapse, Martin’s 66-day journey pushed the limits of physical and psychological resilience. But this was never just about a personal challenge – it was a mission to raise awareness about the destruction of one of Earth’s most vital ecosystems, all while s...
Jun 12, 2025•33 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Ultrarunning athlete Ryan Sandes has pushed the limits of endurance, survival and adventure in some of the most extreme environments on the planet – from brutal mountain crossings and moments of fear on the Great Himalaya Trail to relentless storms and a terrifying night deep in the mountains of Lesotho. Ryan’s relationship with running wasn’t always easy, and his story is one of mental resilience, raw determination and an unshakable will to keep going – no matter what – all while finding the jo...
May 29, 2025•28 min
Ultracycling phenomenon Lael Wilcox seems to have no limits when it comes to adventures on two wheels. Her record-breaking ride around the world in 108 days is a true testament to endurance, resilience, the power of community and a positive mindset. Faced with unexpected challenges – from food poisoning and poison ivy to navigating remote roads in gruelling conditions – Lael pushed through both physical and mental barriers, setting a new benchmark for the fastest woman to cycle around the planet...
May 15, 2025•28 min•Season 3Ep. 8
In this special episode, we're sharing a feed drop from Just Ride, a podcast that explores the world of cycling and life on two wheels. Recorded one year ago, this conversation features Lael Wilcox, one of the most inspiring figures in ultra-endurance cycling, as she prepares to attempt a record-breaking around-the-world bike ride. Lael talks about her training, mindset, and the mental and physical demands of long-distance cycling at the highest level. If you're into cycling, endurance sports, o...
May 08, 2025•1 hr 18 min
Paragliding pilot Tom de Dorlodot has spent his life chasing the wildest skies on Earth – but few adventures demand more endurance, survival instincts and sheer nerve than flying among the world’s highest peaks. Alongside his friend Horacio Llorens, Tom set out with an ambitious goal: to take human flight to places it had never been before. When shifting wind conditions forced a change of plan, they seized a new opportunity – to fly to K2 and soar among the towering giants of the Karakoram mount...
May 01, 2025•30 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Today, we’re doing something a little different. I am joined by Aaron Millar from the Armchair Explorer podcast for a quick chat—and then we’re handing things over to let you experience an incredible episode from their show. Armchair Explorer is all about the world’s most inspiring adventure stories, and today’s episode is no exception. Get ready to journey into the untamed wilderness of Iceland through the eyes of world-renowned photographer and filmmaker Chris Burkard. From surfing beneath the...
Apr 24, 2025•35 min
In 2022, Preet Chandi MBE became the first woman of colour to complete a solo, unsupported expedition to the South Pole, covering 700 miles in just 40 days. And that wasn’t the only world record she would go on to break. But these achievements are more than just personal milestones – they’re a powerful challenge to long-held ideas about who belongs in the world of extreme exploration. In this episode, I speak with the British physiotherapist and Army officer about what it took to prepare for one...
Apr 17, 2025•29 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Jesse Dufton's ascent of Devil's Tower redefined what’s possible in the world of free climbing. Not because nobody had climbed it before him, but because he did it without seeing the rock in front of his eyes. Jesse was born with a genetic condition that left him blind, and his climbing journey from his local crags in the UK to some of the world’s most challenging walls is a testament to innovation, trust and sheer determination, proving that vision isn’t just about what you see – it’s about how...
Apr 03, 2025•30 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Cathy O’Dowd made history as the first woman to summit both the North and South sides of Everest, but her journey to the top was anything but smooth. Facing life-or-death decisions, brutal storms, and the weight of expectation, she learned that success in the mountains isn’t just about strength – it’s about resilience, strategy and knowing when to push forward. In this episode, I talk to the South African adventurer about the highs and lows of her record-breaking ascents, navigating one of the d...
Mar 20, 2025•37 min
Andrew Cotton has made a career out of chasing some of the biggest waves on the planet. But when a brutal wipeout at Nazaré left him with a broken back, his future as a pro surfer was suddenly uncertain. The road to recovery wasn’t just physical – it was a battle of fear, doubt and sheer determination to return to the giant waves that nearly ended it all. In this episode, I talk to Andrew Cotton about his journey from a plumber in North Devon, UK, to a professional big wave surfer, the mental re...
Mar 06, 2025•31 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Tara Dower’s record-breaking run on the Appalachian Trail pushed the limits of endurance and mental strength. Covering 3,524 km in just 40 days, 18 hours and 5 minutes, she battled extreme fatigue, brutal terrain, and her own mind – where even a "dirt nap" could mean the difference between failure and success. In this episode, I talk to the ultra-runner and trailblazer, whose first attempt at the trail ended in a panic attack. She shares how overcoming anxiety, training with legends and leaning ...
Feb 20, 2025•33 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Abdullah Zeinab’s epic Rhino Run adventure crossing South Africa and Namibia redefines what’s possible in endurance cycling. Unsupported and unforgiving, this gruelling 2,750km ultra cycling race put his mental strength, grit and resilience to the ultimate test through breathtaking but brutal landscapes – where a tiny detail, like a tiny screw, made a world of difference. In this episode, I talk to the Australian endurance cyclist and winner of the 2019 Trans America Bike Race, whose journey beg...
Feb 06, 2025•36 min
Ultra-runner Rob Pope returns with a new season of How to Be Superhuman, featuring the extraordinary stories of athletes who've achieved the seemingly impossible – from conquering terrifying climbs to kayaking down jaw-dropping waterfalls.
Jan 30, 2025•3 min
Cross-country skier Veronika Mayerhofer is a Mental Performance Specialist at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre in Austria. In this episode, she analyses the responses from this season’s superhuman guests.Listen to all episodes and discover more about How to Be Superhuman at http://redbull.com/superhuman
Jun 28, 2021•33 min
When endurance athlete Aron Anderson won 2017’s Wings for Life World Run, he raced an incredible 90km. The Swede talks Rob through his amazing sporting CV: he’s competed in four Paralympic Games in three different sports, swum from Sweden to Finland, climbed Kilimanjaro and skied to the South Pole.Listen to all episodes and discover more about How to Be Superhuman at http://redbull.com/superhuman
Jun 21, 2021•32 min
In 2020, American ultra-runner John Kelly ran England's 268-mile Pennine Way in record time, breaking a 30-year-old record in the process. A week later, he lost it. He tells Rob what it took to win it back…Listen to all episodes and discover more about How to Be Superhuman at http://redbull.com/superhuman
Jun 14, 2021•33 min
Mountaineer and explorer Saray Khumalo became the first Black African woman to summit Everest - but it was far from a simple trip. Three previous attempts had been thwarted by lethal landslides, earthquakes, bad weather and, sadly, numerous deaths. However, this didn't stop Saray's drive and determination to push towards her dream.Listen to all episodes and discover more about How to Be Superhuman at http://redbull.com/superhuman
Jun 07, 2021•34 min
In 2019, Emily Harrington fell 150ft while free-climbing Yosemite National Park’s famous El Capitan. In 2020, she returned and became the first person to free-climb the Golden Gate route in 24 hours.Listen to all episodes and discover more about How to Be Superhuman at http://redbull.com/superhuman
May 31, 2021•34 min
In early 2021, 21-year-old teacher Jasmine Harrison set a world record by rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean in just 70 days. She talks to Rob about her achievement. Listen to all episodes and discover more about How to Be Superhuman at http://redbull.com/superhuman
May 24, 2021•29 min
Camille Herron is an icon of ultra running, and the first person to hold the 50k, 100k and 24-hour world records simultaneously. She tells Rob about how she ran 270km in a single day. Listen to all episodes and discover more about How to Be Superhuman at http://redbull.com/superhuman
May 17, 2021•26 min
In 2012, Erden Eruç successfully completed a unique circumnavigation of the globe – his journey had been entirely human-powered. The Turkish adventurer had travelled alone; on foot and by rowboat, kayak, canoe and bicycle. Listen to all episodes and discover more about How to Be Superhuman at http://redbull.com/superhuman
May 10, 2021•33 min
When Lael Wilcox won the 2016 Trans Am Bike Race, she cemented her position as the world’s greatest long-distance cyclist. Even more amazingly, she had conquered the 4,200-mile course while still a relative novice. Listen to all episodes and discover more about How to Be Superhuman at http://redbull.com/superhuman
May 03, 2021•36 min
Welshman Ash Dykes became the first person to walk the 4,000-mile length of China’s Yangtze River in 2019. He tells Rob how he overcame extreme terrain and temperatures – and the threat of bear attacks – to do it. Listen to all episodes and discover more about How to Be Superhuman at http://redbull.com/superhuman
Apr 26, 2021•34 min
Marathon swimmer Sarah Thomas tells Rob about her incredible journey, from beating breast cancer to becoming the first person ever to swim four consecutive crossings of the English Channel.Listen to all episodes and discover more about How to Be Superhuman at http://redbull.com/superhuman
Apr 19, 2021•33 min
Spanish endurance athlete Kílian Jornet is a legendary mountain runner and ski mountaineer. Without a doubt, he's one of the greatest of his generation.But in 2017, he achieved something that – even by his own mind-boggling standards – was incredible: he travelled up Everest twice, without oxygen, in the space of a week. In this episode, Kílian tells Rob about how his upbringing has shaped his love of nature, and what motivated him to take on the world’s highest peaks in such spectacular fashion...
Apr 12, 2021•40 min
Ultrarunning legend Rob Pope returns with more stories from the limits of human endurance.
Apr 05, 2021•4 min
In this extra special episode, Scottish cyclist Jenny Graham chatted to Rob Pope about how she broke the female world record for cycling around the globe – unsupported – in 2018, smashing Italian Paola Gianotti’s four-year record by an extraordinary 20 days. Recorded and streamed live during Red Bull Timelaps – the world’s longest one-day cycling event, which challenges riders to accumulate as much distance as possible within 25 hours – Jenny’s story of cycling 18,000 miles, through 16 countries...
Oct 24, 2020•1 hr 5 min
Paralympic hand cyclist Karen Darke was just 21 when she set off on a climbing trip that would change her life forever. Leading a climb on a sea cliff outside Aberdeen, she fell as the last bit of secured protection came away. Three days later, she woke up in intensive care to the news she’d broken her neck and back, paralysing her from the waist down.In this episode, Rob Pope chats to Karen about her climbing accident and the achievements that followed it – from hand cycling across the Himalaya...
May 18, 2020•30 min
Boundary-pushing big wall climber, Sasha DiGiulian, holds multiple first ascents and more than 30 female firsts for some of the world’s most revered and difficult big wall climbs. In this episode, Rob Pope chats to Sasha about her journey from six-year-old indoor climber to world-renowned pro and free soloist - touching on her historic ascent of the Rocky Mountains Trilogy as the first woman (and only second person ever) to complete the trio of climbs in one season.From unexpectedly having to fr...
May 11, 2020•29 min
