Beyond The Adventure: Recent Episodes
Gareth Brown
Beyond the Adventure is a podcast exploring why people took on their own unique journeys and what they learned from their experiences.
Today I have Sara Bukies join me on the podcast. Sara is an experienced cyclist with a passion for bikepacking. With over 10 years of cycling experience, she has embarked on numerous cycling adventures, including exploring Kyrgyzstan and the Himalayas.
During the episode, Sara discussed her journey in cycling, starting with indoor cycling before venturing into off-road cycling and bikepacking. She shared her experiences with group dynamics in bikepacking, particularly around the role of creating safe and supportive space within female cycling groups. She spoke about her role in founding a women's cycling group in Bern, aiming to provide an inclusive environment for female cyclists to connect and share their passion for cycling. And finally we talked about Sara’s various past and future cycling adventures.
You can follow Sara on her Instagram here and check out Gravelle on Instagram here
If you would like to be a guest or simply want to get in touch, you can find me on any of the locations below:
• Gareth's Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter
• Gareth's Email gareth@beyondtheadventure.com
• Website Beyond The Adventure
On today's episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with James Gibson, a Cumbria-based ultra-distance runner. James has taken on some incredible challenges, including his most recent winter record of completing the Bob Graham Round, Paddy Buckley Round, and Charlie Ramsay Round, all within 24-hours, solo and unsupported. We also dive into his two successful completions of the over 320 mile Wainright Circuit, exploring his motivations and how he prepares for these incredible feats of endurance.
James shares with us some of the most rewarding aspects of his experiences and the lessons he's learned along the way. Join us as we explore the world of ultra-distance running with James Gibson.
You can follow James on his Instagram here.
If you would like to be a guest or simply want to get in touch, you can find me on any of the locations below:
•Gareth's Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter
•Gareth's Email gareth@beyondtheadventure.com
•Website Beyond The Adventure
The podcast covers Eric's journey into music and busking on a piano bike. We discuss his upcoming cross-country piano bike touring trip from Norway to Tenerife in 2024, while also delving into the origins of this project. It was also wonderful to chat through Eric’s passion for visual art and design, creativity and adventure.
You can check out Eric’s Instagram, TikTok and SoundCloud here.
If you would like to be a guest or simply want to get in touch, you can find me on any of the locations below:
- Gareth's Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter
- Gareth's Email gareth@beyondtheadventure.com
- Website Beyond The Adventure
On today’s episode I have Javier Colón join me on the podcast. Javier has recently been featured in Netflix’s wonderful new adventure reality TV show Outlast. We naturally discussed his time on the show, but also talk about Javier’s life before the show, how he developed the skillsto survive in the outdoor and how a traumatic car crash and subsequent injuries changed his perspective on life forever.
You can check out Javier’s social accounts ‘HungryGuyOnABicycle’ on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube here, while his website is also hungryguyonabicycle.com.
Outlast is also streaming on Netflix now.
If you would like to be a guest or simply want to get in touch, you can find me on any of thelocations below:
•Gareth's Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter
•Gareth's Email gareth@beyondtheadventure.com
•Website Beyond The Adventure
Today I have Becs Wardell on the podcast. Becs is a colleague of mine but it’s the first time we have talked about her incredible adventure where she cycled the long way home from Switzerland to New Zealand, during which she was joined across different sections by close friends and family. In our chat we briefly discussed her upbringing on a sheep farm, her transition into Olympic athlete and then dive into a variety of topics around her incredible 20+ thousand km bike ride.
You can check out Becs’ film here or the Instagram account that captured the story of the ride here.
If you would like to be a guest or simply want to get in touch, you can find me on any of the locations below:
- Gareth's Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter
- Gareth's Email gareth@beyondtheadventure.com
- Website Beyond The Adventure
Today I have Brady Lawrence join me on the podcast. Brady is a documentary filmmaker and cinematographer. I came across Brady after watching his film “How to Bikepack the Silk Road Mountain Race.” We discussed the making of this particular film, his background in how he has progressed into his career in film making and more broadly his passion for bike touring and bike packing.
You can follow Brady on his Instagram here and you can check out all of Brady’s work on his website here.
If you wouldlike to be a guest or simply want to get in touch, you can find me on any ofthe locations below:
- Gareth's Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter
- Gareth's Email - gareth@beyondtheadventure.com
- Beyond The Adventure Website
Mike is a two-time Olympic athlete and has participated in multiple expeditions around the world. We discuss Mike’s entry into adventure sports, what it takes to really get prepared for a big expedition and the challenging dynamic of producing content in these environments.
We then finish on talking through Mike’s most recent adventure where in a group of 5 he trekked with skis and a sled 1,000km to the South Pole where he shot a film that is now going into production.
You can follow Mike on his Instagram here, Facebook here, check out his films ‘Inside The Indus – A Pakistani Odyssey’ here or ‘Kwanza The Drowning Diamond of Angola’ here. You can also visit the Antarctic Heritage Trust website who Mike recently collaborated with as part of his 1,000km trek.
If you would like to be a guest or simply want to get in touch, you can find me on any of the locations below:
· Gareth's Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter
· Gareth's Email - gareth@beyondtheadventure.com
· Beyond The Adventure Website
Hi everyone, today's episode captures a wonderfully inspiring conversation with Yanou Jaouen. In his early 20s Yanou hitch hiked back to France from Thailand. We talk about those initial experiences, the importance of living outside his comfort zone and reflected on the kindness shared by people who he met and connected with along the way.
We then cover more of Yann's life experiences, which includes him spending 3 years hitch hiking and cycling around South America, the impact of embracing yoga and how he has managed to capture the journey such as writing the first of a likely series of books about his travels.
You can follow Yanou on his Instagram here or YouTube here and check out more of his work on his website here.
If you would like to be a guest or simply want to get in touch, you can find me on any of the locations below:
· Gareth's Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter
· Gareth's Email - gareth@beyondtheadventure.com
· Beyond The Adventure Website
Today I have Zoe Catchpole join me on the podcast. I found the conversation with Zoe super inspiring. We pivoted around Zoe’s Ironman career, where she has completed 4 over the past 10 years. We discuss the early motivations, especially when she first made the decision to participate in an ironman 18 months after giving birth to her twins. We also touch on where her competitive drive comes from and tap into what the most critical aspects of training are for something as extreme as ironman – both in the physical and mental sense.
You can also check out this article that Zoe wrote for The Guardian a few years ago.
On today’s episode I have my good friend Chris Knight join me as co-host, who was the first ever guest on this podcast. With Chris’ background in advertising shoots and his own passion for photography he was the perfect person to welcome on our guest Andy Donohoe.
Andy is a professional photographer who in recent years has really done some wonderful work with a focus on storytelling – particularly for the outdoor industry in recent years.
Our conversation covers Andy’s journey to this point, which included starting out in industries such as fashion, how he managed to overcome a difficult year early in his career, to then pivot away into working into the areas that he loves… We then also discuss the emotion of being in a photography shoot and finish off by discussing the future trends and growth of the outdoor industry.
- Follow Andy >>> You can follow Andy on his Instagram here and check out more of his work on his website here.
- Follow Chris >>> You can also follow Chris on his Instagram here.
If you would like to be a guest or simply want to get in touch, you can find me on any of the locations below:
- Gareth's Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter
- Gareth's Email - gareth@beyondtheadventure.com
- Beyond The Adventure Website
On today’s podcast I have Kyle Abrahams join me. I really enjoyed this chat and Kyle brought a lot of wonderful energy. We talked about his childhood of growing up in Cape Town and how a chance opportunity to join a community skills group turned cycling into a life passion. We then talked about Kyles transition to living in the UK, how he found working as a chef for 15 years across a range of really high-pressured environments before we then discuss the cycling apparel brand Kyle created and named after his brother Chaise.
On today’s podcast I have Tiphaine Muller joining me. It was the first-time meeting Tiphaine and I left feeling super inspired. She has cycled over 50,000km across Oceania, Europe, Africa & America and has done it in a way where she has almost taken it step by step, almost removing the sporting challenge element and just connecting with people, cultures and landscapes.
She has captured her reflections in her first book Little Miss Pedals which is available to buy and she is currently in the process of writing her second book which I’m sure will be brilliant.
In our chat we covered a range of topics in our conversation, everything from what she took from her childhood backpacking with her family, the differences in reactions to bike tourers across continents and how to make sure you keep yourself and your food safe from bears in Canada and Alaska.
You can find Tiphaine on a variety of channels including:
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Instagram: @LittleMissPedals
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Book: Little Miss Pedals
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Website: DreamsOnTracks
If you would like to be a guest or simply want to get in touch, you can find me on any of the locations below:
· Gareth's Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter
· Gareth's Email - gareth@beyondtheadventure.com
· Beyond The Adventure Website
On today’s podcast, Kieran Alger joins me. This summer Kieran took on an incredible adventure of running the entire Danube river solo – from sea to source and covered eight countries - Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Serbia, Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria. He ran an average of a marathon a day for 67 days, covering 1,849 miles – all while carrying his own kit & camping gear. We talk about Kieran’s background in first finding a passion for running, some of the adventures that helped him prepare for this run and more on the motivations and challenges he faced throughout.
As part of this project, Kieran raised over £10k for charities including Starfish Greathearts Foundation, Unicef UK, Save the Children, MAGIC BREAKFAST and Fara Foundation. You can find the link to donate here – DONATE HERE
You can find Kieran on a variety of channels including:
- Instagram: @manvmiles
- Twitter: @kieranalger
- YouTube: Manvmiles or The Run Testers
- Strava: Kieran Alger
He has also contributed to:Wired UK l Runner's World l Runner's World US I Men'sHealth l Men's Fitness l Metro UK l Guardian l Stuff I Wareable.com I Independent
A portfolio of Kieran’s work can also be found on Contently: Kieran's work on Contently
Get in touch:
If you would like to be a guest or simply want to get in touch, you can find me on any of the locations below:
- Gareth's Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter
- Gareth's Email - gareth@beyondtheadventure.com
- Beyond The Adventure Website
Today I am lucky enough to be joined by Lukas Steiner. In our chat we cover Lukas’ motivations for taking on two incredible bike touring trips which have seen him travel through deserts, rainforests and more… We dig into the emotions of what it is really like cycling 23,000km, the importance of connecting with people along the way and how you can overcome some of the mental challenges of traveling through some difficult moments.
You can find Lukas on Instagram here and you can also see his TedX talk here.
Today I am lucky enough to be joined by Eva Smeele. I came across Eva’s blog earlier this year when exploring hiking options in the Balkans. We talk about Eva’s blog and specifically around her stories of hiking the Via Dinarica, where she has hiked thousands of kilometers through multiple countries in the Balkans. We discuss her motivations for this particular trail and more broadly the outdoors.
You can read Eva’s blog here or visit her Instagram here.
Get in touch:
If you would like to be a guest or simply want to get in touch, you can find me on any of the locations below:
· Gareth's Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter
· Gareth's Email - gareth@beyondtheadventure.com
· Beyond The Adventure Website
Today I am lucky enough to be joined by Shaff Naeen. Shaff in ex-military dive instructor and recreational Instructor Trainer, with more than 25 years of experience in diving. We talk about he how we first got into diving, his experience in the military and changes he has seen in the environment and tourism industry in the Maldives.
We then discuss an incredible dive he took part in this year where he was underwater for 50 hours. He took on this project to raise awareness of the environmental damage impacting the oceans and is now in the process of setting up a foundation to further his work in this area.
You can find Shaff on Instagram here or on his website here.
Get in touch:
If you would like to be a guest or simply want to get in touch, you can find me on any of the locations below:
· Gareth's Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter
· Gareth's Email - gareth@beyondtheadventure.com
· Beyond The Adventure Website
Lauriane Laville joins me on today’s podcast. Lauriane and I met through a mutual friend a couple of years ago and after briefly catching up on her new job we dive into the experience of her 6-week bike tour earlier this summer. We talk about the freedom that comes with biking and how its unique in comparison to other modes of travel. We also talk about the reaction she received on the trip from being a solo female traveler and how she communicated with friends and family back home. At the end of the conversation, we also discuss Lauriane’s love of the mountains and how she has been gaining extra experience for further adventures.
You can find Lauriane on Instagram here.
Get in touch:
If you would like to be a guest or simply want to get in touch, you can find me on any of the locations below:
· Gareth's Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter
· Gareth's Email - gareth@beyondtheadventure.com
· Beyond The Adventure Website
On today’s podcast I have Will Slack joining me. Will and I met almost 10 years ago when living in London and both playing football together. In our conversation we cover Will’s foray into a white-collar boxing exhibition and how he is now approaching comedy. While very different activities, it was interesting to hear the shared learnings and what drives Will to take on quite daunting tasks.
You can find Will on Instagram here or LinkedIn here.
Get in touch:
If you would like to be a guest or simply want to get in touch, you can find me on any of the locations below:
· Gareth's Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter
· Gareth's Email - gareth@beyondtheadventure.com
· Beyond The Adventure Website
On today’s podcast I have Tobias join me. Tobias has just finished an incredible adventure of cycling a total of 36,000km across 44 European countries, while climbing each countries’ highest peak. We cover his motivations, his mindset and the emotions that go into completing a challenge that started in November 2021 and finished in September 2022. We also get chance to cover some of the incidents and highlights which made this trip truly memorable.
You can find Tobias on Instagram here, or on his website here.
Get in touch:
If you would like to be a guest or simply want to get in touch, you can find me on any of the locations below:
· Gareth's Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter
· Gareth's Email - gareth@beyondtheadventure.com
· Beyond The Adventure Website
Today I have my friend Adam Gray joining me. Three years ago Adam’s life changed forever. At just 32 years of age, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer. As well as a primary tumour in his pancreas, he had additional tumours in his liver, lungs, and lymph nodes. At that point he was given 6 to 12 months to live. Since then, he and his family have been on an incredible journey and while the road to full recovery is still a challenging one there is a lot of optimism in Adam’s latest results.
Our conversation touches on the importance of self-learning, his holistic approach to health and the understanding of looking for the right balance in our lives.
You can find Adam on Instagram here and these charities are of notable mention for supporting Adam over the past few years - NeuroendocrineCancer.org.uk and Care Oncology Clinic UK.
Get in touch:
If you would like to be a guest or simply want to get in touch, you can find me on any of the locations below:
· Gareth's Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter
· Gareth's Email - gareth@beyondtheadventure.com
· Beyond The Adventure Website
Today I have Tj Power joining me. Tj is a mind consultant who works with people around the world in helping them navigate our fast-changing world. Our conversation covers Tj’s journey from academia to being a founder of The Digital Mind. Before we dive into how our multiple key neurotransmitters are guiding our desires.
You can find Tj on Instagram here, Twitter here or LinkedIn here.
Get in touch:
If you would like to be a guest or simply want to get in touch, you can find me on any of the locations below:
· Gareth's Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter
· Gareth's Email - gareth@beyondtheadventure.com
· Beyond The Adventure Website
Today I have Pip Haylett join me. Pip has a passion for running that you won’t see in too many people and it’s resulted in him running more than 30 Ultra Marathons – with a couple being more than 300km long.
We talk about his motivations, how he trains and even how much he sleeps when he is running a race that can last 4 or 5 days.
You can also check out a range of race results from Pip by clicking here or you can find Pip on Instagram here.
Get in touch:
If you would like to be a guest or simply want to get in touch, you can find me on any of the locations below:
- Gareth's Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter
- Gareth's Email - gareth@beyondtheadventure.com
- Beyond The Adventure Website
Today I have my oldest friend Elliott Massingham joining me. After an initial catch up following his wedding a few weeks ago, we talk about his experiences of working at summer camps in the US, the inner conflicts of understanding whether it was the right choice to continue going back for 4 years and how he is now creating his own path within coaching and psychology.
You can reach out to Elliott here on Twitter or here on LinkedIn.
Get in touch:
If you would like to be a guest or simply want to get in touch, you can find me on any of the locations below:
- Gareth's Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter
- Gareth's Email - gareth@beyondtheadventure.com
- Beyond The Adventure Website
On today’s podcast I have my friend and colleague Mathilde Delorme join me.
We look to cover three key moments in Mathilde’s life to where she is today –identity at youth, growing into an athlete and coming out seeking liberation. Mathilde discusses how people think about sport and the athletes in the system, while also looking at how people often look to extract some value from it.
More broadly we lightly cover some philosophical questions on purpose and talk about Mathilde’s passion project and brand called Bete Noir which is born out of her love hate relationship with sport.
Mathilde Delorme - Instagram
BÊTE NOIR - Website - Instagram
Today I have Laura Baxter MBE joining me. I met Laura a few years ago while working with Special Olympics GB. Her story is a wonderful one where she has aligned her personal values with jobs and volunteering roles that have driven massive impact. We discuss her journey to date which have culminated in being the Head of Delegation, interim CEO and now strategic director at Special Olympics GB.
If you get a moment please check out Special Olympics GB or visit Laura’s LinkedIn profile if you want to reach out.
Special Olympics GB Website – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube – Facebook – LinkedIn
Laura Baxter MBE - LinkedIn
In this episode I have Alex Brooker joining me. I was introduced to Alex a few weeks ago as someone who has an adventurist spirit and now having spoken to him, I can see where that description has come from.
In our chat we delved into his passion for strength and conditioning which has led him to train elite level professional athletes and how a 2-year motorbike trip around South America impacted his thinking and approach to life.
You can find Alex here on Instagram or on the Mike and Brooker Show
Today I have Matthew Barrett joining me. He is the co-founder of Goal Click, an organization that is focused on sharing stories of people and what football means to them. The content is captured via analogue camera, written and increasingly through video. What is unique is that the stories are created by people from all of the world and simply curated by Goal Click.
In this episode we explore the origins of when Goal Click was founded 8 years ago, Matthew’s journey to initially setting it up before going full time and naturally we cover many of the inspirational stories that have been captured.
You can find out more on Goal Click by visiting any of the links below or through Matthew’s personal Instagram:
Goal Click Website - Goal Click Instagram - Goal Click Twitter - Goal Click LinkedIn - Matthew's Instagram
In the third episode of Beyond The Adventure, have I have my former house mate Joel McIlveen joining me. We have travelled and completed a range of different sports events together. Our conversation focuses initially on his 13 years in nursing before speaking more broadly about the impact of sport and nature on wellbeing.
The second episode of Beyond The Adventure has another one of my good friends join me, Hannah Hedegard. Hannah is from Norfolk, England but now lives and works in Bern, Switzerland as lecturer of sociolinguistics at the University of Bern.
On the podcast we explore Hannah’s adventures abroad. She has lived and worked in Japan for several years and has completed field work on several English-speaking isolated islands including Cocos, Guam and the Falklands.
You can find Hannah on Instagram here.
In this first episode I am lucky to have one of my very good friends Chris Knight join me. Chris and I have known each other for over 5 years after working together in the sports marketing industry and spending many weekends exploring the Swiss Alps.
Prior to that, Chris has worked in political affairs and the advertising industry. He has lived in the US, the UK, Malaysia, Tajikistan, Japan, Switzerland and most recently Italy.
Chris is currently on a sabbatical where he is learning Italian, has co-founded a photography academy and has become a ski instructor.
You can find Chris on Instagram here or check out his new business venture the Outdoor Photography Academy.
Welcome to Beyond the Adventure – a podcast exploring why people took on their own unique journeys and what they learned from their experiences. You can find all episode listed on beyondtheadventure.com or on all major podcast platforms.