The Adventure Podcast

• Episode 214: Craig Wood, Content

  This episode is available for subscribers to watch in vision on The Adventure Podcast+ substack.Episode 214 of The Adventure Podcast features solo sailor and triple amputee, Craig Wood. Craig's life changed at 18 years old when, three months into his first military tour, he lost both legs and his left hand in an explosion in Afghanistan. It took eight months for him to learn to walk again. He recently made history by becoming the world’s first triple amputee to sail solo, nonstop and unsupported across the Pacific Ocean. In this episode, Craig talks to Matt about trauma, radical acceptance, and the pursuit of contentment instead of happiness. They unpack how Craig rebuilt his life through Paralympic sailing, discovered peace living aboard a boat with his young family, and learned to find meaning in waiting, patience, and purpose. For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.Chapter Breakdown00:00 - Craig recalls the explosion in 2009 that left him a triple amputee, his surreal coma hallucinations, and the first moments of realising life would never be the same.07:00 - A powerful turning point: Craig’s mother challenges him to take action rather than despair. He begins the long road of rehab, learning independence and resilience.10:00 - Introduced to Paralympic sailing while in recovery, Craig rediscovers competition, identity, and hope - leading him to represent his country and dream of open water.13:00 - After Paralympic sailing is cut from the Games, Craig pivots, buying his own boat and setting his sights on the ocean.16:00 - Matt and Craig dive into what it’s really like to live aboard with his wife and two small children; balancing risk, love, and the constant hum of adventure.23:00 - Craig recounts his 7,500-mile solo voyage from Mexico to Japan; the storms, the stillness, the pizza-making, and the lessons in solitude and self-sufficiency.33:00 - They discuss how society defines disability, the importance of trying over assuming limits, and how Craig’s story challenges ideas of what’s possible.45:00 - Craig opens up about raising £68,000 for veterans’ charities, finding meaning in contribution, and sailing not just for himself but for others.53:00 - Reflections on fatherhood, partnership, and what true contentment means; the quiet power of being “okay” rather than endlessly chasing happiness.59:00 - Craig and Matt wrap up on how adventure can rebuild a life - not through escape, but through deep engagement with the world, family, and self.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Episode 213: Alienor Le Gouvello, Wild At Heart

  Episode 213 of The Adventure Podcast features French-born adventurer, horsewoman, and advocate for Australia’s wild brumbies, Alienor Le Gouvello. A few years ago, Alienor travelled 5,000+ kilometres on a 13-month solo trek along the Bicentennial National Trail, a journey she completed with three wild horses she had tamed herself and her loyal dog, Fox. It starts as a tale of grit and endurance - surviving tropical fever, infection, and crocodile-infested rivers. But it unfolds into a story about connection, resilience, and purpose. Alienor and Matt explore her years working in remote Indigenous communities, her bond with the land and her animals, and how taming wild horses taught her trust, patience, and empathy. They discuss the ethics of animal management, and how the wilderness can reshape our sense of identity and belonging. This is a story of wild places and wilder spirits. Of what it means to find family, freedom, and purpose in the saddle.For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.Chapter Breakdown00:00 – 07:00 | Alienor recounts the brutal closing chapter of her 5,000km trek; battling Ross River fever, a severe staph infection, and crossing crocodile rivers with her leg wrapped in plastic.07:00 – 10:30 | Why she chose to tame and travel with wild brumbies, and how the journey became an act of advocacy for humane horse management.10:30 – 16:30 | Growing up in France, travelling to Australia at 20, and discovering a lifelong connection to the desert and Indigenous culture.16:30 – 21:00 | Working for over a decade in remote Aboriginal communities; learning language, culture, and the healing power of land and open space.21:00 – 24:00 | Why Alienor feels compelled to defend both Indigenous heritage and wild horses, and how these causes became her life’s purpose.24:00 – 28:30 | The process of earning the trust of wild brumbies through natural horsemanship. Rejecting the idea of “breaking”, in favour of gentle communication.28:30 – 33:00 | The year-and-a-half-long process of taming, training, and learning to live alongside her horses before setting out.33:00 – 38:00 | Gruelling early months through steep mountains, moments of doubt, and learning to work as one herd.38:00 – 44:00 | How Alienor’s bond with her horses deepened into mutual trust and companionship, and the small, powerful moments that defined that connection.44:00 – 48:30 | Finishing the expedition broken but transformed, finding herself adrift between adventure and normal life.48:30 – 52:00 | Writing her book, becoming a mother, and finding her calling in equine-assisted therapy - helping others heal through the wisdom of horses.52:00 – 56:00 | Alienor reflects on motherhood, hope for the future, and why she believes the next generation, and their connection to nature, will carry the torch forward.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Episode 212: Chris McCaffrey, Chasing Sensations

  Episode 212 of The Adventure Podcast features adventurer, cyclist and skiier, Chris McCaffrey. Chris rowed across an ocean having never rowed before. He cycled around the world with limited bike experience. He nearly lost his life, more than once. What begins as a discussion about extreme adventure unfolds into an exploration of motivation, ego, purpose, and the pursuit of joy. In this episode, Matt and Chris talk openly about failure and identity. Why we chase “epic” experiences, what happens when they stop fulfilling us, and how joy can become more powerful fuel than grit. Chris has a striking amount of self-awareness and isn't afraid to challenge himself and his motivations. This is a conversation about what happens after you’ve ticked some of the 'biggest boxes' of adventure, and what’s left when the applause fades.For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.Chapter Breakdown00:00 – 07:30 | Chris recounts contracting typhus, facing mortality, and how he ended up in a hospital bed in Vietnam.07:30 – 17:00 | Matt digs into what drives people to pursue extreme adventures and the psychology of needing to prove oneself.17:00 – 25:00 | Chris reflects on motivation, the pull of ego, and how perspective shifts after failure.25:00 – 33:00 | Chris revisits his attempt to row across an ocean, what went wrong, and how it changed him.33:00 – 47:00 | A raw conversation about coping mechanisms, crisis-seeking, and finding purpose outside of chaos.47:00 – 58:00 | Matt and Chris discuss ambition, validation, how to let go of needing to impress others and stop being 'epic'.58:00 – 01:11:00 | The truth behind the motivation to begin cycling around the world, the reality of the journey, and how it reshaped his outlook.01:11:00 – 01:20:00 | Chris explains why joy, not toughness, now drives him through challenges.01:20:00 – 01:32:00 | Revisiting illness, danger, and how acceptance replaces ambition.01:32:00 – 01:37:30 | The lessons of failure, friendship, and learning to value the process over the outcome.01:37:30 – 01:46:00 | A closing reflection on fear, sensation-seeking, insignificance, and finding beauty in it all.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Dispatch Live: The Turner Twins, Mallory Reimagined

  This dispatch episode was recorded in front of a live audience for an event with Montane and The Turner Twins. Matt sits down with Hugo and Ross Turner, as well as Montane's Materials Manager, Liam Steinbeck. Together they unpack the twins' bold new expedition, Mallory Reimagined: Climbing Back In Time. In early October 2025, the twins will set off to Nepal to climb Mera Peak, with one wearing a replica of Mallory's 1924 Everest outfit, and the other wearing Montane's modern high altitude kit. In this conversation Matt and the guests dive into themes of exploration, risk, science and history - covering how preparation shapes expeditions, the role of technology in survival, and the mindset of pushing into the unknown. Liam also gives unique insight into the materials development process. From replica boots and wool jumpers to wearable sensors tracking cognition, stress, and thermal data. This is adventure at the crossroads of past and future.For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Episode 211: Ollie Treviso, Go The Distance

  Episode 211 of The Adventure Podcast features adventurer Ollie Treviso. Ollie recently completed a 14,000km, 20-month walk along the Andes, from Tierra del Fuego to the Caribbean Sea. In this episode, Ollie opens up about how far he's come - from a rugby-playing teenager abusing steroids and working as an insurance broker, to living in a cave in Gran Canaria, working on farms, and eventually discovering the power of slow, human-paced travel. Matt and Ollie explore his first long-distance walk across the UK, complete with an over-packed rucksack, no tent experience, and a rule never to pay for accommodation, and how these early stumbles laid the foundations for his South American journey. They also talk candidly about grief and loss, why walking feels most meaningful, resilience, identity, and the uneasy balance between adventure, ego, and storytelling. This conversation is longer than normal. But its honest, fun, and full of surprising side stories. What emerges is not just the tale of an epic trek, but an honest reflection on what drives someone to keep walking into the unknown.For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.Chapter Breakdown 00:00 – 09:00 | Beginnings & Pandemic Shift: Ollie’s early restlessness, failed plans for South America, and how COVID lockdowns unexpectedly pushed him into walking across the UK.09:00 – 14:30 | Discovering Slow Travel: First long walks through Wales, Scotland, and Land’s End to John O’Groats; learning the hard way about kit, endurance, and the joy of stripping life back to basics.14:30 – 20:00 | Tragedy & Turning Points: Family loss and grief collide with his travels, bringing him home but also deepening his sense of purpose and the need to carry on.20:00 – 40:00 | Setting Out for South America: Why Ollie chose to walk the Andes, the decision to commit step by step, and the fears and motivations behind such a huge undertaking.40:00 – 1:05:00 | Hardship & Kindness on the Road: Encounters with strangers’ generosity, moments of danger, and surreal cultural exchanges - from Venezuela to Argentina, including being mugged in Colombia.1:05:00 – 1:20:00 | Companions & Survival: The story of a stray dog that joined him in Chile, brushes with wilderness, and reflections on walking’s unique intensity.1:20:00 – 1:32:00 | Records, Recognition & Resistance: How the “first to walk the Andes” label sat uneasily with him, fundraising realities, and the tension between storytelling and self-promotion.1:32:00 – 1:40:00 | Coming Home & Looking Forward: Post-expedition decompression, finding peace away from the road, and searching for balance between adventure, career, and life at home.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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