Born to Kick Arse – Motivation, Inspiration, Mindset, Performance

#36: Ben Lecomte – Swimming Across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

Fri, 21 Oct 2016 06:59:25 +0000

In 1998 Ben Lecomte became the first man to swim 3,716 miles across the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts, USA to Brittany, France – it took him 73 days.

He dedicated his swim to his father who passed away from cancer and the purpose of the event was to raise funds and awareness for cancer research.

Close to 2 decades later, Ben is now attempting to swim 5,500 miles across the Pacific Ocean from Japan to California.

It’s estimated the swim will take 6 months and is in support of the Climate Group and sustainability.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Book mentioned in the interview:

Viktor Frankl – Man’s Search for Meaning

Enjoy the interview.

#35: Braam Malherbe – Running the Entire Great Wall of China

Sun, 16 Oct 2016 06:08:05 +0000

Braam Malherbe is an international motivational speaker, adventurer, conservationist, author and philanthropist.

In this episode Braam talks about his troubled youth and the night that changed the course of his life.

Braam also shares what it was like running the entire length of the Great Wall of China, his South Pole expedition and his upcoming row across the Southern Atlantic Ocean, from Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro.

Braam’s story is one of meeting impossible challenges, pushing limits, taking action and protecting the environment.

Links mentioned in the episode:

The Great Run – Braam Malherbe

Enjoy the interview.

#34: Martin “Big River Man” Strel – Swimming the Entire Amazon River

Sun, 09 Oct 2016 04:24:15 +0000

Martin Strel is a Slovenian long-distance swimmer, best known for swimming the entire length of various rivers.

Martin holds numerous Guinness World Records and has conquered:

The Danube River (Europe) – 3,004km, 58 days
The Mississippi River (USA) – 3,797km, 68 days
The Parana River (Argentina) – 1,930km, 24 days
The Yangtze River (China) – 4,003km, 51 days

In this interview, Martin talks about conquering the longest and most dangerous river on Earth – the Amazon River (5,268km, 66 days).

Links mentioned in the interview:

Enjoy the interview.

#33: Stuart Walter – Sports Hypnosis for Peak Performance

Sun, 02 Oct 2016 06:37:40 +0000

Stuart Walter is a Professional Clinical Hypnotherapist and NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) practitioner specialising in elite performance.

Regarded as Australia’s No 1 for sports hypnotherapy, Stuart’s clients include Olympians, Professional Sports People, National, Commonwealth and World Champions.

In this episode Stuart talks about how hypnotherapy can be applied to both athletes and non-athletes alike and the power of a positive mindset.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Enjoy the interview.

#32: Grahak Cunningham – Quest for Enlightenment and the 3,100 Mile Self-Transcendence Race

Sun, 25 Sep 2016 07:14:35 +0000

Grahak Cunningham was the winner of the 3,100 mile Self-Transcendence race in 2012.

This race is the longest certified race in the world, where competitors run 5,649 laps around an 883m city block in Queens, New York.

Runners have 52 days to complete the distance.

To achieve this, the minimum distance to run each day (between the hours of 6am and midnight) is just under 100km.

Grahak has completed this race on 4 out of 5 occasions and goes into detail around the physical and mental aspects, as well as the spiritual progression attained on this journey of self-transcendence.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Grahak Cunningham (website)
The Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race

Book mentioned in this interview:

Running Beyond the Marathon – insights into the longest race in the world – Grahak Cunningham

Enjoy the interview.

#31: Tim Jarvis AM – Shackleton Epic – Recreating the Greatest Survival Story of All Time

Sun, 18 Sep 2016 05:33:23 +0000

Tim Jarvis is an environmental scientist, author, adventurer, public speaker, Australian Adventurer of the Year (2012) and a Member of the Order of Australia.

Tim has undertaken many unsupported expeditions to some of the world’s most remote regions including the North and South Poles, across Australia’s largest desert, the Great Victoria Desert and kayaked across Australia’s largest salt lake, Lake Eyre.

In this interview, Tim talks about leading the first authentic retracing, of polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton’s “greatest survival journey of all time”.

Tim and his crew sailed 1,500km from Elephant Island across the Southern Ocean to South Georgia, in a replica boat with no keel.

Then climbed over South Georgia’s frozen mountainous interior using the same rudimentary equipment, period clothing and technology that Shackleton used 100 years ago.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Book mentioned in this interview:

Chasing Shackleton – Tim Jarvis

Enjoy the interview.

#30: Karel Sabbe – Pacific Crest Trail (from Mexico to Canada) Fastest Known Time

Sun, 11 Sep 2016 07:06:33 +0000

Karel Sabbe is a Belgian dentist who recently ran the fastest known time along the Pacific Crest Trail.

The Pacific Crest Trail is a long distance path running from Mexico to Canada, following a mountain chain running all the way to Alaska.

Averaging a little over 80km per day, Karel completed this epic feat in 52 days, 8 hours and 25 minutes.

In this interview Karel talks about his experiences along the PCT and how tough it really was.

Links mentioned in this interview:

Karel Sabbe (website)
Facebook
Instagram
Strava – PCT commenced 23 June 2016

Enjoy the interview.

#29: Mick Thwaites – Badwater 135 – Hell on Earth

Sun, 04 Sep 2016 06:13:57 +0000

Mick Thwaites was a former pack-a-day smoker who has battled through alcohol addiction and depression.

Mick started to get into running in 2012 at the age of 38, and within the space of 3 years represented Australia at the 24 hour World Championships.

Mick talks about his massive 413km at the Canberra 48 hour, which was a lead-up to his second consecutive Badwater.

The Badwater 135 is the most demanding and extreme running race on the planet. It’s held in the middle of summer and covers 135 miles (217km) from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, California.. where temperatures reach 50C (122F).

Mick came third in both 2015 and 2016 and share’s his experience of what it was like..

Links mentioned in this episode:

Team Shmick (website)

Enjoy the interview.

#28: Brad Beer – How to Run Pain Free

Sun, 28 Aug 2016 05:50:18 +0000

Brad Beer is a physiotherapist, host of the The Physical Performance Show podcast and an Amazon best selling author of You Can Run Pain Free – a physio’s 5 step guide to enjoying injury-free and faster running.

Brad is a also a successful marathon runner and former Olympic distance Australian Triathlon Champion (2012).

In this interview we talk about running injuries, how to run pain free as well as the importance of hip stability.

Links mentioned in this interview:

Books mentioned in this interview:

You Can Run Pain Free – Brad Beer

Ordering Your Private World – Gordon MacDonald

Enjoy the interview.

#27: Adam Walker – Man vs Ocean – Swimming the Toughest Seven Channels on Earth

Sun, 21 Aug 2016 04:37:56 +0000

Adam Walker is only the fifth person to successfully swim the Oceans 7 – the toughest seven channel swims in the World including,

English Channel (with a torn bicep)
Strait of Gibraltar (return crossing)
Molokai Strait
Catalina Channel
Tsugaru Strait
Cook Strait
North Channel

The Oceans 7 is the equivalent to mountaineering’s “Seven Summits” and Adam is the second person in history to complete all seven on the first attempt.

In this interview Adam shares his experiences including suffering hypothermia, being stung and paralysed by a Portuguese Man O War, and being protected from a shark by a pod of dolphins.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Book mentioned in this episode:

Man vs Ocean – Adam Walker

Enjoy the interview.

#26: Gavan Hennigan – Extreme Environment Athlete

Sun, 14 Aug 2016 09:38:50 +0000

Gavan Hennigan is an Irish extreme environment athlete.

In his day job, Gavan is a deep-sea saturation diver, diving to depths of up to 200m performing heavy construction on oil rigs – often spending up to a month at a time under water.

In his down time, Gavan surfs, snowboards and climbs high altitude peaks in the Himalayas.

Gavan also runs extreme ultramarathons, having recently completed two of the longest and toughest winter ultras on Earth – the 566km Likeys 6633 ultra, inside the Arctic circle.. and the 500km Yukon Arctic Ultra.

Gavan recently completed a 17 day, 700km solo expedition – traversing the frozen Lake Baikal in Siberia, on foot.

Gavan also talks about his addiction to drugs throughout his teenage years, as well as a fail suicide attempt and rehab.

In December 2016, Gavan will be attempting his biggest challenge to date.. rowing 5,000km solo across the Atlantic ocean as part of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.

Links mentioned in this interview:

Enjoy the interview.

#25: Kyle Williams – Know What Your Why Is – Insights from an Ultra Athlete and Adventurer

Sun, 07 Aug 2016 07:09:22 +0000

Kyle Williams is an Aussie adventurer, ultra runner and world record holder.

In this interview Kyle talks about mental toughness and shares some stories about some recent adventures he has completed including,

State 8 – Kyle achieve a world record for the shortest time to climb the highest mountain in each of Australia’s 8 states and territories (8 peaks across 8 states in 5 days, 23 hours and 35 minutes)
A2K – Kyle achieved a world first, climbing Australia’s 26 2,000m mountain peaks nonstop, across 130km in 48 hours
A21 Ultra – Kyle achieved a world first, running an 82km ultramarathon across Australia’s highest mountain range whilst climbing it 21 highest peaks

Kyle also gives some fascinating insight around the importance of knowing what your why is.. enjoy the interview.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Kyle Williams (website)
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Why We Do This (Trail and Ultra Running article)

Enjoy the interview.

#24: Josh LaJaunie – How I Lost Over 200lbs and Discovered Ultramarathons

Sun, 31 Jul 2016 04:50:59 +0000

Josh LaJaunie is living proof of the power of a focused mindset.

For most of his life, Josh was obese – at his heaviest Josh tipped the scales at about 410 pounds (185kg).

In this interview Josh talks about his slow progression from gym workouts, to walking, then progressing onto slow jogging.

After changing his eating habits to focus more on a plant based diet as well as regular running, Josh’s weight began to drop off.

Josh has since lost over 200lbs (half of his body weight) and completed a 100km trail run.

Josh is currently training for a 100 mile (160 km) ultramarathon.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Book mentioned in this interview:

Rich Roll – Finding Ultra

Enjoy the interview.

#23: Dr Kate Leeming – Cycling the Equivalent of Twice Around the World

Sun, 24 Jul 2016 06:47:51 +0000

Dr Kate Leeming is an explorer and adventurer and has cycled the equivalent of twice the distance around the world at the equator.

To date, Kate’s three main cycling expeditions include:

Breaking the Cycle in Africa – a ten month 22,040km journey across Africa from Point des Almadies in Senegal to Cape Hafun in Puntland, Somalia (2010)
Great Australian Cycle Expedition (GRACE) – a 25,000km journey around and through Australia, 7,000km of which were ‘off road’ on isolated tracks in remote regions (2004)
Trans-Siberian Cycle Expedition – a five month, 13,400 km bicycle journey from St Petersburg to Vladivostok to aid the 800,000 children of Chernobyl (1993)

In this interview, Kate also talks about her recent 400km Breaking the Cycle in Greenland expedition, which was a training ride for her upcoming Breaking the Cycle South Pole expedition – where she is attempting to cycle 1,850km across Antarctica via the South Pole.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Books mentioned in this episode:

Out There and Back – Kate Leeming

Njinga – Kate Leeming

Enjoy the interview.

#22: Bernadette Benson – Winner of the 300 Mile Yukon Arctic Ultra

Sun, 17 Jul 2016 06:13:42 +0000

Bernadette Benson is a Canadian born elite ultra runner, living in Perth, Australia.

As a dual-citizen, Bernadette holds numerous Canadian and Australian ultra distance records and with a string of victories.

Some notable highlights in her distinguished running career include:

Guinness World Record – “Greatest distance run on a treadmill in 12 hours (female), 128.62km” – 2016
1st place and Course Record – Yukon Arctic Ultra (3oo miles) – 2016
1st place (breaking numerous Canadian and Australian records) – Coburg 24 Hour / National Championships, Victoria, 238.261km – 2014
Australian Female Ultrarunner of the Year 2014
1st place – Coast to Kosci (240km) – 2012
Fastest Known Time – 1,000km Bibbulmun Track, Western Australia – 2011

In this interview Bernadette talks about winning the 300 mile Yukon Arctic Ultra – the coldest and possibly toughest ultra in the world, in a new course record (5 days, 10h, 55m).

Bernadette gives some insight into the mindset of an ultramarathon champion, as well as experiencing hallucinations for the first time, due to extreme fatigue.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Enjoy the interview.

#21: Luke Tyburski – Overcoming Depression and the 2,000km Ultimate Triathlon

Sun, 10 Jul 2016 04:44:41 +0000

Luke Tyburski played international football throughout his teens and twenties. But after years of injuries and a constant battle with depression as a result of these debilitating ailments, Luke searched for some sort of lifeline, and found endurance sports.

Luke threw himself into the deep-end a took on one of the toughest ultramarathons on Earth, the Marathon de Sables – a 250km, six stage self sufficient foot race through the Sahara desert.

This then led onto a number of other adventures including cycling 412km to a learn-to-surf school, the Mt Everest Ultramarathon and the Double Brutal Extreme Triathlon (equivalent to a double Ironman).

Luke Tyburski then raised the bar by creating a 2,000km Ultimate Triathlon – from Morocco to Monaco, which consists of,

swimming the Gibraltar Strait (one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world)
riding the equivalent length of Great Britain
and running 14 marathons

Luke’s story is one of overcoming and a never give-up attitude.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Enjoy the interview.

#20: Masha Gordon – The Explorers Grand Slam (7 Summits and Both Poles)

Sun, 03 Jul 2016 06:02:43 +0000

Masha Gordon has recently become the fastest women to have ever completed the Explorer’s Grand Slam, in under 8 months.

This ultimate feat of physical and mental endurance comprises of summiting the highest mountain on each of the seven continents, as well as trekking to both the North and South poles.

Kilimanjaro – Africa 5,895m
Vinson Massif – Antarctica 4,892m
South Pole – Antarctica
Aconcagua – South America 6,962m
Carstensz Pyramid – Australasia 4,884m
Elbrus – Europe 5,642m
North Pole – Arctic
Everest – Asia 8,848m
Denali – North America 6,190m

As a mother of two, Masha wants to inspire other women to take up challenges that were unimaginable to them before, and for girls to take up the practice of outdoor activities to build their self confidence and mental resilience.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Enjoy the interview.

#19: Jamie Ramsay – Running 17,000km from Vancouver to Buenos Aires

Sun, 26 Jun 2016 07:02:03 +0000

Jamie Ramsay is a Scottish adventurer and ultra long distance runner.

After 12 years working for an international communications company Jamie decided to trade in the suit and tie for a pair of running shoes and the open road.

In 2014, Jamie embarked on a 17,000km solo and unsupported running expedition from Vancouver, Canada, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, raising money for CALM, Macmillan and WaterAid.

The expedition took him through 14 countries and included obstacles such as The Atacama Desert, The Andes, The Sechura Desert and negotiating his way around The Darien Gap.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Enjoy the interview.

#18: Adam Stern – Freediving to 100m on a Single Breath

Sun, 19 Jun 2016 07:00:53 +0000

Adam Stern is an Australian freediver, 3 x national record holder and PADI freediving instructor trainer.

Adam recently joined what is perhaps the most elite club in freediving – diving to a depth of 100m on a single breath.

Adam shares some insight into this fascinating sport.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Adam Stern (Website)
Adam Stern (Facebook)
Adam Stern (Instagram)

Take a deep breath and enjoy the interview.

#17: Alex Staniforth – Icefall, Surviving an Everest Avalanche

Sun, 12 Jun 2016 07:07:40 +0000

Alex Staniforth has achieved more than many would in a lifetime.

Alex is no stranger to adversity and overcoming obstacles including epilepsy, anxiety, depression, bullying and a stammer.

In 2014, Alex’s first attempt at Everest was cut short when an ice avalanche killed 16 Nepalese guides in the Khumbu Icefall.

The following year aged 19, Alex was caught up in an avalanche on Mount Everest just below Camp 1, during his second attempt to climb to the summit. Tragically three of his team mates were killed at Base Camp.

In this interview Alex talks about what it was like surviving the avalanche and being trapped on the mountain.

Alex is also an author and motivational speaker, and offers something very unique – to help others build resilience and overcome their own ‘Everest in life’.

Link mentioned in this episode:

Alex Staniforth (website)

Book mentioned in this episode:

Enjoy the interview.

#16: Elise Downing – Running 5,000 Miles Around the Coast of Great Britain

Sun, 05 Jun 2016 08:00:08 +0000

Elise Downing is attempting to run 5,000 miles around the coast of Great Britain.

I catch up with her 3,000 miles and 6.5 months into her mammoth adventure.

Elise shares some stories about her adventure so far, her struggles, her mindset and motivations, as well as her fuel of choice – cake.

Links mentioned in this interview:

Enjoy the interview.

#15: Sarah Williams – Running the Marathon de Sables

Sun, 29 May 2016 22:57:55 +0000

Sarah Williams is an author, blogger, podcaster and marathon runner.

Sarah has recently completed one of the toughest foot races on Earth – the Marathon de Sables.

The MdS is a 6-day, 251km (156 miles) multi-day stage race through southern Morocco in the Sahara Desert, where temperatures often top 50 degrees centigrade.

Sarah talks about what it takes to complete one of the world’s most gruelling adventures.

Links mentioned in this interview:

Tough Girl Challenges

Books mentioned in this interview:

Enjoy the interview.

#14: Leon McCarron – Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

Sun, 22 May 2016 08:00:27 +0000

Leon McCarron is a Northern Irish adventurer, filmmaker, writer and motivational speaker. Leon specialises in long distance, human-powered expeditions.

Some of his past adventures include:

Walking 3,000 miles across China and filming a TV show for National Geographic
Carried the Olympic Flame along a section of the Northern Irish coast as part of the London 2012 relay
Rode 14,000 miles from New York to Hong Kong
Trekked 1,000 miles through the Empty Quarter desert in Oman and creating a feature length film called Into The Empty Quarter
Followed the longest river in Iran from source to sea, and created a film called Karun
Travelled across Argentina on horseback

In this interview, Leon talks about his recently completed 1,000 mile walk through the heart of the Middle East.

Links mentioned in the interview:

Book mentioned in the episode:

Enjoy the interview.

#13: Matt Fitzgerald – How Bad Do You Want It?

Sun, 15 May 2016 08:00:40 +0000

Matt Fitzgerald is a marathon runner, Ironman triathlete, coach, certified sports nutritionist and has authored over 20 best selling books.

Matt goes into detail about his newly published book – How Bad Do You Want It? Mastering the Psychology of Mind over Muscle.

The books mentioned in this episode are also available in audio format, and can be downloaded FREE along with a 30 day free trial, by visiting http://borntokickarse.com/audible

Books mentioned in this episode:

Links mentioned in this episode:

Matt Fitzgerald (website)

Enjoy the interview.

#12: Squash Falconer – Mt Everest Summit and Paragliding off Mt Blanc

Sun, 08 May 2016 08:00:51 +0000

Squash Falconer is a British adventurer and mountaineer.

Squash has done some truly incredible things in her life including summiting some of the world’s highest peaks including Mt Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua and Cho Oyu the world’s 6th highest peak (8,201m).

Squash is also a base jumper, multiple time European Elliptigo champion, she has ridden from Lands End to John O Groats (the full length of Great Britan) and has also ridden 3000 miles around South America filming an adventure documentary.

In this interview Squash shares a couple stories including riding a motorbike from England to the foot of Mont Blanc, climbing to the summit, then paragliding off the top!

Squash also goes into detail around her successful summit of the tallest mountain on Earth – Mt Everest.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Squash Falconer (website)
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
All pictures used in this post are the property of Squash Falconer and used with her permission

Book mentioned in this episode:

Victor Frankl – Man’s Search for Meaning

Enjoy the interview.

#11: Tarran Kent-Hume – Kayaking the Entire Amazon River

Sun, 01 May 2016 08:00:53 +0000

Tarran Kent-Hume grew up in Tasmania, Australia and at the age of 18 travelled to London on a one-way ticket, where he played semi-professional football for five years.

Tarran was then lured into the corporate world of finance and after a few years soon realised that this wasn’t his true calling in life.

Tarran then set out to change the direction of his life and has since achieved some truly inspirational feats including,

Kayaking the entire Amazon River from source to sea – 6,500km
Guinness World Record Holder for the longest game of 5-a-side football (46 hours, 870 – 517 goals)
Summited Mont Blanc, France
Ironman Triathlon, Wales
Professional Muay Thai Fight, Thailand (won by Round 2 KO)
Semi-finalist in Aesthetic Fitness (Body Building) Competition, Los Angeles

Links mentioned in this episode:

Tarran Kent-Hume (website)
Facebook
Twitter / Instagram / Snapchat: @Tarran008
YouTube

Books mentioned in this episode:

Geoff Colvin – Talent is Overrated

Susan Jeffers – Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway

Dr Steve Peters – The Chimp Paradox

Enjoy the interview.

#10: George Bullard – World Record Breaking Polar Explorer

Sun, 24 Apr 2016 08:00:57 +0000

George Bullard is a British endurance athlete, explorer and adventurer and to date has completed over 2,000 miles on foot in the polar regions.

In 2008 at the age of 19, George Bullard and Alex Hibbert completed the world’s longest fully unsupported polar journey – making a 1,374 mile return crossing of the Greenland Icecap in 113 days.

On their return journey, they managed to lose two of their food depots, that had been stored in the ice for over 100 days. This left them to survive on 2.5 flapjacks per day for the last 10 days.

To date, George has completed 14 expeditions around the world and guided over 300 people.

Some of these expeditions include,

Relay swim across the English Channel
Trans Atlantic yacht race (2,796 nautical miles) – from Newport, Rhode Island to the British Isle of Wight
Riding 2,300 miles from England to the Greek Island of Zakynthos

Links mentioned in this episode:

George Bullard (Website)
George Bullard (Twitter)
George Bullard (Facebook)
George Bullard (Instagram)
All pictures used in this post are the property of George Bullard and used with his permission

Book mentioned in this episode:

Appsley Cherry-Garrard

Enjoy the interview.

#9: John Beeden – Solo Pacific Ocean Row

Sun, 17 Apr 2016 08:00:43 +0000

Having already conquered a solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, John Beedon knew in his heart that he still had more.. much more.

In December 2015, John became the first person to successfully row non-stop across the enormous Pacific Ocean, from San Francisco to Cairns in Australia.

Averaging up to 15 hours per day for 209 days, John rowed approximately 14,000km.

Constantly battling ocean winds and currents, John would regularly be blown hundreds of kilometres backwards.

What makes John’s story truly remarkable, is that he has also survived open heart surgery.

Enjoy the interview.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Solo Pacific Row
Twitter @solopacificrow

#8: Craig Percival – 8 Ironmans, in 8 States, in 8 Consecutive Days

Wed, 13 Apr 2016 08:41:43 +0000

For many triathletes, completing an Ironman is the ultimate test of endurance – swimming 3.86km (2.4 miles), riding 180.25km (112 miles), running 42.195km (26.2 miles).

Some athletes are talented enough to then qualify for the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii – the Mecca of triathlons.

Fewer still dare to attempt the Ultraman – a double Ironman over three days.

Only a handful of humans have attempted the Epic 5 Challenge – five Iron distance triathlons, over five days, on five Hawaiian islands.

Then there is Craig Percival..

Who in March 2016 completed the 8-in-8-in-8 (8 full Iron distance triathlons, in 8 of Australia’s states and territories, in 8 consecutive days).

In this interview Craig talks about what he went through and what kept him going.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Enjoy the interview.

#7: Vlad Ixel – Vegan Ultrarunning Champion

Sun, 10 Apr 2016 02:19:47 +0000

Vlad Ixel is a true champion in every sense of the word.

Based in Hong Kong, Vlad has been tearing up the ultra trail scene in South East Asia with some devastating wins over the past few years including,

1st – TMBT ultra marathon 100km, Malaysia, 2013
1st – The North Face 100km, Singapore, 2013
1st – The North Face 100km (8:34 course record), Thailand, 2014
1st – The North Face 100km, Singapore, 2014
1st – Trans Lantau 100km, Hong Kong, 2015
1st – The North Face 100km, Hong Kong, 2015

Vlad Ixel’s commitment and approach to health, nutrition, training and racing is evident, and his determined mindset is extremely inspiring.

Book mentioned in this episode:

Ultramarathon Man – Dean Karnazes
Links mentioned in this episode:

Vlad Ixel
Vlad Ixel (Facebook)
The North Face
Pictures used with Vlad’s permission

Enjoy the interview.

#6: Andy DuBois – Ultrarunning Guru

Sun, 03 Apr 2016 12:04:11 +0000

Andy DuBois is one of Australia’s most respected ultra running coaches and is based out of Byron Bay in NSW.

Andy has a very scientific, and current approach to training and has completed:

multiple Ironman triathlons – twice finishing the Hawaiian Ironman World Championships
in 2007 completed the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc in 28 hours 48mins
won the 2008 Pennine 100 miler in Derbyshire, England
represented Australia in the 2009 World Trail Running Championships in the French Alps
won the 2010 114 mile Hardmoors ultramarathon in England

Andy Dubois’s knowledge of endurance sees him coaching many of the elite ultra runners from Australia and Asia.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Enjoy the interview.

#5: Ben Duffus – How to Win Trail Ultramarathons whilst Studying for a PhD

Tue, 01 Mar 2016 12:36:45 +0000

Ben Duffus is one of Australia’s best ultra trail runners and loves mountains. The steeper the better.

Ben has a slew of victories under his belt including wins at,

Sky Rock n’ Run Marathon (42km)
Kawerau King of the Mountain (7.5km)
Hounslow Classic (68km)
River to Rooftop (1040 stairs)
Coastal High 50 (50km)
Pomona King of the Mountain (4.2km)
Shotover Moonlight Mountain Marathon (42km)
Surf Coast Century (100km)

In 2014, Ben also podiumed (3rd place + 1st Junior) in the Skyrunning World Championships (80km – Mont-Blanc), against the best in the world.

To top it all off, Ben is also currently studying for his PhD in Theoretical Physics at the University of Queensland.

Ben is an absolute speed demon and true inspiration.

Book mentioned in this episode:

How Bad Do You Want It – Matt Fitzgerald

Links mentioned in this episode:

Enjoy the interview.

#4: Richard Bowles – Running the World’s Longest Mountain Trails

Thu, 25 Feb 2016 11:26:34 +0000

Richard Bowles is an adventure runner who has run some of the world’s longest mountain trails.

He is the first person the have run the world’s longest marked trail – Australia’s Bicentennial Nation Trail from Healesville, Victoria to Cooktown, Far North Queensland a total of 5,330 km along the Great Dividing Mountain Range.

Three weeks later, Richard then ran the entire length of New Zealand’s mountainous Te Araroa Trail, a distance of 3,054 km.

Richard has run Israel’s National Trail, covering its 1,009 km length in 14 days.

He is the record holder for the 1,200 km Heyson Trail in South Australia, completing this in 14 days.

Richard is also the first person to run the base of an exploding volcano in Northern Sumatra.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Enjoy the interview.

#3: Andrew Hedgman – Running the Length of New Zealand

Fri, 19 Feb 2016 10:30:49 +0000

At the age of 22, Andrew Hedgman ran the entire length of New Zealand, from Cape Reinga at the tip of the North Island, to Bluff at the very bottom of the South Island, a distance of approximately 2,200km – in 28 days, averaging 80km per day.

Some of Andrew’s other running accomplishments include:

Brisbane to Sydney (1,000 km)
Lycian Way Ultra (250km)
Brisbane to Sunshine Coast (200km)
Plus numerous other ultras

Books mentioned in this episode:

Total Recall – Arnold Schwarzenegger

Ultra Marathon Man – Dean Karnazes

Running Hot – Lisa Tamati

Links mentioned in this episode:

Enjoy the interview.

#2: Dave Alley – How to Ride and Run Around Australia

Sat, 06 Feb 2016 23:12:08 +0000

Dave Alley is an extraordinary man. I had the pleasure of interviewing him and the thing that struck me most was how humble he is.

It is hard to comprehend the enormity and scale of his achievements, and the pain and suffering he endured.

David Alley is the only person to have cycled AND run around Australia, and holds three world records.

World Record #1 – Fastest Cycle Around Australia

14,251 km
37 days – 20 hours – 45 minutes

World Record #2 – Fastest 10,000 km Run

127 days – 10 hours – 51 minutes.

World Record #3 – Fastest Run Around Australia

13,383 km
169 days – 15 hours – 31 minutes

Dave is an incredible human being and a true inspiration.

[clickToTweet tweet=”if you tell yourself that you can do something and you truly believe it, you can make it happen” quote=”if you tell yourself that you can do something and you truly believe it, you can make it happen” theme=”style3″]

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Transcript

Click here to download the transcript for Episode 2 (PDF 212kb)

Enjoy the interview.

#1: Matthew Tommasi – Welcome to the Born to Kick Arse Podcast

Sat, 28 Nov 2015 01:00:48 +0000

Welcome to the Born to Kick Arse Podcast!

In this very first episode I give an introduction to myself, as well as an overview of the content and direction that I plan to take this podcast.

I will be interviewing incredibly inspiring people and try to extract as much knowledge and wisdom as I can from them.

These conversations aim to inspire you in taking steps towards achieving your own goals – no matter how big or small.

Welcome aboard!