Wild Ideas Worth Living

Alison Mariella Désir is a runner, activist, author of Running While Black, and host of the award winning PBS series Out & Back. In 2013, she started a community run club in Harlem with a simple goal: help more Black and Brown people experience the joy and connection of running. That grassroots effort helped launch a career dedicated to building community, expanding access to the outdoors, and empowering others to pursue their own adventures.
Connect with Alison:
Website
Instagram
Substack
Watch Out & Back on PBS
Purchase Running While Black
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Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard®
Smartwool
The North Face


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Rob Lea is an endurance athlete, mountaineer, and open water swimmer who became the first person to complete the Double Seven in June 2026. The project combines climbing the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each continent, with the Oceans Seven, a collection of iconic open water crossings that includes the English Channel and the Strait of Gibraltar. By uniting two of the world's most demanding endurance challenges, Rob set a new benchmark for adventure, mountaineering, and marathon swimming.

Connect with Rob:

Instagram

Check out REI’s 2026 Editors’ Choice Awards

Thank you to our sponsor:

Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard®

The North Face

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Jenn Dice is the CEO of PeopleForBikes, a national nonprofit dedicated to making biking safer, easier, and more accessible across the United States. As a lifelong cyclist, she has spent decades exploring the outdoors on two wheels and advocating for better places to ride. Her work is driven by the belief that bicycles can improve health, strengthen communities, and create more connected places to live.

Connect with Jenn: 

PeopleForBikes website & Instagram

Instagram

Check out REI’s 2026 Editors’ Choice Awards

Thank you to our sponsor:

Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard®

The North Face

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Anton Nootenboom is an endurance athlete, mental health advocate, and world record holder known as the Barefoot Dutchman. He has walked thousands of miles barefoot through some of the world's most challenging landscapes, including the Himalayas, the Australian coast, and across the United States. A former Dutch soldier, Anton uses his expeditions to raise awareness for men's mental health and inspire more open conversations around mental well-being.

Connect with Anton: 

Instagram

Brave Men Talk website

Check out REI’s 2026 Editors’ Choice Awards

Thank you to our sponsor:

Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard®

The North Face

 

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Rachel Entrekin is an ultrarunner and three time champion of the Cocodona 250, one of the most demanding ultramarathons in the United States. Known as the "Queen of Cocodona," she became the first woman to win the race outright in 2026, covering more than 250 miles across Arizona in 56 hours, 9 minutes, and 58 seconds while setting a new course record.

Connect with Rachel: 

Instagram

If you enjoyed this episode, listen to Winning the Triple Crown of Ultra Running with Courtney Dauwalter

Check out REI’s 2026 Editors’ Choice Awards

Thank you to our sponsor:

Capital One and the REI Co-op® Mastercard®

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.