The Shorts — A Story of My Own
A Story of My Own
For most of his adult life, Cam Fenton has fought against climate change–and particularly to protect the Arctic.
“The funny thing was, for most of that time, I couldn’t tell you why,” says Cam. “Sure, I could recite, and often wrote, the talking points: to stop sea level rise, stand with small island nations and Indigenous peoples, keep fossil fuels in the ground and save the Arctic. But anytime I heard someone tell a deeply personal story, I felt embarrassed that I didn’t have a story of my own.”
So, this past summer Cam jumped at the chance to join a friend on a trip to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He hoped to return changed–with his own story, with revelations about climate change and with renewed purpose. And Cam did walk away from the Arctic with an adventure and a revelation–just a very different one than he expected.
You can find more of Cam’s writing at overstoker.com
Music: If Walls Could Talk by Jacob Bain & Nis Kotto • I Dare You by Little Glass Men • She-Wolf In My Heart by Sergey Cheremisinov • Rewire Your Cables by Little Glass Men • Simplify by Little Glass Men • Loops to Aviemore by The Freeharmonic Orchestra • rattlesnake by Fog Lake
Tracks provided by Free Music Archive.
The Elephant in the Boat – Part II
The Elephant in the Boat – Part II
“The definition of kidnapping is moving someone from one point to another point against their will, and that’s exactly what had happened to us,” says Ben Stookesberry. “But, to me, the most noteworthy part of the day was that, for the first time in the entire trip, we were actually all working together as a team and we were all spending an entire day together.”
Ben and Chris Korbulic are the expedition kayakers. The two of them have what is perhaps the longest running, most successful partnership not just in kayaking, but in the world of outdoor adventure. They’ve been at this together for over a decade now.
And, yet, in April of 2017, the two boaters wound up on an expedition on which the interpersonal dynamics grew so strained that being held hostage by an armed rebel group in the remote Amazon didn’t necessarily seem like the worst thing that could have happened.
We’ve broken today’s episode into two parts. In Part I, we followed Ben and Chris down a stretch of Colombia’s remote Apaporis River. Today, for Part II, we’ll get into the history of this epic partnership, what went so wrong, and what happens moving forward.
Music: If Walls Could Talk by Jacob Bain & Nis Kotto • Beg Me to Stay by Hopeless Jack • Crow Jane by Hopeless Jack • Hidden Eyes by Hopeless Jack
Tracks used with permission from the artists.
The Shorts– Better Than Good Enough
Better Than Good Enough
“It was a life that was narrow in its margins and seemingly under my control,” remembers John Gray. “It wasn’t exactly exciting or fulfilling, but I decided that it was good enough for me.”
After a breakup and a drinking habit sent him in a downward spiral, John decided that he needed something radical to shake him out of his “life avoidance stupor.” He signed up for a semester-long Outward Bound course that would take him from the Appalachians to the Everglades to Costa Rica–and change his outlook in a lasting way.
“I knew that good enough would never again be good enough.”
You can find more of John’s writing at: meetjohngray.com
Music: Transcanada by Fog Lake • Destination by Jason Tyler Burton • Jesus Loves to Watch You Sleep by adcBicycle • Worst Part by Cleod9 • A Thousand Kinds of Gold by Publish the Quest
Tracks provided by Free Music Archive or with direct permission from the artists.
The Elephant in the Boat – Part I
The Elephant in the Boat – Part I
“The definition of kidnapping is moving someone from one point to another point against their will, and that’s exactly what had happened to us,” says Ben Stookesberry. “But, to me, the most noteworthy part of the day was that, for the first time in the entire trip, we were actually all working together as a team and we were all spending an entire day together.”
Ben and Chris Korbulic are the expedition kayakers. The two of them have what is perhaps the longest running, most successful partnership not just in kayaking, but in the world of outdoor adventure. They’ve been at this together for over a decade now.
And, yet, in April of 2017, the two boaters wound up on an expedition on which the interpersonal dynamics grew so strained that being held hostage by an armed rebel group in the remote Amazon didn’t necessarily seem like the worst thing that could have happened.
We’ve broken today’s episode into two parts. Today, for Part I, we’ll follow Ben and Chris down a stretch of Colombia’s remote Apaporis River. In Part II, we’ll get into the history of this epic partnership, what went so wrong, and what happens moving forward.
Music: Fog by Sergey Cheremisinov • If Walls Could Talk by Jacob Bain & Nis Kotto • Nogales by Cleod9 • Olympus Mons/ We Are Happy Chemtrails by The F*cked Up Beat • The Undefeated by Vienna Ditto • The Deal by Hopeless Jack • Crow Jane by Hopeless Jack • Brand New World by Kai Engel • Global Warming by Kai Engel • Mercy by Kai Engel • Hollow by Hopeless Jack
Tracks provided by Free Music Archive and with permission from the artists.
The Shorts — Spirit B
Spirit B
“In the early stages of my pregnancy, I was intrigued and ready for the changes that would take place,” says Chelsey Magness. “As an athlete, I expected body image and performance challenges. I expected exhaustion. I expected attachment issues to my newborn twins. I never expected what was actually to come.”
Chelsey and her husband Jason have built unique lives as professional adventure racers and partner acrobatics and slacklining instructors–among other things. When unimaginable tragedy struck their family, they came up with a unique way to move through their grief.
Find more of Chelsey’s writing about Max and Spirit at EnduranceMama.com, or take a workshop with Chelsey and Jason.
Music: Chasing Trains by Publish the Quest • Caterpillar by Little Glass Men • I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor by Chris Zabriskie • That Kid in Fourth Grade Who Really Liked the Denver Broncos by Chris Zabriskie • Holy Water by Denise Casey • Wild Wind by John Berry
Tracks provided by Free Music Archive and with permission from the artists.
