Kari Kobler: Pursuing a Rich Life

Sir Ben Ainslie is a name many people will recognise. As Britain's most successful sailor, Ben won medals in five consecutive Olympic games from 1996, including Gold at the four games held between 2000 and 2012. Ben and his wife, Georgie, join Kenton today to talk about life after the Olympics. Ben and Georgie make a formidable partnership. Whilst Ben is Team Principal and CEO of Ineos Britannia - the team attempting to win the Americas Cup for Britain for the first time - Georgie has founded a start-up called Ainslie + Ainslie. Kenton discusses with them the importance of communication, the intensity of competition, the constant balance between work and family, leadership under pressure and, of course, their new night powder which is working wonders for Kenton's sleep... This episode is one not to be missed even if, like Kenton, you're more comfortable on dry land than on a boat. https://benainslie.com/

This week, Kenton sits down with Ross and Hugo Turner, also known as The Turner Twins. The identical twins are adventurers who embark on a variety of different challenges, often linked to scientific studies due to sharing the same DNA. Kenton talks to them about their recent project driving the first fully electric 2-seater convertible MG from London to Shanghai, visiting 27 countries along the way. They also discuss the results of embarking on omnivore vs vegan diets, when they compared weighted exercises with bodyweight exercises, and when they compared 20 minutes of exercise to 40 minutes of exercise. Did they experience double the benefit from double the exercise? Hugo and Ross encourage everyone to be curious and willing to experiment. Their studies have sometimes led to unexpected results and this is a really interesting conversation.

Lukas is a mountaineer, geographer, adventurer, leader of countless expeditions and founder of Furtenbach Adventures. He has established Furtenbach Adventures as one of the premier operators on Everest, and he and Kenton reflect on the 2024 season together. Lukas was one of only three foreign operators granted permits to climb Everest from the North Side this year and he tells Kenton about the challenges he faced. Kenton and Lukas discuss the commercialism of mountaineering versus 'real' alpinism and they consider what the future of Everest might look like. This is a captivating conversation between two guides who both know Everest extremely well.

This week, Kenton sits down with Arctic photographer, Martin Hartley, to hear about his latest project. Martin has recently returned from a research project on a boat off Norway, photographing previously undiscovered species from the deep sea - something he never thought he would do. Martin and Kenton talk about sea ice levels, macro-level photography, the terrifying effect of global warming, and 'rowing the boat'! This is the very definition of a cool conversation. Listen now!

Tim Howell is an alpinist, a mountaineer, a climber and one of the world's leading wingsuit base-jumpers. Kenton sat down to talk to Tim at Everest Basecamp where he is based in pursuit of his next goal: claiming a record high-altitude wingsuit flight. Tim and Kenton talk about risk-taking: the importance of balancing risk and understanding the conditions in pursuit of goals. It is not unusual for Tim to say 'no' and climb back down mountains when the risk is simply too high. They discuss the value of community and how the support of others helps Tim to explore new jumps and push his own boundaries. We will let you know how he gets on with his record attempt!

Anna Hemmings is a phenomenal athlete who has been crowned World Champion six-times and competed at two Olympic games. Her chosen sport is marathon kayaking which requires high levels of strength, endurance, and skill (you will learn how difficult Kenton finds it to sit in a kayak, let alone race in one!). Anna's story is a remarkable one: she tells Kenton how she was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome at the peak of her career and had to overcome huge challenges to get back to the top of her sport. Since retiring from racing in 2008, Anna has built a successful career as a keynote speaker, leadership coach and training consultant supporting organisations to develop high-performing teams and achieve their goals.

This week, Kenton sits down with James Peach - a brand strategist by trade, who likes to add side-helpings of adventure to keep things interesting! James has worked for brands such as Innocent, Uber and Vinted and he shares some fascinating insights into their cultures and his experiences with these organisations. He talks about 'hustle', 'toe-stepping' and 'teetering on the edge of the red' amongst other things. Interestingly, James has a self-declared obsession with time, wanting to squeeze value out of every minute of every day. This has led to some great adventures including walking across Argentina, cycling around the world, and completing a tandom triathlon challenge. This episode is slightly longer than normal, but we hope you enjoy the rich discussion between Kenton and James.

This week, Kenton talks to Justin Wateridge who is MD of boutique travel agency, Steppes Travel, and extremely passionate about travel. Justin has visited over 80 countries around the world and talks enthusiastically about each and every one of them. Justin travels with curiosity, learning about aspects of people and culture that aren't covered by headlines or magazine articles. He is also a heartfelt conservationist and he has run the London Marathon twice in a rhino suit, raising money for Save the Rhinos. Justin often combines his love of travel with adventure, and in July this year he and a friend are participating in the Yukon 1000, a tough multi-day canoe race down the Yukon river through wilderness, rapids and bear country. Kenton and Justin exchange travel stories and experiences throughout this conversation - enjoy!

This week, Kenton chats to Anna Wells who, just two weeks ago, became the first female to ever complete a Winter Munro Round. Anna climbed all 282 Munros between 22nd December 2023 and 14th March 2024 - a feat only achieved by three others in history. Anna took three months leave from her day job and careered head first into this awe-inspiring challenge. She climbed mountains in all weathers, many of them on her own, and she clocked some very long days. At the end of the challenge she covered 155km and 11,000m of ascent in three days! Anna is super passionate about being in the mountains and she and Kenton really hit it off in this episode!

This week, Kenton speaks to ultra-runner and endurance coach, Allie Bailey. Allie's story is not straight-forward. From the age of 14, she battled with addiction to alcohol, she was severely depressed, and she suffered numerous mental health crises. She started running in the midst of her addiction and completed many marathons and ultra-marathons whilst hungover or under the influence. This only served to strengthen her conviction that she didn't have a problem because she was a runner. Kenton and Allie discuss some of her memories from her darker days, her journey in running, and her fascination with how our brains work. Allie's honest, direct and straight-talking approach is refreshing and engaging. Her book, "There is No Wall" is out now.