EP 71: Colin O’Brady - 2X World Record Holder for fastest Completion of the Explorers Grand Slam and the Seven Summits

06/18/18 • 60 min

Raised in Portland, Oregon, Colin spent his childhood exploring the mountains of the Pacific Northwest and cultivated a passion for adventure in the outdoors. Colin was an active kid and excelled at sports, competing in both swimming and soccer. By the time he reached high school, he was nationally ranked in both sports. Ultimately, he was recruited to swim at Yale where he graduated with a Bachelors in Economics in 2006.

The resources to travel internationally weren’t there growing up, so Colin started painting houses in the summers to earn money. After college graduation and before settling into his career, he took a backpack and surfboard and set out to explore the world. In 2008, while in Thailand, Colin suffered a tragic accident and was severely burned in a fire; his injuries covered nearly 25% of his body, primarily damaging his legs and feet. Doctor’s warned him he might never walk again normally. With the encouragement of his mother, Colin was determined to beat the odds. He set himself a seemingly impossible goal: to complete his first triathlon after recovery.

A mere 18-months after his accident and after extensive rehabilitation, Colin amazed the sporting world when he not only completed his first triathlon, but he placed first overall at the Chicago Triathlon. After winning his first race, sponsors took note and signed on to support his future. Colin went on to become a professional triathlete and raced in 25 countries on six continents, representing the United States in international triathlon competitions.

Six years of professional triathlon was the exact preparation Colin needed when he and his fiancée, Jenna, came up with an audacious plan. Colin would attempt to complete a prestigious mountaineering challenge – The Explorers Grand Slam – in world record time. Without the resources to personally fund the expedition, Jenna and Colin spent 18-months raising the money and gathering the support they needed.

On May 27, 2016, the world record project came to a victorious end. Colin conquered The Explorers Grand Slam in a world record-shattering 139 days. Colin summited the tallest peak on each of the seven continents including Mt. Everest and skied the last degree to the North and South Poles. Fewer than 50 people have ever completed this staggering achievement and only four in under a year. With grit and perseverance, Colin became the fastest person to complete the mountaineering challenge, and in the process also broke the speed record for The Seven Summits in 132 days.

Colin and Jenna established a non-profit, Beyond 7/2, before Colin set out to break the Grand Slam world record, all in an effort to raise awareness and funds to inspire kids and their communities to lead active, healthy kids and pursue their biggest dreams. Colin’s efforts have impacted hundreds of thousands of children across the country since launching Beyond 7/2.

Knowing first-hand what it takes to overcome a serious setback, and the grit and perseverance required to achieve peak performance, Colin shares his story around the world speaking at the likes of Google, Samsung, Mashable’s Social Good Summit, P&G, and other influential Fortune 100 Companies. In the spring of 2017, Colin was invited to deliver a TED talk in Portland, OR. Nearly 1 Million people have viewed his talk online. It was the fastest growing talk that summer, globally.

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EP 070: Douglas Heinrich - Senior Vice President of Product at Black Diamond

Doug Heinrich (b. 1962) was introduced to climbing when he was twelve years old by a classmate. Early on he took climbing lessons with Jim Dockery, a local legend, and during his first year in climbing he achieved the summit of the Grand Teton on a guided climb. He quickly developed an interest in summiting alpine peaks. Doug discusses the Salt Lake climbing community of the late-70s and '80s, identifying some of the key figures involved in pushing grades and new-route development. He shares his opinions about the fascination with first ascents, explaining how this was not a priority or fascination for him. That said, Doug has developed some classic new routes, specifically on Big Walls in Zion National Park. He describes himself as not particularly good at any aspect of climbing but certainly able at all aspects: rock climbing, Big Walls, mountaineering, ice climbing, etc. Doug tells stories of working with Conrad Anker at The North Face store in Salt Lake City prior to Conrad's rise to stardom. Doug climbed with many of Salt Lake's most prominent mountaineers, a number of whom have tragically died in the mountains. After working at TNF, he went on to manage IME before moving to Black Diamond, where he continues to work. Doug describes the history of Black Diamond and also provides an overview of some of its more significant efforts in product development. Outdoor Recreation Oral History Project. Interviewer: Matt Driscoll

Heinrich, a prolific climber and veteran of the company, has served the brand in increasing roles starting in customer service, creating the BD retail store and as a sales representative. Heinrich’s diverse background includes having worked in senior executive roles at Patagonia and Icon Fitness. Most recently at Black Diamond, Heinrich served as the vice president of equipment.

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EP 072: Chris Burkard - Photographer and Artist

Chris Burkard is an accomplished explorer, photographer, creative director, speaker, and author. Traveling throughout the year to pursue the farthest expanses of Earth, Burkard works to capture stories that inspire humans to consider their relationship with nature, while promoting the preservation of wild places everywhere. On this episode we discuss:

How Chris fell in love with the outdoors
How he ruined $30,000 worth of camera gear.
Why he spent a night in a Russian jail
Chris takes us behind the scenes of all the hard work that goes into planning an outdoor trip.
How anyone can turn their passion into a career.