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PODCAST

Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER!

“Exploring is an innate part of being human.” Richard Wiese, spends 30 minutes every week with some of the world’s most compelling adventurers, explorers, and socio-environmental advocates, listening to their distinct adventures, unique discoveries, projects & goals, while discovering their multitude of challenges, surprises, triumphs and set-backs they encounter along the way. Join Richard as he pulls back the curtain on what it’s like to travel around the world and beyond; explore some of the

society & culture documentary

All Episodes

39:22

Chris Nicola: The Hidden Holocaust Story Beneath Ukraine

Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER! ·

2025/12/05

In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese speaks with cave explorer, documentarian and author Chris Nicola, whose discovery in a Ukrainian cave unveiled one of the most extraordinary survival stories of World War II. Chris shares how a lifetime of adventure — from law enforcement to cave diving — led him to stumble upon artifacts in a cave that revealed the hidden lives of 38 Jewish survivors. His investigation uncovered the story of families who evaded Nazi p...

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27:25

Dr. Alan Stern: From Pluto to the Stars

Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER! ·

2025/12/01

In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, planetary scientist Dr. Alan Stern shares his journey from childhood awe during Apollo 11 to leading NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto and beyond. Alan opens up about early failures — including flunking out of college — and how hard labor and reflection transformed his drive to succeed in science. He revisits the tragedy of the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion that changed his path from engineer to astrophysicist, setting the stage ...

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25:55

Victor Vescovo: Redefining the Limits of Exploration

Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER! ·

2025/11/14

In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese welcomes Victor Vescovo—mountaineer, deep-sea explorer, naval intelligence officer, and the first person to reach the deepest points of all five oceans. Victor retraces his early beginnings rooted in a fascination with maps, geography, science fiction, and adventure stories. As he matured and gained resources, he pursued increasingly novel and extreme endeavors: mountaineering, skiing to the poles, and piloting a deep ...

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30:03

From Trauma to Triumph: Silvia’s Climb Toward Healing

Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER! ·

2025/10/29

Born in Lima, Peru, during years of terrorism and instability, Silvia Vasquez-Lavado grew up amid fear and uncertainty. Enduring trauma from childhood abuse, she fled to the U.S. as a teen, determined to start anew. That journey led her to the most unlikely place — Amish country — where she learned humility, resilience, and how to find peace in quiet strength. Silvia’s transformation continued through exploration. Her first trip to Everest Base Camp, undertaken in the early stages of recovery...

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32:48

Captain Alfred McLaren: The Real Hunt for Red October

Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER! ·

2025/10/15

In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, dive deep with Captain Alfred McLaren, U.S. Navy (Ret.), a Cold War submarine commander, Arctic explorer, and author of Emergency Deep: Cold War Missions of a Submarine Commander. Captain McLaren reflects on his decades of leadership beneath the sea — from navigating Soviet waters during the height of the Cold War to charting the uncharted Siberian shelf beneath the Arctic ice. He shares extraordinary stories of stealth missions, survivi...

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23:07

Bo Parfet: The Hardest Mountain to Climb — is Yourself

Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER! ·

2025/10/09

In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese talks with mountaineer, investor, and philanthropist Bo Parfet — one of the few to summit the highest peak on all seven continents. From struggling with dyslexia as a child to surviving near-death experiences on Denali, Everest, and K2, Bo’s story is one of grit, growth, and perspective. He shares how he turned failure into strength, found his own learning style, and used adversity to fuel both exploration and purpose....

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26:51

Saving the Cheetah: Laurie Marker's Global Mission

Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER! ·

2025/10/02

In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese meets with Dr. Laurie Marker, world-renowned cheetah conservationist and founder of the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Dr. Marker shares her remarkable journey—from her early work in Oregon to establishing a pioneering conservation program in Namibia, where she has spent decades building trust with farmers and saving the world’s fastest land animal. She discusses the innovative use of livestock guardian dogs, her efforts t...

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26:10

Geoff Green: Protecting the Poles, Inspiring the Planet

Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER! ·

2025/09/24

In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, our host Richard Wiese speaks with polar explorer and educator Geoff Green, founder of the internationally acclaimed "Students on Ice" program. Geoff has led more than 120 expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic, bringing together students, scientists, artists, and world leaders to foster a deeper understanding of the planet. Geoff reflects on the early days of Students on Ice, when mentors encouraged him to take teenagers to the polar ...

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30:22

From NY to the Rainforest: Elodie Freymann’s Journey

Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER! ·

2025/09/18

In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese speaks with Elodie Freymann, a primatologist, botanist, and naturalist whose work blends science, storytelling, and exploration. From her New York roots to her time studying chimpanzees in the forests of Uganda, Elodie’s journey is anything but conventional. She shares how a chance discovery of javelin in high school led her to Brown University, where she pursued anthropology and ethnobotany. After a stint in documenta...

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23:20

Mikael Strandberg: Planet's Most Extreme Explorer

Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER! ·

2025/09/03

In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese speaks with legendary explorer Mikael Strandberg, whose journeys span deserts, ice, jungles, and cities—but who calls parenting his toughest and most rewarding expedition. Strandberg recounts cycling 1,600 kilometers with his two daughters, teaching them independence through trial and error, and embracing the chaos of raising kids in outdoor settings. He contrasts his Siberian journeys, where -50°C tested survival, wit...

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34:26

Andrés Ruzo-Callejas: The Amazon's "Boiling River"

Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER! ·

2025/08/28

In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese speaks with geoscientist Andrés Ruzo, the first to scientifically study the Boiling River in the Peruvian Amazon. Ruzo recounts how childhood legends of a river that boiled—passed down by his grandfather—evolved into a scientific quest. Initially dismissed by colleagues, he persisted, guided by family stories and indigenous knowledge, until he found himself face-to-face with one of the Amazon’s most extraordinary natur...

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23:15

Leela Hazzah & the Maasai: Lion Guardians

Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER! ·

2025/08/20

In this episode of Life's Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese sits down with Leela Hazzah, founder of the Lion Guardians program, a groundbreaking initiative in Kenya and Tanzania that transforms Maasai warriors from lion hunters into lion protectors. Leela recounts her journey from Egyptian-American roots to becoming one of CNN’s Top 10 Heroes of the year, sharing how her childhood love of animals grew into a lifelong mission to save lions. She explains how living with Maasai co...

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16:29

From Cancer Survivor to Astronaut: Hayley Arceneaux’s...

Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER! ·

2025/08/06

In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese welcomes Hayley Arceneaux, childhood cancer survivor and astronaut. Hayley shares her deeply personal and inspiring journey—from undergoing treatment at St. Jude as a child to becoming a physician assistant at the very hospital that saved her life. Now, she’s on the verge of becoming the youngest American in space as part of the Inspiration4 mission. Hayley reflects on her training, the surprise invitation to join the ...

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21:05

Richard Garriott: Video Gaming Pioneer to Extreme...

Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER! ·

2025/07/30

In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese interviews Richard Garriott, a real-life explorer, entrepreneur, and video game legend. As the son of an astronaut, Garriott always had his eyes on space—but his journey took an unconventional path through fantasy, failure, and relentless curiosity. Garriott recounts how he built one of the first successful computer game empires, funded his own space mission, and became the first second-generation American in space. Fr...

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29:29

NASA, Oceans, and Hubble: Kathy Sullivan’s Legacy

Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER! ·

2025/07/23

In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, we meet Dr. Kathy Sullivan—astronaut, ocean explorer, and author of Handprints on Hubble. Kathy shares her groundbreaking journey from becoming the first American woman to walk in space to later becoming the first woman to dive to the deepest point on Earth. With a blend of humor and humility, Kathy talks about her love for adventure, her rescue dog Murphy, and the mindset that kept her grounded—whether orbiting the planet or diving mile...

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37:21

Near-Drowning in Space: Luca Parmitano’s Incredible...

Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER! ·

2025/07/09

In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese welcomes Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano, the first Italian to walk in space and a globally respected voice in the astronaut community. Luca opens up about his infamous near-drowning during a spacewalk, and how that life-threatening moment ultimately deepened his understanding of risk, resilience, and what it means to lead. Beyond spaceflight, Luca shares profound reflections on mindset, fatherhood, and the quiet ...

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23:40

Susan Baur & her Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage

Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER! ·

2025/06/25

In this episode of Life's Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese dives into conversation with Susan Baur, founder of Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage. What began as a personal effort to clean Cape Cod ponds evolved into a joyful movement of women in their 60s to 80s suiting up in wetsuits to restore their local ecosystems. Susan shares how, after a career in psychology and writing, she found healing and renewed purpose through diving. From litter to laughter, these “old ladies”...

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30:28

Brendan Hall: Storytelling and the National Parks

Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER! ·

2025/06/18

In this episode of Life's Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese welcomes filmmaker, photographer, and Explorers Club 50 honoree Brendan Hall. Brendan shares how his childhood passion for filming led him to a career as a documentary filmmaker and how his authentic, accessible approach to storytelling shaped his journey. Brendan discusses his selection for the dearMoon mission, a civilian lunar project with SpaceX, and how the experience impacted his life even though the mission was ...

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19:35

Way Out There: J.R. Harris's Solo Trekker Journey

Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER! ·

2025/06/11

In this episode of Life's Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese talks with J.R. Harris, veteran solo trekker and author of Way Out There. J.R. shares how a kid from Queens, New York, became a lifelong wilderness explorer, shaped by early Boy Scout experiences and a desire to live life on his own terms. They discuss the allure of solo travel, the emotional impact of nature, and how J.R.’s solo hiking began long before diversity in outdoor spaces was common. He reflects on how wilder...

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23:01

Life with Orangutans: Dr. Birute Galdikas

Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER! ·

2025/05/29

Dr. Birute Galdikas has dedicated over 50 years of her life to studying and protecting orangutans in the rainforests of Borneo. As one of the legendary “Trimates” chosen by Louis Leakey — alongside Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey — Birute helped pioneer the field of primatology and conservation. In this episode of Life's Tough, Explorers are Tougher, she reflects on her journey from graduate student to global conservationist. She shares deeply personal stories about bonding with wild orangutans,...

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