Adventurers, Explorers & Survival

Arctic explorer and American visionary Walter Wellman pioneered both polar and trans-Atlantic airship aviation, making history’s first attempts at each. Wellman has been cast as a self-promoting egomaniac known mostly for his catastrophic failures. Instead he was a courageous innovator who pushed the boundaries of polar exploration and paved the way for the ultimate conquest of the North Pole—which would be achieved not by dogsled or airplane, but by airship.

When Tara Roberts first caught sight of a photograph at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History depicting the underwater archaeology group Diving With a Purpose, it called out to her. Here were Black women and men strapping on masks, fins, and tanks to explore Atlantic Ocean waters along the coastlines of Africa, North America, and Central America, seeking the wrecks of slave ships long lost in time. Inspired, Roberts joined them—and started on a path of discovery more challenging and personal than she could ever have imagined.

On December 10, 1887, a shark fishing boat disappeared. On board the doomed vessel were the Walkers—the ship’s captain Frederick, his wife Elizabeth, their three teenage sons, and their dog—along with the ship’s crew. The family had spotted a promising fishing location when a terrible storm arose, splitting their vessel in two and leaving those onboard adrift on the perilous sea. When the castaways awoke the next morning, they discovered they had been washed ashore—on an island inhabited by a large but ragged and emaciated man who introduced himself as Hans.

Oceanographer Dawn Wright made history in 2022 when she became the first Black person to visit Challenger Deep, the deepest and most unexplored place on Earth—a trip that took her over 10,000 meters beneath the Pacific Ocean’s surface. We know less about the ocean floor than we do about the surface of the moon. To date, barely one-fifth of the seabed has been mapped in high resolution. As an ocean scientist and explorer, Dawn has made it her mission to change that.

The Strawbridge family found themselves shivering in a cold rain on a high pass in the North Cascade Mountains far from civilization and armed with little more than a vague notion of what it would take to walk 2650 miles up and down a wild and remote wilderness trail from Canada to Mexico. Vince and Monica set out with their four children, ranging in age from 11 to 16, on the walk of a lifetime.

In spring 2024, I embarked on a life-altering pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago, a journey that invited me to release my expectations, trust the path ahead, and embrace the unknown. Alongside fellow pilgrims—each at their own crossroads of life—I uncovered profound truths that had been gestating in my soul for over three decades. Inspired by earlier pilgrimages, vision quests, and solo retreats, this walk became more than a journey through Spain; it became a path to transformation, healing, and spiritual renewal.

In The Sailor’s Compass, listeners are invited to chart the remarkable journey of Michael Moore—a dedicated hospital corpsman whose life reflects courage, sacrifice, and resilience. From his modest beginnings in a small-town community where hard work and family values were paramount, to his transformative years serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War, Michael’s story is one of unwavering dedication and grit.

Schulen, Straßen, Stiftungen, Forschungsinstitute und sogar ein Mondkrater tragen seinen Namen. Zu Recht: Ging es um Wissensdrang und Wagemut, stand der 1880 in Berlin geborene Physiker, Meteorologe und Astronom Alfred Wegener Abenteurern wie Amundsen, Scott & Co. in nichts nach. Er stellte spektakuläre Dauerrekorde in der Ballonfahrt auf, und bei der bis dahin längsten Grönlandüberquerung entkam er nur knapp dem Hungertod. Mit seiner genialen Idee der Kontinentaldrift legte er den Grundstein für die Theorie der Plattentektonik, und zwar in einer Disziplin, die noch nicht einmal die seine war.

Kingdom of Wolves–The Journey is a true story of survival and the soul’s journey to freedom, reclamation, redemption, and wholeness of spirit. The author was a silent victim of domestic abuse that spanned a period of three decades; she was not only held captive by her abuser but also her own low self-esteem, fears, and insecurities.

On August 8, 2020, 40-year-old Stephanie Lincoln seemingly had the perfect life. She just had the wedding of her dreams, owned a successful business, and was traveling the country in an RV with her husband and 3 dogs. An innocent choice to go on a short hike in the Olympic National Forest became the catalyst for disaster. On that day, Stephanie officially became a missing person and the battle for her life ensued.

In Shadows of Sobriety, Keith Burton pulls back the curtain on his journey through a childhood marked by alcoholism, family dysfunction, and emotional scars that lasted a lifetime. Raised in a household where love was often confused with pain, Keith reflects on his relationships with an alcoholic father and a controlling mother, and how their struggles set the stage for his own battles with identity, faith, and a fractured family legacy.

Set in the Upper Snake River Valley in rural Idaho, this story is about relationships. Beginning in the 1970’s and spanning four generations of life on the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River, it is a study of friendship, fatherhood, and a dog named Bradley. It is a tale of love and loss through the eyes of the author.

Imagine sharing a cell with thieves, sex offenders, murderers and other nefarious criminals. Imagine the type of accident insurance does not cover. Imagine being maimed by an IED ... well thanks to me, you don't have to. "When I got into the explosives business, I never dreamed I'd find myself personally working with the Joint Counter Terrorism Task Force." I'm Josh Keith. This is my side of the story.

In rural Victoria, Arnold Dix is known to locals as a farmer and a part-time truck driver. But his name reached global recognition when he played a pivotal role in rescuing forty-one Indian workers trapped after a deadly tunnel collapse. What many don’t know is that Arnold is also a barrister, scientist, engineer—a ‘quirky’ Aussie bloke who proves that extraordinary courage can come from the most unexpected places. In vivid detail, Arnold recounts the unlikely rescue that transformed him into a global hero.

Not Your Average Drug Addict Whore follows the threads linking the extraordinary, oftentimes intense, events of a journey to self-realizing. It is a witness to truth, that a life is never broken, it is purely a singular life on its singular journey.

A viral story, an unbelievable survival, and God’s undeniable hand through it all. The morning of September 27th, 2008 was like any other day for Jordan Wells. Just starting college, she had the whole world ahead of her, until a fateful car crash changed her life. In the aftermath of the car crash, Jordan was loaded onto a helicopter to be transported to the hospital—but it would never make it there.

Michael Macray has a story-telling gift carefully honed in the bars of Sanibel Florida, his tales are infused with his hilarious humor and highly tuned enjoyment of life and living. A dare-devil of the old kind, working Disaster Logistics, he lived through narrow escapes in Africa, bomb blasts in Yemen, and the burning Oil fields of Kuwait.

How does a young mother overcome an 8 percent chance of living to raise her newborn son? She becomes a warrior and provides hope for others. Daddy's Girl is the story of a father, his daughter, and the deadly battle she won. In each person’s life there are events that forever change their course. Twenty-seven-year-old Stephanie experienced two of these events in fourteen days; the birth of her only child and discovery that she has an 8 percent chance of living.

This is a difficult story of my life. How I survived 30 years of domestic violence before finding peace.

At three years old, a father gives his triplet daughters away. This story follows the triplets as they navigate the challenges and hardships that life throws at them. Their lives unfold as a vast canvas, filled with vivid scars that tell tales of relentless battles, shattered hearts, and lost dreams.

Have you ever had everything you set out to do doubted and questioned by others? Have you ever felt pressed down by the weight of others’ doubts so much that they tried to move in and overshadow your abilities? Life is not complete if you feel you have reached the end of your road and still feel an emptiness in your heart and a burning desire to go beyond the perception of others. I invite you to take this journey through the experiences that make our faith stronger and our love everlasting.

The stories in this book are all true. Most began with a dream and conscientious study of maps and logistics. Others are true adventures. Most accounts are anecdotes taken from Cliff Jacobson's experiences as a professional canoeist guide in Minnesota and Canada.

Join wellness advocate and wilderness guide Sydney Williams as she shares her healing journey from eating and drinking her feelings to hiking her feelings. When Sydney unexpectedly found herself diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, while grappling with grief and unresolved trauma built up over a decade, she set out on a quest to turn her pain into power.

The Meyer family of Beaver Dam Wisconsin were not your run of the mill group of kin folk. Being the daughter of the infamous Ruth and Russell Meyer back in the 60’s was a roller coaster of fun times and tragic events. As children, we had the best times with dad. Fishing, skating, him bringing home a monkey, wrestling a bear, and finding humor in everyday functions such as farting. I have fond memories of him. My dad was a hilarious and lovable character. But when he was drinking, he became extremely violent.

The Captain and the Kid sweeps you back to a world of daring childhood adventures and unforgettable survival. Set in the gritty streets of 1960s Toronto, this true-life story follows ten-year-old David Blackmore as he navigates the alleys of Regent Park, shines shoes for pocket change on bustling Yonge Street, and dives into the murky waters of the Don River. Every corner holds a thrill, every street its own pulse. It’s an era of newspaper hustles, jump-offs, and wild freedom—a time when kids created their own playgrounds from concrete, curiosity, and courage.