The Genuinely Interested Podcast Ep 77 - Ray Zahab - Running Around The World
Ray Zahab is a Canadian Explorer, ultra-distance runner, and Founder of the non-profit Impossible2Possible. In 2015 Canadian Geographic recognized Ray as one of Canada’s Top Explorers. He has run 17,000+ km across the world’s deserts and taken part in unsupported expeditions in some of the coldest places on the planet.
Ray has a truly magnetic energy when he speaks, which makes him a great guest to have on - and an entertaining speaker to listen to. I really wanted to learn a lot about his expeditions, his mindset, and his nonprofit organization.
Ray and I discuss:
- The mental framework you need to take part in these types of adventures
- How he got started
- His 111-day expedition through the Sahara Desert
- Why he started Impossible2Possible
- What's harder - a cold, or hot, expedition?
- How to deal with the physical pain
And much more...
My Take: Hardship and discomfort are mere mental barriers that one can breakthrough with the right state of mind. The more explorers I talk to, the more I see a common thread, which is that the ability to continue in the harshest of conditions is not a physical ability, but a mental one. The mind will often carry you, when your body may be reluctant to.