Movie:

The man who wanted to see it all

Where: Netflix

About: On August 22, 1962, Heinz Stücke left Hövelhoff in Germany with his bicycle and a tent. Driven by an insatiable desire for adventure, he navigates diverse cultures and landscapes, forming connections with locals and confronting personal challenges along the way. Now, he returns home for the first time after more than 50 years of nomadic life without ever established in any one place. The film is a trip through his memories, and an introduction to the people he met during his lifetime, who have become his global family.

Why: The film beautifully captures the essence of adventurous trips, emphasizing the richness of diverse cultures and the connections we make along the way. It’s not just about the destinations; it delves into the personal growth and transformative experiences that come from stepping outside your comfort zone. It’s a reminder that sometimes the journey matters more than the destination!

Book:

The Art Of Risk

About: Dr. Richard Harris, an anesthesiologist and cave diver who played a crucial role in the Tham Luang cave rescue in northern Thailand, takes us into the lives of other ‘risk-takers’ to find out why they do what they do. Through five chapters, named Metal, Earth, Water, Air and Fire. All of these people are associated with a high level of risk involved in their professional, or recreational life, such as the free solo climber Alex Honnold.

The author frequently shares stories about his own passion for cave diving and how difficult it is for others to fully grasp: ‘Now and then, when learning about my sport and what it entails, people tell me I must be crazy. It turns out there are many people – who are otherwise perfectly polite – who aren’t shy of making this assessment. To the best of my knowledge, none of them were practising psychiatrists, but that doesn’t stop them from editorialising about my mental health.’

In this book he tests his scientific hypothesis that people who take seemingly huge risks are just like him:  not reckless adrenaline junkies, but careful, measured risk takers.

Why: This book brings valuable insights in the minds of the world’s leading risk-takers like big-wave surfers, free solo climbers, base-jumpers and many more. Like free solo climber Alex, who draws a distinction between risk and danger. ‘He thinks of risk as having two components – the likelihood of a dangerous event occurring and consequences of that event. For example, it’s highly unlikely that your commercial aeroplane will crash, but if it does, the consequences will be devastating. Because the risk-to-consequence ratio is extremely low, people continue to jet all over the world. According to Alex, a lot of his free-solo climbing isn’t particularly risky, because he knows, based on his record of previous successful climbs, that he has an incredibly low likelihood of falling.’

If you want to know more about how these people perform near-superhuman physical feats, mitigate risks and step out of their comfort zone into their ‘stretch zone’, then this is a must-read!

Podcast:

The Flying Doctor #77

Where: Spotify

About: Dr. Katrina Starmer tells the story of how she was inspired to become a Flying Doctor with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) in Queensland, Australia. Her journey began as a teenager during a personal medical emergency, when she first encountered the RFDS. This experience motivated her to pursue a career as a flying doctor herself. Besides talking about her day-to-day work, she also mentions Survive25, a program designed to help teenagers make informed choices and avoid situations that could lead them to require the Flying Doctors’ assistance.

Why: The work at RFDS captures the imagination, yet it can be unclear what it fully involves. Listening to a doctor recount her journey into this field provides valuable insight. It is inspiring to hear how passionate she is about the RFDS and how she found her ‘Ikigai’.

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