Rowing the Pacific: The First Women's Team to Do It. Jessica Rowe & Miriam Payne

Rowing the Pacific: The First Women's Team to Do It. Jessica Rowe & Miriam Payne

165 days at sea. 8,000 miles of open Pacific. One nine-metre boat, and no way off. This week I'm joined by Jessica Rowe and Miriam Payne — the first women's team, the first pair, and the youngest team ever to row the Pacific Ocean non-stop and unsupported, from Peru to Australia. Along the way they raised over £120,000 to help young people find their own version of a challenge like this. We get into all of it: the snapped rudder 300 miles offshore that nearly ended the whole thing before it began, the broken watermaker held together by nine repairs and a fair bit of ingenuity, the weeks spent running as a "ghost ship" with the power down, and what it actually takes — mentally, physically and financially — to point yourself at the biggest ocean on the planet and row. But the record is the least interesting thing about these two. What stayed with me was their grit, their humour, and how honest they were about the highs, the lows, and the strange quiet that comes after you've done the biggest thing of your life. Whatever your own Everest looks like, this one will make you believe you can start. — Follow Jess: @wild_rowe Follow Mims: @mimsinthewild The team: @seastheday2022 https://www.seasthedayoceanrowing.com/ Support The Outward Bound Trust via their site. 📬 Get in Touch: https://www.instagram.com/adamclayton.apex/ https://www.instagram.com/apex.officialuk/  🔥 Podcast powered by: https://apexchallenges.com/

Paul Harris – Walking Two Laps of the UK & Learning Not to Quit

In Episode 10 of Rise To Your Everest, Adam sits down with adventurer, author, and former Marine Paul Harris, also known as The Warrior Walker. Paul’s story is one of relentless curiosity, mental resilience, and a refusal to quit. Best known for walking two full laps of the UK, Paul has spent years testing his physical and mental limits, not just in pursuit of adventure, but as a way of understanding himself and finding peace. In this raw and honest conversation, Paul opens up about the deeper battle behind the miles: mental health, the challenge of simply sticking around, and the role that purpose, discomfort, and the outdoors have played in keeping him moving forward. From lessons in resilience and teamwork during his early years, to what walking thousands of miles has taught him about the human mind, Paul shares why he believes we are all capable of far more than we think. This episode is a powerful reminder that resilience isn’t always loud, sometimes it’s simply choosing not to quit. 🧭 Topics Covered • Walking two laps of the UK • Mental health and staying in the fight • Adventure as therapy • Building resilience through discomfort • The “one more” mindset • Identity, courage and stepping into the arena • Finding peace through challenge 🌐 Connect with Paul Instagram: @thewarriorwalker Book: The Warrior Walker [https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-warrior-walker/paul-harris/9781785128691] 🎙 About Rise To Your Everest Rise To Your Everest explores resilience, mindset, and personal growth through honest conversations with people who push beyond comfort and keep climbing through life’s toughest challenges. 📬 Get in Touch: https://www.instagram.com/adamclayton.apex/ https://www.instagram.com/apex.officialuk/  🔥 Podcast powered by: https://apexchallenges.com/

Rhys George – Building With Purpose, Leading Through Adversity & Stepping Into The Arena

In Episode 9 of Rise To Your Everest, Adam sits down with Rhys George. Founder of Bearhug, entrepreneur, and long-standing supporter of the APEX community. For the past three years, Bearhug has supported APEX from the very beginning. But for Rhys, this partnership goes beyond business. Last year, he stepped onto the start line himself, experiencing first-hand the challenge, the community, and what it truly means to stand shoulder to shoulder with others in moments of adversity. Rhys shares his journey from leaving a secure career to build Bearhug, navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, and the lessons learned through both success and setbacks. He opens up about leadership, the responsibility of family, and how losing his father reshaped his perspective on life, purpose, and what really matters. This conversation explores the mindset required to build something meaningful, the importance of structure and performance, and why success isn’t fixed, it evolves with each season of life. If you’re building a business, leading a team, or striving to create something with purpose, this episode will challenge how you think about pressure, resilience, and what it truly means to step into the arena. 🧭 Topics Covered • Building Bearhug and taking the entrepreneurial leap • Leadership through adversity and personal loss • The power of stepping into challenge as a founder • Performance, structure and high standards • Family, responsibility and evolving identity • Redefining success across different seasons of life • The value of community and shared hardship 🌐 Connect with Rhys & Bearhug Website: https://www.getabearhug.com [https://www.getabearhug.com] Instagram: @bearhug_ceo | @getabearhug 🎙 About Rise To Your Everest Rise To Your Everest explores resilience, mindset, and personal growth through honest conversations with people who push beyond comfort and keep climbing through life’s toughest challenges. 📬 Get in Touch: https://www.instagram.com/adamclayton.apex/ https://www.instagram.com/apex.officialuk/  🔥 Podcast powered by: https://apexchallenges.com/

Nathan Chilton – Choosing Challenge Over Comfort

In Episode 8 of Rise To Your Everest, Adam sits down with chiropractor, father, and resilience advocate Nathan Chilton. Nathan’s journey has been defined by adversity and an unwavering mindset to keep moving forward. After multiple major surgeries, including an internal hemipelvectomy where over 75% of his pelvis was replaced with a bespoke titanium implant and the ongoing challenge of living with type 1 diabetes, Nathan has been forced to confront uncertainty, fear, and recovery in ways most people will never experience. Yet despite everything his body has endured, Nathan continues to choose challenge. He has stood on the APEX start line twice and is now preparing to take on a 75km endurance walk to raise funds for sarcoma research, even while navigating the reality of a tumour recurrence. In this powerful and reflective conversation, Nathan shares how faith, mindset, movement, and fatherhood have helped him find strength during life’s toughest moments. From learning to stay present when the future feels uncertain, to discovering that progress matters more than perfection, Nathan’s story is a reminder that resilience is built one step at a time. If you’ve ever faced adversity, questioned your strength, or needed a reminder that we are capable of far more than we believe, this episode will leave you inspired to keep climbing. 🧭 Topics Covered • Living with type 1 diabetes • Major surgery and recovery • Navigating uncertainty and recurrence • The role of mindset and faith in resilience • Fatherhood and leading by example • Endurance challenges and mental strength • The power of presence and daily progress 🌐 Connect with Nathan Instagram: @njchilton 🎙 About Rise To Your Everest Rise To Your Everest explores resilience, mindset, and personal growth through honest conversations with people who push beyond comfort and keep climbing through life’s toughest challenges. 📬 Get in Touch: https://www.instagram.com/adamclayton.apex/ https://www.instagram.com/apex.officialuk/  🔥 Podcast powered by: https://apexchallenges.com/

Andy Long - Turn Pressure into Performance

In Episode 7 of Rise To Your Everest, Adam sits down with Andy Long, former England rugby player, high-performance mindset coach, endurance athlete, and founder of Impact2. Andy’s journey has been shaped by elite sport, rejection, personal loss, and a relentless pursuit of growth. From representing England at just twenty years old to being dropped and rebuilding, Andy shares what pressure really teaches you, and how to turn it into performance instead of fear. This conversation dives into resilience, rejection, leadership, and the Red2Blue mental skills framework, a practical tool for staying composed and effective when the stakes are high. Andy also opens up about losing his father at a young age, his connection to the MND community, and how endurance challenges like Marathon des Sables have become an expression of purpose beyond performance. If you’re navigating pressure, chasing growth, or redefining success in your own life, this episode will challenge and inspire you. 🧭 Topics Covered • Dealing with rejection in elite sport  • Turning pressure into performance  • The Red2Blue mindset framework  • Leadership through adversity  • Grief, resilience and identity  • Endurance and purpose  • Redefining success 🔗 Connect with Andy Impact2: www.impact2.co.uk [http://www.impact2.co.uk] Instagram: @andy_long_impact2 🎙 About Rise To Your Everest Rise To Your Everest is a podcast exploring resilience, mindset, and growth through honest conversations with people who push beyond comfort and keep climbing when life gets tough. 📬 Get in Touch: https://www.instagram.com/adamclayton.apex/ https://www.instagram.com/apex.officialuk/  🔥 Podcast powered by: https://apexchallenges.com/