Colin O'Brady

Who is Colin O'Brady?

Colin O'Brady is a professional endurance athlete, motivational speaker and adventurer. His new book "The Impossible First" documents his adventure as the first person in the world to travel across Antarctica unassisted. https://amzn.to/2u9mXtG

Topics and Timestamps

• 01Colin O'Brady became the first person to traverse Antarctica unassisted and unsupported, completing a 921-mile journey across the continent
• 02He discusses the mental and physical preparation required to attempt one of the most extreme endurance challenges on Earth
• 03O'Brady explains how he overcame a severe burn injury earlier in his life that nearly ended his athletic career
• 04The conversation covers the importance of having a clear vision and purpose when attempting seemingly impossible goals
• 05He details the actual experience of crossing Antarctica, including the challenges of extreme cold, isolation, and pushing through pain
• 06O'Brady talks about his motivational speaking career and how his adventures inspire people to overcome their own obstacles
• ▶Colin explains what it means to complete an unassisted, unsupported Antarctica crossing0:02:30
• ▶Discussion of his severe burn injury and comeback from career-ending trauma0:15:45
• ▶Deep dive into the mental preparation required for extreme endurance events0:28:20
• ▶Colin describes the daily reality and psychological challenges of the Antarctica expedition0:42:15
• ▶The moment of completion and what it feels like to accomplish the impossible0:58:00

The Show

Colin O'Brady sits down with Joe to talk about his insane Antarctica crossing and what it takes mentally and physically to do something that's never been done before. The guy didn't just go for a walk in Antarctica though, he did it completely unassisted and unsupported, meaning no resupply drops, no guides, no safety net. Just Colin, his sled, and the most hostile environment on the planet for 921 miles.

What's wild is that O'Brady isn't some genetic freak who was born to do this. Earlier in his life he suffered a severe burn injury that could have ended everything. But instead of letting that define him, he used it as fuel. Joe and Colin get into the mental game of preparing for something like this, and it becomes clear pretty fast that the physical preparation is almost secondary to what's happening in your head. You can train your body, but if your mind isn't right, you're not making it across Antarctica.

The conversation touches on O'Brady's journey to even attempting this, the moment he decided this was something he needed to do, and the day-to-day reality of being out there. Colin explains what it feels like to be alone in that environment, dealing with extreme cold, fatigue that you can't even properly describe, and the mental battle of pushing through when everything in your body is screaming at you to stop. He's not just talking about physical pain either, there's real psychological stuff happening when you're isolated like that.

Joe asks him about the moment he finished, what it felt like to accomplish something that literally no one else had ever done before. There's something uniquely human about being the first at something, and O'Brady captures that. He also talks about his book 'The Impossible First' and how documenting this experience and sharing it with people has become almost as important as the climb itself. The motivational speaking aspect of what he does comes from a genuine place because he's actually lived through the impossible.

Best Quotes

Mentioned in This Episode

Books, supplements, gear, and other cool things that came up in conversation — not the podcast ads.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.