Today we are talking to Rob Lea and we think you’ll find this one pretty inspirational. In 2019, Rob completed what he has dubbed the Ultimate World Triathlon. In the span of 6 months, he summited Mount Everest, swam the English Channel, and rode his bike across America. This is a man that isn’t afraid to take on hard challenges, in fact, he thrives on them.

Rob also had his eyes on the greater good as he summited Mount Everest with his now wife, Caroline Gleich (did I fail to mention he married his dream girl in the midst of all this?). Rob & Caroline used their climb as an opportunity to raise awareness for women’s equality, drawing attention to the implicit biases that exist toward women.

We explore all of this and more on today’s episode with Rob. So settle in to whatever it is you’re doing and enjoy.

In This Episode We Discuss:

What inspired the Ultimate World Triathlon

The difference between suffering while climbing Everest, swimming the English Channel and biking across America

How Rob prepared his body for each leg of the journey (like gaining 30 pounds in 30 days before the swim)

How to develop coping mechanisms to get through hard moments

What motivated the “tri for equality” aspect

Challenges for female athletes he’s witnessed first-hand as the partner of a pro athlete

What someone can do to understand their implicit bias

What he misses when he doesn’t have a “next” adventure planned.

Thought Experiment:

Rob’s motivation to take on these monumental challenges is simple, but so inspiring. To paraphrase, it gives him something to look forward to. Finding a reason to want to better yourself everyday is not easy. But if you can find a challenge you look forward to (one that causes you to train, study or prepare incessantly) you’ll be forced to become an improved version of yourself. We live for the feeling that comes along when you finally put all your training and preparation to the test - there’s nothing better.

Today’s thought experiment may sound simple but might be challenging to answer. What are you looking forward to? It’s perfectly fine to look forward to your beach vacation - we work hard to save the money to afford to do such things - but, beyond that, I’m asking about something you can achieve. Something that is simultaneously a challenge but also seems achievable with application. It can be as simple as making time to read a book or as daunting as climbing Mount Everest. What are you looking forward to and what will it take to make it reality? Until next time.

Resources:

Follow Rob’s adventures on Instagram!

Interrupt your implicit bias with this worksheet!

Learn about the Big Mountain Dreams Foundation!

Get yourself some real estate in Park City from Rob!