Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER!
“Exploring is an innate part of being human.” Richard Wiese, spends 30 minutes every week with some of the world’s most compelling adventurers, explorers, and socio-environmental advocates, listening to their distinct adventures, unique discoveries, projects & goals, while discovering their multitude of challenges, surprises, triumphs and set-backs they encounter along the way. Join Richard as he pulls back the curtain on what it’s like to travel around the world and beyond; explore some of the most exotic and often dangerous places; and uncover what makes people, places and our planet so special.
Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER!
Trevor Wallace: From Fear to Curiosity—How One Trip Changed Everything
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In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, Richard Wiese sits down with filmmaker and explorer Trevor Wallace to explore the experiences that shaped his life—from being raised by a resilient single mother to navigating danger, discovery, and deep cultural immersion across the globe.
Trevor recounts a pivotal teenage journey to Tanzania through a Jane Goodall program, including a violent robbery that tested his courage and perspective. He reflects on how Goodall’s compassion in the aftermath became a defining model of leadership. The conversation expands into Trevor’s later expeditions, from living with Buddhist monks in Thailand to uncovering ancient Scythian artifacts in Siberia, highlighting that true exploration is about patience, humility, and learning.
The episode closes with a candid look at the personal costs of exploration—injury, separation, and uncertainty—balanced by the strength of global community and shared purpose. Trevor offers grounded advice to young explorers: pursue curiosity relentlessly, accept rejection as part of the path, and never wait for permission to begin.
This is Life's Tough, Explorers Are Tougher, with your host, Richard Weiss. Scratch the surface of an explorer and you'll find an adventure and a great story. This show is about their tales.
This podcast is a proud supporter of the Explorers Club and the EC50 Initiative. 50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about. For more information, go to explorers.org.