Rookies Claire McCluskey and Nick Russell recently sailed across the Atlantic. The idea was hatched over a few pints in the pub. The only thing standing between them and the adventure was the fact that neither of them had huge experience of offshore sailing! But that wasn't enough to stand in their way. The duo took on courses and dedicated three years to prepare for their voyage. Here they tell us all about their epic adventure.

Claire McCluskey & Nick Russell: The Rookies Who Sailed the Atlantic

Rob Cummins was a difficult teenager. He smokes, drank and liked to cause trouble. By the time he hit his 20s, he was smoking up to 60 cigarettes a day. 

Life took a major turn when he bought a mountain bike and realised he quite enjoyed the pain of competing. And there really has been no stopping him ever since. Rob tells us all about his journey from his teenage years to competing at the Ironman World Championships at Kona and offers some valuable advice along the way.

Rob Cummins: From Smoking 60 a Day to Competing at Kona

When Brian Maher told his family he wanted to run the marathon they all burst out laughing. At the time, Brian struggled to run just 1km. However, determined to prove his family wrong, Brian put on his trainers and hit the pavement to train for his big day. A year later, Brian completed five marathons in 5 days. A year later he ran 126 miles non-stop. Fast forward ten years and Brian has shown no sign of slowing down. He recently completed a 10km swim across Dublin Bay.

So far, Brian has raised a whopping €70,000 for Speical Olympics. Here he tells us how he went from zero to hero and what drives him to take on these long endurance challenges.

From Zero to Hero: How Brian Maher Became an Accomplished Endurance Athlete

Mike O'Shea hails from Co Kerry and he is quite literally AS HARD AS NAILS. This man has climbed remote peaks and trekked across ice caps in temperates as low as -50 degrees. 

Here Mike tells us why he takes on these mammoth challenges and about some of the incredible incidents along the way. A really incredible insight into Polar Expeditions and adventure.

Mike O'Shea: From Hollywood Movies to Ice Caps

Hard As Nails is a weekly podcast produced by Outsider.ie. We interview some of the most hardcore people on the planet to find out what makes them tick and how the hell they keep on going as they take on epic challenges.

Hard As Nails

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