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Most Fridays I dedicate to Q and A, but not this Friday. I was recently in Tampa for the premiere of Legacy Productions 1st documentary "Dropzone Everest," which follows Mike and a small group of civilian skydivers as they train for, then execute an expedition to skydive into the basecamp and surrounding areas of Mount Everest. Since we were both together, and we leave for the 777 Expedition in two weeks, a podcast was of course in order. We will do our best to send "dispatches" from the road, but until then, this episode should serve as an update on what we have accomplished so far, and what we hope to complete on the expedition. Enjoy

Lt. Col. Slade has held command positions in the Army and the Air Force and received the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, and fourteen combat air medals. He attended Utah State, where he earned a BA and was commissioned as an Army Aviation second lieutenant. He's also earned an MA in aviation instruction. Brian currently serves as a lieutenant colonel for Air Force Combat Search and Rescue. He is the author of "Cleared Hot," Lessons Learned about Life, Love, and Leadership While Flying the Apache Gunship in Afghanistan, which is now available.

Rapid Fire Q and A from the tropical paradise of Costa Rice with Henry Akins Jiu Jitsu black belt Dan Hart. 1. Misconceptions about having a black belt 2. Why does BJJ cost so much 3. Advice for someone just starting 4. I have a wrestling background, should I shelve my experience or build my game around it 5. Competitions...Necessary, required, avoid at older ages.... Enjoy

As a young immigrant to the US, Akshay overcame drug addiction, PTSD from fighting in Iraq with the Marines, depression and alcoholism that pushed him to the brink of suicide. By falling in love with his demons, he has since: - Run 167 miles across post-war Liberia to build a school. - Despite 4 biological defects including a blood disorder that 2 doctors said would kill him in boot camp, he is now a sponsored athlete and have run many ultra marathons, including an 80 mile run around a 0.2 mile loop and a 50 miler around a cul-de-sac during the quarantine. - Spent 7 days in darkness, isolation and silence where he experienced DMT-induced, psychedelic hallucinations. - Based on his life experience and years of research in neuroscience, psychology and spirituality, written the book Fearvana, about which the Dalai Lama said "Fearvana inspires us to look beyond our own agonizing experiences and find the positive side of our lives." All the profits from the book are being donated to charity. - Explored the most hostile environments on the planet, from mountains to underwater caves to polar icecaps - where he spent one month dragging a 190 pound sled 350 miles in temperatures as low as -40 degrees. - Volunteered in leper colonies, worked with victims of sex trafficking, taught Fearvana to former child soldiers, done humanitarian work in post-conflict zones and worked with those in extreme poverty.

Rapid Fire Q and A to finish off the week: 1. Do lightbulbs suck darkness or give off light 2. Finding your purpose and direction regardless of the opinions of those around you 3. Family drama - Is it best to intervene, or be more like Switzerland Enjoy

Mark Smiley is a professional photographer, filmmaker, speaker, & IFMGA Certified Mountain Guide. He leads private expeditions to Alaska, Lower 48, Europe and South America. His interest in outdoor recreation continually evolves. At the age of twelve, he enjoyed rappelling out of maple trees in the front yard, to now putting up first ascents on technical 20,000'+ glaciated peaks. He has learned that the best way to keep the memories of a great day in the mountains is to haul around a five-pound DSLR camera, which he does almost every day. He enjoys taking his clients to their physical limits in the mountains and then returning them safely. He also enjoys working with companies to create captivating digital media. Mark is also the founder of Mountain Sense, an online comprehensive guide to avalanche education.

Rapid Fire Q and A to finish off the week: 1. If Donald Trump is not elected are we looking at "another insurrection" 2. Where the hell did the Cleared Hot Black Rifle Coffee go? Where can I find it 3. Am I out of line for keeping my sister in law at arms length 4. Thanksgiving - what I am the most thankful for Enjoy

Nelson Grant is a Sheriff's Deputy and Search and Rescue Team member in the Flathead Valley. In addition to his current duties, he has previous experience on the SWAT Team and Narcotics Task Force. For the past two years we have set out to hunt elk in the mountains of Montana with our close friends. Each year has presented us with significant challenges, and the opportunity to learn from our experiences moving forward. Join us as we review our hunting season, and listen to Michael explain why he should move to Maine, having never been there and knowing nothing about it. When not on duty Nelson enjoys partaking in just about every activity that Northwestern Montana has to offer. Bowhunting, rifle hunting, river raft guiding, dual-sport motorcycle guiding, backcountry split boarding and skiing, touring, trekking, downhill mountain bike riding, jiu-jitsu, and probably even more that I am forgetting.

Rapid Fire Q and A to finish off the week: 1. My brother-in-law wants to become a SEAL but has never followed through on any of his other "life aspirations," what can information can I give him to aid in his decision 2. BJJ and strokes...have you heard of this happening 3. I work in Search and Rescue and I feel like I have lost the sense of value for human life, what can I do to get it back Enjoy

Jennifer earned her PhD from University of Toronto in Comparative Literature and is the Founder of The Bullied Brain. Her third book Teaching Bullies takes lived experience with an abuse crisis and puts it into the context of psychology, psychiatry, education, law, and neuroscience. What's being discovered in neuroscientific labs across the world has the power to change how we understand our brains and lives. This empowering research infuses her latest book The Bullied Brain: Heal Your Scars and Restore Your Health. Neuroscientist Dr. Michael Merzenich says it is "scientifically the most thorough treatment of the subject on planet earth."