Caro Ryan talks about the idea behind her new podcast Rescued.
"In 2007, there was a Google Group, edited by Lucas Trihey, that formed the Australian Accident Register. It had reports of incidents that occurred in bushwalking, climbing, abseiling, canyoning, caving and BASE jumping. It took countless hours of work in research and writing and unfortunately wasn’t sustainable as a voluntary service.
While there is now a climbing accident register and one for guided/outdoor education (the UPLOADS project) I have long wanted to draw on the power of personal storytelling and my love of interviews to harness and share powerful learning opportunities.
This is how RESCUED: An outdoor podcast for hikers and adventurers was born. Rescued is a podcast of conversations with rescuers and those who’ve been rescued. It’s about the lessons we learn about ourselves, the places we go and why - without judgement or shame - to help us have better adventures, manage risk and deal with the unexpected. We will also hear from experts in the industry from areas of psychology, risk management, training and equipment.
With a nod to the American rockclimbing podcast, The Sharp End and my 22 years interviewing people as a producer, I launched RESCUED at Easter this year, with former Police Rescue operator Matt U’Brien and his incredible story of 17 years as a rescuer and the day when he found himself being the one needing rescue.
Matt’s candidness with moments of humour and his open vulnerability brought a new understanding for all of us who spend time in wild places of the importance of being prepared = knowing that sometimes it only takes an awkward, simple slip off a rock, to find yourself in a helicopter.
In the 2nd episode, Matt takes us on a rescue deep inside Empress Canyon in the Blue Mountains, where after a snap of heavy storms, he was faced with one of his biggest challenges ever. This background paved the way for him sharing about his current journey of working through his own PTSD, while advocating for emergency services first responders through the Heart 2 Heart Walk Foundation and Podcast.
Unsure of how the format and raw vulnerability would land with Aussie audiences, I was blown away to find it has become the #1 outdoors/wilderness podcast in Australia. The strength of the podcast comes down to the stories of people, just like you and me, who love the bush and spending time connecting with it.
Accidents or incidents can happen to any of us, regardless of how experienced we are, and the valuable lessons they teach us about ourselves have the ability to help others, but only if we share them."
Need to know
If you have a story of the time something went wrong in the bush, I’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch at rescued@lotsafreshair.com
The podcast is available on all major platforms or for more info click here.