Audacious with Chion Wolf
Audacious with Chion Wolf
Audacious with Chion Wolf spotlights the stories of people whose experiences, professions, or conditions defy convention or are often misunderstood. Guided by deep curiosity and genuine compassion, the team behind Audacious creates space for the kinds of stories that rarely get told - and the kinds of questions we’re often afraid to ask. From those speaking publicly for the very first time to voi…Social links:
Follow the podcast:
No stage? No problem! Stand-up comedy in offices, ferries, prisons, and nursing homes
When you go to a comedy club, you know what you’re there for. But what happens when comedy shows up somewhere else? Meredith Dietz describes doing stand-up in a New York City office where employees were told not to laugh, and on a Staten Island Ferry where no one could escape the ride. Years af…
49:08
The minds, hearts (and stomachs) of competitive eaters
Some people savor every bite. Others eat 30 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Welcome to the world of competitive eating! Visit Lake Compounce for a Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest qualifier, where everyone is trying to prove they’re top dog. Then Crazy Legs Conti and Katina DeJarnett - aka Katina E…
49:08
Joe Stone, wheelchair rugby, and the full-contact art of resilience
Joe Stone grew up playing volleyball, skateboarding, and breakdancing. Then, in 2012, a car crash left him paralyzed. Doctors told him he would likely never move anything below his chest again. But five weeks after leaving the hospital, Joe found wheelchair rugby. This violent, fast, full-contact…
49:08
A baby’s hot car death, a mother’s grief, and the brain science behind these tragedies
Stephanie Salvilla so deeply loved - still loves - her baby boy, Gannon. In July 2009, after a week of disrupted routines and sleepless nights, her brain went on autopilot. She dropped off her older child, drove to work, and unknowingly left 5-month-old Gannon in the car. He died. In this deeply …
59:08
It all adds up: The joy of micro-philanthropy
When you hear “philanthropy,” you might think of millionaires, black-tie galas, or buildings named after donors. But what if you could be a philanthropist without being wealthy? In this episode, you’ll meet people who donate small amounts to hundreds of places, hand out cash on city streets, and s…
49:08
Innocent, convicted, exonerated: James Tillman, 20 years after getting free
James Tillman remembers the smell of steak and onions cooking at his mother’s house on the day police came for him. He thought he’d be back soon. Instead, he spent a total of 18½ years incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. In 2006, with the help of the Connecticut Innocence Project, DNA evi…
49:08
Astronaut artists: Painting, quilting, and playing Bowie aboard the ISS
The International Space Station was designed for science, research, and survival. But astronauts turned it into a music studio, an art studio, and a sewing room. Former ISS commander and musician, Chris Hadfield, astronaut-painter Nicole Stott, and astronaut-quilter Karen Nyberg take us inside th…
49:08
Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster: The hunt for wonder
What if the real mystery isn’t Bigfoot or Nessie, but the people who devote their lives to searching for them? Chion talks with Mike Wanders, who spent a year traveling through legendary Bigfoot country, and Steve Feltham, who has spent decades on the shore of Loch Ness. What keeps a person ret…
49:08
I saw it coming! When premonitions come true
For the past two years, at the end of interviews for Audacious, host Chion Wolf has been asking guests one question: have you ever had a dream or premonition that came true? Twenty-three guests describe vivid dreams, sudden urges, eerie intuitions, and moments of certainty that later proved accur…
49:08
The Great World Race and the Barkley Marathons: What extreme races reveal about us
Some people sign up for a 5K. Some people sign up for a race with a secret start time, no marked course, and books hidden in the woods. Or seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. We have questions. Meet Jared Campbell, the only person ever to finish the Barkley Marathons four times - …
49:08