
TODAY's GUEST IS ...
Today’s guest is Damien Rider with a focus on Pushing Limits and Building Resilience!
Damien Rider is an adventurer, extreme endurance athlete, and world record holder whose feats defy logic and push the boundaries of human performance. Recognized as the Men’s Health Man of the Year and a two-time Australian of the Year nominee, Damien has built himself into one of the world’s fittest endurance athletes—not just for personal achievement, but to inspire and uplift others.
As a life coach and expert in neurophysiology, Damien helps people shift their mindset from problems to solutions, empowering them to build resilience and keep moving forward. His groundbreaking One Breath Meditation technique has helped countless individuals harness focus, calm the mind, and navigate life’s toughest challenges.
Beyond personal achievement, Damien has dedicated himself to humanitarian efforts, using his platform to advocate for men’s health, mental well-being, and positive transformation. His journey has been captured in documentaries aired on National Geographic, and he has taken the stage at TEDx talks across the Asia Pacific and the U.S., sharing his insights on mental strength and perseverance.
Whether he’s tackling grueling endurance challenges, guiding others to unlock their full potential, or speaking on global stages, Damien’s message is clear:
BREATHE. ACCEPT. ADAPT. KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
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GUEST SOCIAL LINKS
LINKS
- Read the transcript of our chat here: Damien Rider interview-transcript
- Damien has completed some of the most amazing challenges of all time here – find out more here!
- You can read Damien’s fantastic analytical and inspirational blog posts here.
- Book a 20-minute life coaching call here.
- Learn the power of One-Breath meditation here.
- Purchase the documentries on Damien’s legendary challenges here.
- Damien is a featured Gladiator on the Australian version here.
Listen Here
Watch Here
KEY POINTS, Links & Actions
Key Areas Covered in This Episode with Damien Rider:
🔥 Turning Pain into Power – How Damien transformed childhood trauma into relentless mental and physical resilience.
🌊 Extreme Endurance Challenges – From paddling 800km solo to pulling a 3.8-ton truck, Damien shares why pushing limits is essential for growth.
🧠 Building an Unbreakable Mindset – How to stay focused and keep moving forward when everything in you wants to quit.
🎯 The Power of ‘Memento Mori’ Thinking – Why remembering that life is short helps you cut excuses and start chasing what truly matters.
🚀 How to Stay Motivated – The small mental tricks and rewards Damien uses to push through pain and exhaustion.
⚖️ Finding Balance Between Strength & Recovery – Why resilience isn’t just about pushing hard—it’s also about knowing when to reset and adapt.
💡 Lessons from Near-Death Experiences – How surviving hardship changes your perspective on life and helps you prioritize what really matters.
🔄 Toughness is Transferable – Whether it’s sport, business, or personal struggles, learning to endure difficulty in one area makes you stronger in all of them.
🏆 Why Regret is Worse than Failure – How taking action—even if you fail—is always better than looking back and wishing you had tried.
“Most people let pain define them—I use it as fuel. When life knocks you down, you have two choices: stay down or push forward. The only way out is through. Every challenge, every moment of struggle, is a chance to prove to yourself that you’re stronger than you think.” – Damien Rider
Here are some great tips to focus on!
Here are some key points that I would advise you to concentrate on:
Damien Rider – Pushing the Limits, Overcoming Trauma & Finding Purpose
Damien Rider is an extreme endurance athlete, world record holder, adventurer, and mindset coach. But more than that, he’s a man who has taken life’s darkest moments and transformed them into fuel for his relentless pursuit of physical and mental mastery. From childhood trauma to pulling a 3.8-ton truck for 12km, climbing a hot air balloon, and paddling 800km alone in the ocean—his story is about resilience, grit, and proving that limits are self-imposed.
Some of Damien’s amazing accomplishments include:
- Pulled a 2.8 tonne pick-up truck 8 miles solo in 3 hours 30 minutes
- Paddled 480km over 9 days on a Stand Up Paddleboard in Maldives
- Climbed out of a Hot Air Balloon basket, to the top by rope ladder, with no parachute at 10,000 feet, 30% less oxygen, -1 degree temp, 40 kph wind movement
- Skydive off the Top of a Hot Air Balloon 7500 feet above the ground
- Paddling 500 miles for 17 days in shark-infested waters along the Australian Coast
- Skateboarding for 56 days along the entire Route 66 through the scorching Mojave Desert
- Pushing a 3 tonne truck down the Gold Coast highway
- Running a marathon with a mattress on his shoulder with the words “Never lay down, Never give up”, all for his cause
Key Takeaways from the Interview:
🔥 No one else has done it? That means it’s possible. Damien doesn’t wait for permission or a roadmap. He sees an idea, decides in seconds that he will do it, and immediately begins training. “I don’t wait for Monday or Sunday. I just start training right there and then, no doubt whatsoever.”
💡 Trauma into Triumph. Damien endured a horrific childhood, sleeping under jetties and in rock caves to escape abuse. Instead of letting it define him, he turned his suffering into the ultimate test of resilience. “Whatever I face in the ocean, it’s never going to be as hard as what I faced as a kid.”
🌊 Healing Through Extreme Endurance. His 800km solo paddle wasn’t just a physical feat—it was a way to process and release years of pain. “I could feel everywhere I was struck as a kid. But instead of holding onto it, I let it go with every stroke.”
🛑 You don’t stop. You keep going. Damien doesn’t allow negative self-talk or fear to take hold. When doubt creeps in, he acknowledges it and moves forward anyway. “My nervous system kicked in and my leg started shaking uncontrollably while climbing the balloon. I just said, ‘Hey, we can’t go back. We keep going forward.’ And it stopped.”
🚀 The ‘Flow State’ of Life. He enters a deep state of calm in his challenges—whether holding his breath for extreme freediving or climbing a balloon at 10,000ft. “Most people live in tunnel vision. They see their problems as huge because they’ve never opened their perspective. But if you zoom out, that problem becomes just a speck.”
🔄 Mental Reframing = Mental Freedom. Instead of seeing hardship as suffering, Damien sees it as training for life. “We struggle, we learn, we succeed. That’s normal. The problem isn’t struggle—the problem is we’ve been taught that struggling means something is wrong with us.”
🔥 You’re not preparing to fail. You’re preparing to succeed. Before his hot air balloon climb, people told him to wear a parachute in case he fell. His response? “Why would I prepare for failure? I don’t plan on falling. I plan on reaching the top.”
💪 Every challenge levels you up. Damien recently pulled a 3.8-ton truck, expecting it to push him to his limits. Instead, he finished and recovered in minutes. “I thought, ‘Where’s my threshold?’ That’s when I realized, I’ve trained my mind and body to a whole new level.”
🌍 Test Yourself, Find Yourself. Whether it’s running a marathon with a mattress on his back or paddling through shark-infested waters, Damien believes challenge is essential for growth. “Most people live at 5-10% of their potential. They’re trapped by self-doubt and opinions that aren’t even their own.”
🛠️ Practical Advice from Damien:
- Find your purpose by reflecting on what naturally fulfills you.
- Challenge yourself daily, even in small ways, to build resilience.
- Breathe properly—most people unconsciously practice panicked breathing.
- Detach from negative self-talk. Observe thoughts, but don’t engage in them.
- Push past the first wave of discomfort. That’s where the real growth begins.
🚀 Final Thought:
“You don’t need to climb a hot air balloon or paddle across the ocean. But you do need to step outside your comfort zone. Every time you do, you unlock a new level of yourself. That’s how you become unstoppable.”

@damien.rider Pain’s your ticket to unstoppable. Breathe it in, push through—stronger’s waiting. What pain are YOU turning into power? #MentalToughness #AthleteMindset #NoExcuses #PainToPower #GrowthJourney #PeakPerformance #ResilienceRising #MindOverMatter #ViralStrength ♬ ACDC style hard rock(1021726) – Canal Records JP
@damien.rider Why would you do it? #skydive #hotairballoon #damienrider #athelte #lifecoach #extreme #letsgo ♬ Exercise – Vin Music

🔥 Rider Resilience Challenges 🔥
1️⃣ The ‘No Excuses’ Challenge – Damien doesn’t wait for the “perfect time”—he just starts. Pick one thing you’ve been delaying and commit to taking the first step right now, no excuses.
2️⃣ The ‘Push Through’ Challenge – When you feel like quitting (whether it’s a workout, a task, or a goal), push for just 5 more minutes. Get used to going further than you think you can.
3️⃣ The ‘Memento Mori’ Reflection – Take 5 minutes today to ask yourself: If I knew I only had two years left to live, what would I absolutely want to experience? Then start making it happen.
4️⃣ The ‘Cold Exposure Reset’ – Take a 30-second cold shower or wash your face with freezing water in the morning. Learn to control your breathing and embrace discomfort rather than avoid it.
5️⃣ The ‘One Pain, One Gain’ Challenge – The next time something feels painful or hard, reframe it: “This means I’m getting stronger.” Use discomfort as proof of growth instead of a reason to stop.
6️⃣ The ‘Carrot & Stick’ Motivation Hack – Choose a goal and set up two motivators: a reward (a small treat when you succeed) and a consequence (something unpleasant if you don’t follow through).
7️⃣ The ‘Flow State’ Activity – Pick an activity (running, lifting, swimming, deep work) and focus only on the process—not the pain, not the goal—just the movement itself. See how much further you can go.
8️⃣ The ‘Do Something Difficult’ Challenge – Choose something you’re afraid of or unsure about—a tough workout, a challenging conversation, a new skill—and do it anyway.
9️⃣ The ‘Controlled Breathing Test’ – When stressed or in pain, practice box breathing (inhale 4s, hold 4s, exhale 4s, hold 4s). Learn to control your nervous system under pressure.
🔟 The ‘Regret-Proof Your Life’ Challenge – Think of one thing you’d regret never trying. This week, take one action toward it—no matter how small. Regret is worse than failure.

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Take the Leap – Trust Yourself & Do the Hard Thing Anyway
Most people live at just 5-10% of their potential, trapped by self-doubt, fear, and opinions that aren’t even their own. Damien shows us that true growth happens when you step into the unknown, commit fully, and trust yourself—even when no one else believes you can do it.
🔥 Your challenge: Pick something you’ve been hesitating on—a fitness goal, a tough conversation, a skill you’ve been avoiding—and commit to it right now. Not next week. Not when you feel “ready.” Start today. Shift your mindset from “Can I do this?” to “I will figure it out.”
“I don’t wait until Monday or Sunday. I just start. No doubt whatsoever.” – Damien Rider
And to really get you fired up, see Damien’s fantastic TedX talk below, and get ready to level up your life!
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