Rapid Ascent

Ep.5: A nasty fall and a broken femur... the Doctor said he'd never race a MTB again

Paul van der Ploeg has cemented himself as a force to be reckoned with in mountain biking over the past several years. Not only on the Australian mountain bike circuit, but also in Europe and around the world.

The monster from Mount Beauty embraced the modern Eliminator XC format early in his career and picked up a World Cup Eliminator win in England 2011.

In 2013 he WON the World XC Eliminator title in South Africa.

Paul has since competed in the Enduro World Series (EWS) and a swag of other major MTB events on and off the road.

And he was planning a massive 2019 season until a nasty accident in February at Rotura in New Zealand left him with a broken femur. The Doctor said he'd never race a MTB again.

Find out what Paul's response was to that in Episode 5 of the Rapid Ascent podcast...

Ep.4: 535 consecutive half marathons for a mate you've never met...

He's a father of four and runs a local gym in Geelong with his wife. But he's also a Guinness World Record holder and just completed 535 consecutive half marathons in June 2019. 

In Episode 4 of the Rapid Ascent podcast we interview running machine and 2019 Surf Coast Century participant, Matt Daniels.  

He's incredibly humble despite his achievements. And he's raised almost $100,000 for charity doing some crazy running adventures. 

Now find out why he just completed 535 consecutive half marathons for a mate he's never met. We talk at length about the Surf Coast Century too.  Here’s Episode 4 of the Rapid Ascent podcast with Matt Daniels.  And your host, Ben Hucker.

P.S. We're looking for lots of volunteers for this year's Surf Coast Century. If you'd like to help us out on the day then let us know by REGISTERING your details.

Ep.3: Is this man one of Australia's greatest endurance athletes?

In Episode 3 of the Rapid Ascent podcast we interview the founder of Rapid Ascent—the man himself, John Jacoby. At just 19 John became a World Marathon Kayak Champion. He went on to win 3 more World Kayak titles along with 3 Multisport World Championships.

He was the given the keys to the city of Melbourne at the tender age of 22 in recognition of these achievements. His crowning glory was perhaps winning the prestigious ‘Adventurer of the Year’ Award in 2015.

But he talks of his adventures with his mates as his most satisfying achievements. And he even managed to scale Makalu in the Himalayas at 28,000 feet recently with a couple of old mates from Colorado.

He’s as tough as they come....seriously tough. And he’s also my boss! He surfs, he paddles, he goes mountain biking, he’s goes mountaineering.

I could go on and on with a full list of John’s achievements. But I think it’s better to jump right into the episode and hear it from the man himself.

Here’s Episode 3 of the Rapid Ascent podcast with the founder of Rapid Ascent, John Jacoby. And your host, Ben Hucker.

Ep.2: Juggling work as a senior barrister, mum of 4 and a life of endurance

Sharn Coombes was a Crown Prosecutor in Victoria for three years. She is now a member of the Victorian Bar and manages a busy schedule bringing justice to some of Victoria's worst criminals. She's also a devoted wife, Mum of four kids, an endurance athlete and Runner-Up Australian Survivor 2018. Find out what her secret is...

Ep.1: Man dies on the beach then goes for a run in the desert

Sean Purcell is lucky to be alive. In 2014 he went for your typical Sunday morning jog with his dog. His wife and 4 kids expected him home not long after. Well, he never came back. Find out what happened next and the transformation that ensued...