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Arctic Cowboy Mark Agnew on Healing, Hiking & Making Adventure Accessible
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In this recap episode, we meet Mark Agnew—Arctic rower, endurance adventurer, and advocate for mental health through nature. Mark takes us behind the oars of his record-breaking journey through the Northwest Passage, sharing what brought him there, what nearly broke him, and what continues to carry him forward.
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As we reach the close of our conversation, Mark offers a powerful pay-it-forward: the Wilderness Foundation UK. It's a charity that creates structured, thoughtful access to the outdoors for people who’ve never had the chance—often with life-changing impact. Mark’s own recovery from deep personal struggle was shaped by nature, and this foundation echoes that belief: that green spaces can bring us back to ourselves.
Then comes the call to adventure—and it's a beautifully down-to-earth one. Whether it's the Pentlands, the Peak District, or the North Downs, Mark urges us to just begin. No perfect gear. No epic itinerary. Just go. A short walk. A few hours. A moment to reconnect. Because adventure doesn’t start with a summit—it starts with a step.
We also talk gear myths, London escapes, and the quiet resilience of starting small. And Mark leaves us with a teaser for his upcoming book There Will Be Headwinds—a blend of polar grit and inner reckoning, due out June 2025.
Links & Mentions:
- Wilderness Foundation UK: wildernessfoundation.org.uk
- Mark’s website: adventureagnew.com
- Instagram & Twitter: @adventureagnew
- Book: There Will Be Headwinds (Icon Books, June 2025)
Whether you're planning an Arctic expedition or a Sunday walk in your local hills, this one’s a reminder that the wild—near or far—has room for us all.
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The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering