In this podcast, we look back at the past 99 episodes of the GPS Training podcast.

The first ever GPS Training Podcast went out on Sept 15^th 2017 – 7 years ago

I had been on holiday that summer and first learnt about Podcasts and had got slightly ‘hooked’ on them, or one particular – Big Ideas for Small Business, which incidentally I was interviewed for 2 years later.

I loved the format of the podcast, long-form, which you invested in.

I remember the first ever day I pitched the idea at one of our staff meetings I was met by some interesting ‘blank stares.

Here it is –

In the first-ever GPS Training Podcast the lead piece was on the ‘all-new’ Sat Map Active 20 – 2 months on.

Quite ironic as SatMap went out of business in 2022, 5 years later

The Podcast has really gone through x 3 eras/ formats

Podcast 1 (2017) – 19 (2019) – with Andy and other guests

Streamed live on Facebook

Podcast 19 – 59 (Sept 2021) with Ian and other guests

Then Andy came back from then on to the present day

Podcast 60 to current day

Monthly except for

Podcast 33 (March 2020) onwards – Covid, we went to fortnightly podcasts

Recorded these at 7.45 in the morning then I could answer any calls in the office, as all the other staff were furloughed

It hopefully kept you all sane, I know it certainly did that with us – kept us sane – very hard time personally, working on my own and being upbeat on a podcast not knowing what was around the corner on the business front

As things started to get a little more ‘normal’ we had our 50^th Podcast (March 2021) we had the whole team from GPS Training at the time on the podcast and we answered random questions, picked out of a hat.

Questions that are in the hat

1. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would that be and why?
   
2. If you were going off today on a 15 mile walk what GPS unit would you take with you?
   
3. If you could make one thing change in this business overnight (no budget), what would it be?
   
4. AA batteries or built-in battery in a GPS unit?
   
5. Favorite workday of the week and why?
   
6. Favorite course location?
   
7. Favorite walk?
   
8. What one sneaky thing do you keep in your rucksack?
   

I know a number of you that I have spoken to over the years have gone all the way back to number 1 and listened to them all.

I am massively impressed, well done to you guys and girls!

Some of my – Highpoints –

I was first introduced to the Spine Race by Paul Freeman –

Podcast 31, back in 2020 – Spoke to Paul Freeman before he undertook the Spine Challenger south – I knew nothing about this race before I interviewing him

Quite ironic now as the Spine Race became such a large part of both mine and Andy’s life over the past number of years.

I remember doing a bit research before that interview and learning about the spine Race for the first time, all the different race options.

After I interviewed Paul again, after he had finished the race, I remember thinking to myself, I would love to do that one day and x 3 years later I finished the 108 mile spine challenger south, the race Paul had done.

Then the following year, this year, the 160 mile Spine Challenger North.

I am often humbled, when speaking to these people, how often the person I am speaking to really opens up and often you can see tears running down their faces as they share their thoughts and emotions with you.

Speaking about people who have done truly epic challenges my mind cannot get past – Duncan Hutchinson

On the 15^th GPS Training podcast I interviewed Duncan, who had built his own rowing boat and then rowed across the Atlantic.

I had interviewed him again, but speaking to him in October 2018 after he had got so near to completing this adventure.

If you have not listened to this, he explains his dramatic rescue just off the coast of Ireland (699 miles away), the 100^th day of his cross Atlantic crossing.

Duncan had borrowed a Garmin inReach messenger from us for his journey.

Duncan was a tough Scottish guy, who worked offshore, and during the interview he talked with no emotions, a true “Scottish mail’, but as I took him through the rescue it really just brought everything into reality, but for myself and also for him.

It is the most dramatic story I have personally heard as he explained his rescue, looking at the propellors as he had a rope attached to the super tanker – before the ropes broke.

His life kept going into slow motion as he looked at the propellor, he was thrown out of his boat and then on a massive wave lifted him up and he could grab onto the ladder.

At the end of that interview, whilst I was no longer recording, he stated reciting this rescue was the hardest thing he had ever done.

Some other of my personal favourites was – Podcast 67 (66) – Tommy Wilkinson – Feb 2022 (recorded this on my last day in work before Christmas)

Tommy was a downhill mountain biker

Spent two seasons on the World Cup circuit

After an accident in 2013 he had an accident, in which he fractured his skull, damaged his spinal cord, discs and permanently paralysed his right arm.

Tommy was a local person ‘I knew’ but getting the chance to speak with him was a true highlight of the podcast, a truly inspirational character.

I could go on all day here, but some other great episodes –

Episode 65 (January 2022) – Allan Knight – who was the oldest man to walk the length of Britain – Jon o Groats to Lands end

Episode 80 (January 2023) – Toby Simms who had walked the length of Britain, this time from Cape Wrath to his home in Hastings, in the South East of England

And off course – Chris the Coast Walker, who has been on the podcast a number of times. He walked 11,000 miles around the Coast of Britain, he started in late July 2020, when we thought the Covid Pandemic was over!

Episode 41 – August 2020

Episode 53 – Mid April 2021 as he had to bail out of Wales as it went back into lockdown

Episode 66 (really 65.5) – Feb 2022 when I walked a section of the Northumberland Coast with him

Chris has become a good personal friend and I have seen him, and his family, at a number of outdoor shows etc since then.

And more recently I must mention my chats with Andy, my current co-host, as we have discussed his Post Spine stories.

The environment of the podcast really does give people the opportunity to open up and tell their heartfelt story.

There are so many guests to mention of the years and the. More I think about the longer the list gets.

I know I have learnt so much that has improved my hill skills whilst hosting the podcast and I hope you have too.

Many thanks to everybody who has listened to the podcast over the past 7 years.