Summary
Damien Ryder shares his remarkable journey from a traumatic childhood to becoming a world record holder and advocate for child abuse awareness. Growing up in an abusive environment, Ryder faced significant challenges, including physical and emotional trauma. He found solace in athletics, particularly track and field, which sparked a lifelong passion for pushing his physical limits. As he navigated through his early years filled with hardship, he developed a curiosity about human behavior and performance that would later inform his extreme athletic pursuits.
Ryder’s transformative moment came after a near-fatal heart attack at age 22, prompting him to reevaluate his life choices. He embarked on a journey of self-discovery through extreme sports, including a grueling 17-day paddle from Rainbow Bay to Sydney, which he undertook to raise awareness for child abuse. This experience not only tested his physical endurance but also served as a therapeutic outlet, allowing him to confront and process his past traumas. Throughout his subsequent adventures, including skateboarding across America and jumping from a hot air balloon, Ryder emphasizes the importance of resilience and the pursuit of personal growth.
Now, Ryder dedicates his life to helping others by sharing his story and insights on overcoming adversity. He works with high performers, guiding them to understand their patterns and behaviors while encouraging them to face their fears. Ryder’s mission is to inspire hope and demonstrate that it is possible to rise above one’s circumstances, proving that even the most challenging beginnings can lead to extraordinary outcomes.
Show Notes
In this episode, I speak with 21-time extreme world record holder, Damien Rider as we explore why he takes on such extreme and world first challenges. Damien shares intimate and shocking details of his childhood, how close he came to losing his life while undertaking his first major challenge of paddling from the Gold Coast to Sydney, why he continues to push the limits and he shares the moment that everything made sense as he found true happiness and purpose in life.
More from Chats From A Chair
In this episode, I chat with Judy Collins about her husband, Matt and his health conditions of Alzheimer's and paralysis. Judy shares details of the change in Matt's behaviour that led to his diagnosis of Alzheimer's, the medical journey that they went on that resulted in his paralysis, the surprising little things that can trigger his memory and the way that they still look for the little moments of joy amongst very difficult circumstances.
In this episode, I chat with Thomas Delloiaco, as he shares the different types of difficult circumstances he has endured. He talks to me about the s*xual abuse that he suffered at a young age, we chat about the many years he spent battling addiction to meth, the events that led to him being sentenced to jail by a magistrate, how he reached 200kg in bodyweight and the way he was able to turn his life around to now have a positive outlook on life and a bright future.
In this episode, I chat with Jai Arrow about his diagnosis of MND at just 30 years old. We discuss the first signs that led to him seeking medical advice, how he handled the diagnosis while in the prime of his NRL career, he explains why he's choosing to fight his battle publicly, the surprising positive impact that it's had on him and we chat about how he found out that he was going to run out again for the Rabbitohs and reach the 100 game milestone for the club. All of this and much more.
In this episode, I chat with Karina Irby, as we discuss her experiences as the daughter of a quadriplegic. She takes us back to the moment that she watched her dad sustain the injury, she shares the moment she was told that her dad would never walk again, we explore the way that their relationship has developed, with their time together now more intentional and we chat about how this experience has given her a different outlook on life.
No topic is off limits as I answer questions put to me by all of you. My injury, rehab, support workers, sex, dating and relationships are all discussed in this tell all solo podcast.