THE CONGO IS MY MOST DANGEROUS CHALLENGE YET | Ash Dykes | Extraordinary Life Stories

What does it take to keep going when your body is telling you to stop? Ash Dykes is a five-time world record holder, explorer and extreme adventurer who has pushed himself to the limits across some of the most dangerous environments on Earth. From crossing Mongolia alone and unsupported to battling dehydration in the Gobi Desert, surviving malaria, facing wolves, bears and armed men, Ash has repeatedly found himself in situations where survival depended on one thing above all else: his mindset. In this fascinating conversation, Ash explains how he prepares for the worst, why the mental battle is harder than the physical one, how he turned extreme exploration into a business, and why he believes adaptability is the key to survival. He also reveals why he once ruled out the Congo Basin as simply too dangerous — and why he has now decided to take it on. From a £200 bank balance and training in his parents' garden to world records, global recognition and his next extraordinary expedition, this is a story about resilience, preparation, risk, ambition and the human capacity to keep going. Extraordinary Life Stories is proudly sponsored by IFS.ai