Podcasts · Society & Culture · History

Against The Odds

Audible

297 episodes · in order

Humans are resilient. In our toughest moments, we will fight, we will struggle, and we will triumph...often against the odds.

More about the show

In this immersive series, host-adventurers Mike Corey and Cassie De Pecol will share thrilling stories of survival. From the daring rescue of a soccer team trapped in an underwater cave in Thailand, to a woman taken hostage by Somali pirates, these stories made headlines around the world. AGAINST THE ODDS will make you feel as though you’re living these experiences with our heroes as they push themselves to their limits.

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Episodes page 5 of 6

  1. Nome Serum Run: Race Against Death | The Final Miles | 3

    · 42 min · S48 E3

    With a blizzard gaining force, the Mayor of Nome decides the safest choice is to halt the relay, rather than risk losing lives and the serum itself. But the storm makes it hard to spread the news of the Mayor’s order.…

  2. Nome Serum Run: Race Against Death | Togo’s Descendants | 4

    · 36 min · S48 E4

    In honor of the 100-year anniversary of the Nome Serum Run, Maine musher Jonathan Nathaniel Hayes is recreating the run. And he’s doing it with a team descended directly from Leonhard Seppala’s original dogs. Today,…

  3. ENCORE - In Their Own Words: Stranded in Joshua Tree | 1

    · 45 min · S49 E1

    On May 22, 2018, Claire Nelson set out on what she thought would be a four-hour hike in Southern California’s Joshua Tree National Park. An experienced hiker, Claire packed plenty of water and followed an established…

  4. ENCORE: Rock Climbers Abducted | Welcome to Paradise | 1

    · 45 min · S50 E1

    In August of the year 2000, four American rock climbers set out to explore the majesty of the Pamir Alai Mountain range in Kyrgyzstan. But only a week into their expedition, they’re taken captive by rebel militants.…

  5. ENCORE: Rock Climbers Abducted | Hostage Situation | 2

    · 45 min · S50 E2

    After being kidnapped by rebel militants in a remote region of Kyrgyzstan, four American rock climbers are forced at gunpoint toward the Uzbekistan border. But their captors are being trailed by the Kygyz army. Soon,…

  6. ENCORE: Rock Climbers Abducted | Fight or Flight | 3

    · 42 min · S50 E3

    Days without food or water start to weaken the young climbers as their captors push them further into the mountains and further from civilization. But their captors are starting to lose steam too. On a cold dark…

  7. ENCORE: Rock Climbers Abducted | Breaking Free | 4

    · 44 min · S50 E4

    When the Americans finally act out and decide to fight for their lives, they’re left alone in an inhospitable mountain rage full of rebel militants and a trigger happy army. Far more than just a rescue mission, the…

  8. In Their Own Words: Fallen on Mount Whitney | 1

    · 47 min · S51 E1

    In April of 1982, Jean Muenchrath and her boyfriend had nearly completed a 230-mile cross-country ski trip through California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. On the final day of their journey, they planned to hike the…

  9. Family Shipwrecked in Alaska | Home | 1

    · 47 min · S52 E1

    It’s February 13, 1979. Elmo Wortman and his three children are sailing home to Alaska across the frigid North Pacific after a routine orthodontist visit in Canada. But this time, they get caught in a freak…

  10. Family Shipwrecked in Alaska | The Raft | 2

    · 41 min · S52 E2

    After a powerful storm destroys their sailboat and leaves them stranded on a remote Alaskan island, Elmo Wortman and his children build a raft, determined to reach a friend’s cabin 25 miles north. Elmo expects…

  11. Family Shipwrecked in Alaska | The Cabin | 3

    · 44 min · S52 E3

    Elmo and his son Randy leave the girls behind, paddling ahead in their Sport-Yak to find help—but trouble continues to follow. Though they eventually reach the cabin, the CB radio doesn’t work, and as their frostbitten…

  12. Family Shipwrecked in Alaska | Keg Point | 4

    · 39 min · S52 E4

    It's March 10, 1979—24 days since their sailboat sank and 15 days since Elmo and Randy arrived at a remote cabin, trapped, powerless to save Cindy and Jena, and consumed by guilt and grief. Once they regain their…

  13. Mount St. Helens | Awakening | 1

    · 44 min · S53 E1

    In March 1980, after 120 years of dormancy, the volcano Mount St. Helens in Washington State begins showing signs of life. Scientists warn that a major eruption is coming, but they’re unable to completely block off…

  14. Mount St. Helens | Hell on Earth | 2

    · 42 min · S53 E2

    When Mount St. Helens erupts, Sue Ruff and her boyfriend Bruce Nelson are camping with four friends about 14 miles north of the volcano. They were told this was well out of range of any eruption, but soon they find…

  15. Mount St. Helens | Blast Zone | 3

    · 42 min · S53 E3

    The survivors of the Mount St. Helens eruption find themselves in an alien world, with toppled trees, mudslides, and thick, hot ash covering everything. Unsure when or if rescue is coming, campers Sue Ruff and Bruce…

  16. Mount St. Helens | Still Alive | 4

    · 44 min · S53 E4

    Rescue helicopters finally reach the campers, Sue and Bruce, as well as other stranded survivors like TV reporter David Crockett and logger Jim Scymanky. But with nightfall approaching, Sue worries that rescuers won’t…

  17. An Exclusive Excerpt From Our New Book | 1

    · 30 min · S54 E1

    We’ve got a new book! How to Survive Against the Odds: Tales & Tips for Animal Attacks and Natural Disasters is out today from Wondery and HarperCollins. Go inside life-or-death situations where everyday people…

  18. Oceanos: Rescue off the Wild Coast | “Just A Precaution” | 1

    · 41 min · S55 E1

    On the night of August 3, 1991, the cruise ship Oceanos sets sail from South Africa’s eastern cape with 571 people aboard—despite a massive storm barreling up the coast. Soon, a breach in the hull knocks out power, and…

  19. Oceanos: Rescue off the Wild Coast | Abandon Ship | 2

    · 37 min · S55 E2

    As a hellish storm batters the Oceanos off the South African coast, senior crew members flee aboard a lifeboat, leaving passengers behind. With no leadership in sight, the entertainers step up, guiding women and…

  20. Oceanos: Rescue off the Wild Coast | Sink or Swim | 3

    · 43 min · S55 E3

    With all the lifeboats launched, the remaining passengers aboard the Oceanos cling to railings as the ship lists hard to one side. When helicopters arrive, the entertainment crew springs into action again—coordinating…

  21. Oceanos: Rescue off the Wild Coast | Into the Waves | 4

    · 38 min · S55 E4

    In August 1991, Lorraine Betts set sail aboard the Oceanos as cruise director, overseeing passenger entertainment and well-being. But when the lights went out and the ship began taking on water, it wasn’t the captain…

  22. Alone in Antarctica | The Windiest Place on Earth | 1

    · 42 min · S56 E1

    It’s 1912, the golden age of Antarctic exploration, and teams from the Australasian Antarctic Expedition are preparing to journey into the wilderness. One trio, led by the Australian geologist Douglas Mawson, will…

  23. Alone in Antarctica | The Far Eastern Party | 2

    · 41 min · S56 E2

    Douglas Mawson and his companions Belgrave Ninnis and Xavier Mertz are losing precious time on their journey across uncharted territory in Antarctica. Severe storms have pinned them down for days, and they’ve had to…

  24. Alone in Antarctica | The Last Man | 3

    · 42 min · S56 E3

    The Far Eastern Party’s two surviving members, Douglas Mawson and Xavier Mertz, must take drastic measures if they’re going to make it back to their base alive. They’ve lost almost all of their food and supplies. And…

  25. In Their Words: Ali Truwit — Shark Attack Survivor | 1

    · 37 min · S57 E1

    In May of 2023, competitive swimmer Ali Truwit had just graduated from Yale, completed her first marathon, and had a job lined up in New York City. But a few days after graduation, Ali was snorkeling with a friend in…

  26. FAN FAVORITE: Teddy Roosevelt's Amazon Expedition | Headwaters | 1

    · 45 min · S58 E1

    In 1913, former President Theodore Roosevelt embarked on a perilous expedition to explore one of the last unmapped rivers in the Amazon. Roosevelt was joined by his son Kermit, famed Brazilian explorer Candido Rondon,…

  27. Business Wars Presents: The AOL-Time Warner Disaster

    · 8:27 · Trailer

    Think business is boring? What about when your streaming bill goes up, or your favorite restaurant files for bankruptcy? Do you ever wonder what’s going on behind the scenes? Business Wars gives you a front row seat to…

  28. FAN FAVORITE: Teddy Roosevelt's Amazon Expedition | River of Doubt | 2

    · 44 min · S58 E2

    As Theodore Roosevelt’s expedition sets off down the River of Doubt, it doesn’t take long for the going to get rough. Their canoes are no match for the boiling rapids, forcing them to trek through an unforgiving jungle…

  29. FAN FAVORITE: Trapped on Mt. Hood | Whiteout | 1

    · 48 min · S59 E1

    In May 1986, a group of high school students and faculty embarked on a journey to the top of Mount Hood, Oregon's tallest mountain. The climb was part of an annual wilderness program, and was usually uneventful. But…

  30. FAN FAVORITE: Teddy Roosevelt's Amazon Expedition | A Killer in Their Midst | 3

    · 45 min · S58 E3

    Challenges mount as the expedition travels farther down the river. With the end of their journey nowhere in sight, hunger and disease take their toll on the men. Colonel Rondon wonders if members of an indigenous tribe…

  31. FAN FAVORITE: Trapped on Mt. Hood | Considered Lost | 2

    · 37 min · S59 E2

    With night falling, the student climbers and their adult chaperones must take refuge in a cramped, frigid, and hastily dug snow cave. Their leader, Father Tom Goman, begins to succumb to hypothermia. Meanwhile, search…

  32. FAN FAVORITE: Trapped on Mt. Hood | Search and Rescue | 3

    · 44 min · S59 E3

    Morning provides no relief for the Oregon Episcopal School climbers trapped without food or water high on Mount Hood. The storm that forced them to take shelter in a snow cave shows no signs of letting up. Two of the…

  33. FAN FAVORITE: Teddy Roosevelt's Amazon Expedition | River's End | 4

    · 48 min · S58 E4

    After weeks on the River of Doubt, Theodore Roosevelt’s expedition is on the verge of collapse. But hope emerges when they find clues that Brazilian frontiersmen may be living and working in the wilderness nearby. As…

  34. FAN FAVORITE: Trapped on Mt. Hood | Discovery | 4

    · 44 min · S59 E4

    As the search for the missing climbers enters its second day, rescuers redouble their efforts to find the lost students and their adult guides. But the vastness of the search area presents major challenges. Rescue…

  35. Siula Grande: Over the Edge | First Ascent | 1

    · 45 min · S60 E1

    It’s June 1985. Two young British climbers, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, set out to conquer the unclimbed west face of Siula Grande, a towering 21,000-foot peak in the Peruvian Andes. But high on the mountain, Joe…

  36. Siula Grande: Over the Edge | Long Way Down | 2

    · 42 min · S60 E2

    After Joe Simpson fractures his leg, his climbing partner Simon Yates begins lowering him down the mountain, 300 feet at a time. But near the bottom, Simon unknowingly lowers Joe over the edge of a sheer cliff. Joe is…

  37. Siula Grande: Over the Edge | Keep Moving | 3

    · 50 min · S60 E3

    Simon Yates begins his lonely return to base camp, convinced that his partner Joe Simpson is dead. He wrestles with guilt and grief, unsure how he’ll ever explain what happened to those back home. Meanwhile, Joe…

  38. Siula Grande: Over the Edge | Making Peace With It, With Simon Yates | 4

    · 34 min · S60 E4

    In 1985, high on Peru’s Siula Grande, everything went wrong, and two climbers made choices that became mountaineering lore. Simon Yates joins host Cassie De Pecol to talk about risk, survival, and being known as “the…

  39. The Big Burn | The Driest Summer | 1

    · 41 min · S61 E1

    In the summer of 1910, a severe drought turned Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene National Forest into a tinderbox. Spot fires cropped up around the mining towns of Wallace and Avery and it was the job of forest rangers like Ed…

  40. The Big Burn | The Blow-Up | 2

    · 38 min · S61 E2

    As the fires spread, ranger Ed Pulaski tries to lead his men on a last-ditch effort to save the town of Wallace. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Soldiers race to build firebreaks around Avery, and head ranger Bill Weigle…

  41. The Big Burn | Evacuations | 3

    · 41 min · S61 E3

    As teams of firefighters and forest rangers find themselves trapped by the megafire and unable to help, residents of Wallace and Avery prepare to evacuate. While Ed Pulaski and his crew take shelter in an old mining…

  42. The Big Burn | Fight Fire with Fire | 4

    · 43 min · S61 E4

    The Buffalo Soldiers evacuate women and children from Avery, Idaho by train, but they don’t get far before the fire catches up to them. Emma Pulaski receives terrible news about her husband. With the fire closing in,…

  43. In Their Own Words: Mauled By A Grizzly | 1

    · 51 min · S62 E1

    In the summer of 2005, 17-year-old Alex Messenger sets out on a 42-day canoe trip in the remote wilderness of northern Canada. For nearly a month, he and his fellow campers paddle through rivers and lakes, and live…

  44. Tsunami in Thailand | Strange Tide | 1

    · 41 min · S63 E1

    On the morning of December 26th, 2004, a 9.1 earthquake struck in the Indian Ocean, triggering a tsunami. Along Thailand’s west coast, tourists like Ed and Helen Muesch, and residents like fisherman Wimon Thongtae went…

  45. Tsunami in Thailand | Overtaken | 2

    · 30 min · S63 E2

    As the wave barreled ashore on Thailand’s west coast, people were sucked under a powerful wall of water that was so strong it ripped the clothes off their backs. It separated husbands from wives, and parents from their…

  46. Tsunami in Thailand | Devastation | 3

    · 31 min · S63 E3

    As the force of the waves lessened, survivors faced a new problem: they were trapped in the mass of debris the tsunami generated. Stuck between a swirl of cars, building remains, and dead bodies, the survivors resorted…

  47. Tsunami in Thailand | The Missing | 4

    · 39 min · S63 E4

    By the early afternoon, the water started to recede back out to sea. But the destruction left in its wake was devastating. Communications were down, roads were washed out. First responders raced to rescue stranded…

  48. In Their Own Words: Trapped After a Car Crash | 1

    · 34 min · S64 E1

    In December of 2023, Matt Reum spun off a freeway in Indiana to avoid something in the road. His pickup truck rolled down a hill and landed under a bridge where no one could see him. Matt spent the next six days –…

  49. Miracle in the North Atlantic | The Dark Ocean | 1

    · 36 min · S65 E1

    In 1984, a young fisherman named Gudlaugur Fridthorsson — better known as “Laugi”— headed out to sea off the coast of Iceland in a small fishing trawler. But the first night of the trip, their boat capsizes, leaving…

  50. Miracle in the North Atlantic | The Seal Man | 2

    · 39 min · S65 E2

    In 1984, a young fisherman named Gudlaugur Fridthorsson — better known as “Laugi”— headed out to sea off the coast of Iceland in a small fishing trawler. But the first night of the trip, their boat capsizes, leaving…

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