The Divergent Path with Rollie Peterkin

Alexander Pekoff just finished running 560 miles across New York State from Niagara Falls to Montauk Point in 14 days. He ran an average of 39 miles a day, including running 102 miles consecutively on the last day to make it on schedule. Alexander also biked from Key West, Florida to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska in 89 days. The stories he tells of bear encounters and rugged days in the Alaskan wilderness are absolutely insane. This episode is perhaps the most inspirational I've recorded. It makes me so happy to share it with you. Read more about Alexander Pekoff here: https://www.rolliepeterkin.com/alexander-pekoff-extreme-endurance-athlete Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/alexanderpekoff YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGlv13ichSsWIZl5Zu1aaTA Adopt A Boxer Rescue: https://www.adoptaboxerrescue.com/ ------ As always please feel free to reach out to me on social media! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rolliepeterkin Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/rolliepeterkin Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rollie.peterkin Website - http://www.rolliepeterkin.com My book - The Cage: Escaping the American Dream http://amzn.to/1Y0xbzD

Gregor "The Gift" Gillespie was a four time Division I All-American wrestler and a national champion. He currently fights in the UFC and has a professional record of 13-1. In this episode we discuss Gregor's obsessive personality and how it led him down the destructive path of drugs and alcohol. It's crazy that he was able to be such a top wrestler while abusing his body. But he has been clean for over ten years now and is a dominant UFC fighter. Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/gregorthegift Read more about Gregor here: https://rolliepeterkin.com/gregor-gillespie-addiction-wrestling-mma/ ------ As always please feel free to reach out to me on social media! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rolliepeterkin Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/rolliepeterkin Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rollie.peterkin Website - http://www.rolliepeterkin.com My book - The Cage: Escaping the American Dream http://amzn.to/1Y0xbzD

Gregor "The Gift" Gillespie was a four time Division I All-American wrestler and a national champion. He currently fights in the UFC and has a professional record of 13-1. In this episode we discuss Gregor's obsessive personality and how it led him down the destructive path of drugs and alcohol. It's crazy that he was able to be such a top wrestler while abusing his body. But he has been clean for over ten years now and is a dominant UFC fighter. Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/gregorthegift Read more about Gregor here: https://rolliepeterkin.com/gregor-gillespie-addiction-wrestling-mma/ ------ As always please feel free to reach out to me on social media! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rolliepeterkin Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/rolliepeterkin Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rollie.peterkin Website - http://www.rolliepeterkin.com My book - The Cage: Escaping the American Dream http://amzn.to/1Y0xbzD

Paul Rosolie is an author, conservationist, and adventurer. He's written two books. His first book, Mother of God, is about the years he spent in the Peruvian Amazon. He recounts stories of wrestling down giant anacondas, plunging in the river after caiman, coming face-to-face with jaguars, and solo journeys deep into uncharted parts of the jungle. Paul's second book The Girl and the Tiger is a beautiful story about a girl in India who finds a tiger cub. The book addresses many of the important issues with tiger and elephant conservation in India. Paul was the star of a 2014 nature documentary special on the Discovery Channel called Eaten Alive. In the show, he was going to be eaten by an anaconda in the Amazon. The show drew a lot of criticism from many groups, and even Paul himself who wasn't happy with the way it turned out. But he explains that it was a massive learning experience and he remains dedicated to his conservation efforts. Paul is a very passionate conservationist, but he has a different perspective than many others. He is the co-founder of Tamandua Expeditions, which takes visitors of tours into the Amazon. He also founded JungleKeepers, which hires locals as rangers to help protect the Amazon and stop illegal activities like logging or poaching. Read more about Paul here: www.rolliepeterkin.com/paul-rosolie-anacondas-amazon-conservation-ecotourism Website: http://paulrosolie.com/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/paulrosolie Tamandua Expeditions: https://tamanduajungle.com/ JungleKeepers: https://junglekeepers.com/ Mother of God: https://amzn.to/2XVBLI8 The Girl and the Tiger: https://amzn.to/2PMSI2X ------ As always please feel free to reach out to me on social media! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rolliepeterkin Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/rolliepeterkin Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rollie.peterkin Website - http://www.rolliepeterkin.com My book - The Cage: Escaping the American Dream http://amzn.to/1Y0xbzD

Cristian Velez has a job that every child dreams of. He works for the Amazon Rescue Center (Centro De Rescate Amazónico) in Iquitos, Peru. The center was built 11 years ago in order to rehabilitate baby manatees which were illegally kept as pets by private citizens. Amazon Rescue Center: https://www.centroderescateamazonico.com/ Fundraising campaign: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2980742958671786 Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/centroderescateamazonico Cristian: http://www.instagram.com/cristianovelez ------ Please feel free to reach out to me on social media! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rolliepeterkin Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/rolliepeterkin Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rollie.peterkin Website - http://www.rolliepeterkin.com My book - The Cage: Escaping the American Dream http://amzn.to/1Y0xbzD

Ty Dalitz is an Australian who has spent the last six years traveling the world. And he hasn't taken a single flight. It started off when he sailed to Asia and planned on making it to London by an overland route. But it has morphed into a six year journey filled with some of the most incredible adventures under the sun. Here are some things Ty had done: Rode a motorbike the length of Vietnam Crashed a wine convention in China by creating fake business cards Caught the Trans-Siberian railway from Mongolia through Russia to Europe Hitch-hiked around Europe Caught a ride on a sailboat across the Atlantic Sailed through the Panama Canal Crossed the Pacific in a sailboat twice Assisted in an attempt to SWIM ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN Rode alongside the swimmer in a dingy Saw sharks in the great blue ocean Visited the Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch And that's just scratching the surface. I could sit and listen to Ty tell stories all day. Follow Ty's story on his website LostAussies.com. https://www.instagram.com/tydalitz https://www.facebook.com/thelostaussie Read more about Ty's journey here: https://www.rolliepeterkin.com/ty-dalitz-six-years-traveling-the-world-without-flying ------ Please feel free to reach out to me on social media! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rolliepeterkin Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/rolliepeterkin Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rollie.peterkin Website - http://www.rolliepeterkin.com My book - The Cage: Escaping the American Dream http://amzn.to/1Y0xbzD

Wayne Catan was a world class wrestler in his day. He was a three-time All-American and two-time NCAA finalist for the Syracuse University. After college, he wrestled internationally and even placed third at the legendary Tbilisi Tournament in Georgia. Nowadays, Wayne is an Ernest Hemingway scholar and English teacher at Brophy College Prep. He has published 37 articles about Hemingway. He's reviewed just about every Hemingway biography out there. He lives and breathes Hemingway. Wayne would read Hemingway's short stories on the bus when they were traveling to away meets for wrestling in college. Even though he rose to the top of the wrestling world, he got a bit of a slow start. He first trained in judo and when he transitioned to wrestling, he never even placed in New York states. But the summer after his senior year of high school, he wound up placing at nationals and getting recruited to wrestle in college. Wayne and I first met in the Blair Academy wrestling room many years ago. And we always loved talking about books. We kept in touch and always bonded over our love for Hemingway. So it was so much fun sitting down and talking. In this episode we discuss our favorite Hemingway works. We talk about how many times Hemingway rewrote the last paragraph of A Farewell to Arms. About how The Old Man and the Sea is a book without one misplaced word. About the Hemingway in the Spanish Civil War and Hemingway's experiences in Spain which led to For Whom the Bell Tolls. Did Hemingway really lead charges as a war journalist? Wayne suspects it might just be part of the Hemingway lore. The Iceberg Theory. The Sun Also Rises. The Nick Adams stories. And so much more. Read more here: https://rolliepeterkin.com/wayne-catan-hemingway-wrestling-grace-under-pressure/ ------ Please feel free to reach out to me on social media! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rolliepeterkin Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/rolliepeterkin Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rollie.peterkin Website - http://www.rolliepeterkin.com/contact My book - The Cage: Escaping the American Dream http://amzn.to/1Y0xbzD

In this edition of Rollie's Travel Tales, I talk about the time I spent in the country of Georgia. After releasing Episode 23: HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS WHILE TRAVELING, I got a bunch of requests from people who said they wanted to hear more of my travel stories. So I started thinking about some one my best ones. I ran through them in my head and rehearsed them as I walked one day. And I thought about one time in Georgia where I was trying to find Joseph Stalin's spa on a rainy day in the middle of nowhere. But as I ran through the story, I realized it was part of a much larger and much crazier story. In fact, the more times I told it to myself the longer and crazier it became. Until I realized that it was a whole episode itself. So this is a story that traces my wild and spontaneous journey around the country of Georgia in late 2018. If you enjoy it, please let me know. I love any feedback that I get. Read more and see pictures here: https://rolliepeterkin.com/joseph-stalin-dire-straits-chacha-georgia/ ------ Please feel free to reach out to me on social media! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rolliepeterkin Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/rolliepeterkin Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rollie.peterkin Website - http://www.rolliepeterkin.com/contact My book - The Cage: Escaping the American Dream http://amzn.to/1Y0xbzD

Katlyn Chookagian is a UFC fighter (14-3) who fought for the Flyweight title back in February. In this episode we talk about her roots in martial arts going back to when she started fighting karate at age four. She spent every minute she could training like a girl possessed. By the time Katlyn was in high school, she was fighting in Golden Gloves boxing and kickboxing competitions. When she first saw Ronda Rousey fighting in the UFC, she knew that she could do that too. And soon after she started fighting MMA. But it wasn't even a huge jump for Katlym, who had been competing in martial arts for almost her whole life. And when she got a call from the UFC, she wasn't surprised. In this episode we discuss what it was like fighting in an empty area in her most recent fight against Antonia Shevchenko in a dominant performance. And what it was like fighting both of the Shevchenko sisters back to back. We talked about how she was able to train at home during the quarantine. She talks about how she got the nickname Blondefighter. And what it felt when Joe Rogan dissed her nickname during her UFC debut. Katlyn has so many great stories from fighting over the years and it was so great talking to her on this episode! Read more about Katlyn here: https://rolliepeterkin.com/katlyn-blondefighter-chookagian-ufc-fighter/ ------ Please feel free to reach out to me on social media! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rolliepeterkin Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/rolliepeterkin Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rollie.peterkin Website - http://www.rolliepeterkin.com/contact My book - The Cage: Escaping the American Dream http://amzn.to/1Y0xbzD

Amber Young has lived on four different continents. She grew up in California to a family that loved to travel. And so after finished college at UC Santa Cruz, she decided to move to New Zealand. She spend the year volunteering on farms and hitchhiking around the country. Then she moved to Australia, where she worked for the next year, including a job picking strawberries. After that, she wanted a big change so she moved to Japan to teach English with the JET program. She lived in a small village in Japan for the next two years. And then she lived in Spain for three years teaching English. While some may be worried about her hitchhiking and CouchSurfing experiences, Amber says, "In the eight years I lived abroad I never got robbed. I never had anything bad happen to me." Amber's website: https://whereisamber.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambertraveling Read more about Amber here: https://rolliepeterkin.com/amber-young-on-couchsurfing-hitchhiking-and-living-abroad/ ------ Please feel free to reach out to me on social media! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rolliepeterkin Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/rolliepeterkin Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rollie.peterkin Website - http://www.rolliepeterkin.com/contact My book - The Cage: Escaping the American Dream http://amzn.to/1Y0xbzD

Caitlin Lanigan didn't even own a passport growing up in suburban Buffalo, New York. But deciding to do a semester abroad in Australia sent her down a Divergent Path that took her all around the world. After college, Caitlin volunteered for the Peace Corps in Botswana. She lived there and worked in a medical clinic for two years. Caitlin has some amazing stories to tell from her experience in Botswana. She was profoundly impacted by the kindness of the people there every day. And experiences like having to wash her clothes by hand or being without tap water for weeks at a time made her grateful for the little things we take for granted. She hitch hiked around the country and met many generous and friendly Bostwanan people. She even learned to speak Setswana, the national language of Bostwana. Botswana has the highest concentration of elephants in the world and is home to such natural beauty. Caitlin would see elephants almost every day on her way to work! They would even terrorize the village at times and dig up sewer drains in search of water. Crazy stuff! Read more about Caitlin here: https://rolliepeterkin.com/caitlin-lanigan-volunteering-peace-corps-botswana/ ------- Please feel free to reach out to me on social media! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rolliepeterkin Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/rolliepeterkin Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rollie.peterkin Website - http://www.rolliepeterkin.com/contact My book - The Cage: Escaping the American Dream http://amzn.to/1Y0xbzD

Din Thomas (@dinthomas) has been around MMA since the 90s and has seen the sport evolve since the early days. He had a record of 26-9 and has beaten guys like Jens Pulver, Clay Guida, and Matt Serra. As a coach, he has cornered the women's GOAT Amanda Nunes and former UFC champion Tyron Woodley. Din was on Season 4 of the UFC's reality show The Ultimate Fighter. And he is the co-host of Dana White: Lookin' for a Fight. In this episode, we discuss how Din initially got involved in MMA. We talked about the early days of the UFC and how much has changed. Din has fought all over the world, from Japan to Russia to Hawaii. And we discuss his passion for improv and how it's much more similar to MMA than you would imagine. Din has so many good stories and wisdom to share! Read more about Din here: https://www.rolliepeterkin.com/din-thomas-ufc-legend-and-coach ------- Please feel free to reach out to me on social media! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rolliepeterkin Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/rolliepeterkin Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rollie.peterkin Website - http://www.rolliepeterkin.com/contact My book - The Cage: Escaping the American Dream http://amzn.to/1Y0xbzD

Turney Duff is the New York Times bestselling author of The Buy Side and consultant on the Showtime series Billions. Turney had it all. He had a 7-figure salary as the head trader for a large Wall Street hedge fund. But he wasn't happy. He made a 2 million dollar bonus one year and was never more miserable. After developing a cocaine addiction, he spent two stints in rehab and has now been sober for over ten years. In this episode, Turney and I discuss his experience on Wall Street and talk about the craft of writing. Check out Turney's book here: https://amzn.to/3j0BzjC Read the full post here: https://rolliepeterkin.com/turney-duff-wall-street-sobriety-writing/ ------- Please feel free to reach out to me on social media! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rolliepeterkin Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/rolliepeterkin Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rollie.peterkin Website - http://www.rolliepeterkin.com/contact My book - The Cage: Escaping the American Dream http://amzn.to/1Y0xbzD

Mike and Anne Howard (@HoneyTrek) left for their honeymoon in January 2012 and never came home. And most importantly, they share their adventures with the world through their blog HoneyTrek.com, which chronicles their journey across all seven continents. Their story as the World's Longest Honeymooners has been featured in hundreds of media outlets, from USA Today to Lonely Planet. Together, they've written two books. Their first book, Ultimate Journeys for Two is National Geographic's bestselling couples travel guide to destinations all over the world. And their second book, Comfortably Wild, details their journey to find the best glamping spots in North America. As full-time nomads and travel writers, Mike and Anne are always searching for off the beaten path destinations, uncommon adventures, and the human stories that make each place so special. Mike and Anne met each other playing volleyball as partners when they were working in New York City. They spent their first Valentines Day together sneaking into Cuba...before it was cool. And their life changed when they learned that they could travel the world for a cheaper all-in cost than their rent in Hoboken. So they quit their jobs and set off on what was supposed to be a 1-year trip around the world. That was 8 years ago. According to them, they haven't had the key to an apartment or house since December 2011. In this episode we discuss so many things and they share their travel philosophy, which revolved around traveling slowly and taking in as much as possible from the local culture. They share tips on making the most from Airbnbs. Why you shouldn't wait to travel until you're 65 and retired. And so many more lessons they've learned from the road. Ultimate Journeys for Two - https://amzn.to/38IKsKa Comfortably Wild - https://amzn.to/2GStrjc Read the full post here: https://rolliepeterkin.com/mike-anne-howard-honeytrek-world's-longest-honeymoon ------- Please feel free to reach out to me on social media! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rolliepeterkin Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/rolliepeterkin Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rollie.peterkin Website - http://www.rolliepeterkin.com/contact My book - The Cage: Escaping the American Dream http://amzn.to/1Y0xbzD

Jeff Buxton is one of the most well-respected names in the sport of wrestling. As the wrestling coach at Blair Academy, he led teams to 30 consecutive Prep National titles and 10 National titles. While coaching Blair wrestling, he coached 12 wrestlers who went on to win Division 1 NCAA titles, as well as 41 All-Americans. He is currently the coach of the Lehigh Valley Athletic Club Regional Training Center. In this episode Buxton talks about the challenges of training wrestling during the coronavirus. He talks about what it was like coaching legends like Steve Mocco. And his background in the sport of wrestling. Read more here: https://rolliepeterkin.com/jeff-buxton-blair-wrestling/ ------- Please feel free to reach out to me on social media! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rolliepeterkin Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/rolliepeterkin Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rollie.peterkin Website - http://www.rolliepeterkin.com/contact My book - The Cage: Escaping the American Dream

Mark Metry became an entrepreneur as a teenager and was making six figures. But he suffered from extreme social anxiety. Mark took control of his life and set out making himself better. In the process he created the Humans 2.0 podcast, which is a global top 100 podcast. He wrote the book Screw Being Shy, which details his struggle with social anxiety and how to overcome it. In this episode, we discuss so many things from entrepreneurship to emotional awareness. Mark's book: https://amzn.to/38hKqIR Website: https://www.markmetry.com/ ------- Please feel free to reach out to me on social media! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rolliepeterkin Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/rolliepeterkin Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rollie.peterkin Website - http://www.rolliepeterkin.com/contact My book - The Cage: Escaping the American Dream

Rolf Potts is a travel writer, author of four books, and host of the Deviate with Rolf Potts podcast. Rolf is a sort of philosopher when it comes to travel and his book Vagabonding is considered the Bible of travel literature. NYT Best Selling author Tim Ferriss has said Vagabonding was one of his all time favorite books. Vagabonding changed the trajectory of my life when I first read it back in 2014 and I can honestly say that my life would be completely different had I never discovered it. It provided a roadmap for the backpacking and long term traveling I would do for the next few years. Rolf's book Marco Polo Didn't Go There contains samples of his travel writing over the years and end notes which give a behind the scenes look at the pieces. Rolf is the author of The Geto Boys and Souvenir. To see more of Rolf's writing, check out his website: www.RolfPotts.com ----- Read more here: https://rolliepeterkin.com/podcast-rolf-potts-vagabonding-travel-writing/ ------- Please feel free to reach out to me on social media! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rolliepeterkin Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/rolliepeterkin Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rollie.peterkin Website - http://www.rolliepeterkin.com/contact My book - The Cage: Escaping the American Dream

This podcast episode is a little different from the other ones because I don't have a guest. I am speaking about a topic that I am very passionate about: making friends while traveling. A few years ago, I wrote a book called How to Make Friends While Traveling, but I never published it even though I wrote over 100 pages! At the time, I was living abroad and traveling and I began to treat meeting people like a science. I would go out every day and talk to strangers on the street and attend random events. So this is the podcast version of that book. I really enjoy talking about this subject and even though I talked for over an hour, I could have easily talked for another two hours if I wanted to. I talk about such things as: Staying in hostel. How to travel solo. How to overcome social anxiety. Tips to travel as an introvert. How to use meetups to interact with more people. The difference between meeting locals and meeting other travelers. How to meet people at language exchanges. Using CouchSufing to meet new people. Why it's easier to meet people when traveling. How to talk to strangers. How to overcome limiting beliefs and become more social.

McDojoLife (@mcdojolife) is one of my all time favorite accounts on all of Instagram. The page exposes fake and fraudulent martial artists who teach people tactics such as no-touch knockouts. No only does Rob expose fakes, but he exposes conmen who rip off their students and convicted sex offenders who work with children in martial arts. He is basically a real life super hero! In this podcast episode, Rob talks about how he first got involved in martial arts before the days of McDojoLife. As a child he had a cleft palate and required many surgeries and his mother wouldn't let him participate in sports despite his pleading. But that all changed after some bullies at school beat the crap out of him one day and a friend encouraged him to try martial arts. He started with karate, but eventually moved on to sample a wide variety of martial arts like boxing, kickboxing, taekwondo, and Brazilian jiu jitsu. During the podcast episode with Rob, we discuss many theories as to why people follow these fake martial arts masters. We talk about how the rise of MMA and the UFC have shed some light on what works and what doesn't. Rob and McDojoLife are currently in the process of putting together a documentary about fake martial arts and has launched a crowdfunding campaign and hopes to start shooting in August. If you go to the Instagram page @mcdojolifedoc and donate there, you get access to exclusive content as well. ---------- Read more here: https://rolliepeterkin.com/podcast-mcdojolife-rob-exposing-fake-martial-arts/ If you enjoyed this episode, you might want to check out my book, The Cage: Escaping the American Dream, where I detail my journey from Wall Street bond trader to professional MMA fighter.

Kendall Cross won an Olympic gold medal in wrestling in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was on the Olympic team in 1992 in Barcelona. He was an NCAA champion for Oklahoma State. And he's a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He is currently the coach of the New York City Regional Training Center. He's done just about everything there is to do in the sport of wrestling. Kendall impacted my life in a way few others ever had. I first met Kendall when I was around 10 years old and he became my coach. Over the years he taught me so many things and completely changed my style of wrestling in ways that I carried with me through my whole career. And he me many lessons off the mat as well. In this episode of the podcast, I peeled back some of the layers to some of the stories he's told me over the years and really dig into the strategies that he used to become the best in the world, an Olympic champion. Kendall talks about his roots in the sport of wrestling, following his older brother's footsteps when he started wrestling in Montana. And then moving to Mustang, Oklahoma and being immersed in the next level of wrestling. At the time he was inspired by wrestling legend Dave Schultz. At Oklahoma State, he witnessed his teammates Kenny Monday and John Smith become Olympic champions right before his eyes and realized that winning the Olympics was a dream he could pursue. In this episode we break down the strategies and mentalities that he honed in order to reach that next level. And to get through guys like Brad Penrith in 1992 and Terry Brands in 1996. It was so great to get into some of the deeper stories that Kendall has to share from his many years in the sport of wrestling and learn more about a wrestling mentor of mine. Read more here: www.rolliepeterkin.com/kendall-cross-olympic-gold-medalist-wrestling

Daniele Bolelli is the host of the History on Fire podcast, where he has captured audiences with episodes that range from Teddy Roosevelt to Caravaggio to Crazy Horse. He has written many books on topics from religion to martial arts. His books include: On the Warrior's Path and Not Afraid. And don't miss his Drunken Taoist Podcast for some awesome interviews. One of the things that has always fascinated me about Daniele is the seeming contradictions in his life. He is a college professor and serious academic, but he doesn't take himself too seriously. He is both irreverent and disciplined and his content that is entertaining and informative. Daniele was generous enough to read my book back in the day and give me a blurb. For which I am eternally grateful. In this episode, Daniele talks about growing up in Italy and what he learned from his literary parents. And how he moved to the United States to study Native American history at UCLA. And how he trained in martial arts such as karate, jiu jitsu, and boxing. And what he's learned from the godfather of history podcasting, Dan Carlin. It was such a good conversation and I hope you enjoy it! Read more here: https://www.rolliepeterkin.com/daniele-bolelli-history-martial-arts-podcasting

Claudio Puelles is UFC fighter from Lima, Peru. He was features on the reality show The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) where he finished second and got a contract to fight in the UFC. In this episode he tells the story of how he first got involved in MMA and the time he lived in the US when he was younger. You might recognize Claudio's name from my book, as we were teammates and friends during my time in Peru.

Kenn Kweder is a musical legend in Philadelphia. He has been playing music around town since the late sixties and has some amazing stories to tell. He talks about a postering campaign in the 70's based around Jack Ruby, Lee Harvey Oswald, and Carnation instant milk. Kweder talks about wanting to play in the NBA as a teenager and then picking up a guitar in order to impress the girls. He talks about writing new songs and where the inspiration comes from. So many interesting topics. Definitely check out the documentary Adventures of a Secret Kidd: The Mass Hallucination of Kenn Kweder Website: http://kennkweder.com/ ------ For the full description of this podcast, check out: www.rolliepeterkin.com/kenn-kweder Follow me on social media for more updates: IG/Twitter: @rolliepeterkin Feel free to reach out any time!

Bruce Poon Tip is an international leader in the travel industry. He founded G Adventures, which has operations in 100 countries and runs tours on every continent. He is a leader in social entrepreneurship and the founder of the Planeterra Foundation. Bruce has been invited to speak at places such as Harvard, Oxford, the World Bank, UNESCO, and the UN. Bruce talks about the state of the travel industry in a post-corona world. He talks about his motivations for founding G Adventures. And the impact that the Dalai Lama has had on his business. ---- www.rolliepeterkin.com IG/Twitter: @rolliepeterkin

Charlie Brenneman has done it all. He wrestled in college, taught high school Spanish, fought in the UFC against top opponents, wrote two books, and hosts a podcast. In this episode, Charlie tells us how he went from a "wimpy" kid to a UFC star. The many lessons he's learned along the way and why he now shares those lessons with the next generation. Follow Charlie on social media @charliespaniard. His books: -Driven: My Unlikely Journey from Classroom to Cage -Becoming the World's Toughest Lifelong Learner http:\\www.charliespaniard.com ------- For more info click here: http://rolliepeterkin.com/podcast-charlie-brenneman-from-high-school-spanish-teacher-to-ufc-fighter

Shelby has basically been everywhere after five years as a tour guide on bus trips around the United States. The country has become her back yard and she's scoured every corner of it during her days driving the bus across the country. Shelby and I get into what it takes to be a tour guide, including the challenges and times it makes you cry. Her career path has been far from normal and she is a true Divergent Path! Best of luck leading your "normal person" life now! IG @shelbywanders ---The Divergent Path Podcast with Rollie Peterkin--- IG/Twitter: @rolliepeterkin http://www.rolliepeterkin.com My book is available here on Amazon: The Cage: Escaping the American Dream

Joe Williamson was one of the first employees of FloWrestling, a company which would change the whole wrestling community forever. In this episode, Joe recounts his history with Flo and its founder, Martin Floreani. He tells about skipping being best man at his best friend's wedding to join the Flo team and traveling around the country and the world, covering wrestling. What an amazing story!

Andy Steves joins us today from his cabin in Washington. Andy is the author of Europe: City Hopping on a Budget and the founder of Weekend Student Adventures. In this episode he talks about what student travel and study abroad will look like in a coronavirus world. What he learned from his father, travel guru Rick Steves. And his favorite places in Europe! https://andysteves.com/ IG: andystevestravel

In this episode I talk with Kyle Cerminara, about his career in wrestling. Being an All-American at the University of Buffalo. Why wrestlers do so well in MMA. Why falling short of his goals made him a better coach. Training for an Olympic dream. And the mental side of wrestling. Kyle always has a different and interesting perspective that I was so happy to talk with him! Wrestling Fanatics Video: https://fanaticwrestling.com/collections/new/products/single-leg-seat-belt-series-and-mat-returns-by-kyle-ceminara Instagram: kycerm

Bogdana Voicu is in charge of North American operations for G Adventures, a large international tour company. In this episode we talk about the things she loves about the US. She explains how growing up in Romania gives her a different perspective. And how corona virus will impact the tourism industry going forward.

What an amazing and inspirational story! Wes and Shane both had sub 2.0 GPAs in high school and were unsure of what to do after. So they joined the Air Force. In the process, they gained lucrative careers and got the chance to travel the world. Now Shane holds an MBA and Wes is a PhD candidate, even though he failed freshman English three years in a row. One of my all time favorite stories!

Dan Cleland is the owner of the Soltara Healing Center in Costa Rica. He's spent eight years working with ayahuasca, a powerful psychedelic traditionally used by the Amazonian tribes. Dan lived for many years in the Peruvian jungle where he ran the Ayahuasca Adventure Center. He talks about the rituals of taking ayahuasca and what it's like running a tourism based business during the coronavirus crisis, as well as many other stories of being an entrepreneur abroad! His center was featured in a London Real documentary called Reconnect. He is also the author of Pulse of the Jungle: Ayahuasca, Adventures, and Social Enterprise in the Amazon. Read more about Dan here: https://rolliepeterkin.com/podcast-dan-cleland-talks-ayahuasca-and-entrepreneurship/

Danielle and Wilson spent 7 months traveling to 15 different countries and had the adventure of a lifetime. In this episode they discuss the benefits and pitfalls of traveling as a couple. They talk about getting stuck in Indonesia during the coronavirus crisis. About their travels around the USA, through Europe, and Asia. And why you should ALWAYS carry snacks when traveling with your partner. Read more about their story here: https://rolliepeterkin.com/podcast-danielle-wilson-travel-world-couple/

Brendan Reid is the owner of The Molly Malone, the top rated bar in Tenerife. He tells us about owning a small business during coronavirus and the quarantine. What it's like growing up in the Canary Islands. Brendan has lived in Germany and Norway. He talks about the lessons he's learned as an entertainer. And why The Molly Malone is such a special place. Read more about Brendan here: https://rolliepeterkin.com/podcast-brendan-reid-molly-malone-tenerife/

Anthony Gray is the chef de cuisine at Le Bernadin, a three Michelin star rated restaurant in Manhattan. Antony tells us how a red pepper changed his life in high school and set him on a trajectory to become a chef. He talks about why he dropped out of culinary school. What its's like working for Eric Ripert at Le Bernadin, one of the best-rated restaurants in the world. And the difficulties of working in a kitchen. What an amazing story he has for us! More info here: https://rolliepeterkin.com/podcast-anthony-gray-chef-le-bernadin/

Kelly is a world traveler who hosts a vlog on YouTube called Go with Kelly which takes viewers on travels with her to all corners of the globe. She tells about getting stuck in Bali during coronavirus. She has lived on four different continents and worked all sorts of jobs around the world. In this episode we chat about living abroad and making new friends. And she tells us about being a tour guide in Asia! Instagram: gowithkelly Read more about Kelly: https://rolliepeterkin.com/podcast-vlogging-with-kelly/

Mark Larson has competed in four races OVER 100 MILES LONG. In the mountains. Running for over 24 hours. Besides his long distance running, he has also lived on four different continents and is currently living in France in order to learn French, his third language. Besides his ultramarathons, Mark has walked the Camino de Santiago four times. And he's done treks in Nepal and Andorra. Mark has so much wisdom to share about adventuring around the world. Read more about Mark here: https://rolliepeterkin.com/running-ultramarathons-with-mark-larson/

Ben Reiter first moved down to Peru to volunteer in a small village outside Arequipa. He was teaching English and helping the local children. During his early days in Peru, Ben founded two charities. He began fighting MMA as a way to raise money and awareness for his charitable initiatives. With his Division 1 wrestling background, he quickly rose through the ranks of Peruvian MMA and became a legend down there. He eventually got a contract to fight in Bellator MMA and trained at Jackson Wink MMA. Ben is the reason I first moved to Peru and became an MMA fighter. It was great to catch up on his story of everything that has happened since then. Ben is now working for a charity called Beat the Streets Philly which helps inner city children in Philadelphia through the power of sports. Ben is an inspiration in the truest sense of the word. Ben's story is featured prominently in my book, The Cage: Escaping the American Dream. Read more about Ben here: https://rolliepeterkin.com/podcast-ben-reiter-talks-mma-charity-and-peru/

Vlad Mozgovoi was traveling in Vietnam when he was diagnosed with corona virus. In this episode, he shares his crazy story of high fevers and Vietnamese hospitals. He was kept in quarantine for two weeks and tended to by doctors in hazmat suits. And he gives us a glimpse into a world we are lucky to not witness ourselves. Read more about Vlad's story here: https://rolliepeterkin.com/podcast-vlad-gets-corona-virus-in-vietnam/

Marina Zoppei spent two years traveling the world. She's been to 106 countries and many of them as a solo female traveler. Marina hails from Brazil and she tells the story of how she saved money fro the trip after the Brazilian real crashed and her savings were devalued overnight. She sold pastries on the streets of Sao Paulo. She didn't just travel to typical tourist destinations too. She visited almost all of the -stan countries of Central Asia, such as Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Marina's adventures are full of amazing encounters and such fun adventures. It was an absolute pleasure speaking with her. Her awesome travel video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xMRHUKx628 Instagram: mazoppei Read more about Marina: https://rolliepeterkin.com/podcast-marinas-world-tour/