Episode Summary
Gerrard Gosens has never seen the path ahead — literally. Born completely blind, Gerrard has defied every limitation the world tried to place on him. In this episode, Sam Penny dives deep into Gerrard’s extraordinary life of endurance, from running ultra-marathons and representing Australia at the Paralympics to climbing Mount Everest, dancing on national television, and launching a chocolate empire.

Whether he’s running 2,000 kilometres, flying a plane, swimming the English Channel, or raising a blind daughter to chase her own dreams, Gerrard shows us that bravery isn’t about the absence of fear — it’s about showing up again and again.

In This Episode

• Growing up blind in rural Australia and turning perceived weakness into strength
• Riding to school by following the sound of his brother’s bike
• How sport became his way of breaking barriers — and bones
• The hilarious and humbling story of the fastest 400m ever run at Yeppoon High
• From founding the Paralympic Committee to competing on the global stage
• Running from Cairns to Brisbane (five times) and why he never saw it as “big”
• Why trust is the cornerstone of bravery — from dance floors to icy oceans
• Climbing to 8,300m on Everest without sight
• What really happened during his English Channel attempt in 2024
• The emotional reality of raising a blind daughter
• Why he believes bravery lives in the next step
• His upcoming 50km Manhattan Island swim, racing Daytona, and chasing a new dream: the Paralympics in para-climbing

Quotes to Remember

Resources Mentioned

• Gerrard's adventures: gerrardgosens.com.au
• His artisan chocolate business: chocolatemoments.com.au

Connect with Sam Penny

• Website: sampenny.com
• Weekly Bravery Digest: Subscribe Here
• Instagram & TikTok: @90dayswithsam
• Podcast Archive: sampenny.com/brave

Most people wait to “feel” brave. But what if that’s the wrong game entirely?

In this Bravery Digest, Sam Penny breaks down why you don’t rise to the level of your motivation — you fall to the level of your environment. Motivation fades. Willpower runs dry. But if you build the right systems, routines and surroundings, bravery becomes inevitable.

This short, sharp solo episode gives you five tactical ways to build an environment where bold action becomes your default, not the exception. If you want to stop waiting and start showing up braver — even on the hard days — this one’s for you.

🧠 In This Episode:

• Why motivation is overrated and unreliable
• The truth about willpower and comfort
• 5 ways to engineer a braver environment:
  1. Physical cues that trigger bravery
  2. Accountability you can’t escape
  3. Removing easy outs that lead to comfort
  4. Raising the room and upgrading your circle
  5. Automating bravery with repeatable habits
• Plus: a preview of Thursday’s full interview with blind endurance athlete and adventurer Gerrard Gosens, who lives and breathes these principles.

🔗 Resources & Mentions:

• Subscribe to the Bravery Digest: https://sampenny.com/bravery-digest
• Gerrard Gosens interview (drops Thursday): https://sampenny.com/brave

🎙 Host: Sam Penny
Coach for the brave. Ultra-endurance athlete. Business builder. Helping people turn bold goals into daily action.
Follow on Instagram/TikTok: @90dayswithsam
Book a call: https://sampenny.com/chat

This Man Destroys People for Fun | Lazarus Lake on Endurance, Suffering & Why Most People Quit

📝 Episode Description / Show Notes:
In this episode, Sam Penny sits down with the legendary Lazarus Lake—the mysterious mastermind behind the Barkley Marathons and the man who’s redefined human limits through races that most never finish.

You’ll hear the raw and unfiltered philosophy of a man who builds races designed to break people. Laz opens up about the psychology of suffering, the myth of motivation, and why the finish line is always further than you think.

We talk about:

• How Laz engineered events to reveal who people really are
• Why most people don’t quit when it gets hard—they quit before it starts
• The "ordinary people doing extraordinary things" philosophy
• Why he believes "the purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things"
• The real reason behind the infamous Barkley Marathons' design
• What he thinks about achievement, failure, and human potential
• And why, despite it all, he’s never run his own races

This episode is more than a conversation—it’s a challenge to everything you think you know about endurance, resilience, and what you’re capable of.

🎧 Listen if you’ve ever:

• Wondered what separates those who finish from those who falter
• Felt stuck at the starting line
• Wanted to push yourself further—but didn’t know how
• Needed a wake-up call on what it means to be truly brave

🔥 Quotable Moments:

🔗 Resources & Mentions:

• Barkley Marathons Documentary
• Laz’s race calendar
• Sam Penny’s coaching for bold achievers → sampenny.com

📌 Subscribe to the podcast:
Built to Sell | Built to Buy — new episodes weekly.

📱 Follow Sam:
Instagram / LinkedIn / TikTok → @90dayswithsam
🎙 Podcast HQ: sampenny.com/brave