Unprotected, uninitiated and unflinching, Dr Alla Shapiro entered into the world's most dangerous nuclear environment. As a first responder, Dr Shapiro has an unparalleled insight into the devastation, tragedy and chaos of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster. Amid an eerie and pervasive silence, Dr. Shapiro treated traumatized children and witnessed fri…

After evading police in the UK, escaping to France through the Turkish mafia and eventually fleeing to Ecuador, Pieter was a man on the run. In South America, Pieter was arrested. He was charged and his sentence, which was yet to be confirmed, had begun. Pieter was in limbo for a short period, before being transferred to Quito, a prison located in …

Pieter Tritton was an international cocaine trafficker. He was transporting millions of dollars worth of cocaine every week and dealing with some of the UK’s most dangerous people...while at the same time evading police in a period where the war on drugs was at its peak. Nicknamed Posh Pete in the UK, and later Loco Pete in Ecuador - Pieter’s journ…

Lisa Blair is one of world's most accomplished sailors. Her grit and determination, coupled with raw talent and a dogged refusal to give up has seen her overcome some of sailing's greatest challenges. Aboard her yacht, 'Climate Action Now', Lisa became the first woman to circumnavigate Antarctica; a massive 183 day journey in the world's most dange…

Daniel Wordsworth is a man who has spent his life on call for the world’s most devastating crises. Imagine creating a crisis shelter, in the heart of Sydney, that was designed to take those that no one else would - the abused, the displaced, the addicted - then living in that place, with your friends, without any expectations for anything in return…

Matt Levy is one of Australia’s most accomplished sports people. His swimming career began at just 13, when he started training for the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. Now, almost 21 years later, Matt is a seven time paralympic medalist - and one of Australia’s most decorated athletes. Matt competes in the S7 category. Swimmers in this class have …

Tim Cope is a truly inspiring figure. He has journeyed over 10, 000 km from Mongolia to Hungary on horseback, rowed from southern Siberia to the Arctic Ocean, and cycled for 14 months to get from Moscow to Beijing. He is a filmmaker, an author, and an inspiration to future generations - asking them to look beyond their self-imposed limitations and …

Dr. Kate Leeming is one of the world’s most extraordinary people. She is an explorer, adventurer, educator, filmmaker and esteemed author. A world renowned expedition cyclist, Kate’s journeys see her riding tens of thousands of kilometres, overcoming unimaginable challenges often in extreme conditions, all for the greater good. Alongside her bicycl…

The culture of an organisation like the Navy means everything. The unwritten rules, the everyday assumptions and the behavioral atmosphere change the way people act, react and engage. Commander Lauren Milburn is one of the Royal Australian Navy’s culture and communication leaders. Her job requires steel, grit and a level of self awareness obtained …

16 years old, fleeing a brutal civil war, Zena Safa found herself stateless, trapped and without hope in a remarkable story of courage, tragedy and devastating sacrifice. In 2011, Zena, her father and her mother were forced to flee a war-torn Libya. Thousands of innocent civilians were killed in the war, one which lasted more than 8-months. Zena’s …

A catastrophic fire aboard the International Space Station, how do the astronauts deal with this critical emergency? Andrea Boyd is a voice from Earth for those aboard the ISS, and someone who is trained and skilled in dealing with some of the world's most critical engineering challenges. As a Flight Operations Engineer, it's Andrea's job to handle…

At just 25 years old, after a horrific car accident, Dinesh Palipana became a quadriplegic. Since then, Dinesh has become one of the most accomplished, recognised and admired figures in Australian medicine. Dinesh lost the use of his lower body, and a large degree of function in his arms and hands. It was the beginning of a new phase of life, one t…

The Global Financial Crisis shattered the economic system. It destroyed communities, lives, businesses and governments, and the effects are still being felt, even today. The result and fallout of the largest global recession since the 1930s was left to governments, ministers and leaders, with some of the biggest decisions the modern world had ever …

Isolated, below freezing temperatures, and relied upon as the lone doctor in an Antarctic Research Facility. A select group of researchers and scientists travel to Antarctica to conduct experiments and study the land - an even more select group of people are tasked with keeping them safe. Each year, a single doctor is appointed to the Davis Researc…

An integral part of one of Australia’s greatest ever sporting moments - yet four years prior, Olympic Gold Medalist Bill Kirby was close to quitting the sport, and potentially ending his life. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Bill Kirby was the fourth and final swimmer in Australia’s historic 4x200m freestyle relay victory, setting a new world record a…

200ft to 50ft, to scraping raging waters in order to rescue a stranded sailor is just one example of how Navy helicopter pilots are some of the most skilled and courageous members of our military. Natalee Johnston was one of those incredible pilots. Joining the Navy in the late 1990s, Natalee was an historically excellent pilot, and was part of the…

One of the world's next cricketing stars. Tasked with playing a part in the future of Australia's most prestigious team, Will Pucovski is expected by many to take the torch from the most recent generation and help lift the country back to its former, and nationally assumed position as the best team in the world. Compared to Ricky Ponting, Justin La…

7,000 calls a day, 12 a second. Unrelenting, call after call, each with the possibility of being a life changing moment. 000 operators are the first point of contact for when Australian’s face a life or death moment. The expectations to perform are unyielding and the consequences if you don’t, are fatal. Taylor faces those expectations and conseque…

Operating in a specialty that has no margin for error, in a field that demands an inhuman attention to detail and a resilience that few can sustain. Surgery, and especially paediatric surgery requires a careful and considered understanding of risk. Deciding when and when not to operate, taking the evidence available, forming a conclusion and making…

Shot down and laying in a muddy killing field, surrounded by a barrage of enemy machine gun fire, Don Tate, a man who’s sacrifice goes far beyond that of human expectation, had the thoughts and memories of a horrifying nine month tour of Vietnam flash before his eyes. Deploying in 1968, Don served as a rifleman during the Vietnam war. His story is …

Millions of people watching, hanging on your every word. What you say next will be played countless times, acting as a moment in history for your country and the world. Simon Hill has faced these moments hundreds of times before, commentating World Cups, Champions Leagues and Asian Cups, acting as the voice of Australian Soccer for more than 20 yea…

What do the world’s best do when it all comes crashing down? What is someone like Roger Federer doing to stay focused, balanced and healthy? Executive life coach Shannah Kennedy chats with Dr Chris Maguire about her time working with the world’s elite, and how the mistakes and lessons learnt along the way saved her and are now saving her clients. S…

How does an Olympic diver do what they do? What does it take to leap, twist, contort and land with perfection in a matter milliseconds? On this episode of The Risk Equation, Sam Fricker, an Australian diver, aims to give us an insight. The Risk Equation is a weekly podcast hosted by paediatric surgical registrar Dr Chris Maguire. The show is a cons…