Either You Suck Or You Don't

22-05-25

Meet Will Gadd — ice climber, paraglider, Red Bull and Arc’teryx athlete, and one of the most respected figures in the world of extreme sports. In this special live episode recorded at the ArcTeryx festival in Squamish, we go off-script in front of a packed crowd to talk about the real cost of living on the edge. From mental toughness and emotional endurance to the unglamorous side of athletic life, Will brings brutal honesty, hard-won wisdom, and a refreshing take on risk and resilience.

Welcome to another episode of the Alchemy Podcast: not your average freediving podcast. My name is Luca Malaguti, and I will be your host for another wild episode.

In this episode, we have something unique and unusual: one of the world's top climbers joining us here: Will Gadd. I sat down for a live, unscripted event in Squamish, British Columbia (the outdoor sports capital of Canada) with Will during the ArcTeryx festival.

This last-minute event turned out to be a local hit among the outdoors crowd of Squamish with over 100 people showing up and tuning in. All the proceeds for this live event went directly to The Power of Play, a local charity that builds playgrounds for children in war-torn countries. 

Will and I sat down, unscripted, in front of a beautiful crowd and just went straight into it from the first minute: talking about the good, the bad, and the ugly side of extreme sports. We touched on sports psychology, mental training, the difficulties of a sports/athlete life, and the loss/pain/suffering that naturally come with it. 

Will Gadd is a Red Bull and ArcTeryx athlete and arguably one of the best all-around climbers in the world. The most fascinating part of his aura, however, is his approach to safety, risk, and the mental game of extreme situations.