#68 - Lena Drapella: Expedition Photographer Who Dropped Everything For Rock Climbing
Lena Drapella is a professional climbing photographer and the first female photographer for World Climbing who recently sailed from Iceland to East Greenland to climb a new route on the third largest wall in the world.
In this conversation, we talk about:
How discovering rock climbing at university derailed a perfectly good plan to study furniture design in Paris
How she built a career photographing the world's best climbers and why the industry is brutal
What a world-class adventure photographer is actually looking for when she takes a photo
Why pursuing your own dream can start to feel selfish and what to do when it does
Why leaving the city for North Wales was the best decision she ever made
Find Lena’s website here:https://www.lenadrapella.com/
(https://www.lenadrapella.com/)
Find Lena here:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lenadrapella/ (https://www.instagram.com/lenadrapella/)
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lena-drapella-131112136/?isSelfProfile=false (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lena-drapella-131112136/?isSelfProfile=false)
Thank you
8 Oct 2026
#67 - Emily Penn: Ocean Explorer Researches Why Plastic Is In Your Blood
Emily Penn is a sailor, ocean advocate and founder of eXXpedition, which runs ocean-focused research missions and all-women sailing expeditions to study plastic pollution across the entire world's oceans.
In this conversation, we talk about:
How sailing from Europe to Australia and finding plastic 800 miles from civilisation changed the course of her life
Why 29 out of 35 UN-banned toxic chemicals were found in her own blood
How she traded a career in architecture for a life at sea by pitching her skills rather than her experience
Why bottled water contains more microplastics than tap water
Why she spent her twenties gaining experience with no salary
Apply to join an all-women crew here:
https://exxpedition.com/apply/
(https://exxpedition.com/apply/)
Emily’s website is here:
https://www.emilypenn.com/
(https://www.emilypenn.com/)
You can find Emily here:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/missemilypenn/ (https://www.instagram.com/missemilypenn/)
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilypenn/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilypenn/)
Thank you
1 Oct 2026
#66 - Ann Daniels: The Single Mother Of Triplets Who Walked To Both Poles
Ann Daniels is a polar explorer and world record holder for being part of the first all-female team to walk to both the North and South Poles, who went on to conduct Arctic scientific research for NASA and the European Space Agency.
In this conversation, we talk about:
Responding to an advert for ordinary women to walk to the North Pole while going through a divorce with triplets at home
How to take the first step when you feel completely stuck in life
Carrying on after a teammate was evacuated with frostbite and gangrene on day 47
How she negotiated a wage when nobody was paying explorers, to fund her expeditions as a single mother
Why you do not need to be the best in the world to live a life worth being proud of
Ann Daniels website is here:
https://www.anndaniels.com/ (https://www.anndaniels.com/)
You can find Ann here:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anndanielsgb/ (https://www.instagram.com/anndanielsgb/)
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anndanielsgb/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/anndanielsgb/)
Thank you
Who has been a guest on Off Grid
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Ryan Faber
Jamie White
Dom Buckle
Jake Billsberry-Hawkins
Reach and audience
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YouTube views
2,354,548
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
4.9 / 5
36 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 40 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
43
Social presence
0
YouTube
93
Engagement
0
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