All language subtitles for Limitless.Live.Better.Now.S02E03.WEBRip.en.cc

[engine noise]

-Do you wanna try
Mum's bike,

because it's got
better suspension?

If she falls off or
something goes wrong,

it's entirely my fault.

When I see my
kids do crazy things and

wild stunts and take risks,
and they're completely

immersed in an experience,
I have a wonderful sense

of pride and appreciation,

and a huge
amount of jealousy.

Mostly jealousy.

I think the older
I've gotten and the more

familiar things
have become,

I've found myself
missing some of that sense

of joy and play that
I had when I was a kid,

and I'm yearning for that.

I wanna experience
things the way my kids do.

And I've discovered there's
meaningful health benefits

from doing
exactly that.

So I wanna learning
the secrets from people

who have never lost that
childlike approach to life.

Extreme athletes.

The incredible free
climbers I admire,

the top stuntmen I work with,

and my daredevil mates
like Robbie Maddison.

-Yes, Robbie!

-So, Robbie is a hero of
mine and a hero to my kids.

[crowd noise]

He's done probably
the most amount of extreme,

impressive stunts.

More than
anyone on the planet,

and he seems to have
such a blast doing it.

Woo!

-How was that stunt team?

-That was so good!
-Yeah. That was sick.

[♪ upbeat music playing]

-I miss this level of like,
fearlessness, you know?

You watch the way
kids approach things,

and it's a kind of
complete disregard for,

for safety and, but they
seem to figure it out.

There's a resilience
that's built there.

Something very
freeing, you know,

and the more
we have comfort,

the less we put ourselves
in situations that might be

slightly intimidating.

You can begin to
kind of shut down,

you know, you just
do less and less.

-I mean, what do you
do to get that again?

-I'm looking.

I'm on the hunt for
something new, for a,

for a new experience.

-I think the best
way to experience,

I think what our kids
are experiencing right now

is to step out of
the comfort zone of what

you're used to and just
try something totally new.

But there has to be an
element of risk there.

-So I'll do something
intense, something new.

[heavy breathing]

-Something I haven't
been exposed to before.

[Robbie] 100%.

[heavy breathing].

[♪ suspenseful music playing]

[helicopter rotors whirring]

[Chris] On my mission to
recapture the thrill my

daring kids get from
pushing their limits,

I need to take on
something that challenges

both my mind and my body.

It needs to be something
new and unfamiliar.

And it needs to be
risky enough to force me

well outside
my comfort zone.

After hunting
around for a few months,

I found this dam wall.

It's about
200 meters high.

It's in Switzerland,

and it looks
incredibly challenging,

and I'm gonna attempt
to climb it on my own,

in the middle of winter.

I'm not built
like a climber,

I haven't had a whole lot
of experience rock climbing.

I don't necessarily
love heights or the

likelihood of failure.

So, this definitely
feels like a new adventure.

This isn't just
about the dare.

Now there's emerging
science about the rewards

we get when we take on
challenges we'd rather avoid.

So, I'm working with
leading neuroscientist,

Professor Abigail Marsh.

-So, how you feeling
about the climb?

-There's a lot
of unknowns.

You know, I think the
highest wall that I've

rock climbed is
probably 50 meters,

and that felt really high.

This is, this is
a lot different,

and the conditions are
dramatically different to that.

-Well, tell me, why is it
that you wanna do this?

-You know, I, I watch my
kids and the ability to

just sort of immerse
themselves in that one thing.

-Yeah.

-Whether it be
surfing or fishing,

or fighting with
each other, you know,

the complete kind of like,
that moment is the only

thing that exists.

I think the older
I've gotten,

I've found myself in
less situations that have

brought me that feeling.

-I think a lot of adults,
when they're watching kids

playing and enjoying life,
feel a little envious about

their sense of excitement
and curiosity and joy,

of doing all these
new and exciting things,

and um I think
a lot of us wish that

we could recapture that.

-Why is it the
older we get,

we tend to avoid
those type of activities?

-So like, novel,
difficult situations...

-Yeah.

-Can be framed two
different ways, right?

They can be framed
as a threat, right,

an opportunity
for failure,

and I think that's
easier the older we get,

but the way that
kids think...

-Yeah.
-Is it's a challenge.

It's like I haven't
done this before...

-Yeah.
-Let's see what I can do.

-Yeah.

-I think that is what is
involved in the transition

from childhood
to adulthood,

increasing what
you're capable of.

-Right.

-And how you're able
to be independent.

So, kids' brains are
pushing them to do that.

-Yeah, absolutely.

-Kids are motivated to
seek out new risks and

challenges because
their brains are more

sensitive to dopamine,
which is a chemical that

motivates us
to try novel,

exciting, and
even risky things.

[Chris] Look inside a
kid's brain and you'll

see a dopamine
system in overdrive,

sparking curiosity
and a drive to explore.

But as we age, that
dopamine sensitivity

drops by about
10% per decade.

The exception seems to
be the extreme athletes who

enjoy high-risk
activities.

Research suggests
they have a more active

dopamine system
compared to other adults.

The good news
for the rest of us,

tackling tough challenges can
spark that dopamine response,

bringing back the
thrill we felt as kids,

which can boost our
psychological health

and wellbeing.

-Greater wellbeing is
associated with a reduced

risk of chronic disease,
better immune functioning,

and even longer lifespan,
with one study suggesting

that increased
wellbeing may increase

lifespan by
up to 10 years.

[Chris] So, what if one
of the secrets to living

better now is
acting younger?

And the key to
acting younger is daring

to push ourselves
beyond our limits.

I feel like I
underestimated this one.

-I'm glad it's
you and not me.

If I'm looking
at it, I'm like,

"I don't know if I,
I could do that."

-Oh, I'm sure
you'd figure it out.

Abi's not the only
person I've enlisted

for this challenge.

Seeing as Robbie is
such an inspiration to me,

I've roped him
along for guidance,

and for technical
and safety advice,

I've got Percy Bishton,
one of the world's leading

wall climbers.

-So, this climb's
the longest artificial

climb in the world.

-Good.

-So yeah, it takes between
two and four hours for

a competent pair of
climbers to do this.

That's in the summer.

Obviously, it's February.

We're in the
Swiss Alps,

and it's cold.

There's snow and ice.

-Yeah.

-And so you need to
be able to keep moving.

-Yeah.

-The other thing which
is unique for you is that

you're not climbing
with anyone.

You're gonna
climb on your own.

-How do you feel about it?

-I'm well aware of, um,
the difficulties of it,

uh, well aware
that the, you know,

the height and the
fear may come into,

into this scenario.

-I think the challenge
is gonna be...

A: Getting on
top of your fear.

-Yeah.

-And, and
the fact that it's

a very intimidating
environment.

Shall we, uh?

-Oh wow!

-Check it out,
see how, see how,

see how long it's
gonna take to land.

-Urgh!

I don't know why
it makes me feel sick!

-Here it comes.

[smashing into ground]

-Wow.

-Oh, yeah, can I
wear a parachute?

-No, go on, grab
yourself a block.

-Bombs away.

Hurgh!

Oh!

[laughter]

That feels weird.

A lot of things are going
through my head at this point.

There's a huge
amount of discomfort.

It, it's the first time
I'm feeling some fear,

I suppose.

Oh, the explosion.

Uh, I know that the
longer I stand here and

look at this and consider
all the ways of how it

can go wrong,
I'm gonna, you know,

talk myself out of it.

I'm thinking
about it too much.

Let's just get going.

-On one level,
of course,

climbing with appropriate
safety equipment and

procedures is not
actually dangerous,

but I don't think it's
remotely plausible that

anybody wouldn't feel
terrified in a situation

on a wall that
steep and that vertical.

[Chris] But if we wanna
reap the health benefits

of trying something
new and challenging,

we can't let anxiety
or fear get in the way.

So, I've enlisted the
help of my long-time

stunt double and good mate,
Bobby Hanton.

Show off.

Bobby is an ex-gymnast,
uh, and ex-diver,

and now is one of the
best stuntmen in the world.

Bobby has taught me to do some
really crazy stunts in movies,

but the really,
really crazy stuff...

I let Bobby take over.

And when Bobby's confronted
with a crazy stunt,

he's like a big kid.

Nice one, Bobby!

What are we doing here?

I got my mask and
snorkel, and my flippers,

and my floaties.

-You don't need any of that.
-Don't need any of that, no?

The purpose of today
is some rock climbing

training and some
exposure to heights.

To start with, Bobby
takes me up to the

very top board at
10 meters, or 30 feet,

to gauge my reaction.

-I wouldn't say
I'm scared of heights,

but I wouldn't say
I love them either.

But interesting enough,
you know, when I was a kid,

I would do somersaults
off that thing.

Urgh!

[Abigail] In adults' brains,
there's a fully developed

region called the
prefrontal cortex,

and that is the part of
the brain that is engaged in

worrying about consequences.

But kids' brains are
built pretty differently

than adult brains.

Adolescents do a lot more
thrill-seeking behaviors

than adults do because
their prefrontal cortex

has not yet
fully developed.

[Bobby] Come on, boy.

Good.

-The nice thing is,
even adults can learn to

regulate the activity in
those prefrontal regions

to help them try to
recapture some of the

fun that kids have.

-We good?

Yeah, Bobby.

[Bobby] Nice and tight to you.

Looked like a
good entry to me.

I didn't see a splash.

[whistles]

-So, I need to
work my way back up to

the top board in stages.

It's not by any means the
most crazy stunt thing to do.

-We've done, we've built
up from each platform now,

and you're, the
repetition's there.

You know exactly
what you're doing.

Keep nice and tight,
arms tight, legs tight.

-I feel weird there.

I'm just overthinking
it, you know,

and I'm considering
all the bad scenarios and,

and it's not even a
dangerous environment.

-The only way to
reduce your response is

to actually be
in the situation,

learn through experience
that you can handle it,

that it actually
turned out okay,

and that unlearning
will then carry forward

the next time you're in
a similar risky situation.

[♪ suspenseful music playing]

-Then, once I've done
it, it was like, cool.

I do get a real
thrill from it.

But there's a world
of difference between

a diving board...

...And a nearly 200-meter,
540-foot wall.

[Percy] It doesn't
look that bad from here.

-It does, it does.

[laughs]

-It looks, it
tends to be flush on,

but if you can
break it down,

you can see a
five-pitch climb.

-Yeah.

[Percy] It's a lot
bigger than it looks.

[Chris] No, it looks
big, don't worry.

I'm beginning to
dissect the problem and

the challenge
and attempting to,

to compute whether this
is even possible in any way,

shape, or form.

-Ah, here you
go, you can see.

If you look through,
mate, you'll probably see

there's a metal grid,
so that's what the top of

each pitch looks like.

-Yeah.

-So when you get to
the top of a pitch,

normally there's
a good hold there,

you can stand
on the ledge.

You can just take
a minute to breathe.

[gasps]

-Yep.

-Get, get centered and then
start on the next pitch.

Try and give your arms as
much of a breather as you can,

'cause when you get to the top,

you'll need them.

-Okay, cool.

[Percy] The first
two pitches,

you can get
into the climbing.

What you'll find is that as
the sun comes onto the wall,

it's warmer
at the top.

-Yeah.

-And it just stays
cold at the bottom.

The cold air sits here,
and the holds are kind of,

they're super cold.

-It's incredibly cold,
like I'm actually looking

at the dam and
I'm starting to shiver,

you know, and
I'm thinking,

how am I gonna spend an
hour or two on that wall?

-So, the bottom section,
that's your warm-up.

The middle part is
more thinking about it.

It's gonna be a bit
lonely in there.

-Yeah.

-You know, in the
middle of the wall,

you're 80 meters
from the floor.

-Yeah.

-There's nothing
else around you.

It's a special
environment.

It's quite intimidating.

-I'm considering
how the vertigo and

the adrenaline,
the fear of heights,

is gonna come into play.

There's kind of
sensory overload.

[Percy] And then
the last 80 meters.

-Move.

-That's where
it's overhanging.

What we call
a crux section,

the most difficult
part of the climb.

That's when you're gun
it to the top 'cause

you'll see the sky.

-Yeah.

-Everyone's waiting
for you at the top.

-And that's when it
gets harder, too, right?

-Yeah, because of
the shape of the dam,

at the top,
it's overhanging.

You wanna be, be moving
then 'cause you're just

gonna do it in
one big push.

[Chris] Yeah.

[Percy] Which is not something
that anyone ever does.

[Chris] I'm worried about
the physical exhaustion,

to be honest.

[Robbie] I just know from
climbing myself how hard

it is on your fingers,
on your arms.

Once he gets past
midway, that's like,

that's almost
inverted on itself.

-No one ever does
it like this,

and no one ever does
it this time of year,

so it's gonna be tough.

-A lot of respect
for you, mate.

[Chris] These kinds
of challenges aren't

about proving we
can do something tough.

They're about finding
something we seem to

lose as we get older.

A childlike belief that
anything is possible.

To get a little
closer to that spirit,

I've been training
with one of the greatest

extreme athletes on earth.

Steph Davis is a
legendary climber,

base jumper,
and wingsuit flyer.

She doesn't just
face the impossible;

she goes looking for it.

-This is Cala Sa Nau.

It's kinda like
the prime location for

deep water soloing.

-What is deep
water soloing?

-Oksy, so you have
no rope, soloing.

-Yep.

-But instead of you fall,
you hit the ground,

the end.

-You hit the water.

-You fall, you hit
the water, exactly.

It's gonna be scary,
it's intense.

There is some
risk associated,

but you can train for it.

You can have fun with it.

When I started climbing,
it was a really big shift.

I was in college.

I got a Master's degree,
and then that was kind of

a breakpoint where I
made the decision to say,

"Okay, I'm stopping
the academic path."

So I left and then
moved into my car and

became a full-time climber.

I think I was just
really drawn by curiosity

and excitement of it.

For me, the whole
world's a playground and

I've never stopped playing.

There's a mindset
that I have that seems to

be different than
for many other people.

-What's different about
extreme athletes that is

similar in adolescence
is that they have this very

high dopamine activity,
and so they're really

attuned to the rewards
from doing risky and

challenging things,
and they're motivated to do

them despite the risks,
not because they're not

aware of the risks.

The good news is that
being in that frame of mind,

it's something that
we can all tap into.

[Steph] The plan with Chris is
to first teach him the route,

with ropes.

This is an opportunity
for him to go down and

see the route he's
gonna have to climb.

Then we take away
the safety gear.

It's about helping
him climb with the same

freedom and
flexibility that kids have.

Because the thing that
gets in most people's way

isn't their technique.

It's the storm
inside their head.

[Steph] So, the reason
we're here...

[Chris] Yeah.

[Steph] Is for you to experience
the start of the route.

[Chris] Yeah.

-What you're gonna have
to do is actually climb off

the boat onto the rock.

-Yeah, onto here, okay.

[Steph] If you look where your
rope is going right now.

[Chris] Yeah, that's it, eh?

[Steph] That's that huge rest.

[Chris] Yeah.
[Steph] Right there.

So you don't have far to go
before you can go hands-free.

-Okay.

-Just a few moves.

-Yeah, it's
slippery, innit?

Ah!

-So slippery.

[Chris] It's intense, innit?

[Steph] Yeah!

Climbing tests your
emotions as much as your body.

The ones who
make it to the top

aren't always the strongest.

They're the ones who
can successfully flip the

script in their head.

Sometimes when
something's risky,

I might just say,

"Oh, that's complicated."

If I wanna say
something's impossible,

I might just say,
"I'm still working on that."

Sometimes when I'm
scared, I just say,

"That's exciting."

It's not about
hiding your emotions,

it's about turning
them into something

that moves you forward.

Some people find
that pride, frustration,

even anger, can be
turned into the fuel

that they need.

This is the crux of the...

[Chris] Yeah.

[Steph] Climb, because you're
gonna be the most tired here.

-The, the hardest part's
when you're the most tired.

Awesome.

[♪ suspenseful music playing]

-Yeah, yeah!
-Yeah!

Do you find that
each time you complete

something that
is hugely challenging,

there's emotional,
spiritual, physical growth?

-I believe that any time
you take on a big challenge,

you rise to
the occasion.

-You learn a little
something about yourself

that you didn't
know before, yeah.

-That changes you.

That gives you confidence.

Um, it kind of changes
how you go through life.

-Yeah, it makes the,
uh, day-to-day stresses

probably not so, uh,
intimidating, right?

-I think it's perspective,
"I did that."

-Yeah.

-Something else comes
along, I can do that.

-Mm-hm.
-I did it before.

Feels good.

[Abigail] Most of the stresses
that we face day to day

are not life or death.

They're things like
emails and missed deadlines,

but they can feel
overwhelming in the moment.

But here's the thing.

When we expose ourself
to challenges, over time,

it works a little bit
like a psychological vaccine.

It makes us
more resilient,

it makes us more
capable at handling

future challenges,
and as a result,

you don't sweat
the small stuff in daily

life quite as much.

[Chris] The key to
unlocking these benefits

for all of us seems to
be finding the edge of

our comfort zone.

[Steph] How do you feel?

-No, it's,
at this point,

I'm just trying to break
down everything we discussed,

what section I do what in.

[Steph] Exactly.

-Where the sort
of reach is...

[Steph] Yeah.

-Where the
hardest part is.

[Steph] If you feel it,
if you're confident,

if this is it,
just do it.

-Yeah. Cool.

[Steph] Yeah! Have
fun up there, okay?

I think for Chris, the
physical skill needed

is a certain amount,
and then there's the

psychological side.

[♪ suspenseful music playing]

[Chris] Oh!

[Steph] That feeling of
potential failure,

does it have to
be this bad thing?

No, it could be
a lot of things.

Sometimes it's kind of
like a little fire that

gives you the push.

[Chris] Oof-oof!

-How was that?
[Chris] It was good.

[Steph] Good job.

[splash]

[Chris] So, the
more we're doing,

the more we're climbing,

and the thing
that, you know,

I had some sort of
nervous energy about,

is completely playful and
full of joy at this point.

And I'm loving it.

[Steph] For me, physical
challenges like climbing

invite you to improvise,
to be fully present and

to reconnect to a
childlike way of being.

Nice! Awesome job.

That was perfect,
that was beautiful.

-Ah, thanks.

-So, the thing you're
kinda looking for is

that real fun that your
kids have on the bike.

Did you feel that?

-Yeah, absolutely.

'Cause actually, once you
don't have the rope there,

it's much easier to focus.

-Yeah.

[Chris] Us as kids, we don't,
we're not thinking about

all those other things,
we're far more present

and, and I see that with
my own kids, you know,

they're just in the moment,
they do things.

-Yeah.

-And sometimes it's
a little risky,

but most of the
time they're,

they're on it and their
instincts are in control.

-You're an adult.
-Yeah.

-You can't get rid
of all the stuff...

-Yeah.
-That's going on.

But you can manage all
that stuff, which you did,

and then once all that
stuff gets managed...

[Chris] Yeah.
[Steph] Now you can have fun.

[Chris] I'm starting
to have a different sort of

enthusiasm and, and
appreciation for the

climbing experience.

Which is a good thing,
because this dam wall

might be the hardest
challenge I've ever attempted.

-With a challenge this tough,
obviously training matters,

but sometimes in
these intense situations,

people can tap into
something extra and special,

which is something
called a flow state.

One of the things that's so
enjoyable about a flow state

is that you are
focusing completely on

what you are
doing in the moment.

Flow has a lot
of similarities to

a childlike state of mind.

You're just focusing
on the task at hand.

[Chris] Researchers believe
that during flow state,

prefrontal regions
of the brain involved

in overthinking
reduce inactivity.

At the same time,
dopamine floods the brain,

giving us a
profound sense of drive,

and boosting our focus.

When these changes
happen together,

we become fully
absorbed in the moment,

much like the
way kids are.

And this can allow us to
unlock our peak performance.

-When I first
saw the dam wall,

I thought he's gonna
experience flow here.

For me, flow state
all comes from these

challenging situations.

Time really
starts to stand still.

There's infinite things that
can happen in that moment.

It just seems
to last forever.

[crowd noise]

[Chris] Flow state
has always intrigued me.

The way it seems to
give superhuman abilities

to extreme
athletes like Robbie,

and it's an active area
of scientific research.

[Abigail] Alright, you ready
to meet the Zephyr system?

-The Zephyr system?
-The Zephyr system.

-Alright.

-This is gonna let us spy on
your innards during the climb.

-Cool.
-No, sorry, on here.

[Chris] Before the climb,

Abi is rigging
me up with sensors.

This cutting-edge tech may
reveal if I enter flow state

when I'm on the dam.

Put it there, or back...

-It should be like
about right there, yeah.

-Okay, cool.

-So, the Zephyr system
can capture both heart rate

and heart rate
variability.

We can see that both
of them are high or

both of them are
increasing in parallel.

That's a pretty good
index that a person might

be in a flow state.

-Well, mate,
it's final last words.

You got this.

[Chris] Yeah, I'm excited to
get into it now because

it's sort of, the
more you discuss it,

it starts to become the
thing you're trying to avoid,

which is that
overthinking,

lot of chatter
in the mind, you know,

the sort of
thought after thought.

-Yeah.

-And now I just wanna
be immersed in the experience,

get into
that flow state.

-Don't stress
on it, you know.

Like, just let
go of the thoughts,

of the emotions,

of the feelings and
just be at peace with it.

-That's right.
-Go and get it, brother.

-See you at the top.
-I'm excited for you.

[Chris] Approaching
the dam,

I'm acutely aware
of what is facing me.

The freezing conditions...

Alright.

...The fear I could feel if
I don't control my thoughts,

and the
physical demands.

I can see the handholds
and the path in which

I'm gonna have to climb.

And I feel like I'm
being swallowed by this huge,

giant concrete... entity.

[Percy] And we'll
see you at the top.

-See you at the top, mate.

I desperately want to get
out the way of myself and

just into the experience.

The same way that
the children do.

As I start the climb,
my two best mates,

Zocchi and Aaron turn up,

to offer a little
extra moral support.

-Abi, where do you
think he's gonna get to?

-I think he's gonna do it.
-He's gonna do it?

Okay, Zoc?

-He's gonna do it.

[Zocchi] I shouldn't
doubt my boy.

I hope to God he does it,
but I reckon he's gonna

get to the
start of the angle.

[heavy breathing]

-The first
two or three holds,

immediately I go,
"These things are freezing,"

and my fingers
are becoming stiff.

[heavy breathing]

It's like climbing
up blocks of ice.

I'm having to find
holds that allow, you know,

my hands to cup like this.

I feel like a, a baby seal
trying to claw my way up.

[gasps]

[Bleep].

I literally cannot
feel my fingers.

[heavy breathing]

I just say to myself,
"Just keep moving."

I've been told
that when I get

to the sunny
section of the wall,

it's dramatically
different,

so that becomes
my first major goal.

[heavy breathing]

[Robbie] I'm just seeing
Chris take these huge climbs

with his legs.

It looks like a
gorilla going up this tree,

and as he's going up,
I'm just like, man,

he's going too fast.

[Chris] Ugh! [Bleep].

-He said a
naughty word then.

[Chris] Aye-aye-aye.

-Naughty words
reduce pain.

[Chris] [Bleep].

[Aaron] If we
had a swear jar,

I'd be a millionaire
by the end of this.

[Chris] I'm huffing
and puffing.

[heavy breathing]

I'm nowhere
near the top.

Finally get to that
sunny patch of the wall.

[heavy breathing]

[Percy] Chris this is
a good place to just

take a breather, mate.

You just wanna
stand on the ledge.

[Chris] Yeah.

[Percy] Sit back in your
harness, if you want.

Shake your arms out,
get a bit of blood back.

[Chris] Yeah.

[Percy] You okay, mate?
How you feeling?

[Chris] Ah, yeah, good.

Arms are pumped.

[Percy] Okay, mate, don't
rest for too long, then.

You, if you wanna get
going, you just go, mate.

-Yeah, I'm in two minds.

I'm like, I don't
wanna rest too long,

but I'm also, uh, yeah,
my fingers are, uh...

feel like they've been
run over by a truck,

several times.

[heavy breathing]

I'm now at 60 meters,
or 200 feet,

and beginning a much
trickier stage of the

climb where I have
to ascend at an angle.

Go. Ah, Okay.

[panting]

So I take off
again in somewhat of

a sprint with the
assumption that, um,

I'm gonna get
there in record time.

[panting]

Ah! [Bleep].

And then I hit
maybe the halfway mark.

[heavy breathing]

I look down, and
I immediately get that

wave of like, terror.

It makes you
wanna throw up.

[heavy breathing]

Oh! [Bleep].

There is a out of
control voice that has a

twisted imagination
and I keep hearing my

harness come undone.

I keep checking my harness,
and at one point,

I reach down and
I'm tightening it,

and then I
immediately thought,

"What if I just
loosened it?"

And I'm looking up at
the rope and I'm like,

"What if it snaps?"

I think back to all the
training I've done with Bobby,

my stunt double and I know
I can overcome my fear,

my overthinking,
if I narrow my focus.

[heavy breathing]

One step at a time,
one hold at a time.

[Bleep].

[heavy breathing]

And I begin to
climb again and

then all of a sudden,

something really
beautiful is occurring.

I begin to notice,
in moments when I'm like,

there's no way
I can do this...

[panting]

I take a deep breath
and then I'm there.

I've gained another 10 or
so feet without even being

consciously aware of it.

There is a real
integration of thoughts

and emotions.

Like there's something
harmonious occurring.

-You know the
preparation,

you know the technique
and then it's all a matter

of allowing the subconscious
and your muscle memory

take over and
just kind of perform,

and that's really
when flow state happens.

[heavy breathing]

[Chris] I'm
feeling invigorated.

I'm looking up, thinking,
"Okay, I can do this,"

and then bam,
that's interrupted by...

Come on.

...Pure exhaustion.

[heavy breathing]

I'm approaching
the crux,

where the wall
starts to overhang...

[heavy breathing]

...And my body
is starting to fail me.

[gasps]

I don't think I've
ever felt this exhausted

and I'm now realizing that
I should have not been so

aggressively racing
to the finish line.

[laughs]

I think you're gonna have to
pull me up, my arms are [bleep].

Everything's cramped up.

Aye-ah!

Now the doubt
is coming in.

And it's funny what that
doubt does to the entire body.

[exhaling]

Ah!

[Bleep], [bleep], [bleep].

Ahh!

[heavy breathing]

Argh, just gotten to the
hardest point of the climb.

[panting]

[Bleep] I'm ready
to be done with this.

-He's at
breaking point now.

I'm thinking,
"Let's just rescue him,

let's just pull him up."

-Ah! [Bleep].

[panting]

Ah!

I know from my training
with Steph in Mallorca

that there's a way we can
reframe what we're feeling...

Ah!

...To drive
ourselves forward,

and what I find
in that moment...

is blind rage.

[panting]

Alright, there's
no quit at this point.

That, that
discussion's finished.

[groans]

I don't care how I
tear my fingernails off

in the process.

I'll bite these
holds if I have to.

I'm getting there.

[grunting]

Come on, now!

-It sounds like he's
really mad at the wall,

like he doesn't want
the wall to beat him.

[Chris] Aargh!

-There is something
interestingly adolescent

about getting really mad when
you can't reach your goal.

-Aargh!

[Abigail] And there's something
really beneficial about that.

-Aargh!

-Rage actually brings
out extra physical strength.

-Aargh!

[Robbie] There it is.
[Percy] There it is.

Almost there, mate.

[grunting]

[Chris] Let's go.

Aargh!

[grunting]

[Robbie] Come on Hem!

Yes!

Get up there!

[grunting]

[cheering]

[Percy] Yeah!
Come on! Mate! Yeah!

[laughter]

-Aargh!

-You've done it! Yeah! Woo!

[cheering and applause]

-Woo! Woo!

[groans]

[Percy]
Come on up, mate.

[Robbie] There it is.

Well done, go do it again.

[groans]

-Am I hooked
on something?

Ah! Oh my God!

Oh! Ah!

[Bleep].

-It would be an
understatement to say

I'm proud of Chris.

I'm like, so
stoked that he did this.

-Oh man.
-So inspiring.

-I think that's the hardest
thing I've ever done.

That was disgusting.

Oh! Ah!

I pretty much
collapsed into a heap but

I immediately feel
that elation,

that sense of
accomplishment.

-That was an effort.

-And it's pure
joy at that point.

-I am blown away by
what he just accomplished.

-There were points
where I was like,

"Oh, I cannot lift
myself on this next hold."

-Yeah.

-And then quiet,
take a breath,

and then I'd be three
meters beyond where

I thought it was and go,
"Oh, what just happened?"

[Robbie] Yeah.
-You know?

Just by how quickly things
would switch on and off.

[Robbie] Yeah.

[Abigail] Looking
at the heart rate data,

we can clearly see an increase
on heart rate variability,

as well as that
elevated heart rate,

which is consistent
with a flow state.

You can see those
five pitches.

-Mm.

-You can see it
go down at...

-Yeah.

-Each of those four rest spots,
but what's really cool is after,

right when you're
starting the third pitch,

your heart rate
variability is going up.

That is consistent
with more of a flow state,

and at least,
as an observer,

it looked like you were
really in a rhythm there.

-And it's funny,
it's not like, wow!

I've, for 20, 30 minutes,
I was in flow.

You really are
in and out of it,

like you were saying.

It's like there's
that discussion

and the next minute,

you know, you're
further up the wall.

It's kind of wild.

-Yeah, that was amazing.
[Chris] Oh!

The more sedentary
we've become,

the more choice we have,
we're not forced to,

you know,
challenge ourselves as much.

[Abigail] That was...

Pushing your limits and
seeking out new challenges

sometimes feels
uncomfortable...

[Chris] Oh.

[Zocchi] I never doubted you.
I never doubted you.

-But there's a good chance
that it will make you happier

and could even lead to a
healthier and longer life.

-Life is sitting here in
front of us and welcoming

all of us to dive in
and experience everything

on offer in
every shape and form.

Whether it's
playing chess,

whether it's playing
a musical instrument,

playing with your kids,
or base jumping,

rock climbing,
surfing a 100-foot wave,

we have to live with
passion and commitment...

Ooh, you alright, babe?

...And embrace all of it.

Do you love riding?

-In the air with the
wind in your face,

it's so good.

-Whenever I go over
a jump it's like,

what happens, happens.

When I started this,
I wanted to recapture that

adventurous spirit
that we see in our kids,

and I don't know,
maybe that brings out the

child in me again, you know?

We've come sort of
full circle and I'm now

learning from them.

I think that's
what it's about.

Woo!

Because the
growth that occurs through

any challenging experience
is really what we seek.

[♪ upbeat music playing]