187 {Sarah Davis Pt 1} Facing hippos, rapids and near death experiences on the Nile episode artwork

EPISODE · Oct 19, 2025 · 1H 14M

187 {Sarah Davis Pt 1} Facing hippos, rapids and near death experiences on the Nile

from Challenges That Change Us

SINGAPORE workshop : Engagement and burnout in the workplace INDIA workshop: High Performance Leadership SummitTo sign up for our difficult conversations and workplace culture workshop go here.Imagine being an introvert who works in banking and deciding to be the first women to lead an expedition down the Nile where you face attacks from crocodiles, hippo’s and more.That’s what happened to Sarah Davis who, in her forties and in search of more out of life, she decided to step away from her corporate life & attempt to paddle the length of the Nile.She survived hippo attacks, being arrested & detained in Burundi & running lethal rapids. Now, her expeditions in Oman, Australia and more have given Sarah insights into what it takes to overcome fear, thrive through uncertainty & succeed in challenging environments. Her best-selling book, Paddle the Nile: One Woman's Search For a Life Less Ordinary was published in July 2022.In this episode she shares:How she was a desperately shy and quite childWhat brought her to AustraliaThe vulnerability she felt from sharing her blogWhat happened when her passport got stolenHer experience going back into bankingWhy she decided to pursue an expeditionThe risks and preparation she had to learn aboutWhat she did in advance to mitigate the risksSeeing big white bags of contraband next to the riverHow the rapids worried her due to a near drowning experienceHer experience being attacked by a hippo on day 6The pep talk she gave herself to get throughThe other challenges she encountered on the expeditionGetting food poisoning the day before the last dayThe lessons she now carries with herKey Quotes“I felt like I had a really beautiful piece of clothing that just didn't suit me.”“The intel we got was that they were going to detain me if I went there.”“This huge hippo’s bitten into the back of the raft. I'd never felt real primal fear before.”More about SarahFind out more about Sarah via her website, Instagram and LinkedIn.You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: [email protected] check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.comIf you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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187 {Sarah Davis Pt 1} Facing hippos, rapids and near death experiences on the Nile

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