What prepares someone to survive the unthinkable? For renowned polar explorer Eric Larsen, it wasn’t hope or heroism—it was hardship. From the punishing silence of the Arctic to the staggering indifference of a cancer diagnosis, Eric’s life has been shaped by brutal extremes.

In this profound episode of Alive Again, Eric shares how the mindset forged in the most hostile places on Earth—enduring one step at a time, reframing suffering as growth, and confronting fear without flinching—became his unexpected survival guide through cancer.

With striking honesty and humility, Eric reflects on how the same resilience that drove him across frozen continents helped him face mortality, and how—despite the emptiness he encountered—he discovered something deeply human: that compassion is the connective tissue between life and death.

This is not just a survival story. It’s a testament to the human spirit, a meditation on suffering, and a powerful reminder that even at the edge of the world, we are never truly alone.

To learn more about Eric and his work, go to ericlarsenexplore.com

* If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we’d love to hear your story. Please email us at aliveagainproject@gmail.com

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His miraculous survival story became the subject of Danny Boyle’s film 127 Hours—but what happened inside Aron’s mind and spirit during that ordeal is even more profound.

In 2003, Aron Ralston was trapped alone in a remote Utah canyon for nearly six days with his right arm pinned beneath an 800-pound boulder. In this episode of Alive Again, the man who cut off his own arm to live shares the transformation that made him more whole than ever before.

Aron recounts the vision that gave him the courage to survive, the moment he saw his future son, and the paradox of how intense suffering gave birth to overwhelming gratitude. As his body teetered on the edge of death, his consciousness expanded beyond it, leading to a radical reordering of what it means to be alive. This is not just a story of survival; it’s a story of spiritual awakening.

Story Producer: Dan Bush

For more about Aron’s adventures and advocacy, go to www.aronralstonspeaker.com

* If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we’d love to hear your story. Please email us at aliveagainproject@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Delaney Tarr survived the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, her life split in two. One part became instantly visible: the fiery, articulate youth activist who co-founded March for Our Lives and stood on national stages demanding change. The other part—quieter, more complicated—was still inside the girl who had to hide in a closet and text her parents goodbye while her classmates were being murdered.

In this raw and fiercely poetic episode of Alive Again, Delaney recounts her experience in two acts: a spellbinding live performance at Write Club Atlanta, followed by an intimate studio conversation. With striking metaphors—like the lifecycle of a fig or the stench of rotting flowers—Delaney reflects on trauma, identity, media scrutiny, and the strange burden of becoming a symbol before she had time to grieve.

And just weeks after recording this, Delaney’s younger sister survived a school shooting of her own, echoing the tragedy that upended Delaney’s life nearly seven years earlier. The cycle continues. But so does Delaney.

This is not just a story about surviving a mass shooting—it's about the rot that remains, the uncomfortable beauty in grief, and what it means to carry a cause through years of transformation.

Story producer: Nicholas Tecosky

Learn More:
Delaney is a freelance writer, reporter, and photographer based in Atlanta, GA. You can explore her work and advocacy at delaneytarr.wordpress.com

You can follow Delaney on Instagram and X: @delaneytarr

To find out more about March for Our Lives and to support the movement: marchforourlives.com

* If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we’d love to hear your story. Please email us at aliveagainproject@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.