Definitely Not the Opera

What happened when you pushed your limits?

New year, new challenges! For the first episode of 2014, DNTO is featuring the incredible stories of people pushed to their limits - and what they learned about themselves in the process.

DNTO Jan. 11 / 21

New year, new challenges! For the first episode of 2014, DNTO is featuring the incredible stories of people pushed to their limits - and what they learned about themselves in the process. 

From canoeing across the country, to breaking in to a boardroom full of business barons, the moments when we go beyond our comfort zone can be both terrifying and thrilling.
On this week's show:

We kick off with a real-life superman story. One summer night in Tucson, Arizona, Tom Boyle was called on to rescue a young man, pinned under a car and screaming for help. He shares his teeth-popping feat of strength, which is being studied to this day.

Sook-Yin hits the street with her handy-dandy recorder to challenge Canadians to push their limits - by singing a song on national radio. 

Pam and Geoff sm.jpg
For most folks, a relaxing family vacation would be a trip to the beach. So why did  Pam and Geoff MacDonald decide to spend every summer canoeing across the country - with their two toddlers in tow? They'll share their story of pushing their limits through pampers and paddles. 




Michelle Thrush sm.jpg
Michelle Thrush is a respected Cree actress, best known for her role in the television series Blackstone. And as a performer, she's used to delivering in front of a room full of people. But when she decided to sneak into a boardroom of business barons - to take a stand for indigenous people - she had to push herself in a whole new way. 


Tim Hague sm.jpg
When Tim Hague Sr. found out he won a coveted slot on the Amazing Race Canada, his first question was: can I physically do this? The Winnipegger is a perfectly fit guy - but he also has Parkinson's disease. Tim will tell us how he faced his biggest challenge of the race, on a frozen hillside in Iqaluit.



Jane Christmas sm.jpg
Best-selling author Jane Christmas has always secretly played with the idea of becoming a nun. And after marrying, having children, and going through a divorce, she figured that it was now or never. So she joined a convent, having no idea how difficult her spiritual quest would be. 








Carla Bensen and Jeff Wilson met on OK Cupid. They live very different lives, but have one important thing in common: a love for pushing their limits. So, after chatting for a few weeks, they decided to meet in person and schedule their epic first date: a flight to Istanbul, followed by a zig-zagging adventure across Europe. 

OK Cupid Jeff and Clara sm.jpg

Sarah Mian sm.jpg
A few years ago, Sarah Mian was having a rough go of it. She'd gone through a series of breakups, was a little lost, and couldn't get out of the funk she was in. That was when roller derby came along, and Foxy Roller #69 was born. 









TA.jpg
From workout plans to meditation, we all prepare for challenges in different ways. But when educator and adventurer T.A. Loeffler decided to climb the highest peak in North America, she decided to prepare in a different way. Find out how a fanny pack and a pair of comically large mittens helped her scale the summit. 




Dan Plan.jpg
Malcolm Gladwell famously theorized that the only thing you need to become the best at anything is 10,000 hours of practice. Dan McLaughlin decided to take that challenge and become a pro at golf - a sport he'd never tried before. We'll find out how Dan's 10,000 hour plan is working out. 






This week's playlist:
Lindy Vopnfjörð - The Limit
Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire
Chromeo - Come Alive
Royal Wood - Forever and Ever 
Wailin' Jennys - One Voice
Joel Plaskett Emergency - Nowhere With You
Kate Cooper - Flood
Serena Ryder - What I Wouldn't Do