If you thought you were too over the hill to have a go at a grueling sport, think again. Grant Maughan didn’t even consider age when he dove headfirst into ultra-endurance events at the mature age of 47.

A kid from Australia with energy to burn, Grant forged his own path from his early years that inadvertently led him to ultra-running, Ironmans, and high-altitude mountaineering at an age when most people's sports gear is already collecting cobwebs.

After leaving school, his main focus was seeing what was over the horizon and he immersed himself in adventures in between. From backbreaking, dangerously crazy labor on deep-sea fishing vessels, getting pummeled by giant surf, riding motorcycles across deserts, and traveling to far-flung corners, the destination was always second fiddle to the journey along the way.

Endurance sports are becoming the bastion of middle-agers and weekend warriors looking to prove their own mettle and form a bond with health and fitness that becomes a lifestyle, rather than a chore. But Maughan also believes these endeavors lead to a greater appreciation of your life and the rounding out of your personality. Grant is proof of that.

Hang on tight as you follow the author on his own mid-life pilgrimage navigating a brake-free wild ride to lace up, get outdoors, and challenge his own doubts. Starting with the humble marathon in his late forties and working up to completing dozens of the world’s toughest endurance races across the hottest and coldest tracts of the planet, while climbing some of the highest mountains on the globe in between.

Eschewing age as a barrier, a blind eye, a fear of heights, and a seafaring career that doesn’t allow much opportunity for training, it all boils down to a simple ethos: just have a go!