Travel Grit

Bernie Harberts

Conversations with ramblers, roamers and free spirits.

Episodes

  1. 12/12/2025

    Reza Baluchi: Running Across Oceans

    Reza Baluchi is attempting the impossible: running 21,000 miles across the world's oceans in a human-powered vessel called a hydropod. In this Travel Grit interview, Reza calls in from Taiwan at midnight, where he's making final preparations for his fifth-generation hydropod—a 12-foot wheel he powers by running inside like a hamster wheel. He plans to launch in December, heading south through the South China Sea, then west through the Red Sea and Mediterranean, before crossing the Atlantic back to America. But this isn't his first attempt. The U.S. Coast Guard has stopped him several times, damaged one of his hydropods, arrested him, and even sent him to a mental hospital. Now he's launching from Asia—beyond their jurisdiction. Reza's story is one of relentless determination. Born in Iran, he was tortured and imprisoned for 18 months before escaping as a young cyclist. He's since run 150,000 miles across continents—including around Taiwan in just 15 days. "If you have a dream, you must follow your dream," he says. "Dream no coming after you." In this conversation, Reza explains: - How the hydropod works and why it can't sink - His survival plan: 2,000 pounds of food, energy bars, and fishing - What happened during his arrests and Coast Guard encounters - The philosophy that keeps him going after every failure At 52, after being stopped, arrested, and told his dream is impossible, Reza is ready to push his hydropod into the Pacific and start running. More about Reza: RunWithReza.tv Full article: https://travelgrit.com/reza-baluchi-running-across-the-ocean-in-a-hydropod-without-getting-caught/ #RezaBaluchi #Hydropod #OceanCrossing #HumanPowered #Adventure #Endurance #TravelGrit

    51 min

About

Conversations with ramblers, roamers and free spirits.