Against The Odds

Wondery

<p>Humans are resilient. In our toughest moments, we will fight, we will struggle, and we will triumph...often against the odds. </p><p>In this immersive series from Wondery, host-adventurers Mike Corey and Cassie De Pecol will share thrilling stories of survival. From the daring rescue of a soccer team trapped in an underwater cave in Thailand, to a woman taken hostage by Somali pirates, these stories made headlines around the world. AGAINST THE ODDS will make you feel as though you’re living these experiences with our heroes as they push themselves to their limits.</p><p>Listen to Against The Odds on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting <a href="https://wondery.com/links/against-the-odds/">wondery.com/shows/against-the-odds</a> now.</p>

  • 42 minutes 27 seconds
    WW II Nurses Turned Prisoners of War | Captured | 2

    After Japan invades the Philippines, the twelve Navy nurses find themselves imprisoned at a military hospital turned P.O.W. camp. They make the best of it, continuing to tend to their patients, confident that the American military will quickly defeat Japan and liberate them. But as the weeks drag into months, with no rescue in sight, the nurses are transferred to another camp. They soon discover that their new home is led by a sadistic commandant who likes nothing more than to make his prisoners miserable.  

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    14 April 2026, 7:01 am
  • 46 minutes 54 seconds
    WW II Nurses Turned Prisoners of War | An Act of War | 1

    It’s the Depression and twenty-three-year-old-Dorothy Still is desperate for a job. She joins the US Navy as a nurse, and by 1941, she’s given a dream posting at an American base in the Philippines. Dorothy lives in a beautiful location, with easy work, and a thriving night life. But after the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, the Philippines becomes Japan’s next target. Dorothy and eleven other Navy nurses find themselves in an active war zone, with a conquering army bearing down.

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    7 April 2026, 7:00 am
  • 50 minutes 26 seconds
    Lightning Strike on Half Dome | Survive the Night | 2

    As the hikers slowly regain consciousness, they realize the worst has happened: they’ve been struck by lightning. By chance, a pair of EMTs finds their way to the summit in time to help. But they soon realize that if they don’t get the men off Half Dome and airlifted to a hospital fast, they won’t make it till morning. 

    Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Against the Odds ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.


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    31 March 2026, 7:00 am
  • 38 minutes 39 seconds
    Lightning Strike on Half Dome | The Storm | 1

    On the evening of July 27, 1985, a group of friends decided to ignore gathering storm clouds and warnings as they climbed to the top of Yosemite’s famous Half Dome. Climbers Adrian Esteban and Tom Rice reached the summit first, soon joined by three others as a thunderstorm raged. They decided to shelter in a small cave-like enclosure — a decision that would prove deadly. 


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    24 March 2026, 7:00 am
  • 37 minutes 32 seconds
    In Their Own Words: Chris Lemons – Deep Sea Diving Crisis | 1

    In 2012, Chris Lemons had a bright future ahead, with a fiancee and a good job fixing oil infrastructure on the ocean floor. One night in September, he went to work on a pipe about 300 feet beneath the North Sea. But, an accident left him alone and cut off from his lifeline – with only a small emergency supply of oxygen. On this episode of In Their Own Words, Chris shares the story of surviving for about half an hour with nothing to breathe.

    Links:

    chrislemons.co.uk

    exploreyourdepths.com


    Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Against the Odds ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.

    Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Against the Odds ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.

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    17 March 2026, 7:00 am
  • 47 minutes 57 seconds
    FAN FAVORITE: Alaska Bear Attack | Three Long Hours | 2

    After Bart Pieciul is mauled by a bear in the Alaska wilderness, his friends have to use all of their outdoor knowledge to keep him alive. The three men are stranded in the mountains for hours, waiting for a Coast Guard helicopter to airlift Bart to the nearest hospital. As the temperature drops, they’re desperate to prevent their friend from succumbing to blood loss and hypothermia. And they have no idea if the bear that attacked him will return.

    Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Against the Odds ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.


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    10 March 2026, 7:00 am
  • 47 minutes 10 seconds
    FAN FAVORITE: Alaska Bear Attack | In Defense of Life and Property | 1

    The residents of Haines, Alaska are used to living alongside bears. The region surrounding their small town has one of the densest bear populations in the world. But as climate change curtails the bears’ natural food sources, encounters between bears and humans are becoming more common, putting everyone on edge.  

    Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Against the Odds ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.


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    3 March 2026, 8:00 am
  • 36 minutes 36 seconds
    Schoolchildren's Blizzard | Not Forgotten | 5

    Early settlers to the Midwest were accustomed to harsh winters, but the blizzard that hit the Great Plains on January 12th, 1888 caught thousands of pioneer families off guard. The storm was especially brutal for children trying to find their way home from rural schoolhouses. Author David Laskin joins host Mike Corey to talk about how he pieced together the stories of the blizzard, and how the event lives on in the memory of their descendants. Laskin is the award-winning author of The Children’s Blizzard, and The Family.

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    Listen to Against The Odds on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting http://wondery.com/links/against-the-odds/ now.

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    24 February 2026, 8:00 am
  • 42 minutes 25 seconds
    Schoolchildren's Blizzard | The Frozen Remains | 4

    By the morning of January 13th, 1888, the blizzard had passed, and a frantic search for survivors began. Farmer Johann Albrecht looked for his missing son, and Wilhelm Woebbecke hunted for his foster daughter Lena. Every search party knew they were racing against time to find survivors before they succumbed to hypothermia. 

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    17 February 2026, 8:04 am
  • 33 minutes 49 seconds
    Schoolchildren's Blizzard | Exposed | 3

    As the blizzard raged, its winds blew up to 60 miles per hour. Those caught out in the storm faced white-out conditions. With few landmarks on the flat prairie, even residents who knew the area well found themselves disoriented. Children like Walter Allen and Lena Woebbecke became lost in the furious storm, desperately trying to make it to safety.

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    Listen to Against The Odds on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting http://wondery.com/links/against-the-odds/ now.

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    10 February 2026, 8:02 am
  • 40 minutes 33 seconds
    Schoolchildren's Blizzard | Into the Swirling White | 2

    On January 12th, 1888, residents of the Dakota Territory and Nebraska woke to an unseasonably warm day. Farmers took advantage of the mild weather to tend to chores and children headed off to school in light jackets. But longtime residents like Sioux tribe member Charley Stabler recognized signs that a major blizzard was coming. As the storm hit, schoolteachers faced agonizing decisions over how to keep their students safe. 

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    Listen to Against The Odds on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting http://wondery.com/links/against-the-odds/ now.

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    3 February 2026, 8:01 am
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