Enter The Adrenaline Zone
By: George Spencer | Categories: Alumni Interest
FORMER ASTRONAUT SANDY MAGNUS, PhD MSE 96, AND ADM. SANDY WINNEFELD, AE 78, LAUNCH A PODCAST ALL ABOUT TAKING RISKS.
“It lies somewhere between the pit of your stomach, your racing heart, and your brain—somehow trying to keep it all together,” explains Magnus, a three-time space veteran, in the show’s pulse-pounding intro.
Now in its 10-episode first season, the show has featured in-depth talks with a gold medal–winning blind Paralympian; country western singer Tim McGraw; Indy champion Josef Newgarden; the first woman to referee a Super Bowl; and the commanding officer of the Navy’s Blue Angels precision flying team.
Both hosts agree their most spine-tingling interview was with Blanca, a former Wilmington, N.C., gang leader. When a microbrewery entrepreneur said he wanted to do something about the city’s gun violence, Blanca took him up on his offer. Today, thanks to his efforts, the brewery is entirely staffed by former members of different gangs.
“Blanca believed this businessman, and his story goes into how much he cares for his community, why he took this risk, what he’s learned, and how it’s changing Wilmington. My gosh, it’s so powerful,” says Magnus.
Winnefeld got the idea for the podcast while driving from D.C. to Colorado for Christmas in 2021. To pass the time, he sampled existing offerings. “Some of them were too much about the host. I thought, ‘I’ve taken risks my whole life. I relish risk and managing it. So why not do a podcast about it?’ Then I thought, ‘Well, half the people in the world who take risks are women. I need a co-host who’s a woman.”
But there was a hitch. Both hosts share the name Sandy. So, on the show, Magnus goes by Sandra even though in person she’s Sandy. “That’s a weird coincidence. It wasn’t why we did the show. It was why we almost didn’t do it,” Winnefeld admits.
Listen to the podcast at TheAdrenalineZone.com.
