🎙️ Welcome back to Season 6 of Courage Talks — the podcast where we celebrate stories of grit, transformation, and the relentless human spirit. I’m your host, and today’s episode — Episode 5 — features one of the most inspiring endurance athletes India has ever produced.

Gaurav Makkar isn’t just an Ironman — he’s a phenomenon.

He has completed 12 Ironman races across the world — from South Africa to Israel to Vietnam. He is the first and only Indian to have conquered the EPIC5 Challenge — five Ironman-distance triathlons in five days, across five Hawaiian islands. If that wasn't enough, he has also represented India’s at the Ultraman World Championship, one of the toughest ultra-endurance races on the planet.

What sets Gaurav apart isn’t just his finish times — though those are jaw-dropping too. A sub-3:30 marathoner, a podium finisher in multiple triathlons, and a Limca Book of Records honoree, he once completed an Ironman race just three days after a bike crash left him with a broken nose and 42 stitches. Pain, clearly, does not intimidate him — it fuels him.

From the blistering heat of the Desert 500 ultra-cycling race to the treacherous open waters of the Goa Swimathon, Gaurav has consistently pushed the limits of mind, body, and spirit. He’s not just chasing medals — he’s chasing mastery.

In a world obsessed with shortcuts, here’s a man who’s chosen the long, hard road — again and again.

This conversation is not just about endurance sport. It’s about resilience, mindset, and the audacity to dream beyond pain.

Let’s welcome the one and only — Gaurav Makkar — to Courage Talks.