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In May 2026, Vrushali Prasade & Danish Abdi swam a distance of 23 kilometres from Sri Lanka to India. Open ocean. Side by side. 10 hours and 45 minutes.Four years ago, neither of them could swim.This is the story of how two full-time IT professionals from Bengaluru went from holding life jackets in the Maldives to crossing the Palk Strait together - through Olympic triathlons, half Ironmans, a full Ironman in Barcelona, and two attempts at the English Channel that didn't go to plan.But more than a swimming story, this is a masterclass in designing a life around one question; what am I actually capable of?In this episode we cover:* The near-drowning first date* The Maldives moment that started it all* How they built an elite training life around full-time careers* Two English Channel attempts: what went wrong, and what they learnt* The Palk Strait- the swim, the nutrition, the preparation, and what those 10 hours actually felt like* What's next: and the message they want to leave behindFind them on:1. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/our.life.in.miles/2. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ourlifeinmiles3. Website: https://www.ourlifeinmiles.com/4. Blogs: https://ourlifeinmilescom.wordpress.com/Production Crew:1. Host - Arundhati Verma (@higher.primate )2. Cameras - Akshay K (@akshay28_ ) 3. Post Production - https://www.instagram.com/konfedmedia led by Aman Verma (@avogada)This video contains limited use of third-party copyrighted material for purposes such as commentary, criticism, and storytelling. All rights belong to their respective owners.

Ujjwal Anand was a track and field athlete at BITS Pilani before accidentally stumbling upon the world of Ironman. What started as curiosity turned into a full-time pursuit, and today he is one of India's fastest and most accomplished triathletes.A 3x Ironman 70.3 Goa podium finisher, Ironman 70.3 Vietnam Age Group podium finisher, and Ironman 70.3 World Championship competitor, Ujjwal has raced across Vietnam, France, Bahrain, Colombo and India, clocking a personal best of 4:31 hours at Ironman 70.3 Bahrain. He is also a four-time BMF Triathlon winner (2021, 2022, 2024 & 2025), BMF Ultra 21k winner, and Promise ITT winner in Bangalore.Beyond racing, Ujjwal co-founded Team Ultra, a Bangalore-based endurance coaching platform that has helped over 100 athletes, from complete beginners to seasoned competitors, train smarter, build sustainable routines, and cross finish lines they never thought possible.In this episode, we get into his journey from engineering and startups to pursuing triathlon full-time, what it takes to compete on the world stage, and how he's building a community of endurance athletes in India.

In this conversation, we talk about the types of functional mushrooms and their unique benefits, science behind them, building a consumer brand in a space full of misinformation, and so much more.If you’re curious about human performance, alternative wellness, or the mindset behind building a purpose-led startup, stay tuned - this one’s for you

In this episode of Primate Talk, I speak with Jinal Trivedi, co-founder of Surf Club India, about how water can become a medium for trust, courage, and community. We talk about her journey from a corporate life at Google to building Surf Club India, a community-centric initiative hosting beginner-friendly retreats across India’s coastal regions. Through surfing in the ocean and complementary practices like Kalaripayattu, yoga, Surfskate, ice baths etc. Surf Club India creates safe spaces for people to work through their fear of water and reconnect with their bodies. This conversation explores why fear of water is so common, how it can be gently overcome with support, and why community often matters more than individual bravery. It is an episode about movement, presence, and finding belonging through shared experience.

Urmi Kothari is not a fitness coach, she is an architect of energy.She teaches you how to move not for aesthetics, but for awareness, discipline, and identity.For more than two decades she has rebuilt bodies, rewired minds, and helped people reclaim their power through intelligent movement.Her philosophy doesn’t worship grind or punishment, it honours breath, nervous system, intuition, and the quiet strength that comes when the body and spirit finally agree.If you’re tired of “quick fixes” and fitness culture that leaves you burnt out, Urmi shows a path where movement awakens and stillness heals.

Sankalp Jonna is the CTO/Co-founder of DelightChat.io   Tune in to the podcast to know more about Sankalp's journey as an entrepreneur.

Virginia Thrasher is an American sports shooter who won a gold medal in the women's 10 meter air rifle at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics.  Listen in to the podcast as Ginny tells her story as an athlete with  captivating depth and eloquence.

In this episode of the Primate Talk Podcast, I sit down with Abhishek Shetty, a teacher, researcher, and an educator. We discuss about Abhishek's journey and his keen insights on the education system. We talk about 'learning' at the core of being humans, and discuss about it as being an art as much it is science.   We also discuss about the latest research and innovative strategies being implemented worldwide to make education a wholesome experience catered to the different capabilities of the individuals.

DAYVE is a singer / songwriter from the city of Bengaluru, India.  We talk about his love for music and his extra-ordinary journey as an artist.  Personally, I had a lot of fun listening to this young gentleman and hopefully there's something from every thing we've touched upon that you can draw from and think through.    In this podcast: Arundhati Verma and David Emmanuel (DAYVE)

In this episode of Primate Talk, we sit down with Mohammed Omer, a fitness trainer and a Nutrition Consultant. We discuss CrossFit, minimum viable movements to get started, optimal nutrition, Injuries while training, role of rest in aiding for recover and a lot more.  Omer attempts to simplify fitness for all those who find it difficult to hop on board, and work around an individual's constraints to help them live a healthier and a happy life.

In this episode we talk to Haseeb Khan, a talented young writer who dons many creative hats. He is the co-founder of theatre group Carvaan and Fankaar, written plays like Jhelum, Ashwamedha, Act 3, Kashmir ka Gandhi, Inshallah Ram as well many street plays. He is also the author of the book "Taskari Baaton Ki..", a surreal collection of his beautiful poetry.

In the 5th episode of Primate Talk, I sit down with my friend Sandesh Kini to talk about his journey in relation with products, startup culture, fitness and content creation.  The talk broadly covers 3 topics: Entrepreneurship, Fitness, Film Production, Cinematography, and Content creation    Sandesh currently resides in Toronto, Canada and is working as the Sr. Product Manager with Shopify.  Tune into this discussion to know about one of the most diverse individuals I've had the chance to meet.   In this podcast - Arundhati Verma & Sandesh Kini

In this episode we talk to Manas Gubbi, a talented young individual with a strong academic background in economics, sociology and policy making. He is currently working with the Indian School of Public Policy (ISPP) and acts as the editor-in-chief of the ISPP Policy review. Recipient of the Ashok Kamte memorial award, Best Parliamentarian Award and having worked towards Covid relief with the Bombay Municipal Corporation - Manas exemplifies the spirit of true social upliftment, progressive vison and holistic leadership. What's more, he is also a gymnast, mountaineer and skier !

In this virtual fireside chat like conversation with my co-founder Neelima Menon, we take a multi-faceted look into stress and its impact on our lives.  We also talk about the role of art in channelising our visceral emotions, art interpretation and the impact of colour schemes vis a vis Interior Design on general moods and mental health.   Side note : if anyone is curious, by ink painting used in therapy, we meant Rorschach Inkblot Test. Check it out, it's interesting if you have an inclination towards psychology. In this Podcast : Arundhati Verma & Neelima Menon Credits: 1. Theme song by Avogado (Instagram - @avogada)  2. Podcast Intro Music - Moonshine by Prigida (support on uppbeat, https://uppbeat.io/t/prigida/moonshine License code: GERKZIEKTDNWR3U1) 3. Aspire by Pryces (support on uppbeat,  https://uppbeat.io/t/pryces/aspire License code: WJPRVW8GJL5RFCU7)

In this episode, we talk about nation building, effective administration, Indian Music, international affairs and much more with chartered accountant (CA) & Indian Civil Services (UPSC) candidate, Ameya Joshi. Over the course of this episode, we follow his journey towards serving India. We discuss how Indian administration works, what makes leaders great and what we can achieve through our collective efforts towards our national development.   In this episode : Ameya Joshi & Siddhesh Misale