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TED Talks Daily

Why I attempt the world's most dangerous stunts | Michelle Khare

TED Talks Daily

TED

Ted Podcast, Ted, Ted Talks, Society & Culture, Ted Talks Daily

4.111.9K Ratings

🗓️ 10 December 2025

⏱️ 14 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Daredevil Michelle Khare has trained with Olympians, run seven marathons on seven continents in a single week, and even escaped Harry Houdini's deadliest stunt. She shares how embracing fear, failure and an "amateur’s mindset" transformed her from a cautious child into someone who proves that daredevils aren't born — they're developed.



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Transcript

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0:00.0

You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas to spark your curiosity every day.

0:12.2

I'm your host, Elise Hugh.

0:14.3

Daredevil and YouTube creator Michelle Carrey is known for testing human limits through extreme physical and mental feats.

0:22.6

She has trained as a chess grandmaster, escaped Harry Houdini's deadliest magic trick,

0:28.9

and as you'll see from the talk, many, many other challenges.

0:33.8

She shares how she learned to embrace fear and why working for the challenge itself, rather than the perfect destination, can turn the impossible into possible.

0:48.3

This is me, about to perform one of the most dangerous stunts in cinematic history,

0:57.8

hanging on the side of a C-130 as it's taking off.

1:03.6

No goggles, no helmet, no parachute.

1:09.5

This stunt has only ever been performed by one other person on the planet.

1:15.6

Tom Cruise.

1:17.6

So I think it's fair to say that this is the first time this stunt has ever been attempted by a mere mortal.

1:24.6

My name is Michelle Carre, and I created a show on YouTube called Challenge Accepted,

1:29.5

where I attempt the world's toughest stunts and professions. But despite my job title,

1:35.7

I was not born a daredevil. I was born a child of immigrants who sacrificed everything to give me a safe, secure, and a chance

1:47.5

at a successful life. They gave up so much for me just to exist. So why would I ever risk that?

1:56.1

So growing up, I only saw fear as a stop sign. In seventh grade, I was the kid who quit the cheer team

2:04.4

when someone else got hurt. And my biggest rebellion in high school was choosing to use the font

2:11.3

Gilles Sands instead of Times New Roman at the International Science and Engineering Fair.

2:18.0

And while this mindset definitely set me up for success,

2:21.8

it also left me incredibly lonely as an adult.

2:25.4

So I decided to take my first big risk

...

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