Boyd Matson

Host of National Geographic Explorer, Matson is one of the world’s foremost journalists and modern-day adventurers. With a fearless drive to put himself into the middle of the action, Matson covers the part of the world that the news doesn’t. On the show Matson has been charged by elephants and hippos, dived with sharks, climbed 19,340 feet to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, traversed the deadly Khumbu ice fall on Mount Everest, and rappelled into the Devil’s Sink Hole with six million bats. In one of the world’s most difficult athletic endeavors, Matson completed the Sahara Desert’s Marathon des Sables, a nearly 150-mile, 7-day event, attributing his success to perseverance, adrenaline and a high tolerance for pain.

A champion of achievement and courage, the real-life Indiana Jones spent 14 years as a globetrotting journalist, working as a senior correspondent for Today and anchor for Sunday Today and World News Now, before hosting his hit show on CNBC. Matson has since led Explorer to become cable’s most popular and longest-running documentary series, winning over 400 awards, including 32 Emmys and 12 Cable Awards.

At the lecture podium, Matson brings his wild adventures to life in an entertaining program that includes a spectacular video presentation. With his trademark sense of humor, he relives his journeys to the ends of the earth, chronicling them in vivid detail and making sure to include the close calls. He also discusses the hardships he has endured to complete his adventures and what drives him to take on these risks. He talks about why he pushes the envelope and offers insight into channeling the need for risk and reward.