Episode
North of Ordinary: Sue Aikens Tells the Story of a Life Few Could Survive
- Podcast
- Greta Wire
- Published
- Apr 30, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2368
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- http://www.Newsmax.com/Listen
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Summary
Today's episode of "Greta Wire" is a deep and personal conversation with author and "Life Below Zero" star Sue Aikens, whose life in the Kavik River Camp in remote Alaska feels almost impossible by ordinary standards. Aikens' memoir, "North of Ordinary: How One Woman Left It All Behind for Wilderness and Wonder in Alaska's Frozen Frontier," is now available in bookstores. Greta reconnects with Aikens years after first meeting her in the Arctic and explores how she came to live such an isolated, demanding life. Aikens reflects on being taken to Alaska by her mother as a child, being abandoned there at age twelve, and learning to survive in brutal conditions long before most people could imagine handling them. The discussion moves through her early years, the solitude that shaped her, and the strange mix of hardship, self-reliance, and instinct that ultimately became the foundation of her identity. The episode also dives into the realities of her adult life at Kavik River Camp, hundreds of miles from any town, where she runs a remote outpost, hunts for food, manages extreme weather, and lives for long stretches without seeing another person. Aikens recounts surviving a horrifying grizzly bear attack, stitching herself up, dragging herself to safety, and enduring days alone before being found. Along the way, the conversation touches on marriage, motherhood, flying in Alaska, aging, and what keeps her committed to a place and a lifestyle most people would never choose. The result is less an interview than a portrait of one of the toughest and most unusual lives imaginable. Got a comment or question? Send it to [email protected] and it may be used or answered on an upcoming episode. You can watch the video version of the “Greta Wire” podcast on NEWSMAX social media cha…