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In the 1960s, JFK handpicked Ed Dwight Junior to be the first African American astronaut. But things didn鈥檛 work out as planned and it was only this year, at the age of 90, that Ed finally travelled to the edge of space.

When Diana Nyad has a goal she's laser focused. Since childhood, that goal had been swimming from Cuba to Florida. A treacherous journey that could take up to 60 hours. It took five attempts and 30 years but she finally succeeded, wobbling unsteadily up the beach after nearly 53 hours in the water to tell a cheering crowd, "never, ever give up... you are never too old to chase your dreams."

Johanna Aatsalo was a journalist in Finland with a scoop that would change her life. Just not in the way she thought. When she broke her story about an Olympic cross-country skier taking banned substances she lost almost everything. Then her fight back began.

Pianist Paul Barton had an unusual 50th birthday wish: to play classical music for retired elephants at a sanctuary in Thailand. More than a decade on, he鈥檚 acquired millions of followers for his videos and made lasting friendships with the elephants.

This programme has been re-edited and corrected since first published.

Presenter: India Rakusen
Producer: Andrea Kennedy

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(Photo: Cassette tape. Credit: Getty Images)