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The Man who Jumps off Tall Buildings

Chris 'Douggs' McDougal has lost over 130 friends to base jumping and yet he keeps doing it. He is a world champion and now teaches other people how to do it.

Chris 'Douggs' McDougall is a self-confessed idiot. He is a base jumper, which means he jumps off the top of cliffs or tall buildings and then free falls through the air until he releases his parachute. It is a lot more dangerous than skydiving because it is done at such a low altitude. Many people have died base jumping and it is illegal in some countries. Douggs tells us why he does it.

One year ago today, three bombs went off in Brussels in a co-ordinated attack. Thirty-two people lost their lives and more than 300 were injured. The so-called Islamic State group claimed responsibility. Belgian basketball player Sebastien Bellin was just 15 metres from one of the bombs which exploded at the airport He was seriously injured and thought he was going to lose his legs. He tells the BBC's Europe reporter Gavin Lee how his recovery is going, one year on.

Kimiko Wakiyama from Japan is pioneering an unusual musical style....she's a whistler and not just that but one of the best in the world and she wants whistling to be taken seriously. She says it can be a profession, not just a pastime. Our reporter Alessia Cerantola went to meet her.

(Photo: Chris 'Douggs' McDougall courtesy of C. McDougall)

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50 minutes

Last on

Thu 23 Mar 201707:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Wed 22 Mar 201712:06GMT
  • Wed 22 Mar 201717:06GMT
  • Thu 23 Mar 201702:06GMT
  • Thu 23 Mar 201704:06GMT
  • Thu 23 Mar 201705:06GMT
  • Thu 23 Mar 201706:06GMT
  • Thu 23 Mar 201707:06GMT

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Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected