Outlook Mixtape: Carpe Diem

From life-defining walks around the globe to dreaming big and setting world records, four stories about seizing the day and making the most of every moment.

When American Tom Turcich was a teenager, his childhood friend Ann Marie died in a tragic accident. One of the nicest people he knew, her loss made him realise death could happen to anyone at any time. A chance viewing of Dead Poets Society starring Robin Williams led Tom to embody its core message of 'carpe diem', the Latin phrase widely known in English as "seize the day". Tom decided that the ultimate way of seizing the day was to walk the world. He became the tenth person ever to do it and his rescue dog Savannah, who he picked up as a puppy along the way, made history as the first dog to do so. Tom spoke to Jo Fidgen in 2025.

Opal Lee is now affectionately known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth. She led the campaign for 19th June, the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas were finally told that they were free, to be declared a national holiday. As President Biden signed the bill into law, Opal stood beside him. She told Jo Fidgen in 2025 about her very personal reasons for wanting all Americans to think about freedom and the damage that racism can do.

Joshua Olusanya comes from a musical family in Nigeria, but it wasn't until he picked up the trumpet that he found his true calling. When Joshua first heard that there wasn’t a Guinness World Record for playing the trumpet for the longest time, he knew he had to give it a try. He told Asya Fouks all about his dream of setting a world record.

Growing up in Kenya, photographer Thandiwe Muriu still remembers the day her father brought home a digital camera. Curious to see the world through its lens, she picked it up and rarely put it down and what began as childhood fascination became a lifelong passion. It led to her celebrated series Camo, a modern take on African portraiture which melds traditional, patterned Ankara fabrics with everyday household items. Thandiwe shared her story with Seyi Rhodes in 2024.

Presenter: India Rakusen
Producer: Emily Naylor

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Film archive: Dead Poets Society / Touchstone Pictures / Peter Weir

(Photo: A transparent 60-minute cassette tape with a white label bearing the words: The Outlook Mixtape. Credit: Getty Images)