Should add to the list.

But I know what you mean. The protagonists are just too damn lucky, really. There is a scene in War of the Worlds (2005) where Tom Cruise is driving down a clogged highway yet somehow manages to find gaps in the traffic to escape. Just a mission impossible, if you ask me. There are so many more examples in movies and books to list here.

Your mention of Shackleton is apt; he and his crew were badass beyond belief. I'd add the crew and the support staff of Apollo 13. "Solve the problem!" Problem after problem. This is what "The Martian" played upon, both the novel and the movie. (I did like the reference to "a steely eyed missile man). I think that historic line was perfect.

We've all had to face a challenge that was a series of obstacles to overcome. Various adventures doing field work, or just touristy travel, health challenges, both ours and those we care about, coping with natural disasters in our neighborhoods.

The quote as moral at the end of The Martian:

“At some point, everything’s gonna go south and you’re going to say, this is it. This is how I end. Now, you can either accept that, or you can get to work. That’s all it is. You just begin. You do the math. You solve one problem and you solve the next one and then the next. And if you solve enough problems, you get to come home.”

EDIT: This also applies to me cleaning out the garage, Mrs. P. reminds me.