Let's Take This Outside: Recent Episodes
Mary Anne Ivison
What happens when we play outside?
We become healthier - both mentally and physically.
We become more creative and more focused.
We connect - with nature, each other, and ourselves.
Let’s Take This Outside: a new podcast hosted by me - Mary Anne Ivison - an aspiring outdoor athlete and nature lover.. I speak to athletes, outdoor professionals, and scientists about their connection to nature, how it affects their performance and everyday life.
David McGuffin is host of Canadian Geographic’s Explore Podcast, a contributing editor at Canadian Geographic magazine and a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. He is the founder of Explore Podcast Productions, working with a range of clients including a number of national Indigenous organizations. Before making the switch to podcasting in 2019, David spent over 20 years as a foreign correspondent and senior producer for CBC News, NPR News, NBC News, CTV News and the PBS NewsHour, working from bureaus in Moscow, Beijing, Rome, Nairobi and Washington. He now lives in Chelsea, Quebec. Adam Shoalts Episode Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
I’m so happy to welcome back my first guest ever, professional explorer and national best-selling author Adam Shoalts. Adam’s new book comes out Oct 3, called “Where The Falcon Flies - a 3,400km Odyssey from My Doorstep to the Arctic”. (Pre-order now) About Where The Falcon Flies A 3,400 km solo journey from Lake Erie to the Arctic. From Penguin Random House: “Looking out his porch window one spring morning, Adam Shoalts spotted a majestic peregrine falcon flying across the neighbouring fields near Lake Erie. Falcons migrate annually from southernmost Canada on the Great Lakes to remote arctic mountains. Grabbing his backpack and canoe, Shoalts resolved to follow the falcon’s route north on an astonishing 3,400-kilometre journey from Lake Erie to the Arctic. Along the way, he faces a huge variety of challenges and obstacles, including storms on the Great Lakes, finding campsites in the urban wilderness of Toronto and Montreal, avoiding busy commercial freighter traffic, gale force winds, massive hydro electric dams, bushwhacking without trails, dealing with hunger, multiple bear encounters, and navigating white-water rapids on icy northern rivers far from any help.” About Adam Adam Shoalts is a professional explorer and national best-selling author. In 2013, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society for “extraordinary contributions to geography” and in 2017 completed a nearly 4,000 km solo journey across Canada’s Arctic. A geographer and historian, he holds a Ph.D. from McMaster University, has participated in numerous archaeological projects and digs, and undertakes solo expeditions in the most remote wilderness areas. He is currently the Westaway Explorer-in-Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and in 2016 was named a national champion of the Trans-Canada Trail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today’s show will sound a bit different, and I’m really excited to share this with you. This is a special series in collaboration with Parks Canada to take a deeper dive into your favourite, or soon-to-be favourite national parks. Welcome to Banff National Park - Canada’s first National Park. This spring I went on a little adventure to Banff, Lake Louise and the Athabasca Glacier. I spoke with locals and experts on the history of this beautiful place, and how we can play and protect these lands, plants and animals. Interview 1: First I talked to Craig Baird, history buff and host of the podcast Canadian History Ehx about the history of Banff, its indigenous roots, and what it was before becoming a National Park. Interview 2: Today, the park gets millions of visitors per year, with the mountains and outdoor activities being the biggest draw. We talked to Kim Logan - from Banff & Lake Louise Tourism. Interview 3: Exploring and doing so responsibly are absolutely essential - so we talked to Natalie Fay - from Parks Canada in the Banff Field Unit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Christine Yu is an award-winning journalist. She writes about sports, science, and health. She especially loves telling stories about the intersection of sports science and women athletes and wrote a book about it. UP TO SPEED: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes, was published on May 16, 2023 by Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Her reported features, profiles, and essays have appeared in The Washington Post, Outside Magazine, Runner's World, Family Circle, SELF, Eating Well, VICE, and espnW, among others. {See her portfolio here.} She also writes for trade publications, professional associations, educational institutions, and brands. Her clients include Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, Phillips Academy, the American Physiological Society, and REI. In addition to writing, she’s a seasoned grant writer and has led and managed the full cycle of program development for requests to private and corporate funders as well as local, state, and federal government agencies. She earned her B.A. in Art History from Columbia University and her Masters of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with my husband and two sons. She’s a lifelong athlete who likes to run, practice yoga, hike, swim, and surf. Christine's Website/Book Artwork photo credit: Shelly Xu / @someshellyphotography Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“Just get out and explore on a bike.” In 2022 Jen and Eric bikepacked over 7000 km which included Grand Departs on the 4400 km Tour Divide and the 800 km Log Driver’s Waltz (LDW), and a time trial on the North of Seven 770. In 2019 they were amongst the first few riders to complete the BT 700. They had such a positive experience following a well curated route that they decided to develop one of their own. Over the years they had completed many multi-day bike trips in the Lanark Highlands of Ontario and the Outaouais Region of Quebec. They knew they had the “knowledge of place” necessary to create a quality bikepacking route; one that would showcase the region, contribute to the growing bikepacking community, inject tourist dollars and foster connections between locals and riders. Importantly this would also be a challenging route that riders from Ontario, Quebec and New England could access without extensive travel. The result was the 800 km Log Driver’s Waltz which they released in 2020. In response to the requests of less experienced bikepackers they soon added ten shorter, more accessible routes. This has grown into a social project they call “bikepacking for all”. Through inclusive panel discussions, mechanics workshops,and rallies this project has continued to grow as more riders join the bikepacking community. Jen and Eric believe there are hidden gems to be discovered in all localities and it is by creating well curated routes that bikepacking route developers can share this knowledge with riders from near and far.They can be reached via their website. Artwork photo credit: Louise Philopovich, Panorama Cycles https://www.panoramacycles.com/en/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Leigh McAdam is a Calgary based travel blogger and founder of the popular outdoors blog - HikeBikeTravel.com. Founded in 2009, HikeBikeTravel is your destination for information and stories on travel, adventure and the outdoors. From tried and true travel tips, to the latest and most innovative products on the market, to Leigh's most recent adventures, HikeBikeTravel is here to inspire you and challenge you to experience the world around you. In addition Leigh is an award-winning photographer, author of Discover Canada: 100 Inspiring Outdoor Adventures and the co-author of 200 Nature Hot Spots in Alberta. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Steve Fleck is one of the leading Endurance Sports Race/Event Live Announcers & Commentators in North America for cycling, running, track & field, and triathlon races and events. It's a natural extension of life spent running, cycling, and racing triathlons since his mid-teens and wearing multiple hats in and around the Business of Endurance Sports in Sales, Business Development, Marketing, and Communications. He lives and plays outside in Aurora, Ontario with his wife, Paolina. Steve's Twitter Steve's Instagram Steve's LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Will Gadd is one of the top adventure athletes in the world (Outside, Men's Journal and Explore). He is best known for wild outdoor adventures in multiple different sports, but he's most proud of his ability to complete those adventures safely and share them with others. He has appeared in, hosted or produced more than 100 global television projects. He is an award-winning writer, film maker, and dad (no awards yet). His book on ice climbing is the top publication in its field, and has been translated into five languages. Gadd's presentations on "Risk and Reward" and related topics take him all over the world to speak to audiences ranging from Nike and Enbridge to at-risk youth . He is a National Geographic " Adventurer of the Year" and recently became the first person to climb a frozen Niagara Falls. Last winter he used his ice climbing skills to find new life forms under a glacier, a world first, and just returned from a major TV production on the last ice in Africa. He is an ACMG guide, and uses way too much spice in his cooking. https://willgadd.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nomades du Parc was created by Jacob and Vincent, two lovers of the Outaouais region who decided to settle in the heart of Chelsea, at the entrance to Gatineau Park, to offer you the rental of bikes and paddle board (SUP) by integrating guided experiences. You will only need one visit to see that the community is at the heart of this new adventure! The NDP team offers you a community facility with a terrace, a self-service bike repair station and a cleaning station that will make your bike shine throughout the park! Finally, Nomades du Parc hopes to bring together all the outdoor enthusiasts who will pass through the Outaouais. https://nomadesduparc.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Raised in northern Alberta, near Fort McMurray, Tracy Little grew up hunting and foraging with her forester father, first because it was practical — why spend money at the grocery store when there’s perfectly good food growing and available right beside you? Later, the she developed an appreciation for food that tells a story about the place it comes from. That passion for hyper-local food that evokes a multi-sensory experience is the driving force behind Sauvage, her restaurant in the mountain town of Canmore Alberta. Sauvage Chefs vs Wild Canada's Great Kitchen Party Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Molly Hurford is a writer in love with all things cycling, running, nutrition and movement-related. When not outside, she’s writing about being outside and healthy habits of athletes.
She created The Consummate Athlete weekly podcast, website and book, Becoming A Consummate Athlete with her husband, cycling coach Peter Glassford.
Molly is a little obsessed with getting people—especially women—psyched on adventure and being outside. That's why she created the Shred Girls, a young adult fiction series and online community focused on getting girls excited about bikes.
Additionally, she’s the author of multiple nonfiction books and writes regularly for publications including Bicycling magazine +Outside.
She regularly hosts talks and runs clinics for cyclists and teaches yoga online and IRL… And in her spare time, the former Ironman triathlete and cyclist now spends time racing ultra-runs on trails or can be found out hiking with her mini-dachshund DW.
Check out The Consummate Athlete website. Find out more on Shred Girls. Molly's Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Lawrence Colsell and Alister Gardner are the co-founder and co-owner of Xact Nutrition. Xact Nutrition started with one simple idea: surely it’s possible to make a better-tasting alternative to an energy gel. Their foody passion love of outdoor sports led them to create products that work great and taste great, starting in 2012 handing out XACT ENERGY fruit bars at a wind-swept mountain top feed station. Lawrence grew up in Bristol, UK, settling in Montreal and heads up marketing and product development, with a passion for mountains and cooking. Alister is from England, and now lives in Bromont Quebec, is a competitive runner, and has represented Canada in Mountain Running, has run his own speciality run store, and recently earned a diploma in sport nutrition. Check out their website: https://www.xactnutrition.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dave believes the natural world is one of our most powerful teachers and mentors. Dave co-founded Forest Play in 2011 with the goal of facilitating programs that connect people to nature, others and themselves. Forest Play is grounded in the learning philosophies of Coyote Mentoring and Forest Schools and inspired by the understanding that stories, wilderness skills and sensory experiences in nature can help children and adults be more creative, resilient and emotionally intelligent. Dave also facilitates nature-based leadership programs for the Banff Centre and the Pacific Centre for Leadership and leads adult workshops for teachers and educators in Forest Play and nature - connection mentoring. He has a Master's Degree in Recreation Management, is an accredited Master Interpretive Guide a Wilderness First Responder and proud father of two wonderful daughters (ages 11 & 13).
Coyote’s Guide: http://coyotesguide.com/ Child and Nature Alliance Canada/Forest School Canada: https://childnature.ca/ Wilderness Awareness School: https://www.wildernessawareness.org/ Wisdom of the Earth (Salt Spring) and the Pine Project (Toronto) (these are really Canada’s versions of Wilderness Awareness School): https://www.wisdomoftheearth.ca/ https://pineproject.org/ David Sobel: https://www.davidsobelauthor.com/nature-preschools-and-forest-kindergartens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dr. Melissa Lem is a Vancouver family physician who also works in rural and northern communities within Canada. Director of PaRx (Park Prescriptions), Canada’s national nature prescription program powered by the BC Parks Foundation, and President-Elect of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, she is an internationally recognized expert on the nature-health connection.
Just a few of Dr. Lem’s highlights include, she was the inaugural winner of University College’s Young Alumni of Influence Award at the University of Toronto, a 2020 Joule Innovation grant recipient from the Canadian Medical Association, a 2021 World Parks Week Ambassador.
We covered:
What is Park Prescriptions?
The biggest links between nature and its healing benefits.
What counts as “nature time”?
What would you recommend to the general population for getting outside?
www.parkprescriptions.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Shortly after completing her PhD in Ecology at the University of Calgary, Dr. Hilary Young was thrilled to find work at the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) that blends her passion for the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her background in ecology and conservation biology. Now, as Alberta program director for Y2Y, Hilary and her team work with governments and dozens of partners to protect key wildlife habitats along the western margin of the province. Their focus on headwaters regions, wildlife corridors, and highway crossings ensures that wide-ranging species like grizzly bears, wolves, and elk can move between and beyond protected areas. Central to Y2Y’s work is an equity- and justice-oriented lens so that the organization’s efforts benefit both nature and people along the Rocky Mountain front. Hilary and her family spend much of their free time hiking, cycling, skiing and breathing deeply in the mountains. Yellowstone to Yukon Website Kawartha Land Trust Cumberland Forest Other sites that are great for understanding how to recreate in a low-impact, wildlife-aware way are: https://leavenotrace.ca/ and https://www.biosphereinstitute.org/wildsmart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ariane Cantin, Ph.D., is a scientist, teacher, and outdoor enthusiast. She started her career as a biologist focused on aquatic ecology, studying freshwater ecosystems and fisheries. She now works as an instructor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary where she teaches ecology courses. Her connection with the outdoors guides both her research interests and her teaching approach. She encourages students to be curious about nature to help them develop their own research projects and their identity as scientists. She spends most of her spare time outside, hiking, paddling, and backcountry skiing. We talked about: 1) Teaching ecology at the University of Calgary, and her speciality in aquatic ecology. 2) Equity, diversity and inclusion in the outdoors. 3) How her connection with nature has motivated her to become a biologist. Here’s the link to the Mountains 101 course from University of Alberta: https://www.ualberta.ca/admissions-programs/online-courses/mountains-101/index.html This is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), they offer other courses of this type including a great one on Indigenous Canada: https://www.ualberta.ca/admissions-programs/online-courses/indigenous-canada/index.html. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Alexis Ashworth founded Root in Nature because of a long-time love of plants and gardening, and an appreciation of their therapeutic benefits. On the weekends she can be found in her fruit and vegetable gardens, growing food for her husband to cook and two young daughters to enjoy.
Alexis spent 11 years as CEO of Habitat for Humanity in Ottawa and Halifax. She holds a BComm in Finance, an MBA in International Development Management, and is a member of the Canadian Horticultural Therapy Association. She chairs the Canadian Garden Council’s Therapeutic Garden Invitations Task Force.
A passion for horticulture grew through volunteer engagements with Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). She has lived and worked internationally, including Habitat for Humanity build projects in El Salvador and Ethiopia.
In her spare time Alexis enjoys staying active through tennis, cycling and yoga.
We talked about: 1) Root in Nature’s mission to bring the healing power of nature and plants to the community through horticultural therapy, nature-based programs and employee well-being. 2) Bringing more plants into your workplace and life. 3) Virtual and in-person workshops you can join.
Root in Nature Website Root in Nature Instagram Root in Nature Facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Stephen Bierbrier is a community fitness & wellness jedi. A government lawyer, father of 3 teenagers and Brooks Running ambassador, Stephen has carved out a whole lot of personal happiness over the last 8 years by giving back to the Ottawa-Gatineau community by creating free outdoor events and showcasing them too on his Ottawa Free Fitness platforms. Though Stephen is most proud of his children, his 4th child – the free fitness stuff – is definitely high up there. You can find him outdoors every month helping lead the Arboretum Hill Club (Friday 6:29am), Mill Street Milers (Run Hoppy!), Sunrise Trails (rise and shine) and Happiness Habits 613 Mindfulness Hikes (nature rocks). In between all of this, Stephen can be found trail running in Gatineau Park and the NCC Greenbelt. We talked about: 1) How to be a leader in community fitness and inspire others. 2) The most rewarding part of seeing others get outdoors and form connections. 3) How you can start a club in your community. Links: Ottawa Free Fitness Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ottfreefit/?hl=en Ottawa Free Fitness Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ottfreefit Stephen's personal Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bytownboy/?hl=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ray Zahab is a Canadian Explorer, ultra distance runner and Founder of non-profit impossible2Possible. A recent recipient of the Meritorious Service Cross of Canada, Ray is an Explorer in Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. In 2015 Canadian Geographic recognized Ray as one of Canada’s Top Explorers. He has ran 17,000+km across the world’s deserts, and unsupported expeditions in some of the coldest places on the planet.
Ray calls the capital region home where you can see him training, playing and exploring in his own backyard.
We talked about…
Living and playing in the National Capital Region
Arctic vs Desert expeditions
Transitioning from “pack-a-day smoker” to explorer
Training with his family
Bringing youth on adventures with Impossible2Possible
Ray's Website: https://www.rayzahab.com impossible2Possible: https://www.impossible2possible.com Kapik1: https://kapik1.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rayzahab/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Emily Rodger is a former elite athlete, avid fly fisher, and Certified Executive Coach. Raised in New Brunswick, Canada along with her three sisters, sports were not part of Emily’s life until well into adulthood. After working as a dental hygienist, she decided to pursue her passion for triathlon and cycling.
Some of Emily’s notable career moments include a 2x UCI GranFondo World Championship, Canadian Masters National Time Trial Championship, and 70.3 Ironman world qualifier. But along with her success in cycling/triathlon, came more than a few hardships. These life-altering events made her a stronger, more resilient, more grounded, and more grateful athlete/person. She has taken a step back from racing at the professional level to pursue all the things that truly bring her joy.
We talked about:
Transitioning from dental hygienist to elite athlete
2 x life-altering bike crashes
Living with long-term brain injury symptoms
Her documentary and upcoming doc on CBC
Her new adventures in trail running
Website: https://emilysrodger.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erodger/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Vickie Lanthier (aka GirlGoneGood®) is a storyteller, adventurer, and 14 year military veteran. She works as an IT consultant by day, completed an Honours Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2020, and runs GirlGoneGood® in her spare time. GirlGoneGood® is a main resource for trails, trail safety and inspiration for those who explore in Eastern Ontario. As a frequent wanderer and avid day hiker with over 20 yrs experience, Vickie’s resources are meant for you to experience the benefits of nature to its fullest, while engaging in safe and responsible recreation. We talked about:
How her “wanderer” spirit started with her mom
Where to find resources for exploring in Eastern Ontario
Info for new hikers
Trail safety and protecting nature
Website: https://www.girlgonegood.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlgonegood/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GirlGoneGood/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Katheryn is a trail runner, endurance athlete and coach in the Ottawa- Gatineau region. Originally from the west coast of Newfoundland, Katheryn has spent many years exploring backcountry trails and coastlines, building a love for climbing and technical terrain. A recent highlight of her trail running career has been winning Quebec Mega Trail 50km in 2021 and making her first Canadian National team for Trail Running.
Katheryn is a road and trail running coach with M2M, coaching athletes locally in the Ottawa region, and remotely from all over the country. She co-leads a local, year round trail running group, Ottawa Trail Crew X M2M with her partner, Nat.
Outside of running, she can be found working as a Sports Massage Therapist and hanging out with her cat, Mr. Buchans.
We talked about:
Going to the Boston Marathon as a coach
Growing up on the west coast of Newfoundland
Winning the Quebec Megatrail
Moving from triathlon to trail running
Follow Katheryn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katheryncochrane/ Mile2Marathon: https://mile2marathon.com/coach/katheryn-cochrane-2/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Professor Emeritus Gordon Walker studies leisure, including this important question: "Is nature needed as a basic psychological need?" Gordon has his Master of Science in Leisure Studies (Arizona State University) and PHD in Forestry in Natural Resource Recreation (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University). He has published over 90 refereed research articles and co-authored or co-edited three books including: A Social Psychology of Leisure. Much of this work involved individuals living in East Asia as well as those who emigrated from this area to North America. In retirement, Gordon’s goal has been to follow Michel de Montaigne’s advice and “…to live at more leisure and at one’s ease”. He loves being outside and being on the water on his canoe. Please enjoy my chat with Gordon Walker.
Gordon and I chat about:
Is nature needed as a basic psychological need?
How social factors (gender, ethnicity, race, culture, social class, etc) affect our connection to nature
How we can be more welcoming to others and bring people into the the outdoor space
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Lindsay Webster began obstacle racing in 2014, jumping in head first with her first race being the 2014 Spartan Race World Championships in Killington, Vermont. She became a full-time professional athlete 2 years later winning multiple titles as a Spartan World Champion and OCR World Champion. Lindsay recently started competing in trail running and Skyrunning, taking home 1st place at the US SkyRunning Championships. She is thrilled to be representing Canada as her home country, she enjoys the Canadian winters with lots of cross-country skiing with her malamute, Suunto. When Lindsay isn’t training she spends time on her hobbies of small farming, photography, camping and baking from her home in Sutton, Quebec. We covered:
Her recent multiple medals at the Gatineau Loppet
How we met on a mountain in Quebec
Her love and support for other female athletes
Her new adventures in Skyrunning
Follow Lindsay's journey here: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaydawnwebster/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hannah is a strong voice for women's mountain biking and Director of International Strategy & Business Operations for Oura Ring. Her love for the outdoors started young, with multi-day canoe trips with her family, to finding a love for mountain biking competitively. When she’s not rocking the trails, her empathy and compassion is shown through leadership at Oura Ring, the company behind the incredibly accurate sleep and activity tracker. She now volunteers on the Trails and Active Transportation Committee in Collingwood to help spread the word of nature and activity. We covered:
Why mountain biking has her heart and her advocacy for women in the sport.
What it’s like to work for a company that provides health data for athletes.
Deep thoughts on the healing effects of playing outside.
Find her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tuesday_child/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Liam is a lifelong endurance athlete and coach from the Ottawa-Gatineau region. Liam landed on ultra running in his late 20's, around the time he started to teach skiing. His first 50k trail race was love-at-first-suffering, and he’s been learning and improving since then, nabbing some podiums and top-fives (and a Fastest Known Time in the Peruvian Andes) at distances from 50k to 110k throughout Europe and the Americas. He continues to coach cross country skiing, and when he’s not running or skiing, you can find him on some sort of a bike!! His unbridled joy for running and skiing is founded in a deep respect for the process of training properly and healthily. Liam and I chat about:
How much surroundings matter when it comes to being active
The best places in the world to run
How he channelled his energy into coaching and what it means to him
What it feels like to break your ankle during a 100km trail run
Find out more about Liam and his coaching here: Instagram - @liamonthetrail Mile2Marathon RunTraverse Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ruby West is a life-long competitive cyclist and nature lover. Ruby has represented Canada at five consecutive World Championships for cyclocross as well as banking many impressive results around North America and Europe in her still young career, including:
Current U23 Pan American Champion
Three Time U23 Canadian National Champion
Represented Canada at Four Consecutive World Championships
In 2021, Ruby has committed to pursuing the track, after being recruited by the Canadian NextGen program, and has her sights on the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Off the bike Ruby keeps busy at her family farm looking after chickens, goats and a new donkey. Ruby has a great love and appreciation for anything outdoors and aims to do her part in minimising her footprint through sustainable swaps in her daily life. We talked about:
Cycling training in Spain
How she got into cyclocross
Training for track cycling and the Olympics
Her family farm and her daily connection to nature
Find Ruby on Instagram: @ruby__west Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today I’m talking to my outdoor friend and scientist, Kelly Doell. Kelly Doell, Ph.D., is a mental performance consultant specialising in the mental side of active living. His passion isn building tools and teaching strategies that help people find their fit in fitness and maintain it for life. A former university lecturer, he holds a doctorate in population health, a master’s in sport, physical activity, & health intervention, and is a professional member of the Canadian Sport Psychology Association. He also loves playing outside with sports like trail running and mountain biking. Anytime we hang out, it’s on trail. We discuss:
How Kelly fell into the work he loves
How to find the exercise that feels right for YOU
Sharing the love of the outdoors with his daughter
Find Kelly on Instagram - @kelly.doell Download Kelly’s book, Feel Like It on Audible now. Listen to his podcast, Happily Ever Active. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There’s no better person I can think of to kick this off than with Adam Shoalts, he is the epitome of what I want for this podcast. Adam is a professional explorer and national best-selling author of books like “Beyond the Trees” and The Whisper on the Night Wind”. In 2013, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society for “extraordinary contributions to geography” and in 2017 completed a nearly 4,000 km solo journey across Canada’s Arctic. A geographer and historian, he holds a Ph.D. from McMaster University, and in and in 2016 was named a national champion of the Trans-Canada Trail. We discuss:
The longest he's gone without human contact
His earliest memories of nature
What truly frightens him in the wild
How he became a best-selling author
Where to find hidden nature gems
Find his books and social media here: https://adamshoalts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What happens when we play outside? We become healthier - both mentally and physically We become more creative and more focused We connect - with nature, each other, and ourselves Let’s Take This Outside: a new podcast hosted by me - Mary Anne Ivison - an aspiring outdoor athlete and nature lover.. I speak to athletes, outdoor professionals, and scientists about their connection to nature, how it affects their performance and everyday life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices