The Roots Podcast: Recent Episodes
Stephanie Gillis-Paulgaard
A podcast focused on Community over Competition, creating value in relationships and meaningful impact on the people you serve.
Eric Deshaies of Gatineau, Quebec was the last of five Canadians standing at this year's Big Dog's Backyard Ultra World Championship in Bell Buckle, Tennesse.
He claimed his Golden ticket to the event with a win at Big Wolf's Backyard earlier this year with 35 yards. With no dedicated crew at Big's, Eric managed to clench the second-best Canadian backyard performance with 50 yards or 208.33 miles [335.29kms]. Cold nights, warm days and a technical trail course played havoc on many of the runners. In the end, a new world record was set by Harvey Lewis [USA] with a staggering 85 yards or 354.16 miles [569.97kms]. This year's assist went to Chris Roberts with 84 yards -- 350 miles.
More about Eric Deshaies:
A seasoned ultrarunner and Ironman, Eric has achieved top 10 finishes at both Moab and Badwater [7th place in 2010]. He also made an appearance at UTMB and Tor des geants. in 2008, Eric was the 2008 double Ironman World Champion.
Instagram: @ericdeshaies
Backyard Ultra:
The backyard ultra is a last person standing format. There is no finish line. Every hour on the hour, a new yard begins. Runners must complete 4.16667 miles [1 yard] in that hour. Why 4.16667 miles? Every 24 hours will mark the completion of 100 miles.
The race continues until only one person remains. Once the second-place runner [assist] can no longer continue, the last runner may only complete one more yard to be deemed the winner.
Current world Backyard Ultra record holder John Stocker joins me from United Kingdom to talk 'all things backyard'.
New to the backyard ultra format, John shares his motivation and inspiration to keep going in a race that has no finish line. After winning his first Backyard Ultra in October 2020 in 41 hours, John was back at the starting line in June 2021 for the Suffolk Backyard Ultra where he not only won the event but set a new world record of 81 hours -- that's 337 miles or 542.349 kilometers surpassing the previous record set by Karel Sabbe of Belgium of 75 hours -- 312.5 miles [502 kilometers] in October 2020.
Same course both times. Competitive advantage? Maybe.
His motivation? His children. He wanted to show them you can always achieve more.
John's big concern right now is whether or not he'll be able to make it to Big Dog's Backyard Ultra World Championship in the United States this October. With travel restrictions still in place, it's a waiting game. The best of the best will go head-to-head starting Saturday, October 16 in Bell Buckle, Tennesse.
Fun Facts about John:
Shoes: Altra
Go-to Fuel: Pancakes, chili and rice, baked beans, ice cream and Tailwind to inject some caffeine in the evenings.
Follow John's journey:
Instagram @Johnstockerultra
Facebook @John Stocker Ultra Runner, Personal Trainer,
Sports Therapist
Twitter @ JStockerultra
Backyard Ultra format:
Run 4.167 miles every hour until there is only one person left standing.
About John Stocker:
John started running Marathons in 2006, slowly increasing distance to the ultras. His first was a 50km in 2014. Then onto his first 50 and 100 miler in 2015. According to John both went ok, so in 2016 he managed to fit in 4-50 milers and 4-100 milers. 2017, he went beyond the 100 and started running further doing the Montane Spine Race, Grand Union Canal 145miles and the Canal Slam. 2018, saw him tackle Spartathlon, and in 2019 he broke the Monarch Way 615-mile course record and his first time to America to compete in the Tahoe 200.
William Wehrli continues to breakdown barriers and stereotypes. After being diagnosed with Autism as a young child, William has gone on to receive his Masters in Special Education. His goal is not only to support autistic families and individuals but to help others better understand Autism -- a true advocate.
An aspiring actor and seasoned public speaker, William has already put his skills to work, building communities on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. His gentle spirit and willingness to share his personal experiences have inspired thousands.
Connect with William:
TikTok @williamshapingautism
Instagram @williamshapingautism
Facebook Shaping Autism with William Wehrli
YouTube William Shaping Autism
Rose Rosen CSA, consistently rated among Florida's most distinguished casting directors, provides talent for both episodic and unscripted TV shows, movies, commercials and print campaigns nationwide. Ms. Rosen's 25-year track record earned her membership in the prestigious Casting Society of America and the respect of countless aspiring actors for furthering their careers. She credits her work casting the Tim Burton classic, Edward Scissorhands for advancing her own career just six months after deciding to leave her role as Fashion Editor.
Turns out people do still get 'discovered' in coffee shops and the little blue 'verified' checkmark may not mean as much as you think. Rosen has worked in the virtual casting world for many years, casting both films and commercials using self tape and virtual casting rooms. During the pandemic, she teamed up with LA based casting director, Kim Swanson to create a YouTube show for actors called "Casting Notes From Rosen and Kim."
Connect with Rose on social: https://linktr.ee/roserosencsa
To say that Maame De-Heer has accomplished a lot is a gross understatement! She has taken to LinkedIn [a more traditional online professional network] to share her experience and build a thriving community that has real impact. Her approach to the platform is refreshing -- throughout our conversation she drops plenty of golden nuggets.
Background:
She is a Policy Analyst with the Government of Canada. Concurrently, she is a Clinical Research Analyst at the University Health Network with the Kidney Health Education and Research Group.
Maame also founded the Power of Love Foundation Canada, a not for profit organization that provides resources to low-income Black Canadians. Maame also serves as the Vice President for Public Relations with Toastmasters International in the Brampton division. Maame is currently a fellow in the Leading Social Justice Fellowship at the University of Toronto School of Cities department. Recently, Maame acquired a Masters of Public Health in Social and Behavioural Health Sciences, which she attained from the University of Toronto, alongside a Collaborative Specialization in Global Health, Health Services & Policy Research.
Connect with Maame:
LinkedIn: Maame De-Heer
Power of Love Foundation: www.poweroflovefoundation.com
Sometimes if you're lucky enough, you have the chance to meet someone magical. Well, it's your lucky day!
Nate Simon, also known as 'Nate the Great' along with his mom, Author, Motivational Speaker and Down Syndrome advocate, Holly Simon joined Stephanie for a special chat leading up to World Down Syndrome Day on March 21st.
With his mom by his side, we chatted about making new friends on TikTok to taking the Polar Plunge with Lady Gaga & Jimmy Fallon and the importance of inclusion and celebrating World Down Syndrome Day. Nate's comedic timing is on point -- his heart as pure as gold and his confidence level is one that many aspire to achieve.
Holly, a true warrior in her own right, started the I AM WHO I AM Foundation that works to change the way the world views people with special abilities. The foundation support families with a network of peers and resources. Their mission -- to erase the "sorries" and spread the good news about love and inclusion. You can also grab a copy of Holly's book I AM WHO I AM (links below).
Connect with Nate & Holly:
website: iam-whoiam.net
TikTok: @makenatethegreat2020
Instagram: @hairbyhollywould
Facebook Group: I AM WHO I AM
Holly's book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and eBay
A lot of adults don't realize how devastating the effects of being bullied can be until it's too late. How do you deal with bullying? I sat down with an expert to find out.
Candice Dugger is the founner of the Bullied, Broken, Redeemed, and a nationally recognized anti-bullying expert, author, speaker and trainer. Candice and her team specialize in equipping leaders, parents and youth on all aspects of Gen Z Bullying.
We chat about everything from defining what bullying is, establishing code words with your kids and how to document a case of bullying. Valuable tools and resources are discussed to help families navigate.
On top of being and anti-bullying warrior, Candice is passionate about helping families transition from public school to homeschool. Her "Coming Home" series of talks and workshops are a blessing for those trying to navigate the sometimes difficult transition.
For resources:
Visit www.bulliedbrokenredeemed.com
Instagram: @cedugger
Facebook: @BulliedBrokenRedeemed
Stephanie sat down with Sarah Wilson, aka BudgetGirl to chat all things money. Sarah is a Youtuber, blogger, speaker, financial wellness advocate, and baby real estate investor. She understands what it takes to claw your way out of debt, and she wants to share her experience with everyone and anyone who will listen. From the importance of multiple income streams, passive income and learning about accessible ways of leveling up with money, even single or on low to middle incomes...Sarah is a tremendous resource.
Budgetgirl.com is filled with lots of free resources, inspiration and more for anyone trying to level up their money.
Other resources:
Website: https://budgetgirl.com
YouTube: Https://youtube.com/budgetgirl
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gobudgetgirl
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gobudgetgirl
TikTok: Https://tiktok.com/budgetgirl
The Budget Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BGBudgetclub
Money beginner's playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLH0k0rlQA6Db04PjJmICCZiaf7nF6szRm
digital budget spreadsheets and net worth trackers https://www.etsy.com/shop/BudgetGirlGoods
digital vision board for your goals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKXJ4jfbwDc&t=1s
Danielle Kettlewell is an Olympian, Speaker, Coach and Author to her latest book “The Unlikely Olympian: Step into your Fears to Achieve your Dreams.”
After the Canadian born athlete achieved her own impossible dream by competing as part of the Aussie Synchronized Swimming Team at the Rio 2016 Olympics, being on the National Team for 5 years and recently making history by competing as Australia’s first mixed duet at world Championships, Danielle has now set out on her next journey by inspiring others through her story and knowledge that she gained along the journey. She spends her time speaking, sharing and coaching people through the tools to overcome limiting self-beliefs, the power to harness courage and step into fear and take action on living your dreams through a life of fulfilment.
LEGO is, for so many, the classic toy. The toy that brought hours and hours of escape to use your imagination and build whatever you could think of. Limitless possibilities.
Stephanie had the chance to chat with Russell Cassevah, a two-time Guinness World Record (GWR) holder and the President & Founder of Little Bricks Charity to learn all about how he has transformed his passion for LEGO into his main purpose in life. Both of Russell's GWRs were set walking across LEGO! This guy is the REAL DEAL. Most parents scream in pain when they step on one piece of LEGO let alone thousands of pieces of LEGO at one time. All in the name of charity. Simply amazing.
Little Bricks Charity is a 501c3 whose mission it is to build big smiles on hospitalized children. What do they do? Russell and his small army of volunteers raise money and then purchase LEGO sets to get them in the hands of these amazing kids.
You can follow Little Bricks Charity on the following platforms:
TIKTOK: @LittleBricksCharity
Instagram: @littlebricksbigsmiles
Twitter: @LilBrixCharity
YouTube: Little Bricks Charity
One week post-race Stephanie caught up with members of Team Belgium. They were all still beaming with pride and why not? They had just secured their place as team world champions and Karel Sabbe and Merjin Geerts had pushed each other to new world record territory for the Backyard format.
The ever humble Merjin Geerts, shares his thoughts on team spirit, what kept him going for 74 hours and his teammate turned opponent, Karel Sabbe. Race directors, Tim DeVriendt and Eilis Lanclus organized a superb event under extremely challenging conditions. Less than 24 hours before the start of the race, the Belgian government had imposed new restrictions in light of COVID19. With the race already underway and the Belgian team anxious to ensure they could continue once restrictions came into effect, a new "curfew" course had to be identified and approved. A little creativity was needed to help Merjin and Karel count the required laps - like clockwork they just kept running...until there was only one remaining.
Following an ultra-race is one thing. Filming and co-hosting the live broadcast of 2020 Big Dog's Backyard Ultra World Championship is a completely different story. It was an epic format: 20 satellite races all over the globe, 75 hours and 300+ miles that brought the ultra-running community together. Fabien was on location with the French team to film the event and fill the role of co-host. As fellow co-host, I was on location with Team Canada -- we break down some of our favorite moments, the magic behind an event like this and the brilliance of a man fondly known as Lazarus Lake and his wife Sandra (never forget Sandra!).
About Fabien:
Fabien Duflos began his career back in 1999 as a journalist and video reporter, for the French TV news channel I Tele. He has covered many international competitions including the Olympics, Football World Cup, and Rugby World Cup. In 2008, Fabien joined Canal+ as a Senior Reporter where he specialized in documentaries, for a famous show called Intérieur Sport. In one of the documentaries, he followed Kilian Jornet, one of the best ultrarunners on the planet. It was then, he caught the ultra-endurance bug and as they say...the rest is history.
Since then, Fabien has worked on some of the most difficult races in the world : Norseman in Norway, Ötillö in Sweden and in 2014, the Barkley Marathons. As the founder of Tangram Films in 2017, he had the independence he needed, to share his vision of sports and promote events where ordinary people achieve extraordinary goals. Last year, Fabien was in Bell Buckle, Tennesse to capture 2019 Big’s Backyard where Maggie Guterl became the first female world champion outlasting the rest of the field with 63 yards. He has also released « Out There », on YouTube, a documentary about Karel Sabbe, who had just won the Satellite Big’s Backyard Ultra World Championship setting a new world record with 75 yards.
Out There: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt3XPQFLOF8
From team spirit, pushing all limits and pineapple as an acceptable pizza topping, Stephanie breaks it down with some of Canada’s best ultra runners as they prepare to go head to head with countries from around the world in this year’s satellite version of Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra World Championship.
Time stamps for individual team members:
Ryan Kershaw - 0:36
Terri Biloski - 8:04
Viktoria Brown - 11:37
Scott Cooper - 15:50
Stéphanie Simpson - 19:22
Myron Tetreault - 24:20
Jeremy Welwood - 31:06
Chelsey Topping - 37:03
Del Salt - 43:04
Kevin Barata - 49:46
Wayne Gaudet - 57:26
Greg Courtice - 1:08:44
Matt Shepard - 1:17:41
Mike Huber - 1:25:42
Dave Proctor - 1:37:10
Street-photographer, Dino Serrao has inspired millions with his photographs. His mission - to make the invisible, visible.
Walking the streets of Sydney, Australia Dino is inspired to capture the beauty of everyday people. In his own words "no matter what, somehow ordinary people are Extraordinary."
You can follow Dino's journey on Instagram and catch all the behind the scenes action on TikTok and YouTube. Simply search Dino.Serrao on any of the platforms to connect to his incredible work.
Christian Marcello, a social entrepreneur based in Toronto, Canada is the passionate founder of Team Plover. His goal: to create a world where every pet has a loving home.
Following university, Christian took a pause to follow his heart and try new things. He found himself driving countless miles to help transport animals from high-kill shelters in Quebec, Canada, to rescue organizations around the city of Toronto. Armed with a simple idea and a desire to make a difference, Team Plover was born. The business model - sell handmade dog collars and use those funds to transport one dog in need, on a leg of their freedom ride toward a loving home. Team Plover has gone one step further to expand their efforts to include spay and neuter initatives and tackling pet overpopulation at its source.
A passion project turned successful business model. As Christian puts it: "align your success with the success of the world."
To learn more about Team Plover or purchase a collar, visit www.teamplover.com or www.teamplover.ca. You can also follow the Team Plover story on Instagram and Facebook at Team Plover.
We've all had bad experiences that we wish we could forget, right? Now imagine turning those bad experiences into a passion and creating impact in your community. That's exactly what Yana did! In this episode, Stephanie explores Yana's ability to turn so many negatives into one seriously big positive.
12 marathons, 12 days all while raising awareness and funds for a local charity. Be inspired.
A chance to hear first hand all the in’s & out’s of how Jon Noll claimed the Last Person Standing title in the Quarantine Backyard Ultra.
Answers to burning questions:
~ best pizza toppings for an ultra?
~ how to stay entertained for 51 hours on a treadmill?
~ where does one find cool running shorts and so much more
Chander Kandpal, an ultra-runner from India, won the hearts of thousands from around the world as he pushed through 41 hours of the Quarantine Backyard Ultra (QBU). Fairly new to ultrarunning, Chander's resume is lengthy and with his latest performance in the QBU, he set a new National record in Backyard style racing totalling 274.7 kms. His humble nature is obvious from the moment he starts talking - he credits his crew for his recent success and all the positive comments from the live broadcast viewers.
Chatting with Chander's crew was equalling inspiring. Their stories of planning, or lack there of, Chander's pure joy of running and the family that is Team Sunchasers.
For more inspiration, follow:
Instagram: @explorechander
Instagram: @teamsunchasers
The backyard ultra is a form of ultramarathon race, created by Gary 'Lazurus Lake' Cantrell, where competitors must consecutively run the distance of 6706 meters (4.167 miles) in less than one hour. When each lap is completed, the remaining time within the hour is typically used to recover for the next hour's race. Exactly one hour after a backyard ultra's first starting time, the competitors run an additional 6706 meters with a one-hour window for completion. These distance loops are repeated hourly. The race ends when the last runner or runners either concede or fail to finish the distance within the allotted time frame.
In this episode, Stephanie chats with 16 year-old Team Cure Founder, Lindsay Pacios. Team Cure is Massachusetts-based charity that sends care packages to kids fighting cancer cancer all over the world.
To date, Lindsay has sent 300+ unique care packages to these young fighters. Team Cure doesn't stop there - the charity also offers a small wish service to support these medically complex families with covering big Christmas gifts or birthday gifts, purchasing furniture, room makeovers, video game consoles concert tickets, collecting gift cards, and so many more wishes for these children. To learn more about Team Cure, visit www.teamcure.org
Stephanie and Anne chat about the ever changing media landscape, the virtual race season and its impact on the running community, pitching story ideas and the ever important need to build relationships.
Anne Francis has been editor since February 2020, after two years writing web stories for the magazine's website. The magazine, based in Toronto, is published seven times a year. Anne resumed her writing and editing career after taking a few years out to raise three kids and try her hand at other things, including piano tuning. A recreational runner since 2003, she has run five marathons, including the Boston Marathon in 2019.
What does one do when travel restrictions are in effect & you can’t visit your family? You challenge them to a virtual race of course.
In this episode Stephanie chats with three generations of Sutherland’s about why they chose to register for the Quarantine Backyard Ultra. They chat about challenging each other, training programs, and the fact that race day falls on Dave Sr.’s 50th wedding anniversary to his bride Margaret and how they plan to celebrate.
What holds most of us back? Fear.
In this episode, Stephanie speaks with clarity coach, TEDx speaker and best selling author, Rachel Smets about her own journey and how she works with others to move from stuck to UNSTUCK.
Learn more about Rachel:
Website https://www.rachelsmets.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RachelSmets
A raw conversation about the struggles of appearance from a young age, Sydney’s journey through her eating disorder and eating disorder recovery, and the importance and bravery of seeking help.
Canadian ultra runner & Guinness world record holder, Dave Proctor was supposed to kick off his TransCanadian speed record attempt in St. John's, Newfoundland on May 18, 2020. A world pandemic has postponed the effort until 2021 but that isn't slowing him down. Stephanie caught up with Proctor halfway into his run (53 kilometers) to talk about Outrun Rare - an initiative Dave & his wife Sharon founded in 2017 to bring awareness to families in Canada living with rare disease.
It's personal. Their 11 year old son Sam lives with an extremely rare genetic disease — Relapsing Encephalopathy with Cerebellar Ataxia, or RECA — that compromises his balance and coordination and turns simple movements into a challenge. It took 6 long years to receive a diagnosis.
Outrun Rare's mission is to create a broad awareness and national conversation amongst the public and policy makers regarding the needs and struggles facing the rare disease community in Canada. To learn more, www.outrunrare.com
The Quarantine Backyard Ultra had it all.
Laz Lake's 'last person standing' format - 1 hour. 4.17 miles. Every hour until there is only one that remains. 62 hours into the race. Two runners remain. Nail biting moments with a heart-wrenching finish.
Initial commentary by ultra runner, Jamil Coury revisits how the race finish unfolded. Stephanie spoke with Radek Brunner from his home in the Czech Republic just days following the event to talk about his experience and what's next.
Credits: this footage will appear as part of a documentary scheduled for release May 2020.
David Irvine is a widely sought-after speaker, best-selling author, and trusted leadership advisor. Our conversation is centered around practical insights and strategies to help leaders create clarity, trust, engagement, and accountability within our new, virtual environment.
The current COVID19 pandemic has created tremendous anxiety and loss in our lives; from unemployment to homeschooling, visiting loved ones and celebrate the lives of those we have lost.
We sat down with Dr. Dobson, a clinical psychologist at the University of Calgary and researcher with the Mental Health Commission of Canada to discuss strategies to help navigate this new world we find ourselves in.
Additional resources can be accessed at www.mentalhealthcommision.ca
A Backyard Ultra format is challenging on the best of days. Now add in a quarantine, a lockdown and a 4.17 mile loop.
Rinat Mustafin measured out 3 different loops 25m, 50m and 100m to make up the distance in his apartment in Dubai. One of 2413 competitors displayed through a live YouTube feed, Rinat quickly became an internet sensation fondly dubbed 'Living Room Guy'.
To follow Rinat on social:
Instagram @tri.rinat.mustafin
Facebook Rinat Mustafin
Facebook @ilovesupersportdubai
Website www.iron-star.com/en
13 year old Ben Tidwell recently competed in the Personal Peak Quarantine Backyard Ultra and completed 25 laps (hours). Yes, you read right...25 laps, which translates into 167.75 kilometres / 104.25 Miles.
He stayed with his dad Rob for the first six laps and with the help of his crew (mom, dad and three sisters) set out to do something not many 13 year olds or adults for that matter, could even comprehend.
The Quarantine Backyard turned into quite the family affair with memories to last a lifetime.
Canadian and Guinness World record holder Dave Proctor, along with 2,413 runners from 56 countries took to the start line of a one-of-a-kind Backyard Ultra event - the Quarantine Backyard Ultra.
Proctor, athlete and event co-creator, talks about what it was like to compete in the virtual race just hours after he runs a total of 208.01 kms / 129.27 miles before making the smart choice to 'call it'.
Camaraderie found in the ultrarunning community is like no other.
Burning questions like where all those license plates go after the Barkley Marathons, why the Backyard Ultra race format was created and so much more are answered by guests, Lazurus Lake (Gary Cantrell) and Canadian ultrarunner, Dave Proctor.
Meet your host, Stephanie. With 20+ years experience in pubic relations, communications and marketing, she has seen a lot. The goal - to shift the conversation to Community over Competition and inspire people to create value in their relationships.