All Bodies Outside: Recent Episodes
Dr. Brian Peterson
This podcast is hosted by Dr. Brian Peterson. He researches outdoor recreation because he loves being outside. The purpose of the podcast is to increase outdoor recreation participation, examine associated social barriers, and to boost societal conservation ethic. This podcast is a celebration of all body types, all minds, all humans, feats of accomplishment that are magnificent but may appear uninspiring, and the nuances of human experiences.
This episode’s guest was Thibault Delacroix who is a certified running coach and the owner of Nomad Runner Spirit. You can learn more about Thibault’s coaching service at www.nomadrunnerspirit.com. In 2024, he will be pursuing the Grand Master Triple Crown which is three 200-mile races in Australia.
I had the honor to be a guest on the Birdy Bunch Podcast. The podcast is hosted by CJ Greco, who was a guest on the All Bodies Outside podcast on episode #40. Exactly forty episodes later, I chatted with CJ again! The mission of the Birdy Bunch Podcast is to inspire an inclusive community for conservation by using education to promote fascination. I highly recommend the Birdy Bunch Podcast!
This episode’s guest was Mike Wardian, who has set a variety of running records and fastest known times. Also, he was strongly complimented on the All Bodies Outside episode with Jonathan Ladson (episode #77). Mike is a big inspiration of mine and during this episode we learned about how Mike approaches goals, maintains long-term motivation, maintains life balance, the power of mindset, and the enchantment of setting goals that are disconcerting.
This episode’s guest was Dr. Blied who is a clinical psychologist, neuroscience practitioner, and the creator of the ‘Faces of Health’ app. The app was founded on the belief that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for mental healthcare. Therefore, the Faces of Health app features a robust selection of easy-to-learn strategies to improve longevity and quality of life. The app offers a variety of tools for stress management and mental health skills training along with neuroscience information so that individuals can learn about their brain and biology and WHY the skills work. As part of my preparations for this recording, I downloaded the Faces of Health app and I was amazed at all it had to offer to benefit my wellness. Everyone should make wellness a part of their everyday routine and a great way to ensure this, with consistency, is to use the Faces of Health app. For more information about the app go to: www.facesofhealth.net
This episode’s guest was Jonathan Ladson who used to hate running but recently ran the Fastest Known Time (FKT) for the 91-mile Capital Beltway routein Washington D.C. Surprisingly, that was his second longest run of all time. I really enjoyed having an engaging conversation with Jonathan. He's a very inspiring person. Also, during this episode Jonathan gives a shout out to Georgia Miller (featured on episode #60) who is a mental performance coach and to Mike Wardian (who will be featured on an upcoming episode). Jonathan and I talked a lot about the power of mindset and how everyone can control that. Jonathan - thanks for being on All Bodies Outside!
Did you know any mindset can be adopted? Did you know you have a choice? Use your mindset to maximize your life.
This episode’s guest was Performance Coach, Shea Fairbanks. He coaches people on how to change their relationship with alcohol, improve their bodies holistically, and create new mindsets and habits that help them move towards an optimal lifestyle.
This episode features your host, Brian Peterson. On September 15th, Brian will be running the Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile Ultramarathon in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. This will be Brian's 7th 100 mile ultramarathon and his 6th Hardrock 100 qualifier. The biggest challenge for Brian is training in Kansas, which means a lack of elevation ascent and descent in training and not being acclimated to oxygen levels found at higher elevations. During this episode, Brian details his training plan and race plan. The hope is for Brian to keep two streaks alive: finishing every ultramarathon he started and finishing every 100 miler under 24 hours. The former is more important because the latter will eventually fall...hopefully at the Hardrock 100 :)
This episode’s guest was Brad Finn and I invited him onto All Bodies Outside because I’m inspired by his approach to life with aiming to maximize each day. Brad is an ultrarunner, a business owner, a teacher, and the co-host of the Push Through Podcast.
This episode’s guest was Vanessa Miot. She serves as the community services associate for Park Pride which is a non-profit with the mission to engage the community to activate the power of parks. Vanessa is a nature artist and a master birder. Also, Vanessa has three youngsters who teach her all kinds of new ways to see nature and through their sense of wonder, she enjoys a sense of wonder.
This episode’s guest was Jane Barlow, who is the CEO of Barlow Herbal Specialties, which is a company that advocates for a holistic approach to health. Their goal is to support people in caring for their family’s everyday health challenges in a natural way. Jane is an herbalist and loves everything natural, holistic, wellness, fitness, and nutrition oriented. She believes it is our right as humans to be vibrantly healthy, that if given the right tools our body knows how to heal, and that each of us is responsible for ourselves and the love, joy, and spiritual and physical health we experience. For more information, go to www.barlowherbal.com.
This episode’s guest was the founder of Adventure Journal, Stephen Casimiro. Adventure Journal is a quarterly publication and was created to share the joy, stoke, and exhilaration of a life spent outdoors. The common threads are curiosity, motion, and a hunger to explore the world. During the interview with Stephen, I came to be delighted by the work he is doing and the first thing I did after we stopped recording was I purchased a subscription. I recommend you do the same! Go to: www.adventure-journal.com.
This episode’s guest was Michael Jospé. He is the founder and CEO of the Earth-Based Institute, which is a global leadership development organization dedicated to supporting personal growth and discovery and to helping people with Nature-Connection. During this episode, we learned about collaborating with nature to help with developing self-awareness and how to integrate that long-term into daily life to be the person you were meant to be. To get more information about the Earth-Based Institute, go to the website www.earthbasedinstitute.org or email info@earthbasedinstitute.org.
This episode’s guest was Dr. Rachel Buxton. She leads a team that focuses on biodiversity conservation solutions. Her primary research interests are protecting natural soundscapes, ecological restoration, and systematic conservation planning. During this episode, we discussed two of her manuscripts, which are titled ‘Anthropogenic noise in U.S. National Parks – sources and spatial extent’ and ‘A synthesis of health benefits of natural sounds and their distribution in National Parks’. You can learn more about Dr. Buxton’s efforts at www.biodiversityconservationsolutions.com.
This past weekend, Paul Jesse finished the Hardrock 100 miler ultramarathon for the first time. For the previous episode (#66), he joined All Bodies Outside for a pre-race interview; be sure to listen to that episode! Across all indicators, Paul had a very successful race. He finished 18th overall and had the 5th fastest time for the last 6 miles. At the finish line, Paul cried tears of joy and was lovingly embraced by his crew. The finish was so much more than that moment. Paul began dreaming of running the Hardrock 100 back in 2012. At that time Paul and I were training regularly together in San Diego and were timidly stepping into the ultramarathon world. Eleven years later and numerous impactful running experiences endured, Hardrock finally happened. Although running a race appears individualistic, it often requires the support of a community to reach the finish line. During this episode, Paul salutes his crew for being there for him throughout the years and their meaningful influence on his life. Paul, these last two episodes are for you!
This episode’s guest was Paul Jesse. Two weeks after this recoding on July 14th, Paul will be running the immensely challenging Hardrock 100 Miler in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado; a dream race of his that he has been pursuing for nearly a decade. Paul has agreed to a pre-race recording and a post-race recording on All Bodies Outside. This episode is his pre-race recording. Additionally, I’ll be pacing him for the last 18 miles of the race and hopefully not causing him to drop out. I’m extremely grateful to be a part of Paul’s Hardrock journey for several reasons including that I’m hoping my name gets picked for next year’s race. Lastly, for his Hardrock training, Paul has been using the coaching services of Nick De La Rosa who was featured on Episode #9. Paul, I’m ready to be up in Silverton with you!
This episode’s guest was Andy Glaze. He loves challenging himself to do hard things and always has a smile on his face. At the time of this recording, Andy has run 100+ miles every single week for the past 173 weeks, as in for more than 3 years! Too bad Andy doesn’t get paid a dollar for every step he takes! During this episode we talk about how Andy got into running, how he maintains consistency, how to maintain positivity no matter what, and how everyone can be a runner.
Hey check this out - Brian was interviewed on another podcast. Time to turn the table. Instead of being the host, Brian was the guest!
This episode’s guest was the Emmy winner, legendary nature recordist, Gordon Hempton. At about 5:30 into the episode, he shared a sound recording at Soda Springs in Yosemite National Park.
This episode’s guest was Coach Monique DeMonaco, who is a change management expert. She has been a pioneer in the emotional well-being coaching industry for 20+ years, she’s the nation’s most experienced Rapid Transformational Hypnotherapist, and is the recipient of the 2021 Influential Leadership Award from Pittsburgh Professional Women. Furthermore, she is the author of the book titled, ‘Most People Don’t Need A Therapist, They Just Need A Change’. You can get more information about Coach Monique at www.coachmonique.com or you can send an email to monique@coachmonique.com.
This episode’s guest was Chrissie Catling, who is an advanced rapid transformational therapist and clinical hypnotherapist. During this episode we learned about how Rapid Transformational Therapy is used to access core beliefs, values, habits, and emotions embedded in the subconscious and about the scientific evidence that shows it is possible to rewire neural pathways, such as those that cause negative behaviors into healthy neural pathways. Chrissie is the founder of Access Your Own Healing and focuses on treating those who suffer from: complex trauma, unresolved pain, PTSD, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, sensitivities, a sense of disconnection, and Imposter Syndrome. Furthermore, she helps with optimizing mind body functioning. You can check out more about Access Your Own Healing at www.accessyourownhealing.com.
I invited Chrissie onto All Bodies Outside because I’ve been reading the book titled, ‘Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself’ written by Dr. Joe Dispenza. In his book, Dr. Dispenza discusses the neural plasticity of the brain, which is the ability of the nervous system to modify itself and reorganize in response to experiences. Rapid Transformational Therapy builds on this but creates faster and lasting change.
This episode’s guest was Georgia Miller who is a Mental Performance Coach at Peak Performance Sports where she teaches athletes and coaches about practical and proven mental performance strategies to improve performance and consistency. She helps improve confidence, emotion management, expectation management, and mental toughness. To learn more about Peak Performance Sports go to www.peaksports.com.
As many of the listeners are aware, I'm fascinated about psychology and social psychology, so I enjoyed learning more about mental performance from Georgia.
This episode’s guest was Dr. Rob Bell, who is a mental toughness coach. He has a PhD in sport psychology from the University of Tennessee and has completed a variety of endurance races, such as Ironmans and ultramarathons. Furthermore, he has written eight books about mental toughness. On May 5th, he released his most recent book titled, ‘I Can’t Wait To Be Patient’. You can find more information about Dr. Bell at www.cantwaitbook.com and www.drrobbell.com.
I invited Dr. Bell onto All Bodies Outside because I’m fascinated about mental toughness and how it applies to daily life.
This episode’s guest was Clara Pritchett whom is the operations director for the Body Empowerment Project, which aims to decrease eating disorder risk in adolescents and equip them with the skills to live peacefully and healthfully in their bodies and to transform the way youth define self-worth. For more information, go to www.bodyempowerment.net.
I invited Clara onto All Bodies Outside because the Body Empowerment Project works with the Body Positive, which was featured on episode #33. Be sure to listen to both episodes!
This episode’s guest was performance psychologist Dr. Stuart Beattie who is a professor at Bangor University in Wales. His research interests include mental toughness, resilience, and performance psychology. Also, he is involved with resilience projects with the Youth Justice Service, and mental toughness projects with the Manchester City Football Club and the England and Wales Cricket Board. I invited Dr. Beattie onto All Bodies Outside because I wanted to learn about how athletes can train themselves to strongly perform in pressurized situations.
This episode’s guest was Dr. Susan Houge Mackenzie who is a professor at the University of Otago in New Zealand. Her research integrates psychology and tourism by developing and applying psychology theories to adventure tourism, recreation, and education contexts. Her primary research focuses on links between nature-based adventure and well-being for tourists, guides, and host communities. Her research also focuses on translating theoretical developments into practical applications for the tourism industry. Additional projects include investigations of how outdoor adventure can promote engagement and intrinsic motivation in physical activity and science education. Susan’s interests in outdoor adventure, sport, and psychological well-being stem from adventure guiding and competitive soccer experiences. She has applied these experiences to develop risk management guidelines for adventure operations; conduct mental skill training workshops for elite youth athletes; and to provide consulting for government and non-profit organizations.
This episode’s guest was Dr. Sheina Lew-Levy who is a professor at Durham University in England. Her research applies approaches from anthropology and psychology to research hunter-gatherer societies and social learning. Specifically, she studies how and from whom children learn through meaningful participation in every day activities.
I first came across Dr. Lew-Levy’s research while reading the book, ‘The Wilderness Idiot’ written by Ted Alvarez who was featured on episode #53. This prompted me to look up her research which then led me to inviting her on to All Bodies Outside.
This episode’s guest was Martinus Evans who was featured on episode #32. I invited Martinus back on to All Bodies Outside because he is releasing his book tomorrow on June 6th. The title of his book is, ‘Slow AF Run Club: The Ultimate Guide for Anyone Who Wants to Run’. This book has everything you need to get running in the body you have right now. Learn how to run properly – from breathing techniques, to running form and pacing – while also discovering how to feel empowered in your body. Whether you’re just beginning to run or struggling to keep up your progress, you’ll also have access to tools and resources to help you reach your running goals, including: training plans, motivational worksheets, progress trackers, recovery tips, protective cross training exercises, nutrition advice, and many more effective resources. With this book, you will be ready to lace up your shoes and get running immediately!
From Martinus - "Runners of all levels, unite! Read Slow AF Run Club and discover the hilarious and heartwarming world of running at a pace that suits you. Say goodbye to the pressure and hello to the joy of running."
https://slowafrunclub.com/preorder/
SlowAFRunClub
MartinusEvans
This episode’s guest was author Ted Alvarez. He has written several books including, ‘Ask a Bear: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know (And Weren’t Afraid to Ask) About Bears’, ‘The National Parks Coast to Coast: 100 Best Hikes’, ‘The Survival Hacker’s Handbook: How to Survive with Just About Anything’, and ‘The Wilderness Idiot: Lessons from an Accidental Adventurer’. In 2024, Ted will be releasing another book titled, ‘Hiking Hidden Gems in America’s National Parks’.
I invited Ted onto All Bodies Outside because recently I finished reading his book, ‘The Wilderness Idiot’. In this book Ted demonstrates that you don’t need to be an expert to adventure in the outdoors and that sometimes we benefit when we go beyond our comfort zone.
This episode’s guest was psychologist and behavioral scientist Dr. Eric Brymer who is a professor at Southern Cross University in Australia. Dr. Brymer’s research focuses on the human-nature relationship, the impact of outdoor adventure sports on wellbeing, and experiential outcomes of outdoor extreme sports. He is the author of the book titled, ‘Phenomenology and the Extreme Sport Experience’.
This episode’s guest was Don Reichelt who is a very accomplished trail and ultra runner. In November of 2022 he set three manual treadmill world records in the span of 24 hours for: furthest distance run in 12 hours, fastest 100 miles, and furthest distance run in 24 hours. Additionally, he has run a trail 100 miler in 13 hours and 16 minutes! Don is very in tune with his body and has objectively monitored his health using quantified data about his physiology and he found that while adhering to a plant-based diet his overall health, recovery, and fitness improved. I invited Don onto All Bodies Outside because I was curious to learn more about his mental fortitude, his running knowledge, and also to connect with another plant-based ultra runner. Don is very generous and loves talking about running and sharing about his running experiences. If you ever need running advice or support, feel free to message Don using Instagram messenger. His account is @runwithdon.
This episode’s guest was Hailey Moore who is a freelance writer and copyeditor in Boulder, Colorado. She writes about people, the outdoors, food, and local community matters. Additionally, she regularly bike tours on gravel roads and trails, and enjoys sharing about her adventures in her writings. I invited Hailey on to All Bodies Outside because I wanted to learn more about bike touring and to learn about her solo bikepacking.
This episode’s guest was Alex Marquardt, who is the Executive Director of the Climate Defense Project, which is a legal nonprofit that advises and supports the climate movement primarily in the United States. The Climate Defense Project has been a leading advocate of the climate necessity defense, also known as the choice-of-evils defense, in which nonviolent protesters have argued for the legal justification of minor lawbreaking to address the climate emergency.
Over the last several years, the Climate Defense Project has helped secure the first written rulings allowing climate necessity defenses at jury trials and the first appellate opinions recognizing it. You can learn more about the Climate Defense Project at www.climatedefenseproject.org.
Additionally, our guest Alex, has written about the climate necessity defense, fossil fuel divestment, and climate justice in The Nation, Fast Company, The Hill, and The Boston Globe. He has given talks at Harvard Law School, Stanford Law School, the University of British Columbia, and the Climate Litigation Accelerator at NYU School of Law.
This episode’s guest was Will Dobud. He is an American living in Adelaide, South Australia, and works at Charles Sturt University. For almost two decades, he has been working with adolescents in outdoor settings to improve wellbeing and mental health. He is the founder and director of True North Expeditions, which is a non-profit program in Adelaide that provides adventure therapy expeditions and social work services for adolescents. Will’s research interests include Outdoor Therapies, Feedback-Informed Treatment, and Qualitative Research involving client voice. Also, he is a co-author of the book titled, ‘Solution-Focused Practice in Outdoor Therapy’.
This episode’s guest was Ragen Chastain who is a thought leader in weight science, weight stigma, health, and healthcare. She has spent years as a speaker, writer, researcher, Board Certified Patient Advocate, and multi-certified health and fitness professional. Furthermore, she is the author of the following book, ‘Fat: The Owner’s Manual’ and she is the editor of ‘The Politics of Size: Perspectives from the Fat Acceptance Movement’. She is also the co-author of the book titled, ‘Love it! 234 Inspirations and Activities to Help You Love Your Body’. Additionally, she writes a newsletter titled, ‘Weight and Healthcare’. Also, Ragen is a national dance champion, triathlete, and marathoner who owns the Guinness World Record for ‘Heaviest Woman to Complete a Marathon’. This episode is packed with useful knowledge, so feel free to take down some notes as you listen!
This episode was exciting because it connects research about the health benefits of exercising in the outdoors with someone who has used the outdoors as a medium to boost their own wellbeing. This episode’s guest was Nick Barlow, who is an avid gravel bike rider. However, he wasn’t always into adventuring in the outdoors and has found that the outdoors provide solace and many health benefits, which were discussed in depth during this episode.
This episode’s guest was Leslie Alford who is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel and served for 24 years. However, her military career began with a debilitating injury. During Army Officer Candidate School, Leslie was training on an obstacle course and took a perilous fall, which resulted in four fractured vertebrae, a broken wrist, nerve damage, scoliosis, and other injury-related issues. The doctors thought she was likely paralyzed and required her to lie flat on a hospital bed in a full body cast for four months before testing her in a standing position. Yet, she overcame the odds and had a gratifying military career. During this episode we learned about how Leslie was able to continue serving in the Army, her determination to thrive, her perseverance, and her fortitude to not let her injury beat her.
This episode’s guest was Dr. Gemma Gibson who is a sociologist. Her research focuses on the fat activist movement, the contemporary body positive movement, and the Health at Every Size movement. A couple of her recent publications are:
'Health(ism) at every size: The duties of the “good fatty”'
AND
'Just there for the fashion, basically: Politicized fem(me)ininity in the fat-o-sphere'
This episode was very powerful and engaging. I learned a lot and I hope you do too!
This episode’s guest was Brian Passenti who has been involved with endurance sports for nearly four decades. He has experienced a variety of endurance challenges, including Ironman triathlons and ultramarathons up to 240+ miles. He coaches a variety of athletes through his business, Altitude Endurance Coaching (www.altitudeendurancecoaching.com). During this episode, I was excited to learn that Brian and I will both be running the Run Rabbit Run 100-mile ultramarathon in September in Steamboat Springs, CO. If you're looking for a running coach, try out Brian's coaching service!
This episode was an exciting one because All Bodies Outside is doing a collaboration with The EVOLVE Podcast which is hosted by this episode’s guest, Steve Cutler. The mission of The EVOLVE Podcast is to empower people to disrupt their lives, to EVOLVE their body, EVOLVE their mind, EVOLVE their soul, and to EVOLVE their tribe. The EVOLVE podcast shares timeless wisdom by interviewing the best experts in the fields of health, fitness, mental wellbeing, and souldevelopment to help people disrupt and EVOLVE into their highest self. Be sure to follow The Evolve Podcast and show your support!
This episode was an exciting one because All Bodies Outside is doing a collaboration with The EVOLVE Podcast which is hosted by this episode’s guest, Steve Cutler. The mission of The EVOLVE Podcast is to empower people to disrupt their lives, to EVOLVE their body, EVOLVE their mind, EVOLVE their soul, and to EVOLVE their tribe. The EVOLVE podcast shares timeless wisdom by interviewing the best experts in the fields of health, fitness, mental wellbeing, and soul development to help people disrupt and EVOLVE into their highest self. Be sure to follow The Evolve Podcast and show your support!
This episode’s guest was Dr. Rasul Mowatt. Dr. Mowatt is the Department Head for Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management of the College of Natural resources at North Carolina State University. His research interests are: the Racial Geographies of Public Space, Violence and the Geographies of Threat, social justice, the Theory of the Leisure Class, and the Sociology of Leisure. During this episode, we will discuss Dr. Mowatt’s book titled, ‘The Geographies of Threatand the Production of Violence: The State and the City Between Us’. You can find his book at all major book distributors. I highly recommend it!
This episode’s guest was CJ Greco who is a certified interpretive guide, naturalist, and an educator at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Also, CJ co-hosts a podcast called ‘The Birdy Bunch’ which features three nature enthusiasts who examine the world of ecology and conservation. You can check out more about 'The Birdy Bunch' podcast at: www.thebirdybunchpodcast.com. Additionally, CJ serves on the leadership team for a Chicago community organization called ‘Out In Nature’, which aims to provide accessible and positive environments for LGBTQIA+ individuals to connect, explore, and experience nature and the outdoors. In early May, they will be releasing a podcast hosted by CJ! You can check out more about ‘Out In Nature’ at: www.outinnaturechi.wordpress.com.
This episode’s guest was Michelle Schroff who is an avid and accomplished runner and also a podcast host. During this episode, we heard about Michelle’s love of running and her podcast called ‘Fun of the Run’. Additionally, we heard about some of her sponsorships and ambassadorships. Her love of life and love of running were both palpable throughout the entire episode. She was super fun to have on All Bodies Outside and I hope to get her back on the podcast in about a year!
This episode’s guest was Dr. Kara Alexzander who is an eastern medicine doctor, nutritionist, acupuncturist, and PMS specialist. She has been practicing alternative medicine and natural forms of healing since 1998. Her areas of specialization are endocrine, digestive discomfort, acute and chronic pain, fertility and pregnancy, body comfortability, emotional imbalances, and trauma. You can check out more about Dr. Alexzander at www.drkaraalexzander.com.
This episode's guest was Dr. Lauren Mullenbach who is a professor of geography and environmental sustainability at the University of Oklahoma. Her research focuses on environmental justice issues related to urban land use. Some of her recent published manuscripts are:
- 'Climate change adaptation plans: Inclusion of health, equity, and green space'
- 'An antiracist, anticolonial agenda for urban greening and conservation'
- 'Can urban parks bridge deep divides? Assessing the effects of inter-racial social interaction in parks and public spaces on trust'
- 'Cultivating social capital in diverse, low-income neighborhoods: The value of parks for parents with young children'
- 'Critical discourse analysis of urban park and public space development'
Thank you Dr. Mullenbach for generously coming on to All Bodies Outside! You can check out more of her work at: www.laurenmullenbach.com
On June 5th of 2021, Dr. Williams was elected to represent District 6 of the City of Fort Worth, which is the community that raised him. He is the first African American Councilmember to represent District 6 and one of the youngest Councilmembers ever in the history of Fort Worth. Currently he is serving his first term and represents over 108,000 residents in far south and southwest Fort Worth where he works intimately alongside communities to ensure opportunities reach more families across the District, City, and State. Dr. Williams brings a people first approach to leadership, a proven equity lens when making decisions, and a deep passion for serving his community. He believes in leading by using collective values and hopes and prioritizes resident’s voices and being an approachable leader. Additionally, he earned a doctorate in environmental science and science education and studied sustainable urban infrastructure and development at the University of North Texas. Most importantly, he is a proud husband, father, and son. You can check out more about Dr. Williams on his website: www.drjaredwilliams.com
This episode’s guest was Freya McGregor who started Access Birding which works towards helping birding locations, such as nature centers, state parks, and county parks, design or retrofit more accessible environments, and to upskill and empower program managers, staff, volunteers, bird outing leaders, and fellow birders to be more welcoming and inclusive. Her work is very important because more than 61 million Americans live with a disability. You can check out more about Access Birding at www.accessbirding.com.
Also, Freya formely served as an occupational therapist with a clinical background in blindness and low vision services and she applies several aspects of her occupational therapy work to Access Birding. And currently, she is writing a book titled, ‘A Field Guide to Accessible Birding in North America’ which will be published by Princeton University Press. Lastly, she is also a Research Associate at Virginia Tech University working on projects related to access, inclusion, disability, birding, and using birding as a therapeutic tool.
On this episode, we hear the detailed story of Peter Van Horn's survival when 28,000 Volts passed through his body. To give you a frame of reference, people typically die or experience traumatic injury when they are shocked with more than 3,000 Volts. Pete was told that surviving 28,000 Volts is equivalent to the probability of a one in a million odds of survival. Pete’s high voltage electrocution incident caused his heart and breathing to stop and required six operations and ten weeks of medical treatment in the ICU. Miraculously, Pete survived and continues to thrive and loves spending time exploring his local mountain range in Utah, the Wasatch Mountains. Additionally, Pete has completed a variety of ultra marathons, including the 100-mile distance. What an inspiration!
This episode’s guest is Elizabeth Scott who is an educator, psychotherapist, and the co-founder of The Body Positive, which is a nonprofit organization focused on eating disorders prevention. Elizabeth’s work focuses on the intersection of embodiment, social justice, and mindfulness. At The Body Positive she also serves as the Director of Training and she teaches people to listen to their bodies, learn, and thrive with the ultimate goal to end harmful consequences of disrupted embodiment, such as eating disorders, depression, anxiety, cutting, suicide, substance abuse, and relationship violence. She instructs treatment professionals, educators, and students to use the Be Body Positive model to transform people’s relationships with their bodies so that they are free from body dissatisfaction so they can mobilized and do good for the world. You can check out more about The Body Positive at thebodypositive.org.
This episode's guest was Martinus Evans. On June 6th, 2023 his book titled, 'Slow AF run club: The ultimate guide for anyone who wants to run’ will be released. Be sure to pre-order it immediately from any major book distributor. Martinus graciously shared the first chapter with me and it was fantastic! I highly recommend it. Also, he has been on the cover of Runner's World Magazine and is the founder of an online running community called ‘Slow AF Run Club’, which includes a training platform for beginners and nontraditional runners. This community’s website is www.slowafrunclub.com. And be sure to check out more of what Martinus is up to on Instagram @300poundsandrunning.
This episode features Dr. Janae Davis who is a social scientist. Her research seeks to understand how to effectively promote justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in biodiversity conservation. She works at American Rivers and is the Southeast Conservation Director. Dr. Davis’s work promotes the health of rivers and riverside lands to ensure clean drinking water supply, reduce flood risks, protect biodiversity, and ensure sustainable and equitable access to conservation decision-making for communities of color. For this episode, we focused our conversation on a research manuscript of hers titled, 'Black faces, black spaces: Rethinking African American underrepresentation in wildland spaces and outdoor recreation'.
This episode's guest was Dr. Monika Stodolska who is a Professor within the Department of Recreation, Sport, and Tourism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Additionally, she is the Director of the Diversity Research Laboratory at her institute. Dr. Stodolska’s research focuses on the roles of leisure, recreation, and sport in improving health and well-being among ethnic and racial minorities. Her studies have explored the development of ethnic identities among Latinos and African Americans, as well as cultural change and adaptation among immigrant populations. Other subjects that are prominent in her research include constraints on leisure, ethnic and racial discrimination in leisure settings, recreation behavior of minority populations in urban natural environments, physical activity among minority groups, and the roles of new technologies in leisure. For this episode of All Bodies Outside, our conversation focused on constraints to accessing urban natural environments experienced by people of color, low income individuals, and immigrant populations and what can be done to help them overcome these barriers.
This episode’s guest is Dr. Phiona Stanley who connected from Scotland. Dr. Stanley is an Associate Professor of Intercultural Communications at Edinburgh Napier University. Her research focuses on mobilities and how people engage in intercultural settings comprised of heterogeneous assemblages of humans, non-humans, and artefacts. Her research has a particular interest on how powerful normativities operate within intangible systems of mobilities. She has published several books, with her most recent titled, ‘An autoethnography of fitting in: On spinsterhood, fatness, and backpacker tourism’. Thanks to Dr. Stanley, the listeners of All Bodies Outside can receive a 20% discount when purchasing this book! Use the link: www.routledge.com/9781032070988 and apply the promo code 'EFL01' at checkout.
Also, be sure to check out Dr. Stanley's fantastic presentation titled, 'Autoehtnography, assemblage, and the lived/researched subjectivity of hiking "alone"' at: https://youtu.be/f84SYoQTWHo. A lot of this episode's dialogue is further explained in her presentation.
Thanks Dr. Stanley for providing wonderful and quality content during this episode, giving a discount for your book, and sharing a link to your presentation :)
This episode’s guest is Dr. Lisa Meerts who is a professor of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism at the University of Utah. Dr. Meerts’ research focuses on youth development and how recreation and leisure experiences, such as outdoor recreation and education, can promote healthy development and well-being. She is particularly interested in how recreation and leisure can serve youth from diverse and marginalized backgrounds, and her research has recently focused on recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce as a vehicle to influence recreation program culture.
This episode's guest was author Tammah Watts and we discussed her upcoming book titled, 'Keep Looking Up…Your Guide to the Powerful Healing of Birdwatching', which will be released on March 7th, 2023. In her narrative memoir, Tammah shares her emotional journey of overcoming chronic pain and finding resilience by connecting to the natural world of birds. Tammah’s book is about life being curvy, twisty, and imperfectly perfect. It’s about connection and joy, despair, and healing. It’s about you, and me, along with all the rest of us throughout the world. And most certainly yes, it is about the powerful healing that birds can have in your life as well. You can learn more about her book at https://tammahwatts.com
This episode was extra exciting because All Bodies Outside had two guests - Kristin Sundquist and Kim Coleman. Both Kristin and Kim represent Green Mountain Cyclocross which is in Vermont. The mission of Green Mountain Cyclocross is to promote a vibrant and inclusive cyclocross community. To check out more about Green Mountain Cyclocross, visit their website at greenmountaincx.org and/or check them out on Instagram at @greenmountaincx.
Dr. Aby Sène-Harper discusses her manuscript titled, A People’s Future of Leisure Studies: Political Cultural Black Outdoor Experiences. In this manuscript, Dr. Sène-Harper and her co-authors (Dr. Rasul Mowatt and Dr. Myron Floyd) engage in a historic and contemporary investigation of Black people’s political outlook of the outdoors and their political cultural engagement with those spaces. The research team advocates for the co-existence of multiple cultural imaginaries of nature defined by the social and political realities of racialized peoples. Including these stories in the interpretation of public lands is a critical step to create an outdoor experience that is culturally relevant for Black people while fostering the critical consciousness needed for their political struggle.
In this episode, ultra-endurance athlete, Cath Wallis, joins us from Australia. Besides her vast athletic accomplishments, she is an activist helping with breaking down social barriers at endurance events. Her mission is to encourage people who may never imagine they could do something extraordinary to take those first steps and overcome the fear. Cath reminds people to live life big in the body that they have. Also, Cath is an accredited running coach who trains those who would not consider themselves traditional athletes but have the desire to challenge their own belief that they are not "athletes". You can check out more about her coaching at findyouradventure.online.
This episode features Pei Ting whose nickname is PT. PT is Malaysian Chinese and works in the outdoor education industry in Australia. Our conversation progresses through her presentation titled, People of Colour working in Outdoor Education in Australia. In this presentation, two of PT’s written works are discussed. The first one is titled, Beyond Tropes: A Dialogue on Asian Women’s Experiences in the Outdoors. And the other is titled, Is this a real job? A narrative research on the lived experiences of people of colour working in outdoor education in Australia.
This episode of All Bodies Outside was super exciting because three researchers joined for a fabulous conversation: Dr. Xiao Xiao, Dr. KangJae Jerry Lee, and Dr. Lincoln Larson. We discussed their peer-reviewed research manuscript titled, 'Who visits U.S. national parks (and who doesn't)? A national study of perceived constraints and vacation preferences across diverse populations'. Their research focused on two types of visitation groups who have not received much research attention: non-visitors and past visitors to National Park Service (NPS) sites. This study was important because it objectively revealed that NPS units are not visited frequently by a large percentage of the American public, which underscores the need for the National Park Service to enhance relevancy and diversity by providing attractive and accessible recreation opportunities for historically marginalized groups.
On this episode our guest is Will Sprouse who has run a lot of 100-mile ultramarathons. In fact, he has finished 83 100-milers. However, his ability to run long distances has become more challenging. In 2020, he survived a stroke (caused by a birth defect) that left him with heart rate limitations and difficulty managing his balance. Despite these additional challenges, Will continues to run 100-mile ultramarathons and he has created his own ultramarathon event called the 'Iron Will 100' that focuses on inclusivity and openness to adaptive athletes. The event has three distances: 50k (which is about 31 miles), 50 miles, and 100 miles. The course follows along a river, is 75% shaded, and maintains a flat trajectory on a smooth and wide trail that has no rocks or roots so that someone with a wheelchair or a stroller has plenty of space. Additionally, there are frequent aid stations and extended cutoff times so that racers have plenty of time to finish. Will's mindset and disposition are inspirational, he always finds a way to keep going while remaining positive!
This episode's guest is Dr. Rachael Edwards who is a research fellow at University College London. Her research focuses on evaluating and improving equity of access to nature for underrepresented communities. During this episode we discuss two of her peer-reviewed research manuscripts. The first manuscript is titled, Accounting for diversity: Exploring the inclusivity of recreation planning in the United Kingdom's protected areas. Her second manuscript is titled, What limits Muslim communities' access to nature? Barriers and opportunities in the United Kingdom.
Dr. Sandy Heath is a professor of parks and recreation management at Northern Arizona University and researches queer experiences in outdoor recreation. This episode focuses on Dr. Heath's dissertation which was titled, Queering the outdoors: 2LGBTQIA+ identity in outdoor recreation. This research was a big contribution and showcases the lived experiences of outdoor professionals with the understanding that not all LGBTQ+ individuals experience the outdoors in the same way and are often faced with exclusionary group culture. Typically these professionals are faced with navigating an array of aggressions that range from overt aggressions to microaggressions while in the field. Thus, it's time to queer the outdoors!
Check out this episode with Coach Annie Spence, who is the founder of Unbreakable Strength (unbreakablestrengthco.com). She is an EXPERT at helping others live richer lives by developing resilient bodies and minds through strength, performance, and movement coaching. Her traumatic life experiences, innate curiosity, ability to face discomfort, care, kindness, and love are all wrapped up in her coaching philosophy. It was an honor to have her join us on All Bodies Outside. You can check out more about Annie on her podcast titled, Unbreakable Radio.
Dr. Jeff Rose's research has contributed towards a better understanding of the complexity of unsheltered homelessness within municipal public parks and has contributed towards a better understanding of long-term solutions. This episode focuses on Jeff’s research of exploring the social and environmental justice elements of homelessness across the urban-wildland interface.
This episode features Van Ethan Levy. They are the author of Exploring My Identity(ies) and are dually licensed as a marriage and family therapist and as a licensed professional clinical counselor. Van's identity is trans and nonbinary. They were socialized as a female, are autistic, and have dynamic disabilities amongst many more historically excluded identities. Van is a huge inspiration and has several active and several pending projects designed to educate the public about social justice that help people think outside of cis gender, heteronormativity, white passing, able-bodied, and other privileged frameworks. Please check out Van's website (vanethanlevy.com) and also be sure to educate yourself on how to help provide spaces that are truly affirming regardless of the different identity(ies) one holds.
In 1978, Shlomo Nimrodi, was serving on the Israeli Special Forces when his leg was amputated above the knee due to an IED explosion. Inspiringly, his injury has not stopped him from being active and living a meaningful life. He has a long list of athletic accomplishments including skiing, triathlons, biking, hiking, and surfski. Additionally, Shlomo's mindset and his ability to not adopt a victim mentality are admirable and impressive.
On this episode, we learn how a community came together to establish a park on sacred land. Historian Michael Stubbs details the history of Mount Mitchell Heritage Prairie Park and how he formed a group to protect land that is historically and biophysically important. Mount Mitchell is now on a trajectory to hopefully become a National Monument someday!
On this episode, we have Leah Yingling and Mike McMonagle who discuss a variety of topics, including motivations, sense of accomplishment, learning about oneself, emotional intelligence, and making ultra running more accessible so that underrepresented populations can enjoy the benefits associated with ultra running. These two care a ton about the ultra running community and would love to see more people join it. They are also aware of their privilege and want to use their position to leverage change in the ultra running community so that more people have access to the benefits of being a part of this wonderful community. Thanks Leah and Mike for joining All Bodies Outside!
Mike McKnight is an ultra runner and a coach (www.lowcarb-runner.com) who set the supported fastest known time on the Colorado Trail and within a 3-month span won the Tahoe 200 Miler, the Bigfoot 200 Miler, and the Moab 240 Miler. These accomplishments are strongly predicated on mental fortitude. On this episode, we learn how Mike mentally approaches his endeavors, how he maintains resiliency, and how he explores his potential through getting extremely uncomfortable ("comfort is a waste of potential").
In this episode, Nik Hawks shares about his joy of paragliding and his work with Gristle King in which he helps people deploy Helium hot spots for building a decentralized wireless network. Helium hot spots have massive potential for collecting all types of data at low cost. Check out Nik at https://gristleking.com/.
This episode's guest is Dax Ross who enjoys giving back to outdoor recreation through volunteering with the San Diego Mountain Rescue Team, crewing an aid station at the San Diego 100 Mile Ultramarathon, and starting his own races and running groups. Additionally, Dax intentionally maintains and strengthens family and friend relationships through outdoor recreation activities, which directly connects to research findings. Join us on All Bodies Outside to learn about the great ways that Dax uses outdoor recreation to benefit society!
This episode features Nickademus De La Rosa. Nick and his wife are the founders of Lightfoot Coaching, which is a fabulous service that offers a holistic approach to coaching runners. They take a long-term, individualized approach to coaching and look at all facets of a person's life, including identity composition, stress management, and strategies for balancing running with life's responsibilities. However, the ability to offer such a great coaching service wouldn't have been possible without some severe life experiences that Nick and his wife successfully navigated and subsequently learned from. Listening to Nick's story, I also learned a lot and I hope you do as well. Be sure to check out Lightfoot Coaching at lightfootcoaching.org.
Dr. Ashley D'Antonio is a professor at Oregon State University. She researches recreation ecology, which is a scientific field that examines and tries to manage the environmental consequences of nature-based recreation. Most of her research takes place in parks and protected areas such as national parks and national forests. Join All Bodies Outside to learn about Ashley's research and how she spatiotemporally understands recreationists' experiences and their associated impacts.
Akiebia Hicks shares her story about how she learned about the National Park Service (NPS) and her impactful research that aims to identify structures to better support black employees working with the NPS. Additionally, she discusses strategies for preventing tokenism and enhancing employee engagement. I learned a ton listening to Akiebia and I'm grateful that she was willing to come on to All Bodies Outside! Thanks Akiebia!
Dr. Bess Perry, who is a Michigan State University professor of protected areas and natural resources recreation management, discusses her research about protected areas relevance and visitor displacement in addition to her love for the outdoors. Join All Bodies Outside for an in-depth conversation into how experiential attributes are used to add value to parks and protected areas.
This episode features Jeremiah Galyon who has long been into athletics and outdoor recreation, including mountainous ultra marathons. However, one day after surfing for 90-minutes in Hawai'i he suffered a severe heart attack in which there was a 100% blockage in his heart. His odds of survival weren't probable given that his blocked heart required several resuscitations and cumulatively left him without a pulse for 1-hour and 58-minutes. Craziness. To work on his heart, the doctors put him in a coma. His family and friends remained hopeful and...he miraculously survived. Incredible. The doctors even cried tears of joy when Jeremiah came out of the coma and showed healthy signs of life. Jeremiah is back to running ultra marathons and working at his surf shop (Sonlight Surf Shop in Pacifica California), but most importantly he loves spending every moment he can with his family. I love how much his guy loves life!
On this episode of All Bodies Outside, Dylan Corbin discusses when he got attacked by a grizzly bear. When that event occurred, he was working for the National Park Service at Yellowstone National Park as an interpreter and an educator. In addition to talking about the grizzly bear attack, Dylan discusses life as a National Park Service employee. Join us on All Bodies Outside to hear about Dylan's unique experience!
This episode's guest is Toby Story who owns Southern Sea Ventures and lives in Australia. He guides clients kayaking through some of the most wild areas of the world, including Antarctica and the Arctic. On top of guiding, Toby is always seeking adventure, whether it is rock climbing, surfing, kayaking, ultrarunning, or backpacking.
On this episode of All Bodies Outside, our guest is Dr. Michael Brunson, who has a PhD in Park Management and Conservation. In 2012 he thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, which influenced him to pursue a career in conservation and outdoor recreation. His experience is similar to mine. In 2009, I hiked on the Pacific Crest Trail and it also influenced me to pursue a career in conservation and outdoor recreation. It was a fun episode comparing how the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail continue to influence our lives more than a decade later!
Today's guest is Megan Taylor who owns and operates Belay Expeditions. She guides clients on all kinds of adventures including mountaineering, backpacking, and bikepacking. In addition to the physical component of her guided adventures, Megan's guiding company focuses on psychological outcomes so that her clients can journey towards their best self. During her PhD experience, Megan researched connections between nature, spirituality, and awe. She has also conducted intensive studies on depression and happiness. Thus, when journeying with Belay Expeditions, clients benefit from a physical journey and a guided mental journey. Check out Belay Expeditions at www.belayexpeditions.com