Where Adventure Lives

My good friend Shane is a cycling enthusiast to say the least. He and his wife run the Bike Johnstown Insta page (link below), and he's one of the smiling faces you'll see if you stop by Fat Jimmy's in Richland (link also below!). He's also one hell of a drummer, which we didn't end up talking about at all, but his band's IG is below as well.https://www.instagram.com/bikejohnstown/https://www.instagram.com/fatjimmyscycles/https://www.fatjimmys.com/https://www.instagram.com/tigerwinemusic/

Dr. Emily Lasinsky is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at UPJ and runs Art Expressions by Emily Lasinsky. We talked about ways to take care of your mental well being as part of your whole person as well as how creative pursuits can help to facilitate that well being. For more info, you can find her at:https://www.facebook.com/artexpressionsbyelasinskyhttps://artexpressionsbyemilylasinsky.com/https://www.instagram.com/elartnwellness/

Jess Lavelua, the Park Manager from Prince Gallitzin State Park (My personal fav!) returns! We talked about all of the great winter activities they offer (for free) and the upcoming Winterfest on Feb. 14th. Check them out here:⁠https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/prince-gallitzin-state-park.html

Dan Barefoot is a Richland grad and is currently on the USA Bobsled and Skeleton Olympic Team. He took time out of his day to talk about his Olympic journey and what the future holds. You can support him by visiting his GoFundMe, an I STRONGLY suggest you follow his Facebook and IG!⁠https://www.facebook.com/barefootonice/⁠⁠www.instagram.com/barefootonicehttps://www.gofundme.com/f/barefoot-on-ice-a-journey-to-the-2026-winter-olympics?fbclid=IwY2xjawPm7YFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFpREF5MjBiNTQyY3NsWllvc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHrxoBYL5idmX7Eo6giX8UTR962k0EjCOx2uHKenq7hT4ntV6ZkN17WUXSKQ2_aem_pvkDklN8g-qmDPeKGcEWCQ

Do you like cats? If so, this episode is for you! Dr. Christine Dahlin from Dr. Dahlin Talks Animals gets into the weeds on all things cats! For more information visither at:https://sites.google.com/view/8th-ward-animal-rescue/homehttps://www.facebook.com/drdahlintalksanimalshttps://www.facebook.com/johnstownanimalwelfaresociety

Michele Kupchella Adams, co-owner of Classic Elements joined me to talk about the shop, local authors, and upcoming events!

We spent a brisk November afternoon at the Johnstown Veterans Day Parade chatting with Vets, their families, community leaders, and parade attendees to see why the parade is important to them.

Kaylee Frederick holds a ton of impressive accomplishements, from being the youngest runner to ever complete the Badlands 135 to her recent 12th place finish at the 2025 IUA 24 HR World Championships in Albi, France. She joined me to chat about what it's like preparing for and running in an Ultra.

Gravel riding is currently one of the most popular forms of cycling. Dave Pryor and his organization unPAved Pennsylvania is showcasing some of the best gravel riding Pennsylvania has to offer. He is also my partner in planning the Higher Ground gravel event that is taking place November 2nd. You can check out unPAved and regeister for Higher Ground here:https://unpavedpennsylvania.com/https://www.bikereg.com/higherground

Author Josh Penrod is taking his second deep dive into the industrial heritage of the Johnstown region. This time he's looking at the dams of the region that helped to build the steel industry, and how they are now pivoting to recreational use. Josh will be speaking at Classic Elements on September 4th at 6 pm. You can pick up his books at both Classic Elements and Chameleon Bookstore downtown or on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Johnstown-Industry-Joshua-Penrod-PhD/dp/1540247902/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2ZR98G8EID0KK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.lKryR_YIcPjvxkDWwCxAMBXA3e6y7RT-x3aPU0HakGVyEEhq5LrA_6MZV9rqd_Yb7tziBWmX7Rjn3uB6uSpPBSCfrUz1_vWE1szKqV5rgLS7-HeudZJVYO5c4WEfj7k6JMlaXZ22GDYdivhrgAiGI4wiFRwSPGCxopJRXYb_sXNi4Vbe1x2g_zN-awp3cAobNTtIbT2mPxwXgoPUabeqa4NYd3OhDo-nT0E6MqQd0nY._hn3uO3xkLH4JGpDzOUG3uROsrmfeKUVPbTqJmEwlwY&dib_tag=se&keywords=johnstown+industry&qid=1756470886&sprefix=johnstown+industry%2Caps%2C90&sr=8-1https://www.amazon.com/Johnstown-Waters-Legacy-Steel-Industry/dp/1467159522/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3VBPFXNOODECC&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.VdD8jqUokk08sJ87hfx-xQbSInJRBnoDbdydsMgqIzPGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.9Ak1ifapQvSPNyxZNHEOrHPsVhusFqktGqE3Zq2xOoA&dib_tag=se&keywords=johnstown+waters&qid=1756470916&s=books&sprefix=johnstown+water%2Cstripbooks%2C161&sr=1-1

Julie Doyle and her husband run (Ha! See what I did there?) Up N Running in Ebensburg. She joined me to talk about running as a lifestyle and how a shop like Up N Running can help beginners on their running journey, or make sure that seasoned vets have the best equipment geared to their running style.For more info, check out:https://www.facebook.com/UNREbensburg

I'm sure you've attended an event, or saw greenspace signage with the Conemaugh Valley Conservancy (CVC) logo on it. Did you ever wonder what the CVC is or what they do? Here's your chance to find out. Dr. John Wenzel joined me to talk about all the great projects that the CVC is involved with. More information can be found at:www.conemaughvalleyconservancy.com

It's Ameriserv Flood City Music Festival time again and Shelley Johansson from Heritage Johnstown has all the details on who's playing, how they get booked, and what goes in to producing a music festival!

If you find yourself paddling on any of the local waterways, odds are you're going to run into a member of the Benscreek Canoe Club. The club has been around for over 50 years and is responsible for a ton of the paddling amenities you'll find in the area. Former President, and current Vice President, Steve Podratsky joined me, the current President to talk about the history of the club and some of the projects they've been responsible for.

Executive Intern, Dave O'Leary and I spent some time chatting with participants of the The 2025 Stony-Kiski-Conemaugh Rivers Sojourn, which ran from Thursday, June 5, to Sunday, June 8. The sojourn showcases the entire river valley in a spectacular four day, 44-mile float on the Stonycreek, Conemaugh, and Kiskiminetas Rivers. From Johnstown to Apollo. If this sounds like something you would like to try, you can find more info at:https://conemaughvalleyconservancy.com/

Steve Podratsky is the office manager and a physical therapist at the Somerset branch of Western Pennsylvania Sports Medicine. We took the show on the road to visit him at his home to chat about outdoor rec related injuries, what you can do to prevent them, and how to rehab yourself if you DO find yourself having to recover from an injury.

I've never met someone who gets as excited about the outdoors like Joe Brosky. He and his wife visited every State Park and Forrest, after which he penned a FANTASTIC book. I seriously could have talked to Joe for hours! He has a couple of speaking dates coming up, and he'll have books for sale at the first two events, but not at the last two.May 29:  5:30 PM at Classic Elements, downtown Johnstown June 1:  11:00 AM at 3 Rivers Outdoors on South Braddock Avenue in PittsburghJune 11:  10:00 AM JCC Community Center on Forbes avenue in Pittsburgh July 21:   5:30 PM Cambria County Library, downtown Johnstown

It's that time of the year again! The Stonycreek Rendezvous is this weekend at Greenhouse Park. I WAS going to monolog an entire episode, but since I enjoy the ol' back-and-forth banter, I invited Executive Producer Dave O'Leary in to host another episode!

Sean Hockensmith made the decision to solo peddle across the southern tier of the US. Following the journey, he penned a book that not only chronicled the adventure, but also provided tips for anyone considering undertaking a similar adventure. You can pick up his book on EBay here:https://www.ebay.com/itm/197053915299

Commissioner Chernisky joined me to talk about all of the great stuff happening on area trails, how they've impacted the region, and what recreation means for Cambria County. If you don't already, be sure to follow him on Facebook, he's always out on the trails talking to visitors and locals alike!https://www.facebook.com/thomas.chernisky/