On today's episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Ciaran King, an elite Downhill Mountain Biker turned Certified High-Performance coach.Ciaran's journey has been marked by challenges, including significant injuries and confidence battles. Yet, he's transformed these obstacles into sources of motivation.Now, he's committed to passing on his hard-earned insights to the next generation of riders. With a keen focus on promoting positive mental health and performance in mountain biking, ...
In this episode, I catch up with Louise-Anna Ferguson, better known as Lou, Originally from Fort William, Scotland, Lou now calls Queenstown, New Zealand, her home, where she's immersed in the thriving mountain biking scene.Lou's approach to the sport is all about letting her riding skills do the talking. Her passion for uplifting everyone in the community shines through, whether she's leading Women's progression camps or participating in freeride events.Fresh from her debut season on th...
In this episode, we caught up with Natasha Bradley, an English rider making waves in Queenstown, New Zealand. Natasha is a standout multidisciplinary rider known for her infectious enthusiasm and versatility across BMX, Enduro, Freeride, and DH racing.A true force to be reckoned with, she secured the 'true blue' award at the Dark Horse Women’s freeride event last year, and more recently won the annual McGazza Fest crainless race - as well as putting on an impressive show at the Dream Lin...
This episode of the podcast brings you an engaging conversation with my friend and fellow coach, Piyush Chavan. Hailing from India, Piyush started his mountain biking journey as part of a tight-knit group of riders. After cutting his teeth in downhill races in Nepal, he found inspiration to embrace a biking lifestyle in New Zealand, drawn by the allure of the mountain playground that is Queenstown. During the conversation, we touch on:Managing emotions like fear and angerRebuilding ...
On this episode, I sit down with Steve Vanderhoek. Steve is a North Shore-born and bread mountain biker, trailbuilder and a professional firefighter/paramedic.He is known for building and riding some of the most precise, exposed, and high-consequence lines in the area, and along with his long-time partner Kelsey Toevs, makes some of the most creative and jaw-dropping mtb films around. (Hear from Kelsey in the previous episode). After recovering from a year-long string of injuries that oc...
Today on the podcast I got to chat with Kelsey Toevs. Kelsey is a professional filmmaker and photographer based out of North Vancouver. Growing up in Lynn Valley, Kelsey has been combining her passion for Mountain Biking, Snowboarding, and filmmaking since a young age. When she met her longtime partner in crime, local free-rider Steve Vanderhoek, they combined forces and set out to help each other push their creative boundaries in the Mountain Biking scene. With an impressive p...
In this episode, I catch up with Nate Spitz. Nate is one of the most creative and talented mountain bikers in the Sea to Sky and has a lot of wisdom to share.Originally from New Hampshire on the east coast of the USA, Nate grew up skiing, and when he wasn’t doing that he was riding bikes and learning an impressive bag of tricks.He now lives and works here in Squamish, sharing his skills and passion through Yoann Barelli’s Into The Gnar coaching company, and also through a multitude of free-ri...
On today's episode, we have Michael Sousa. Mike is a passionate Mountain Biker, Instructor, Guide, and Filmmaker based in Whistler, BC.After almost 20 years of honing his skills on the steep and technical trails of BC he has dedicated the summer to learning air tricks on his mountain bike. As well as this personal exploration, Michael recently gained his Level 3 PMBIA coaching qualification which for those that aren’t aware, is the gold standard of Instructor training and no easy f...
On this episode, I got to interview Squamish local, Blake Rowsell.Blake is a professor at Capilano University who teaches a variety of outdoor recreation programs. He also has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to Mountain Bike Tourism in BC having completed his master's degree on the topic.We dive straight into Blake's personal journey with Mountain Biking, discussing some of the tools he has picked up along the way that help him manage his own Mental Health and thrive as an Educator, Dad, ...
In this episode, we hear from Yoann Barelli. For those that aren't familiar, Yoann hails from Nice in the south of France and has been racing Mountain Bikes since the tender age of 7 years old. From there he went on to have numerous successes, including becoming the French Elite DH champion in 2004, and multiple podium finishes in the Enduro World Series after that. Over the past few years, we have seen Yoann pivot towards free riding, getting creative, and of course, having loads of fun...
In this episode, I chat with Greg McDonnell. Greg is a sports fanatic, an avid mountain biker, and is also a registered clinical counsellor. He grew up on the North Shore and has been riding bikes for as long as he can remember. When he moved to Whistler 20 years ago, he started racing mountain bikes, and alpine ski mountaineering which enhanced his growing interest in the mental side of performance.Fast forward to today, Greg has worked in the mental health and performance space for ove...
Today on the show, I got to head out for a rip with Jo Peters. We rode one of her favorite trails here in Squamish, Two Stroke Smoke, and then sat down for an insightful conversation.Jo is active in the mountain bike community as a coach, volunteer, and enduro racer. She also works full-time as an RMT and is an expert when it comes to the Mind/Body/Bike connection. Coaching-wise, Jo runs her own foundation called Jo and Co. - which aims to make MTB more accessible to women in British Col...
Today's episode is a little different. I felt called to introduce myself, or re-introduce myself to new and old listeners alike since we have seen our audience base expand a lot in recent times! (A huge thank you to you all for listening)So join me as I talk a little bit about my background in the Mountain Bike coaching industry, my passion for all things Mountain Sports, and how I got into the Mental aspect of performance. As always, I'd love to hear from you with any feedback, suggesti...
Today on the show I’m sitting down with Adam Van Luu, a Squamish local Physiotherapist and Concussion Specialist. Through his clinic which is part of Union Health & Performance, Adam works with people ranging from everyday enthusiasts, all the way up to elite-level athletes including a lot of the Blueprint crew.Outside of work, Adam is an avid Mountain Biker, Climber, and Trail Runner.This has been a conversation I’ve been wanting to have for a long time now, as I feel like by now w...
On this episode of the show, I went for a ride and sat down for a chat with North Vancouver local and freeride legend, among many other things, Geoff Gulevich who is otherwise known as, 'Gully'.Geoff’s longtime career as a Professional Mountain biker has been filled with impressive highlights, remarkable comebacks from injuries, and a continued dedication to sharing his passion and expertise with others.Most notably, Geoff has solidified himself among MTB Stardom with appearances in legendary...
In this special episode of the Grit With Wisdom Podcast, we headed to @WhistlerBlackcomb for one of the most exciting days of the year, Whismas. With both excitement and nerves running high among the crowd, we set about getting a real voice of the people, to understand some of the different ways we can operate mentally in the Bike Park.We got a whole bunch of unique and entertaining answers when asking riders: - Is giving it 100% faster? Or riding at 80 or 90%?- Is slow smooth?- Sh...
Today on the show we have Geoff Livingston. Geoff is a North Vancouver local Mountain Biker, Photographer, Dad, and Cancer Survivor.Having been through some incredibly tough circumstances, Geoff sheds an interesting perspective on what it means to be a mountain biker, and what is important in life. We talk about the mental rollercoaster of going from his highest high, completing the Great Divide - a 4350km bike ride, to being diagnosed with cancer and what he has learned along the way.In his ...
Today on the show we have an avid biking enthusiast - Jarrad Connolly! Hailing from the sunny shores of Newcastle on the Central Coast of Australia, Jarrad has been living and breathing bikes since he took his first steps. He's got a passion for all things two-wheeled and believes that it's not about fancy gear, it's about the pure joy of riding.Jarrad's journey in the biking world started early, racing BMX and tearing it up on motorcycles before he even hit six years old. By the time he was ...
Joining us today on the show is Matt Smith, a critical care flight paramedic, and a professional first responder educator.Matt's journey has taken him across Canada and the US, from the Yukon to Wyoming, and he has held an array of exciting jobs, including working as a raft guide, and ski instructor. These days, Matt spends much of his time running bike and ski specific wilderness first aid courses through his business Canadian Outdoor Medical Consulting, as well as providing risk ...
On today's episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Nick VanEgmond from Bicycle Broker Insurance. What's really cool about this conversation is that Nick has found a way to blend his love for riding, racing, and traveling with his entrepreneurial spirit.Drawing from his own experiences racing on the global enduro circuit, Nick identified the gaps in coverage and decided to fill them by building Canada's first insurance brokerage exclusively for the cycling community. From everyday ent...