Obstacles & Opportunities

This episode is a little different! It's a conversation between Lowell and Ed which they recorded at their training camp in Arizona in Dec 2022. They've had two training camps SINCE then (and life obviously got away from me), but I swear it's still relevant! They debrief their 2022 season and discuss plans for their 2023 season which basically kicks off THIS WEEKEND at World Cup #1 in Italy! Throughout the convo, they occasionally acknowledge that they're recording for a podcast, but otherwise it's like being a fly on the wall. They detail last year's World Cup races in Belgium & Germany (which were wild, by the way), Ed talks about his accident and miraculous recovery, they surprise themselves with a conversation about pressures they feel not to let each other down, and it's overall sweet to hear their camaraderie and the love and respect they have for each other as Canada's number one tandem cycling team! Enjoy!

Today's guest is our friend (and Lethbridge local!), Jared Heidinger! Jared has had many roles in life. University basketball player, teacher, coach, husband, father, son & friend (among other things!). He has also experienced many chapters in his life, and he takes us through them. From the passing of his wife, Krista, and raising his three kids as a single dad to meeting and marrying Carianne and living with Multiple Sclerosis.   Jared is very honest about his experience with MS. How he struggles with feelings of being a burden, the value of being part of a community, and the importance of perspective. Everyone has some sort of pain or struggle, and we're not as alone as we think we are! Jared has had a very eventful life, and we appreciate his wisdom & perspective. Enjoy!

Paralympic champion Nate Riech is here! Nate—who comes from an intensely athletic family—was hit in the head with a stray golf ball when he was 10. He acquired a traumatic brain injury and was initially paralyzed on his right side.  He surpassed all expectations for his recovery, and burst onto the international para athletic scene in 2018! He holds world records and earned a gold medal in the 1500m at Tokyo 2020—his debut Paralympic Games. Nate thrives on connection with others, his love for family is palpable, and he credits the supportive team around him for his incredible recovery and his ability to excel in sport. Nate has embraced his disability as it's taught him how to be his own person. He has an incredible sense of humour and a winning smile. Nate is AMAZING and our conversation flew by. We hope you are as inspired by him as we are! Check out his podcast Stride with Graywolf, and follow him at @nategraywolf on Instagram & Twitter!

Ina Forrest is a four-time Paralympic Wheelchair Curler! At her first Paralympic games on home soil at Vancouver 2010, the team won GOLD. Most recently at Beijing 2022, they brought home the bronze medal AND Ina was one of Canada's flag bearers for the opening ceremonies! When Ina was 21, she became paralyzed after the vehicle she was driving in was hit by an impaired driver. She wasn't introduced to wheelchair curling until she was 42 years old, and she's now one of the most decorated wheelchair curlers in the WORLD! Ina and her husband live in BC where they run their own business and raised their three kids who are now adults! We loved having insight into Ina's mindset, hearing about her adventures, and learning more about wheelchair curling! Fair warning, the audio isn't the best… but the conversation still is, so we hope you enjoy!

It's Green Shirt Day! We are re-sharing last year's conversation with the Boulet family. New year and new episode art… same conversation, same beautiful family. Today—April 7th—is Green Shirt Day, and we had the pleasure of chatting with Logan Boulet's family. Logan is the inspiration behind Green Shirt Day and the Logan Boulet Effect. On April 6, 2018, the Humboldt Broncos hockey team bus was involved in a crash that shattered the hearts of Canadians. 16 of the 29 passengers on the Humboldt team bus lost their lives in the crash, and Logan was one of them. He succumbed to his injuries on April 7th, 2018. Following his passing, his organs saved or enhanced the lives of six other Canadians. This sparked organ donation across Canada which became known as the Logan Boulet Effect. Now April 7th is known as Green Shirt Day—a day to bring awareness to organ donation, and the impact that Logan's decision to donate his organs had on a nation.  We get to know to Logan's parents, Toby & Bernie, and his sister, Mariko. They share their own athletic histories, their favourite memories of Logan, and Logan's unplanned legacy. The Boulets are the most beautiful and authentic family, and we hope you get as much out of our conversation as we did! Visit https://greenshirtday.ca/ to register for organ donation, and let your loved ones know about your decision!

Four-time Paralympian Jessica Tuomela is here! Jessica started out as a swimmer, and most recently competed in triathlon at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Jessica—who lost her sight by the age of three as a result of retinoblastoma—tells us about overcoming her fear of deep water, how she got into competitive swimming, and the transition to triathlon. Sport is just a small part of Jessica's story, though. It seems as though she's lived seventeen lives. She has incredible stories to share, and an amazing sense of humour. We loved every second of our time with this spitfire, and we hope you do too!

First time Olympic bobsledder Taylor Austin is here! He'll be piloting two and four-man sleds for Team Canada at Beijing 2022!  Taylor was born and raised in Lethbridge, Alberta. He moved to Calgary after graduating in 2008, and played football for the Calgary Colts before being recruited to bobsledding. We had a blast getting to know Taylor, and learning the intricacies of bobsledding! He'll be competing in Beijing in the two-man sled on Feb 14 & 15, and the four-man on the Feb 19 & 20. We'll be screaming our faces off cheering his team on in Beijing, and we hope you will be too!   @taytay_lloyd on Instagram… give him a follow!

Marie-Claude Molnar is Paralympic cyclist and World Champion! When MC was just 21, she was hit from behind by a vehicle traveling 110km/hr. She sustained head trauma in addition other serious injuries. Her positivity, resilience, go-getter attitude and athletic ability propelled her in para-sport. She shares the mindset of a champion, and what keeps her going in the hardest part of a race. Her motto is never stop being a seeker, and take action! We hope you enjoy Marie-Claude's story & her many pearls of wisdom as much as we did! Find Marie-Claude at @mariecmolnar on the socials!

Greg Stewart is a Paralympic shot put CHAMPION! He earned his gold medal and the Paralympic record at the Tokyo 2020 Games, and he's here to tell us all about it. Greg is extraordinarily athletic, and has excelled in a variety of sports—both para and able bodied. He was born without his left forearm, and it wasn't until he was 28 years old that he became comfortable identifying as a disabled person. Greg is an empowerment coach, and he and Psychologist Lowell connected on a deep and insightful level. Greg even took us through an activity illustrating the importance of being in the moment and trusting the process. He chatted with us from his home in Kamloops, BC. Greg shared a lot of wisdom in general, and also encouraged those who are struggling to reach out. Hope you enjoy our conversation! Keep your eyes and ears open for Greg's podcast, Mental-ete, coming in January!! @greg_r_stewart on Instagram!

Shawna Ryan is a Paralympic cyclist AND goal ball player. She's had low vision all her life as a result of being born with cataracts. She wasn't introduced to parasport until the age of 28, and it gave her a place to belong and race without fear. As a child, Shawna's sister passed away, and later she lost her step dad to suicide. She now uses her experiences with grief and loss to help others. Shawna went through a different form of grief & loss when she retired from para sport, and she takes us through the complex emotions that followed. Shawna has a positive and infectious energy, and a knack for encouraging others. She's wise, kind, fun, and an excellent story teller! As Shawna would say—be brave and have fun! Also, enjoy our conversation!

The fastest Paralympian on EARTH is here!! Jason Smyth is a FOUR-TIME Paralympic gold medalist in the 100-meter sprint, and he chatted with us from his home in Ireland! As a result of Stargardt's disease, Jason has lost all of his central vision, and has about 5-10% of his peripheral vision left. He tells us about the mindset of a blind sprinter, his insane race experience in Tokyo, and the power of sport in his life. Jason and Lowell bond over the importance of a good sense of humour, and even swap embarrassing blind guy stories! Thanks for the amazing conversation, Jason, and we hope you all enjoy!

Olympic basketball player Ross Bekkering is here! Ross is a born-and-raised Southern Albertan with a Dutch passport. He just represented the Netherlands playing 3x3 basketball at the Tokyo 2020 Games! After we talk about how the 1999 school shooting at WR Myers in Taber impacted him, we get a nice overview of Ross' life with fun stories AND pearls of wisdom sprinkled throughout. We chat basketball, family, life, inspirations, and living between Europe & Canada while playing pro basketball and pursuing a career. So many golden nuggets from Ross and his elite athlete mindset today! To name a FEW… The power of connection and community. The value of encouraging others—no matter how small & insignificant it may seem. The gift of a challenge, and that discomfort is directly connected to growth. Ross is so authentic & articulate, and it's too bad that this isn't a visual medium because when he throws his head back in genuine laughter, it's the most delightful and contagious thing ever.   Ross is currently a high school teacher in Lethbridge, and expecting his first child with his amazing wife, Carli! We hope you enjoy our conversation!

Stu Starkey is blind as the result of a degenerative condition called Choroideremia. He started losing his sight in his twenties, and para sport taught him that he didn't have to be ashamed of his vision loss. Stu started out in able bodied swimming, and competed in rowing and para triathlon. ALSO, he's legit a genius, and pours his brain power—AND heart—into the moving company Two Small Men with Big Hearts. Stu is passionate about giving back to the community—which is the motivation behind HIS podcast Community of Big Hearts (which you should probably subscribe and listen to!). Stu lives in Winnipeg with his amazing wife, Lillian, and daughter, Collins. He's a super fascinating human, and we hope you enjoy our conversation!

Keely Shaw is a Paralympic cyclist who won Canada's first medal of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games—a bronze! She has two more races coming up, and she graciously took the time to chat with us FROM TOKYO. Keely's story is a roller coaster! Dreams of playing Olympic hockey, a fall from a horse, a brain injury resulting in left-sided weakness, and struggles with disordered eating. Keely's determination shines through, and once she discovered para sport, there was no stopping her. She began her cycling career in 2017, and found her first World Championships podium in 2019! Not only is Keely an elite cyclist, she's also working on her PhD… pretty much specializing in sport and chocolate. For real. Keely shared her incredible story with us as well as valuable lessons learned along the way. Enjoy our conversation, and best of luck with your next races, Keely! Episode art adapted from image by Jean Baptiste. @keelyshaw10 on Instagram and @keelyshaw14 on Twitter :)

Stefan Daniel is a Paralympic triathlete who is ready to compete at the Tokyo Paralympic Games! He earned a silver medal at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, and we can't wait to see what he does in Tokyo. Stefan was born with bilateral radial club hands. With the support and encouragement of his incredibly active family, Stefan not only found sport… but dominated. On top of Stefan's several World Championship & World Cup podium finishes, Stefan was also the able-bodied Canadian Junior triathlon champion in 2015! In addition to successfully competing on the highest level stage for para triathlon, he's also super competitive in able-bodied cross country racing, and runs for the University of Calgary cross country team. We loved learning more about Stefan's life and love of family and sport… we hope you do too! @stefandaniel97 on Instagram and @sdaniel97 on Twitter :)

Ryan Lachapelle—Amazing Race Canada brother, avid skier, and adventurer extraordinaire! He—along with best friend Kenneth McAlpine—competed on season 5 of the Amazing Race Canada as Team GIVE'R… and promptly won the hearts of Canadians. Devastatingly, Kenneth passed away in a hiking accident on August 26, 2019. Ryan is open about how this loss impacted him, and how he continues to live every day to the fullest and channel his GIVE'R energy. Ryan is the events coordinator at RED Mountain Resort in Rossland, BC, but we caught up with him while he was visiting his hometown of Collingwood, Ontario. We had a blast learning more about Ryan, and of COURSE we also had to sneak in some Amazing Race chit chat! Enjoy! Support the Team GIVE'R Foundation that Ryan founded in memory of Kenny here: https://www.teamgiver.ca/ Ryan's Instagram handle: @ryangiver Episode art created using photo by Ashley Voykin (@ashvoykin on instagram) :)

Marc Mundell is an Olympic Race Walker. He's currently living in Canada, but will be representing his home country of South Africa at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games! This will be Marc's third Olympic Games, and he's currently the South African national record holder for the 50km race walking event, as well as the continental record holder (for the same event)! Marc gives us the low down on his race walking career and his plethora of experiences along the way. He's such an interesting, wise, and well-spoken man, and we can't wait to cheer him on—along with Canadians Evan Dunfee & Mathieu Bilodeau—in the 50km race walk event on August 6th in Tokyo! @marcmundell on Instagram & Twitter.

Married duo Haley Smith and Andrew L'Esperance (aka Lespy) are professional mountain bikers. They both ride for Norco Factory Team as well as the Canadian National Team, and Haley is CURRENTLY in Tokyo ready to represent Canada at her first Olympic Games! We caught up with Haley & Lespy last week while they were in Andorra prepping for the upcoming Games. In this conversation, we learn about the beauty that is these incredible humans, as well their amazing partnership. Haley is a REAL Role Model for Fast & Female as well as a mental health advocate. She's very honest about her ongoing journey with mental health. Lespy is on the Athlete's Council for Cycling Canada, and is one of Haley's main supports. Together, these two travel the globe racing and training! Keep your eyeballs on the television as Haley competes at the Tokyo Olympic Games on July 27th. Whatever the outcome, Haley, we hope you have an absolute blast! https://www.haleyhuntersmith.com/ @haleyhuntersmith & @andrewlespy on Insta @hale_smith & @andrewlespy on Twitter. Episode art created using photo by Andy Vathis. Thanks Andy! :)

Michelle Salt is a Paralympic Snowboarder. Her right leg was amputated above the knee following a near-fatal motorcycle crash in 2011. Michelle represented Canada at the Paralympic Games in Sochi in 2014, and PyeongChang in 2018. Prior to her accident, Michelle competed as a fitness model in the NPAA, and three years after her accident, she returned to the Fitness Stage! More recently, she has been an advocate for adaptive wakesurfing. Michelle is raw and honest throughout this conversation. She talks about the highs and lows of participating in competitive sport, her desire to belong, and her experience with depression, suicidal ideation, and discovering the healthiest version of herself. We hope you are as inspired by her courage, honesty & resilience as we were. https://www.michellessalt.com/ @parashredder on Instagram!

From podium to politics, Adam van Koeverden is an Olympic kayaking champion and politician. Adam attended four Olympic Games, and earned Olympic medals and World Championships GALORE throughout his athletic career. He retired from competitive sport after representing Canada one last time at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. In 2019, Adam was elected as the Member of Parliament for Milton, Ontario representing the Liberal Party. He values empathy, advocacy, listening, and humility. Adam shares the impact that kayaking & nature has had on his life, his continued passion for sport & inclusion, his political roles, and his love & vision for Canada. Bonus points for Adam—his girlfriend, Emily, is a Speech Pathologist like me. :) We had a lot of fun with Adam. Enjoy!  

Tandem cycling duo Lowell Taylor & Ed Veal are here for our Father's Day episode! You may recognize Lowell as, well, the co-host of this podcast. ;)  Ed is his tandem cycling pilot… that means he rides on the front of the bike.  As the blind athlete of the operation, Lowell is the stoker who rides on the back. They are fresh off of representing Canada at Road World Championships in Portugal, AND they're two of the most amazing dads! Ed started cycling later in life, and loves the thrill of racing. He has competed as an able-bodied athlete as well as a pilot for blind cyclists, and he's got the medals and titles to prove it! Highlights include: World Hour Record Holder for his age group, National Hour Record, World Cup gold, and Pan-Am Bronze (2015) on the National Team Pursuit squad.  In 2019, he broke the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest distance cycled in a 24-hour period for a virtual event! Ed is a cycling coach and lives in Hamilton, Ontario with his partner, Amanda. He has a 17yr old son named Evan. Lowell—a registered psychologist and the father of our beautiful boys (ages 8 & 9)—is legally blind as the result of a degenerative genetic eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa. He basically has pinhole tunnel vision now, and is completely blind in low light. He also discovered sport—and specifically cycling—later in life, and believes that sport saved his life. He became involved with Cycling Canada in 2015, and has earned medals from both national and international competitions since. Highlights include earning two silver medals at the 2019 Para Pan Am Games in Peru and becoming the National Time Trial Champion in June 2019. In 2016, Lowell was the first blind contestant to be cast in the history of the Amazing Race Franchise. He competed with ME on season 4 of Amazing Race Canada. No spoilers here… you can go watch for yourself! haha Lowell & Ed started cycling together in late 2019. They live across the country from one another, so training camps and team projects are how they get their time in together. Most cycling endeavors were cancelled because of the pandemic, but in January 2020, they broke the national record for the kilo at track world championships, and they just raced at Road World Championships in Portugal. They complement each other beautifully, and they're only getting started! Lowell & Ed share their individual stories, how they each got into cycling, and how their partnership on the tandem is so magical. They also detail their experience in Portugal, the intricacies of riding a tandem, and where they're headed next! Ed's partner Amanda—who is a teacher, photographer, artist, killer cyclist, and overall incredible human—has become a wonderful friend, so it was only natural that she join the conversation too. Enjoy!   Ed's coaching website: http://www.realdealracing.ca/ Ed's Instagram/Twitter: @realdealveal Lowell (& Julie's) Instagram/Twitter: @JulieLowellCAN Amanda's photography Insta: @amandasarahcherish

Payden Vair is a Canadian sitting volleyball player headed for the Tokyo2020ne Paralympic Games! Payden's right leg was amputated below the knee following a mowing accident in 2018. Before her accident, she was a starter for the Kodiaks— the Lethbridge College soccer team. Since her accident, she has joined the Canadian sitting volleyball team and even competed at the 2019 Para Pan Am Games in Peru where she helped Canada bring home the bronze!  Payden's accident and life as a para-athlete is fresh, and we're along for the journey! Her tale is full of twists and turns, and she takes us through it all. Disclaimer—if you are easily queasy with talk of accidents and medical procedures, you may want to familiarize yourself with the skip button and use accordingly. We hope you can tough it out, though… Payden truly does have a remarkable story, and her strength and resilience is inspiring. Find her on Instagram at @paydenvair :)

Today we have TWO special guests—Chandra Crawford & Gaby Estrada—who are both involved in the wonderful organization that is Fast & Female! Fast & Female is a Canadian charity on a mission to keep self-identified girls aged 8-14 healthy and active in sports. Fast and Female believes in the power of positive sport experiences and role models to give girls leadership, teamwork and resiliency skills. Chandra Crawford—an Olympic Gold Medalist and 3x Olympian in Cross Country Skiing—founded Fast & Female in 2005… BEFORE she qualified for her first Olympics. She has an MBA from the University of Calgary, and lives in Calgary with her husband, Jared, their three (soon to be FOUR) kids under the age of six, and their golden retriever Stella. Gabriela (Gaby) Estrada is the Program Director for Fast & Female and soccer coach. She is the proud daughter of immigrant parents from Guatemala, and took a shining to soccer at a young age. She is currently pursuing a Masters of Science at the University of Toronto in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education. Her research focuses on the intersections of race, gender and age, looking at the movement-based experiences of racialized women in Scarborough, ON. In this conversation, we get to hear Chandra & Gaby's stories as well as all things Fast & Female: its conception, mission, and the impact it has on girls and women across North America. I (Julie) am a REAL (Relatable, Empowered, Active Leader) Role Model for Fast & Female, and I even wore my special F&F shirt and earrings for our chat. ;) We learned so much during this conversation with these two inspiring women… we hope you do too! Follow their social media @fastandfemale and sign up for their newsletter or apply to be a REAL Role Model at www.fastandfemale.com!

Maya Jonas is a para runner AND skier... and she's also hilarious! Like Lowell, she has Retinitis Pigmentosa. She was diagnosed at age 24 and was completely blind by 40. It was in her late 40s that she developed a love for sport and became an avid runner. After completing multiple marathons, she set her sights on Nordic skiing in her fifties. She has competed at the Ski World Cup, and was the oldest woman to do so! Don't even THINK about telling Maya that she is too old or blind for anything… because she'll prove you wrong and do it! And she might even kick your butt in the process. ;) She's been through it all. She lost her husband to Parkinson's, she battled breast cancer, and she was running the Boston Marathon at the time of the Boston Marathon Bombing in 2013.  Maya served as inspiration on Season two of AMI's Mind Set Go- the documentary series that we're also proud to be a part of. She's also an ambassador for Cycle for Sight, and would be thrilled if you went to cycleforsight.ca and supported in any way you could.  Maya is full of stories and wisdom. Our conversation with her went in all sorts of directions, and she surprised us at every turn. Enjoy!

Catharine Pendrel is an Olympic cyclist. She's a new mom and also happens to HAVE an incredible mom… very appropriate for this Mother's Day episode! Throughout her 14-year cycling career, Catharine has won countless World Championships and National titles. She's a three-time Olympian who has a bronze medal from the 2016 Rio Olympics, a gold medal from the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and gold & silver medals from the 2007 & 2015 Pan Am Games! Catharine now trains in Kamloops, BC where she lives with her husband, Keith, and their beautiful baby Dara. She has raced professionally for the Clif Pro Team (formerly Luna) since 2008, and is actively promoting sport and providing cycling opportunities for the next generation. Catharine has done so much for women in sport. We loved hearing about how she got into cycling, becoming a new mom WHILE being a high performance professional athlete, and how she learned that being her authentic self is the most important part of competition for her. During this conversation, we talk about Catharine's road to Tokyo 2020ne. As this episode airs, she is currently IN Europe to clinch her spot on the Olympic team. Go Catharine! We're cheering you on from afar! http://www.cpendrel.com/   Episode art photo from the 2016 Rio Olympics (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press) found at: https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/mountain-bike-world-cup-1.4237585

David Willsie is a Paralympic Wheelchair Rugby player and coach! He became a quadriplegic after he was injured during a hockey game in 1995. Shortly after his injury, he was introduced to wheelchair rugby (aka MURDERBALL), and made the national team in 1998. David participated in five Paralympic games throughout his 19-year career on the national team. In that time, he was featured in the 2005 documentary Murderball, and he appeared on the Rick Mercer Report. He has since participated in an episode of AMI's documentary series Mind Set Go (season 2), and he is currently the assistant coach of the Canadian Wheelchair Rugby National Team. David lives in Dorchester, Ontario and works for Lind Lumber which he runs with his brothers. It was fascinating learning the history of wheelchair rugby, David's experience with the national team, and the value of sport throughout his life. We hope you enjoy our conversation!

Sarah Wells is an Olympic hurdler, Amazing Race Canada Sister, and Founder of the Believe Initiative! Sarah is very familiar with obstacles—literally and figuratively—and she has become an expert at getting over them. As a hurdler, she competed at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and won the silver medal at the 2015 Pan Am Games. Her athletic career didn't play out quite as she expected after that, and she used her story to help over 12,000 youth in North America understand the importance of being resilient and the power of being yourself. Sarah has worked with organizations such as Salesforce, Deloitte, Proctor and gamble, Kraft-Heinz, Bell Media, and RBC on how to build more resilient teams. Sarah is a passionate and inspiring person, and—lucky for us—an excellent story teller. In this conversation, we talk about her super cool siblings, the people that have shaped her life, her athletic highs and lows, the Believe Initiative, and of course... the Amazing Race Canada. Time flew with this one, and we know you'll enjoy her stories as much as we did! https://www.believeinitiative.com/ https://sarahwells.ca/  

Tristen Chernove is a Paralympic cycling champion who is set to compete at the Tokyo 2020ne Games! In 2009, he was diagnosed with Charcot Marie Tooth (CMT) disease which is a degenerative disease of the peripheral nervous system. In an effort to counteract the impacts of the disease, Tristen switched from competitive paddling to cycling. He is now a 13x World Champion, plus he earned a full set of medals from the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games—gold, silver, and bronze! In 2017, Tristen won every World Championship that exists for track and road Paracycling—something that had never been done before. He received ‘The People's Choice Award' Canadian Cyclist of the year for three consecutive years (2016-2017-2018) and has been nominated as Sport BC Athlete of the year for the past three years. Through Tristen's role on Cycling Canada Athlete's Council, he was instrumental in implementing a cyclist to cyclist mentor program to bring cyclists together virtually throughout the pandemic. In July 2020, Tristen broke the BC Epic 1000 record by eight hours, and raised $40,000 for the Paralympic Foundation of Canada in the process! Tristen lives in Cranbrook, BC, with his wife and two daughters. He is the President and CEO of Elevate Airports, and even received Cranbrook's Business Person of the Year award from the Chamber of Commerce. As you will learn through our conversation, Tristen never does anything halfway. He is filled with passion and drive, and hopes that his legacy can be a vehicle for positive change towards a future full of opportunity, equality, accessibility and diversity in sport.

Natalie Spooner—our Amazing Race Canada sister and Canadian Olympic Hockey champion! Natalie started playing organized hockey at the age of four, and after high school was offered a scholarship to attend The Ohio State University. She played for the Buckeyes for four seasons, and holds the all-time goal-scoring record for the school! In 2012, Natalie was drafted to play for the CWHL's Toronto Furies before centralizing in Calgary for a chance to earn a spot on the roster for the 2014 Olympic Team… which she did! And the Canadian women's hockey team won GOLD in Sochi! In 2018, Natalie helped Canada bring home the silver from Pyeongchang, and she hopes to represent Canada again at the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games! In 2014, Natalie—along with teammate & friend, Meaghan Mikkelson—competed on season two of the Amazing Race Canada. As if Canada didn't love these two enough already… their domination of season two solidified them in our hearts! Also in 2014, Natalie became the first woman in hockey history to claim the gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games and the Clarkson Cup in the same year. One reality show wasn't enough for this incredible woman! In 2019, she swapped the hockey skates for figure skates, and competed with figure skater Andrew Poje on season 5 of Battle of the Blades! They earned themselves a second place finish, and very impressively—Natalie lifted ANDREW up during one of their routines. In 2020, Natalie returned to the show as a judge. One of the things we admire most about Natalie is what she has done for girls & women in sport. She is a Fast & Female REAL Role Model, and has a high performance hockey academy for girls.  Natalie is beautiful inside and out, and Adidas obviously picked up on that as they recently scooped her up as an athlete for Team Adidas! This conversation was fun and light-hearted, and we covered a lot of ground… including our mutual love of Celine Dion. We know you'll love Natalie as much as we do… enjoy! https://www.nataliespooner.com/  

Today—April 7th—is Green Shirt Day, and we had the pleasure of chatting with Logan Boulet's family. Logan is the inspiration behind Green Shirt Day and the Logan Boulet Effect. On April 6, 2018, the Humboldt Broncos hockey team bus was involved in a crash that shattered the hearts of Canadians. 16 of the 29 passengers on the Humboldt team bus lost their lives in the crash, and Logan was one of them. He succumbed to his injuries on April 7th, 2018. Following his passing, his organs saved or enhanced the lives of six Canadians. This sparked organ donation across Canada which became known as the Logan Boulet Effect. Now April 7th is known as Green Shirt Day—a day to bring awareness to organ donation, and the impact that Logan's decision to donate his organs had on a nation.  We get to know to Logan's parents, Toby & Bernie, and his sister, Mariko. They share their own athletic histories, their favourite memories of Logan, and Logan's unplanned legacy. The Boulets are the most beautiful and authentic family, and we hope you get as much out of our conversation as we did! Visit https://greenshirtday.ca/ to register for organ donation, and let your loved ones know about your decision!

Michael Frogley—widely known as Frog—is a revered wheelchair basketball player and coach. After becoming paralyzed from the chest down in a car accident in 1986, he was introduced to wheelchair basketball while at a rehab centre in Ottawa. He made Team Canada in 1989 and competed with the Canadian Men's Wheelchair Basketball Team at the 1992 Paralympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, where Canada placed fourth. He then served as the head coach of the Men's National Team from 1996-2004. He guided Team Canada to Paralympic supremacy for the first time in program history with gold medals in 2000 AND 2004, as well as a Paralympic silver medal in 2008. Frog also served as an assistant coach in 2006 as the Canadian men won their first World Championship title. He coached men's and women's collegiate wheelchair basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the University of Illinois, leading his teams to a combined 12 national championship titles. Frog served as inspiration to a participant in the third season of the documentary series Mind Set Go. He has received several awards during his illustrious career- including being inducted into the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Hall of Fame! Frog has a Master of Science in Education from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and he currently lives near Toronto with his wife, Mo, and three kids. He is hard-working, and committed to empowering others to achieve their best on and off the court. We can all learn from his inspiring mindset. We hope you enjoy our conversation!

Hal Johnson & Joanne McLeod aka 80s/90s sensation BodyBreak! The Canadian television hosts are both former international-level athletes. Hal with baseball, and Joanne as a hurdler. Since 1988, they produced over 300 short episodes of BodyBreak as well as a single season television series. They expanded the program into speaking engagements, fitness equipment, and other products. As a mixed-race couple, they have faced their share of racism, and sought to be inclusive when casting for their BodyBreak episodes. In 2013, Hal & Jo participated in the first season of The Amazing Race Canada (TARC)! This is how WE became connected with them. After our season of TARC aired in 2016, Hal & Jo reached out to us, took us out for breakfast, and they haven't been able to shake us since! In 2016, they received the Governor General's Meritorious Service Medal for positively impacting the health of Canadians. They have an impressive list of guest appearances. Some fun ones include… being grand marshals of the 2013 Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Parade, being guest “anchors” on the news comedy program This Hour Has 22 Minutes, doing a parody of themselves for the Netflix Series Santa Clarita Diet, and creating a COVID-19 physical distancing segment for the Vancouver International Airport. In this episode, we delve into Hal & Joanne's past athletic careers, BodyBreak, and—of COURSE—the Amazing Race Canada. We'd love to learn more about their love story and experience with racism, so they'll just have to be guests again. Thanks Hal & Jo! https://bodybreak.com/

Jon Montgomery is best known as the beloved host of Amazing Race Canada as well his gold medal in skeleton from the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, and the jug of beer he carried through Whistler Village! Jon was born in Russell, Manitoba, and currently lives in Victoria, BC with his wife, Darla- also a Skeleton athlete—and their two beautiful kids. In 2016, Jon co-hosted the JUNO Awards with eight-time recipient Jann Arden. In 2016, he also received the Canadian Screen Award for Best Host of a Reality TV Series! An auctioneer by trade, Jon earned his automotive marketing degree from Georgian College. He uses his skills to auction cars to raise funds for charities including KidSport Canada, Canadian Olympic Foundation and Right to Play. We had a blast chatting about all things including Jon's Olympic career, that jug of beer, behind the scenes on Amazing Race Canada (especially since we competed on Season 4 and got to see him hard at work), and mindset lessons learned throughout it all. What a man! http://jonmontgomery.ca/

Marnie McBean is a rowing champion, and one of Canada's most decorated Olympians! She competed in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, and 1996 in Atlanta, and brought home three gold medals and one bronze from those two Games. A back injury forced her to withdraw from competition at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. After her rowing career, Marnie continued in the sport as a mentor, and she is the Chef de Mission for the upcoming 2020ne Olympic Games in Tokyo! Marnie was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1994 and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. She is a recipient of the Governor General's Meritorious Service Medal (1995), appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, and has been given the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal. In 2002, she was presented the Thomas Keller Medal by World Rowing. Marnie earned her degree in kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario and has been given three honorary doctorates. She is a public speaker, and wrote a book titled The Power of More. She currently lives in Toronto with her wife, Deanah and daughter, Isabel. Marnie has a fascinating story, an incredible athletic career, and a contagious sense of humour. She was so open and honest, and shared beautiful memories of her rowing partner, the late Kathleen Heddle (1965 – 2021). Rest in power, Kathleen. http://marniemcbean.ca/

In 2004, Josh Dueck was paralyzed from the waist down in a ski accident. With the support of his now wife, Lacey, he embraced the challenges he faced. In 2009, he was the Para Alpine world champion. He went on to win silver at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympics, and a gold medal at the X Games in 2011. In 2012, he made history by becoming the first person to ever land a flip in a sit ski! This accomplishment even earned him a guest spot on the Ellen DeGeneres show! At the Sochi Paralympics in 2014, he won a silver medal followed by gold in the Super Combined, and he became Canada's flag bearer. Since his retirement from competing, Josh has dedicated himself to his wife and two kids, as well as furthering opportunities for other like-minded athletes. He leads the British Columbia Freestyle Ski Association, and has been appointed the Chef de Mission for the 2022 Paralympic Games in Beijing. Josh and Lacey support several non-profit organizations including Spinal Cord Injury, BC, High Fives Foundation, Live it LOVE it Foundation, and others. Josh's award-winning documentary entitled Freedom Chair is definitely worth the watch! Josh is as fun as he is inspiring. He has depth and wisdom, and included a beautiful tribute to the late Canadian freestyle skier, Sarah Burke (1982 – 2012) and her husband, Rory Bushfield. Rest in Power, Sarah. “Let love lift us higher.” https://joshdueck.com/

Catriona Le May Doan was the fastest woman on ice! She's a two time Olympic speed skating champion and the first individual Canadian to ever defend an Olympic gold. She has countless medals, records, awards, and honourary degrees.  She was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame AND appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. After retiring from speed skating in 2002, she broadcasted for 5 Olympics, became a sought after public speaker, and is the president and CEO for Sport Calgary. Catriona was the Lead Athlete Mentor for the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, and is the Chef de Mission for the upcoming 2022 winter Olympics in Beijing.  Most importantly, Catriona is mom to Greta & Easton. She tells us her story, and talks about the pressure of being a top performer. She spoke about the mindset of how to deal with that pressure, and what she has learned from pressure in sport, and about herself. What an inspiring woman! Follow @catrionald on Instagram & Twitter. http://catrionalemaydoan.ca/

Stephanie Dixon is a Paralympic swimming champion who was born with one leg! She has competed in three Paralympic Games, and earned 19 medals—7 of which were gold. She holds multiple world records, and was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is 2016. In 2017 she received the order of Canada, and was a CBC sports broadcaster for the 2018 Paralympic Games AND the Commonwealth Games. She's the Chef de Mission for the Tokyo 2020ne Paralympic Games, and is an ambassador for Canadian Tire's Jumpstart Charity. She was born in Brampton, ON, earned a BA in psychology in 2009 from the University of Victoria, and now owns Stephanie Dixon Motivational Coaching in Whitehorse. Stephanie participated in season three of Accessible Media's docu series Mind Set Go available at ami.ca. Also, search “Stephanie Dixon” at ami.ca to learn more about her story on Level Playing Field.

Introducing the new podcast on the block.