Safety Third

Well, pals. Elizabeth and Paddy are moving on from the show, so Safety Third is closing up shop. But, before we go we’d like to say thank you and goodbye. And remember, Safety Third. Always and forever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our third and final episode of The Love Traverse mini-series we explore how couples have fostered their love through the decades. Marriage counselor Hannah Eaton returns to illuminate the issues couples face and the positive characteristics of long-term partnerships. Mountain guides Adam and Caroline George describe how outdoor pursuits have shaped their 13 year marriage and parenting. After 20 years together, heli ski guides Adrienne and John Schaefer use communication and balancing interdependence to thrive. And snowboarding legends Bonnie and Jim Zellers, who’ve been together since 1984, exemplify how a relationship grows richer and more fulfilling over time. Love, as it turns out, does not have an expiration date. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In romantic comedies, the story always begins with a 'meet cute' — a charming first encounter that leads to a wonderfully cheesy romance. But do those really happen in our outdoor community? And after that initial meeting, what’s the reality of building off that first connection? In episode two of our Love Traverse mini series, Real Life Rom Com, climbers Annalissa Purdum and Kris Hampton revisit the beginning of their relationship. Professional matchmaker Annie Mayo and marriage counselor Hannah Eaton illuminate the relationship path and shed light on meet cute truths and myths. And in her first year of marriage, OUT There Adventures founder Elyse Rylander talks about the concrete practices she and her wife use to grow together. Because love is not a movie — real life is much more romantic.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are diving deep into dating, love and relationships in our mini-series, The Love Traverse. Our outdoor community faces a unique set of hurdles when finding and keeping love. The mountain town dating pool can often seem like a murky puddle. Dating is difficult. Apps abound, but do they work? In episode one, Dirtbag Romance, we investigate how outdoor folks are dating. Writer and stand-up comedian Sidni West deploys humor on her hunt for love. After seven years of living in a van, photographer and climber Austin Siadak’s romantic life looks different now that he’s renting a home. And self-described "outdoor adjacent" Nory Emori dissects her fleeting partnership with a van lifer. When you’re devoted to the outdoors, how do you also devote yourself to finding love? And how do you hold on to it? First things first, you try.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Ann Yoshida began physical therapy following an accident that paralyzed her, she was told that the goal of rehabilitation was to 'regain normal function'. But that just didn’t resonate with her. Ann was motivated by goals that went beyond the norm. She became an Paralympian paddler, a World Champion, and the first-ever adapted athlete inductee in Hawai'i’s renowned Waterman Hall of Fame. And she did all of this while earning a Bachelor's degree in speech pathology, a Masters in rehabilitation counseling, and a Doctorate in occupational therapy. She knew she had the ability to go beyond normal. Ann wanted, and earned, the extraordinary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United States' Mountain West region contains eight of the top ten states with the highest suicide rates in our country. The suicide rate in the Rocky Mountains is nearly three times the national per capita average, earning the Rockies the nickname, “The Suicide Belt.” But the mountain community doesn't talk about this. Why? Because mental health struggles don’t fit into the carefully curated "best outdoor life” aesthetic. Longtime Telluride, Colorado resident Ben Marshall knows this all too well. Daily panic attacks, anxiety, and depression derailed Ben’s life in his early twenties. After receiving professional treatment and building positive mental health, Ben began to work for Tri County Health Network, a non profit that focuses on mental health services. Ben’s ongoing goal is to help clear away the stigma that shrouds mental health in the mountains. Because truly, this is a life or death issue.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lincoln Dews is a fourth generation waterman from Queensland, Australia. A champion sailor, surfer and paddler from a young age, it’s a wonder he didn’t actually grow gills. At 14, Lincoln won the state Ironman title in his hometown. At 15, he placed third in the Molakai to Oahu race, a 32-mile marathon paddle considered to be the world’s hardest open ocean contest. In 2015, Lincoln joined the SUP World Tour. In his first year, he was among the world’s twenty best paddlers. And after committing himself to solely focusing on stand up paddling, he won a world championship. He is clearly comfortable with water -- but it takes more than just a fishy upbringing to excel like he has. More than podiums, Lincoln believes his personal pursuit of perfection in the water is his ultimate driver. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist and author Heather Hansman’s passion for whitewater rafting was first born when she was a greenhorn raft guide in Maine. Her love for the beauty and the importance of rivers deepened when she moved West and began guiding on the 730 mile Green River, which runs through ranches, cities, national parks, endangered fish habitats, natural gas fields, and provides water for 33 million people. With so many competing water demands on rivers, Heather wanted a fresh perspective on water in the west. Her book, Downriver: Into The Future Of Water In The West, tells the story of her solo boat trip down the length of the Green and her conversations with the disparate water users in an age of increasing water demand and drought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Professional adventurer Alastair Humphreys has biked 46,000 miles and rowed across the Atlantic. Upon returning from the trips, he noticed an interesting response--your trips are amazing, but I could never do that. While his outdoor exploits were personally fulfilling and inspiring to others, Alastair realized they weren’t necessarily attainable to everyone. So, in 2011, Alastair dedicated a year to Microadventures, bite-sized outdoor fun close to home, like swimming in a river near his house and running in trail races near his hometown. The idea of microadventures took off and Nat Geo named him an Adventurer of the Year in 2012. Alastair challenged, for himself and the outdoor community, how we define adventure and what it means to live adventurously.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When conservation comes to mind, thoughts often go to natural resource preservation and land and animal protections. But what other positivity lies within the act of conservation? Scientist, author, and CEO of Conservation X Labs, Alex Dehgan, worked in Kabul from 2006 to 2007 as the head of the Wildlife Conservation Society Afghanistan Program. The work he did helped establish Afghanistan's first national park, Band-E Amir. But the outcome was more than the sheltering of spectacular wildlife and 70,000 acres of beautiful land. Alex realized that conservation is an integral part of nation building, human security, and diplomacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the voice in your head barks, ‘You can’t do it,’ how do you respond? Pro-skier and climate activist Brody Leven has always chosen to look forward. He created a business when he was 9 years old, paid for his tuition at a Vermont ski academy, transitioned from a competition park skier to a ski mountaineer, and combined his skiing skills with the power of social media to carve out a successful career. Despite his success, Brody continued to feel that he wasn’t quite part of the cool kids club. That feeling worsened when his main sponsor declined to renew his contract at the height of his career and popularity. Rather than allowing that to derail him, Brody harnessed the rebuff. For him, leveraging self-doubt has helped him create a fulfilling life.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we start to think about battling climate change, fighting for conversation and saving Mother Earth, it can make our heads spin it’s so complicated. For ecologist, filmmaker, and conservationist Chris Morgan, the solution is simple: bears. Chris is a self proclaimed bear nut. When he was 18-years-old, Chris assisted a black bear biologist with nighttime field work at a garbage dump; it was enough to change Chris’ entire life. He changed his college major to ecology, took research jobs all over the world, and helped create over 50 films and television programs about bears. Chris has spent over twenty years dedicated to protecting the world’s eight bear species and their habitats. And Chris’ work has illuminated one irrefutable fact: if we save the bear we will save the world.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Going fast is amazing,” says professional windsurfer Zara Davis. “When you’re going over 50 miles an hour, at that point your eyeballs are properly rolling back in your head. It is like being a cork out of a bottle.” In 2012, Zara broke the 500-meter world speed record. She blasted down the course in Luderitz, Namibia at over 50 miles an hour, a feat that took years of physical and mental training, preparation, and logistics. In 2015, Zara’s record was broken and she immediately wanted to try to reclaim the title. Instead of focusing solely on the big goal, she broke it into incremental achievements.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In April, we recorded a live show at the 5Point Adventure Film Festival in Carbondale, Colorado. Joining us on stage first were Jen Zeuner and Anne Keller: pizza shop owners, mountain bikers, and stars of the Felt Soul film “Life of Pie.” Jen and Anne first opened their pizzaria, The Hot Tomato, simply to offer Fruita, Colorado, a tasty slice. But quickly, they learned that their restaurant did more than just satisfy taste buds — it fostered community.  Next, we spoke with Rob Prechtl: professional photographer, US Men’s Raft Team member, and focus of the Gnarly Bay film “People of Water.” From the outside, Rob exudes high achievement and expertise. But for Rob, staying a novice is important, because he believes mastery is a myth.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you make a decision? Think it out slowly. Methodically weigh all the options. Don’t make a snap judgement. Use a magic 8-ball. None of these decision making methods work for Anne Gaylean, Ph.D scientist and mountain biker. In her field of study and at a literal forks in the road, Anne is fast, always. She quickly processes the data in front of her and makes a choice. Seems easy, right? Easy until she was presented with a difficult life decision: continue her professional mountain biking career or pursue a life in science. Anne Galyean stayed true to form and made the decision at race pace, never looking back.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When a pro athlete makes their living jumping out of an airplane, it’s easy to think they’re super human with an immunity to fear and the mental minefields of emotion. That’s not the case for professional skydiver and Red Bull Air Force member Amy Chmelecki. Throughout her life, self doubt and emotional turmoil was as consistent as Amy’s need to pursue skydiving; from low self esteem and dyslexia in childhood to a constant desire to control outcomes in adulthood. But with the help of therapy, Amy was able to decrease her need for rigid control and became more malleable with her approach and reactions to life. Amy used flexibility to find success.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her early twenties, ultra marathon runner Melissa Ossanna began to get dizzy spells and experienced what she describes as temporary brain skips. She dealt with these symptoms for more than four years before, at the age of 28, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. While it was a relief to finally know what was happening, the MS diagnosis made Melissa feel trapped, as did her abusive marriage. With help, Melissa found the strength to leave her marriage and to fight her disease. And her outlook on her life changed. “The MS was a gift because it gave me something to fight for. And it gave me this strength and determination that I didn't really have before.” Melissa earned her PhD and trained for her first marathon, which turned into a full-blown love affair with running. Now at the age of 50, Melissa runs thousands of miles a year. Because if your outlook is right, limitations don’t exist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Teresa Baker has long considered herself an environmental steward. On a 2012 trip to Yosemite National Park, Teresa noticed something stark: she was the only person of color. And she wanted to change that fact. Teresa started by creating the African American National Parks Event, an annual event with thousands of participants that encourages communities of color to enjoy our National Parks, local parks and open spaces. Teresa continued to organize events with a focus on diversity. In 2018, she created the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge, urging outdoor companies to create and enforce policies that expand the diversity, equity, and inclusion of their employees, board members, and customers. Teresa contends that accurately representing the outdoor community and broadening the industry will create more environmental stewards. How do we get there? The outdoors needs a rebrand.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The scientific evidence of climate change is undeniable. As is the feeling in our stomach when we recognize the battle we face. Auden Schendler, VP of Sustainability at Aspen Ski Company, has had his shoulders against the sandbags of climate activism since the 1980s. His sustainability resume is impressive: aided in the clean-up of the Valdez oil spill, worked as a corporate sustainability researcher at Rocky Mountain Institute, pioneered green initiatives at Aspen Ski Co., and helped set the bar for environmental leadership in the outdoor industry. To Auden, the climate change battle is not a point of despair, but hope. Because outdoor people can save the world.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the last year, we’ve talked with incredible folks about the origins of their beliefs and how these ideas have shaped their experiences and their lives. And, Paddy and Elizabeth noticed a common theme that connects these stories: after loss came an opportunity for change. It’s true for our hosts, too. Following the devastating loss of her father, Elizabeth found the courage to take a leap of faith in her career. And after hitting an alcoholic near-death bottom, Paddy had a true chance at life. With 50/50 hindsight, are loss and opportunity are a package deal? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is no clear way to cope with death and grief. Moving forward is often heartbreaking, baffling, and uncertain. So, how do we best honor those we’ve lost? When he was 12-years-old, Navy Seal and backcountry snowboarder Josh Jespersen tragically lost his father. Confused and angry, Josh drifted in school and got into legal trouble. He joined the Navy Seals, where death was a constant. Josh would drink to celebrate the life of his fallen friends, but this led to more legal trouble, more confusion, more anger. Ultimately, Josh realized that the best way to honor the dead was to embark on an outdoor adventure that would amplify their memory. He realized he had to live for those he had lost.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From birth we are often told to be good. But what does that mean exactly? Kate Williams, CEO at 1% For The Planet, created her own “be good” guidelines when she was a child: achieve in the classroom, achieve on the lacrosse field, do what you’re told. Kate stayed within those boundaries until she attended Princeton University, where she realized that being good meant she was stifling her growth. Kate was living in accordance to the expectations and wishes of everyone except herself. In order to realize her full potential, especially within her environmental work, Kate had to find the soft spot between her wishes and the well being of those around her. Kate would have to summon the bravery it takes to be kind.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Authenticity is a marketing buzzword that has trickled into our everyday. But what is authentic? And what happens to a person when their persona becomes a commodity? Today, our two guests discuss the intersection of individuals and brands in the age of social media. First up, Luisa Jeffrey. On a Grand Canyon trip, Luisa watched her friends snapping staged camp photos. When she returned home, she realized manicured, curated outdoor photos peppered her Instagram feed. Fed up with the lack of transparency in marketing, Luisa created @youdidnotsleepthere and began to poke fun at the phony presentations of tent sites on social media. Then we talk with Fitz Cahall, creator of The Dirtbag Diaries. Fitz realized the negative potential of acting like a brand following two near-miss climbing accidents-- you limit your ability to grow as a person. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Skiing with her family in Sun Valley, Idaho, and fishing in Alaska under the tutelage of her father shaped how McKenna Peterson navigates life. She learned dedication, resilience, hard work, and how to adjust plans while on the move. McKenna has an uncanny ability to try new things, seemingly without fear. At the University of Colorado, McKenna balanced studies and ski racing before she committed to competing in the Freeride World Tour. Then she eyed a pro ski career. In 2017, following the tragic death of her father, she took over as captain of the family fishing business. With every new opportunity, McKenna leaps first and then builds her own net. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Romping around the Wasatch mountains as a kid taught Carl Richards that the outdoors had a certain value, albeit hard to define. Carl majored in finance and and began a career as a financial planner. He worked for some major firms before starting his own business-- managing clients’ money, public speaking, illustrating, and writing the New York Times column, The Sketch Guy. Carl felt successful. And with that came a sense of security and “stuff”-- money in the bank, a big house, international trips, the latest outdoor gear. But after nearly losing everything he had worked for, Carl redefined the value he places on stuff and experiences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bianca Valenti fell in love with surfing in the breaks of Orange County, California, when she was seven years old. Soon after, she started competing, gained sponsorships, and won competitions. Even at a young age, Bianca noticed a discrepancy in the treatment, recognition, and reward of male versus female surfers. It was discouraging and disheartening. She left the surf scene entirely but the siren’s call of riding 30-plus foot waves drew her back in. As one of the sport’s best big wave surfers, it was crushing to discover that the premier big wave competition, Mavericks, didn’t allow female competitors. So, Bianca set her sights on confronting another towering giant — sexism in surf culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Len Necefer grew up splitting family time between the Midwest and the Four Corners, between auto workers and Navajo faith healers. One side of his family taught him the importance of hard work. The other showed him the necessity of connection to the natural world. These two truths have guided Len’s life. When Len returned back to the Southwest to be closer to his passion, he noticed something in the outdoor community. We were good at connecting, but not always good at putting in the hard work to take care of the landscapes we cherish. He thinks we ought to approach our relationship with the natural world the same way we would our finances. It’s time to start saving for the long term.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a first generation Mexican American raised in a strict household, Bam Mendiola felt the pressure to live up to the dreams of his parents. He had to look a certain way, be successful in school, and achieve, achieve, achieve. And he did for as long as he could, but at the cost of hiding his true self. After coming out to his family and friends, Bam found empowerment through mountaineering and cemented his own powerful identity. Bam now takes pride in being his ancestors’ wildest dreams.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Steele grew up in Geneva, Switzerland, surrounded by some of the world’s most famous peaks, as well as a multitude of people dedicated to philanthropy, service, altruism, and conservation. So when she joined the fledgling Virtual Reality team at Google, Sarah had a bold idea to harness the budding technology to protect the places that she loves — our most wild and sacred environments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following a miscarriage, filmmaker Hannah Maia felt that her body had betrayed her. She was angry and felt a growing discomfort in her own skin. In the past, Hannah had bike packed on the Continental Divide Trail, rafted the Grand Canyon — and yet more adulting, plus the miscarriage, had led her to less and less physical activity. To rattle herself out of this dark time, Hannah committed to swim in open water once a month for an entire year. And while filming her endeavor, Hannah moved from devastation to self-love and epiphany. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eric Jackson has built a life and a career around kayaking, a sport that is foundationally individual. You are alone in a boat. And while kayaking is his life's purpose, Eric's responsibilities extend far beyond the river to his family, his business, and his community. But there’s a stark difference between paddling a kayak and navigating a life filled with priorities. It is the age-old outdoor sport conundrum: how do you pursue an individual sport while still being a functional part of a team and family? To answer this for himself, Eric had to become unwavering in the pursuit of his purpose and priorities.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stacy Bare's life has always been big. He's a big man with an even bigger personality. ROTC scholarship at age 17. Played rugby when he wasn’t deployed during his time with the Army. Served in the Army with tours in Sarajevo and Baghdad and civilian stints in explosive ordnance disposal in Angola and the Republic of Georgia. When Stacy returned from military service, his big life turned into a big problem — alcoholism and addiction. Stacy knew the way he was navigating life no longer worked, so he sought the camaraderie of the outdoor community. However, he found that it could just as nearly kill him, as save him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kareemah Batts is many things. A woman. A climber. An African American. A cancer survivor. An amputee. A self-described “broke girl from Flatbush.” She’s not just one thing. After being overlooked for conversations about diversity in the outdoor community, Kareemah decided to jumpstart a new conversation — she wants to expand the outdoor community’s definition of diversity and to rethink how we approach inclusivity. Because, as it turns out, diversity is a pretty damn diverse subject. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At 14-years-old, Erik Weihenmayer lost his eyesight to a rare disease. He was devastated, feeling the crushing grip of loneliness and perceiving a limited future. Then, a rock climbing trip to North Conway, NH changed his perspective on what was possible. Erik has used his blindness, his so-called barrier, to charge to the top of Everest, propel himself through the rapids of the Grand Canyon, and as fuel to pass on his passion for adventuring to others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Luis Benitez spent his twenties atop the world’s most famous mountains. After witnessing the Nangpa La shooting at Cho Oyu and meeting with the Dalai Lama, Luis changed his trajectory through life. Now he’s in charge of bringing recreation to the center of the political debate. If we want to protect the places we love, Luis thinks we need to take a page from the oil companies’ playbook.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jainee Dial and her boyfriend Brad took an ordinary climbing trip to Yosemite. They were a young couple doing what they love. When Brad died while climbing the Matthes Crest, Jainee’s life was turned upside down. Faced with the most devastating loss of her life, Jainee broke free from tradition to forge a new path through grief. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deep within our humanity is an engrained desire for companionship, but within our culture, there’s a need to have a clear identity. That’s what makes relationships challenging and wonderful. Host Paddy O’Connell’s parents, Molly Ryan and Mike O’Connell, discuss the trials, tribulations and discoveries created over 40 years of marriage.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris McNamara has spent his life pursuing risky outdoor activities, like big wall climbing and BASE jumping. To him, they’re essential avenues of self-discovery. But what happens when an essential part of who you are has the ability to lead you to disaster? You find different ways to take risks.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More fun than a powder day. Riskier than leaping from a mountain. Weirder than a week on the playa. Welcome to Safety Third-- Ideas forged from adventure. The first season launches May 23rd. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices