Silver is the New Gold

Sharon Mackinnon is an Iron(wo)man. In October 2022, in Kona Hawaii, the birthplace of Ironman, she won her age category 60-64. Just three weeks later she had another 6th place finish in a half ironman championship race, and she’s not stopping there. She joins me and Lorraine Hoyne, to share her life’s journey in sport from olympic trials for the 800 meter, to the top of the world’s tallest triathlon podium. Sharon is full of kindness, joy, and unstoppable motivation and energy. Prepare to be inspired! — Affiliate Links: I am now officially affiliated with IDA Sports. IDA Sports is start-up company that makes soccer cleats and shoes FOR women and girls, based on ACTUAL science. Because “shrink it and pink it” isn’t good enough. Women and girls deserve better. Full disclosure: I own three pairs. If you, or a friend, or a daughter or a niece needs boots for: soccer, rugby, American football, field hockey, or indoor shoes for soccer or fencing! Check out IDA Sports. You save 10% using the code KarenL10 and we all support a company that supports women’s sports, by putting women first. https://idasports.com Code: KarenL10 — For show notes visit the website at: https://silvergoldwomen.com/episode-18/ — Music for this podcast was created by the immensely talented, and generous, Outwild. He knows what I like! And I dance in my seat every time I hear these beats. Listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/itsoutwild Follow on Facebook/itsoutwild, Twitter/itsoutwild, Instagram/itsoutwild

Krista DuChene, Olympian and “Marathon Mom” is a trailblazer for women’s marathon and endurance running in Canada. On this episode, Krista shares her running journey from starting as a “fun and fitness” recreational runner to becoming an Olympian and elite athlete, and gives us some insights on how she was able to return to peak form after having children, and fracturing her femur. Slow and steady wins the race! We talk about injuries and disappointments, and how she keeps optimistic and motivated to compete as a master’s athlete with all the data reminding her that she’s aging. — For show notes visit the website at: https://silvergoldwomen.com/episode-17/ — Music for this podcast was created by the immensely talented, and generous, Outwild. He knows what I like! And I dance in my seat every time I hear these beats. Listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/itsoutwild Follow on Facebook/itsoutwild, Twitter/itsoutwild, Instagram/itsoutwild

It’s Q&A with my mother, Enid Robertson, on this episode of Silver is the New Gold. I wanted to know how my mother was exposed to, and participated in, sports in her youth, and how that helped influence our participation in sports when we were growing up. I’ve had a number of elite/high performance athletes on the show, so far, but my mother represents the other end of the spectrum where participation in sports is fostered by a love of physical movement, and actively socializing with friends.

Leah Goldstein knows no limits. As a child she was bullied for having a physical disability, and a learning disability and she channeled that into sport until she became a World Champion in Women’s Bantamweight Kickboxing at the age of 17. She entered the world of duathlon, and then cycling through her work in the Israeli police force, and became a pro-rider in her early 30’s, when she returned to Canada. Again, she challenged the odds and the doubters until she began winning all of her races. After a devastating injury that nearly cost her life, she turned to endurance racing and in 2021 became the first woman to win the overall title in the Race Across America – a 4800km race of survival. And she’s not stopping there. Leah has a book out called “No Limits“, and will be releasing her documentary “No Limits; the story of Leah Goldstein” in the near future. On this episode, Leah shares her incredible story and offers some insights into how she overcame obstacles to become a world-class endurance cyclist. — Photo Credits: RAAM Media – Tara Roberts Portrait Photographers – Jeff Basset, Heath Fletcher — For show notes visit the website at: https://silvergoldwomen.com/episode-15/ — Music for this podcast was created by the immensely talented, and generous, Outwild. He knows what I like! And I dance in my seat every time I hear these beats. Listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/itsoutwild Follow on Facebook/itsoutwild, Twitter/itsoutwild, Instagram/itsoutwild

On this episode of Silver is the New Gold, Karen talks to Friba Rezayee, judoka, human rights activist and the first woman to compete for Afghanistan at the Olympics. Her journey to the 2004 Athens Olympics was an extraordinary one. From a very young age, she was a feminist, human rights activist and trailblazer. A woman of many firsts, she immigrated to Vancouver BC, Canada 10 years ago, and became the first woman in her family to earn a post-secondary degree. Friba continues to practice judo, but also works hard to bring education and judo to women and girls in Afghanistan through her organization Women Leaders of Tomorrow, and GOAL – Girls of Afghanistan Lead. — WalkwithAfghanwomen advocacy: https://womenleaders.ca/index.php/2021/12/16/crofton-houses-support-of-wlot/ Make a donation: https://donorbox.org/women-leaders-of-tomorrow-in-afghanistan Join the organization: https://womenleaders.nationbuilder.com/ Update and social media presence: https://womenleaders.ca/index.php/category/wltnews/ — For show notes visit the website at: https://silvergoldwomen.com/episode-14/ — Music for this podcast was created by the immensely talented, and generous, Outwild. He knows what I like! And I dance in my seat every time I hear these beats. Listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/itsoutwild Follow on Facebook/itsoutwild, Twitter/itsoutwild, Instagram/itsoutwild

Monique Kavelaars has always loved the Olympics, and has been involved in the games in some capacity since Sydney 2000, where she went as part of the team bidding for Toronto 2008. She went again to Athens 2004 as an athlete competing as a member of  the Women’s Épee team, and most recently she was a team member at the Tokyo 2021 summer games. Post-retirement, Monique has found her path in coaching and mentoring for both sports and business. I took away a lot from this conversation, especially about giving yourself permission to be competitive and want results. I hope you will too. Happy Listening! — For show notes visit the website at: https://silvergoldwomen.com/episode-13/ — Music for this podcast was created by the immensely talented, and generous, Outwild. He knows what I like! And I dance in my seat every time I hear these beats. Listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/itsoutwild Follow on Facebook/itsoutwild, Twitter/itsoutwild, Instagram/itsoutwild

Welcome back, Donna Vakalis for the first bonus episode! Episode 12 was recorded a couple of weeks before the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games, but since I like to give my guests the opportunity to review and give feedback on an episode before publishing, the episode came out after the Olympics. In that time gap, we all had the opportunity to watch some, or all of the Olympics, and reflect. Then, Donna reached out after to share her reflections and insights, and it turned into a fun 15 minute conversation, which I’m sharing with you, my listeners. — Listen to the feature episode with Donna at https://silvergoldwomen.com/episode-12 — Music for this podcast was created by the immensely talented, and generous, Outwild. He knows what I like! And I dance in my seat every time I hear these beats. Listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/itsoutwild Follow on Facebook/itsoutwild, Twitter/itsoutwild, Instagram/itsoutwild

Donna Vakalis is a two-time Olympian for team Canada in Modern Pentathlon, a 5-sport discipline that includes: show jumping, swimming, fencing (épée), running and shooting (with a laser gun). We get deep into the complexities for training for five un-related sports at the: technical, strategical and time management, levels. Donna’s pathway to the Olympics is interesting and unique and included invoking her Greek roots. Donna has been an environmental activist since a young age, has a MA in Architecture and a PhD in Civil Engineering focusing on sustainability, so I couldn’t resist the opportunity to ponder what a sustainable Olympics could look like. We had a really fun conversation and we learned a lot from each other. Happy Listening! — For show notes visit the website at: https://silvergoldwomen.com/episode-12/ — Music for this podcast was created by the immensely talented, and generous, Outwild. He knows what I like! And I dance in my seat every time I hear these beats. Listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/itsoutwild Follow on Facebook/itsoutwild, Twitter/itsoutwild, Instagram/itsoutwild

In the spirit of Tokyo 2021, Sherraine Schalm – 4x Olympian for Canada in Women’s Épée fencing – talks about her journey into fencing, writing her novel, motherhood and retirement from competitive fencing. Sherraine competed at four olympics: Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012. Over the course of her career, she won a total of 18 medals combined across several World Cups, Grand Prix, World Championships, and Zone Championships. After retiring from fencing competition, she eventually got into coaching and now runs her own club in Italy as she advances through the coaching development system. She was inspired by her eldest daughter, who was born during the qualification period between they Beijing and London Olympics. Besides being inspiring as a competitive athlete, Sherraine is an absolute blast to chat with, and we had a lot of fun. I hope you will too. Note 1: I did not win the bet. Richard Bachman is Stephen King’s pen name, not the other way around Note 2: I am not affiliated with DAZN in any way — For show notes visit the website at: https://silvergoldwomen.com/episode-11/ — Music for this podcast was created by the immensely talented, and generous, Outwild. He knows what I like! And I dance in my seat every time I hear these beats. Listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/itsoutwild Follow on Facebook/itsoutwild, Twitter/itsoutwild, Instagram/itsoutwild

Natascha Wesch returns to Silver is the New Gold to talk with me about identity, goals and setting realistic expectations when getting back into sports/training and competition as a mature athlete, and it’s all positive. Inspired by the book Game Change: The Life and Death of Steve Montador and the Future of Hockey, by Ken Dryden, I wanted to know what it means to identify as an athlete and how that can both help and hinder mature athletes who are returning to sport, so I asked Natascha if she’d like to come back on the show to talk with me about it and she agreed! Natascha is a consultant who specializes in mental performance for athletes who want to achieve their best potential as both athletes and humans. — For show notes visit the website at: https://silvergoldwomen.com/episode-10/ — Music for this podcast was created by the immensely talented, and generous, Outwild. He knows what I like! And I dance in my seat every time I hear these beats. Listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/itsoutwild Follow on Facebook/itsoutwild, Twitter/itsoutwild, Instagram/itsoutwild

This is second of two episodes featuring Patti Howes, head coach of the women’s and men’s fencing teams at Canada’s Royal Military College (RMC) in Kingston, Ontario. We pick up where episode nine ends off, and branch into a broader conversation about what barriers and obstacles there are to the inclusion and retention of women and girls in sports, and Patti’s role with the Canada Women & Sports foundation, whose mission is to help remove these barriers. — For show notes, visit the website at: https://silvergoldwomen.com/episode-9 — Music for this podcast was created by the immensely talented, and generous, Outwild. He knows what I like! And I dance in my seat every time I hear these beats. Listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/itsoutwild Follow on Facebook/itsoutwild, Twitter/itsoutwild, Instagram/itsoutwild

Patti Howes is the head coach for the women’s and men’s fencing teams at Canada’s Royal Military College (RMC) in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. In this part one episode of a two-part series, Patti shares her journey through three decades of fencing from athlete, to club owner, to head coach. She is the only full-time, paid women fencing coaches in Canada’s university system, and one of only two women in Canada to have the designation of Maître-d’armes – coaching mastery in all three fencing disciplines: epee, foil and sabre. — For show notes, visit the website at: https://silvergoldwomen.com/episode-8 — Music for this podcast was created by the immensely talented, and generous, Outwild. He knows what I like! And I dance in my seat every time I hear these beats. Listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/itsoutwild Follow on Facebook/itsoutwild, Twitter/itsoutwild, Instagram/itsoutwild

Nav Sharma is a Registered Dietician and Co-Owner of NutriProCan and on this episode of Silver is the New Gold, she shares her knowledge about sports nutrition. We talk about the different nutrition lifestyles (vegan, vegetarian and plant-based whole foods), how our body types and genetics play a role in how we metabolize food, and the challenges women face to stay fit and maintain weight as they age. — From her website: As co-founder of Nutrition Professionals of Canada, Nav works with people from all walks of life including everyday heroes and professional athletes to help them achieve their nutrition goals – no matter how tough these goals may seem at the beginning. She is recognized for her natural ability to motivate through education and takes great interest in empowering others by helping them to better understand themselves and their relationship with food. In part, this means translating science – based nutrition information into simple, practical terms that can be applied into everyday life – such as recognizing triggers that can work against us, and how to modify their effects. “An improved you begins with what you eat,” she teaches, and her personalized approach starts with understanding where her clients are, where they want to be and creating realistic goals together to get them there – with plenty of support and guidance along the way, of course. One of her biggest joys is seeing her clients embrace their own transformation journey and realize their own potential to reach a more mindful, long – lasting and balanced lifestyle. Nav holds undergraduate degrees in Biology (BSc) and Nutrition and Dietetics (HBSc), and a Master of Science in Foods and Nutrition (MScFN) from Western University. — For show notes, visit the website at: https://silvergoldwomen.com/episode-7 — Music for this podcast was created by the immensely talented, and generous, Outwild. He knows what I like! And I dance in my seat every time I hear these beats. Listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/itsoutwild Follow on Facebook/itsoutwild, Twitter/itsoutwild, Instagram/itsoutwild

Dr Lisa Huzel (MD) is passionate about her work and about fencing. In fencing she’s represented Canada at three veteran’s world championships, and several Commonwealth fencing championships. She’s also a member of the FIE medical commission. In spite of all of her achievements, she often feels like an imposter. In this episode of Silver is the New Gold, she provides perspective on imposter syndrome (aka, imposter phenomenon) from the points of view of both a fencing athlete and a medial professional. — For show notes, visit the website at: https://silvergoldwomen.com/episode-6 — Music for this podcast was created by the immensely talented, and generous, Outwild. He knows what I like! And I dance in my seat every time I hear these beats. Listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/itsoutwild Follow on Facebook/itsoutwild, Twitter/itsoutwild, Instagram/itsoutwild

In this episode, Karen talks to Dr. Natascha Wesch (PhD Sport Psychology), Mental Performance Coach and Canadian Rugby Hall of Fame inductee about: her journey through sports as an elite athlete and coach in the both the Canadian and University women’s rugby programs, her transition into endurance sports as a mature athlete, and how to engage in sport as a lifestyle. For show notes, visit the website at: https://silvergoldwomen.com/episode-5/ — Music for this podcast was created by the immensely talented, and generous, Outwild. He knows what I like! And I dance in my seat every time I hear these beats. Listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/itsoutwild Follow on Facebook/itsoutwild, Twitter/itsoutwild, Instagram/itsoutwild

In this episode, Karen talks with Debra Riedesel, Registered Dietician and founder of the Cycle Diet, about nutrition therapy for women. Topics include: PMS, PMDD, Menopause, HRT and what’s in that darn dairy. Debra created the Cycle Diet to help women who suffer from PMS and PMDD understand that through elimination and building a balanced diet, they can stop the needless monthly suffering. She also warns women athletes that they need a nutrition plan that is designed for them, and not for men. With over 20 years of experience as a Registered Dietician, Debra’s knowledge and experience is a must listen for women of all ages, athlete or not. For show notes, visit the website at: https://silvergoldwomen.com/episode-4/ — Music for this podcast was created by the immensely talented, and generous, Outwild. He knows what I like! And I dance in my seat every time I hear these beats. Listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/itsoutwild Follow on Facebook/itsoutwild, Twitter/itsoutwild, Instagram/itsoutwild

In this episode, Karen talks about training zones, and maximum aerobic function  (MAF) as a way to build cardiovascular endurance for a safe and healthy return to sport. For show notes, visit the website at: https://silvergoldwomen.com/episode-3/ Correction: Luke Jones’ website is heromovement.net, not heromovement.com — Music for this podcast was created by the immensely talented, and generous, Outwild. He knows what I like! And I dance in my seat every time I hear these beats. Listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/itsoutwild Follow on Facebook/itsoutwild, Twitter/itsoutwild, Instagram/itsoutwild

In this episode of “Silver is the New Gold”, Lorraine Hoyne talks about her late start in fencing, her journey as a mature athlete and her goal to overcome injury and compete at the Women’s Epee 60+ World Championships in 2021. — Show notes: https://silvergoldwomen.com/episode-2/ — Music for this podcast was created by the immensely talented, and generous, Outwild. He knows what I like! And I dance in my seat every time I hear these beats. Listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/itsoutwild Follow on Facebook/itsoutwild, Twitter/itsoutwild, Instagram/itsoutwild

In this episode, Karen introduces the show, herself, and talks about her lifelong journey in sports, and how it has shaped her life, and helped her focus on her health and wellness. — Music created by Outwild. Listen at Soundcloud/itsoutwild, follow on Facebook/itsoutwild