The Gravel Family Podcast

An episode long overdue, we finally got the chance to chat with Morgan Chaffin, a back to back two time champ of the Gravel Worlds 75, to talk about her wins, her journey into cycling, and her very unique training program! This episode is sponsored by GOODLIFE Nutrition. Fuel your GOODLIFE with nutrition that works! Head over to www.fuelyourgoodlife.com and use code GRAVELFAMILY for 20% off your first order.

On this episode we talk with Bobby Wintle, the lead promoter of The Mid South Gravel. This past weekend Stillwater, Oklahoma experienced unprecedented wildfires that burnt thousands of acres of forests and grass lands, destroyed wildlife habitats and farmland, took over 70 homes, and ultimately cancelled one of gravel's most beloved events. We sit down with Bobby to process through the highs and lows and aftermath from this weekend. This is by far our most emotionally charged podcast as we let Bobby talk through all the feelings, actions, and timeline of the entire Mid South week. This is also the first video podcast we've done and will be released on Mid South's Youtube very soon. -Thank you to all the first responders who tirelessly worked to keep everyone safe. Because of them, there were no reported deaths and hundreds of homes were saved. -You can support Stillwater by donating to the https://www.unitedwaypaynecounty.org/form/donate-or-pledge-2022. Gravel Worlds will also be donating 50% of race entry fees between now and April 8 to support #StillwaterStrong-This episode is sponsored by GOODLIFE Nutrition. Use code GRAVELFAMILY for 20% off your first order.

Last weekend, Chase Wark had his eyes on winning the 2025 Mid South Gravel, but his plans were cancelled by catastrophic wildfires that wiped out homes, land, and animals. While Chase could have gone home, he instead decided to stay and chase the Mega Mid South FKT with eyes on now raising money for the community of Stillwater. This podcast is about how he did it. To donate, head to: https://www.midsouthgravel.com/shop/p/stillwater-wildfire-relief

Crystal Kovac's impact on our sport has been felt so heavily in the last few years as she has been an advocate for women and beginners in the gravel world! She also happens to be the founder of Dirt Squad, a team aimed at educating and creating community. We talk all about this endeavor, as well as her journey into the world of gravel and how she became an advocate for people new to this sport! If you are interested in joining Dirt Squad go to https://dirtsquad.co/This episode is sponsored by GOODLIFE Nutrition. Check out their line of performance fueling products at https://fuelyourgoodlife.com/

On the heels of his brand new film premiere: LUKAS, we had a chance to sit down with the movie star himself, Lukas Coon, and his amazing mom, Jen, to talk about his incredible journey in gravel. Starting out at the first Adventure for All Lincoln athlete to learn how to ride a bike, to completing Gravel Worlds, his story is one that inspires. The Film LUKAS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ3PGQ9uRvw This episode is sponsored by GOODLIFE Nutrition. To learn more about GOODLIFE's lineup of nutrition products go to www.fuelyourgoodlife.com

In this episode, we're joined by Marcus Robinson, one of the founders of Ride for Racial Justice, a powerful movement combining cycling with the fight for racial justice. Marcus shares the mission behind the organization, the events they'll be attending this year, and how cycling is used as a tool for advocacy. We also take a detour into some BBQ talk- because why not? You won't want to miss this one to hear about how Ride for Racial Justice is making strides in our community!To get involved with RFRJ, you can email Marcus at marcus@rideforracialjustice.org and give them a follow in Instagram: @rideforracialjusticeThis episode is sponsored by GOODLIFE Nutrition, check out their line of breakthrough fueling products at www.fuelyourgoodlife.com

In this episode, we're joined by Heidi and Jeff from Rasputitsa for a conversation that's a little heavier than usual. We're talking about Anthony, one of the founders of Rasputitsa, and his ongoing fight with stage 4 lung cancer that's spread to his brain and bones.Heidi and Jeff open up about what Anthony's going through and how his strength continues to inspire everyone around him, even in the toughest moments. It's a powerful conversation about this gravel community, resilience, and supporting each other through life's hardest challenges. Plus, we also talk a bit about their incredible Rasputitsa event and some memorable moments from that race. This episode might be emotional, but it's also about the bonds that brings this Gravel Family together.

Lauren Stephens is back on the Gravel Family Podcast to talk about her 2024 Gravel Worlds WIN! As the back to back Champion of the Gravel Seas, she shares about her experience winning yet again and what her 2025 year will look like!This episode is sponsored by GOODLIFE Nutrition, check out the line up of performance fueling products at www.fuelyourgoodlife.com and use code GRAVELFAMILY for 20% off your first purchase.

On this episode, we chat with Becca Book, the 2024 Gravel Worlds Long Voyage champion who finished in just over 18 hours making her the Gravel Worlds Long Voyage record holder. We also got to chat with her about her epic adventure in Chile for a thrilling backpacking race!

In this episode, we sit down with Luke Hall, the 2024 Long Voyage 300 winner, to dive into his incredible record breaking journey at Gravel Worlds, his personal cycling story, and what's on the calendar for 2025. Luke shares insights into the challenges and nutrition strategy of his 2024 victory, how Gravel Worlds tested his limits, and what drives him to continue pushing the envelope in the sport. We also get a glimpse of his goals for the upcoming year, including the races and ambitions for his 2025 season.

In this episode, we sit down with Simen Nordahl Svendsen, the youngest-ever winner of Gravel Worlds and an absolute powerhouse in the gravel racing scene. Riding for PAS, Simen has made a name for himself with back-to-back wins at the Rifts and a dominant performance in the 2024 Gravel Earth series. We dive into his journey into the sport, what it was like to conquer Gravel Worlds, and the unique tradition he's created for himself whenever he races in a new location. Whether you're a fan of gravel racing or just love hearing from rising stars, this episode is one you won't want to miss. Tune in for insights into the mind of one of the sport's most exciting up-and-comers! This episode is sponsored by GoodLife Nutrition. To learn more GoodLife Nutrition's lineup of science backed products, head over to www.fuelyourgoodlife.com

*Please note we had a few technical difficulties including the mic picking up Jason and Sofia's keyboards to take down show notes, and some microphone feedback* Sam Hansen, the 2024 Gravel World's Non-Binary Champion is not only a cyclist, but a mathematics communicator, librarian, and a podcast producer! Having years of experience in the cycling world, they are an activist for Gender Expansive categories in the cycling industry. We chat all about their professional work, Gravel World's experiences and where they hope to see the sport in years to come!

Happy Holidays to our Gravel Family listeners! We appreciate you more than you know and we're so lucky to be able to have the best listeners in the world. We will be taking a few weeks off to celebrate the holidays, but we will be back in 2025 with brand new episodes for you!

As the youngest known summiteer of Mauna Kea, and podiuming at races all over the country, Greer Peed is making his name in the cycling world! We chat about his inspiring summit, his 2024 Gravel Worlds 75 mile finish, his Everest experience on Zwift, and much more! This episode is sponsored by GoodLife Nutrition. Check out their line of products including their great tasting Carb Mix (made with Cluster Dextrin, a better carbohydrate that digests easily like food), EAA's, Protein, and Endurance Recovery mixes online at www.fuelyourgoodlife.com or follow them on Instagram at @fuelyourgoodlife

In this season of Thanks, we wanted to thank all of our listeners, sponsors, friends, and family for an incredible 2024 season! We are so lucky and honored to have some of the best listeners in the industry!

While Trevor Slawnyk may be new to the race director scene, you'd never know it after participating in his Dozinky Doozy race in southeastern Nebraska. In this episode, we talk about his new event, what it takes to put on a new race, and another fun idea he possibly has up his sleeve!

Howard Florence, Kentucky native, came to Nebraska to ride on our gravel roads- and left soaked with champagne from his DFL First to Last win! We got to hear all about his day, what the First2Last party meant to him, and he tells us about a smell he still can't get out of his car- post champagne spray.

Following our announcement earlier this month about our new title sponsor: Lauf, we had the CEO of Lauf Cycles, Benedikt, on our podcast! He talks all about Lauf, the engineering of the bikes, and a tiny sneak peek of what could be next for Lauf!

In what may be our most inspiring and most entertaining podcast yet, we sit down with our Gravel Worlds 2024 75 Mile Para Champion! Patrick Halgren isn't just a cyclist though, he spends the majority of his team on the slopes, training on Team USA for skiing. This is a, "Don't wanna miss," episode!

We're back with our first guest of season four! And for this series, we're starting with the after DFL finisher, Trevor White who rolled in (from completing the double) only eight minutes after our DFL was crowned. On top of that accomplishment, he was a super volunteer- putting in countless hours behind the scene from Wednesday-Friday of Gravel Worlds week!

Hey Gravel Family! We're BACK- for Season FOUR! In this episode, we talk all about Gravel Worlds 2024, what we are expecting for 2025, and our plans for season four!

It's the best week of the year! We are so excited to see you and cheer you on!

This week's episode is a little different... We teased that we would have an epic power couple to round out the series, and it's finally here!

When down at Unbound, we decided to grab people off the expo and ask them our iconic question, "What does the Gravel Family mean to you?" Their answers? Incredible. This episode was sponsored by Lauf Cycles. To check out Lauf's impressive line up of bikes, head to www.lauf-cycles.com

Sylvie D'Aoust, endurance athlete, race promoter, and Secrets From the Saddle Podcast Host, joined us at Unbound before her UnboundXL experience! We were able to talk about last year's XL race, her own race she promotes, and her podcast!  This episode is sponsored by Lauf Cycles! To check out Lauf's impressive lineup of bikes, check out www.laufcycles.com

Caroline Wreszin has made her mark in the elite women's field, topping podiums across the country and since we were crossing paths in Emporia for Unbound, we had the chance to sit down with her and talk about her incredibly impressive year she's had!  This episode is sponsored by Lauf Cycles. To check out Lauf's impressive line up of bikes head over to www.laufcycles.com

Bikes are about community, and Beth McBride has proven that in her finishes at Gravel Worlds, MidSouth, and Unbound! First finding gravel through our 1000 women of gravel initiative, she has proven her tenacity through the last few years and has become a motivation for others through her experience as DFL at MidSouth2024.  In this episode, we talk about the amazing year on the bike, our upcoming First2Last party at Gravel Worlds, and of course her DFL finish!  This podcast is sponsored by Lauf Cycles. To check out Lauf's amazing lineup of bikes, head to www.laufcycles.com

Continuing on our Unbound series, we got to talk to Leah Van der Linden- Lauf athlete, LTGP contender, and an age group champ of Garmin Gravel Worlds! We talk about her experience at Garmin Gravel Worlds, the upcoming race at Unbound, and her plans for the year! This episode is sponsored by Lauf Cycles. To see all of Lauf's incredible bikes head to: www.laufcycles.com

We made it, we did it! This is Gravel Family Podcast episode 100. We're not gonna give many details about this episode, so click that play button and give it a listen!

Emily Joy Newsom, a professional gravel privateer, started racing on road back in 2013 and after having an impressive career on the road (including racing in the Tour de France Femmes) she started racing gravel where she has been no stranger to podiums! Continuing on our Unbound series, we talked to Emily about her career, her family, and of course about her (at the time) upcoming Unbound race!

Next up in our lineup of Unbound episodes presented by Lauf, is the one and only LDC! Lauren has been dominating the gravel scene in the last few years with wins at MidSouth, Unbound, and is a two time champ of Gravel Worlds! In the past year, Lauren has jumped into the privateer life and we were lucky enough to sit down with her again to talk about that change, her new Shopify store which raises money for TBI survivors, and we of course had to talk a little bit about Unbound! To shop LDC's store, head over to https://e9aece-3.myshopify.com/ To learn more about the Craig Foundation go to: https://craighospital.org/foundation

The newest induction of the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame, winner and finisher of countless endurance events including the Tour Divide, Iditarod and “short” endurance events like Trans Iowa, Unbound, and so many more, JP is an absolute icon in this sport who now happens to be a race promoter! We were so excited to interview this guest, and he left us speechless, inspired, and reflecting. This is a can't miss episode! If you are looking for a cool summer family friendly event, check out his race: Teton Valley Backyard Rally on July 6th in Victor, ID!

Happy Unbound week!!! We cannot wait to party it up with y'all down in Emporia KS, AKA Gravel City USA! We talk about the schedule for the week, how you can get your hands on some Gravel Family stickers, and give a preview about our guests! BUT it doesn't stop there... Keep listening when you think the episode is over... We bring on a very special guest, Kristi Mohn, to talk about the event and what to expect down in Emporia!!

Triathlete turned gravel cyclist, founder and co-host of the very popular Girls Gone Gravel podcast Kathryn Taylor wears many hats in the cycling community and we were so lucky to be able to sit down with her to hear her story about how she got into gravel, the beginning of the Girls Gone Gravel Brand, and what's to come for her own podcast! As an exclusive offer for listeners of this podcast, use code "GIRLSGONEGRAVEL" for 15% off your registration in the women's or non-binary category of Gravel Worlds 2024!

Doug Orey-Everett is a long time supporter of the gravel community. We talk about his passion of spreading awareness of mental health and using the bike to help us all on our physical and mental health journeys. We talk about starting his new cycling club, Sad Velo Cycling Club, that is dedicated to encouraging us all to acknowledge and work on our own mental health. “Ride Bikes. Go To Therapy.”

Professional cyclists Hannah Shell and Jake Magee are not only incredible athletes on the bike, but they have a passion for people and this community that brings us all together! We were able to catch up with Hannah and Jake for an episode full of event stories, their story of how they met, and we also talk a little bit about Hannah's new role as the First to Last Coordinator!

Collectively finishing dozens of races and events including multiple Gravel Worlds, Cole and Kelsi are both involved in the Iowa Gravel Project, run weekly gravel group rides, and now host three separate gravel events! It was an honor to sit down with them to talk about Iowa Gravel, RAGBRAI, and the events they put on in the community!

As long time friends and supporters of Gravel Worlds John Wilmeth and Venny Alub sit down with us for another episode on the Power Couples series! Together they have finished countless gravel and mountain bike events around the country are the owners of Cantu Wheels, and they are just all around incredible people! We talk about their adventures both on and off the bike, how Cantu came to be, and.... Pickleball?!

Taking a week break from our power couple series (don't worry... we have a few more coming up) we thought it would be a great time to catch up and talk about our favorite thing.. GRAVEL WORLDS!

This week's couple has hands down been the most requested power couple, yet! While Ali is the most winningest female of Gravel Worlds, as well as being on the top podium of countless other races, her husband Blaize is the National Account Sales Manager at SRAM- so you could say they know a thing or two about bikes and the cycling world! In this episode we talk about their experiences traveling the world together, how they met, and update on their life since we last had them on the podcast!

This episode is not only a continuation of the Power Couples series, but it piggy backs on last week's episode about NICA as we interview Vanessa Hauswald, the Executive Director of NoCal NICA and her husband Yuri Hauswald who is the community manager of GU Energy Labs, Unbound Gravel champion, and a class of 2023 Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame member! We talk about Vanessa's experience in NICA, being a stage 4 cancer survivor, Yuri's experience at GU, and their love for bikes as a couple! You can find Yuri and Vanessa on Instagram at: @yhauswald @vhaus

Taking a break from our Power Couples series, Josalyn Poore and her dad, Jesse Poore join us to talk about our local NICA league, Lancaster Composite and what it's like to be part of that culture and community! If you are interested in more information about NICA for either a coaching position or as an athlete, check out the links below: Nebraska Interscholastic Cycling League: https://nebraskamtb.org/ Lancaster Composite Mountain Bike Team: https://lancastermtb.com/ NICA: https://nationalmtb.org/

Putting on a combined total of 55 successful events, being event directors for 24 years, and being married for 28 years- this power couple knows a few things about both bikes and love so it was only natural to have them on our podcast! Being promoters for Pine Island Gravel Odyssey, 28 Below, and Dakota 5-0, Kristi and Perry Jewett shared their experiences through their years of both riding and event directing and we are so lucky to get to share those stories with you!

When you think of the phrase "Power Couples" Ted and Laura King fit that description to a T! While Ted is a former world tour pro who hit the gravel rolling in 2016 to go on to win countless podiums, Laura has been on those same podiums and between her work on the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame board and advocacy work for women in cycling, she has become an inspiration for women around the world. We talk all about their busy life raising two young children while balancing the life in the cycling world, their van life adventures, and what their next year will look like!

Dave and Selene are the epitome of a power couple in the cycling industry! On her side she brings a wealth of knowledge about women's health in sport as she runs the "Hit Play Not Pause" podcast, as well as competing in almost all of the big name gravel events around the country. On the other hand, Dave is the promoter of UnPaved Pennsylvania and Monkey Knife Fight, and has been a crucial part of the growth of gravel cycling on the East coast. This is not one you will want to miss!

We're starting off strong with our "Love Month" series interviewing Kristen and Nick Legan! We truly could not ask for a better couple to talk to about their dynamic as active cyclists and leaders in the industry. We talk about Kristen's upcoming year in the Lifetime Grand Prix, Nick's upcoming Great Divide Mountain Bike Route adventure!

It's been a long time coming, but we finally had to chance to talk to the first ever winner of Gravel Worlds- Mike Marchand! An absolute legend, incredible person, and librarian, Mike brought his wisdom of his years in gravel cycling at different events and sheds light on the evolution of the sport!

Chase Wark has numerous accolades including being the 2021 Randy Gibson Climbers Jersey Winner, 2023 Gravel Worlds 2nd place overall, and winning multiple other races in 2023 including two Para National Championships! Coming off an incredible year, we had the chance to pick his brain on being a race promoter for some incredible grassroots events, and got to hear about his incredible Gravel Worlds experience! You can find more information about his events below: Warkscyclingservices.com

While Geno Villafano is well known for his Tiktok presence, he has so much more to share with the world! On the heels of his move to Berlin, we were able to sit down with him for a conversation about his racing history (including his 2023 Long Voyage win), how he first went viral on social media, his recent move to Germany, and also his unique wedding story! You can follow Geno on both Instagram and Tiktok under the username: @Spieo

Kaci is no stranger to the running world, and as two time champ of the Gravel Worlds Land Ho, she knows a thing or two about winning races! We talk about her history as an athlete and also dive into her new found passion for cycling!

From our team to you, HAPPY HOLIDAYS! No matter where you're from, who you are, or what you ride, we are proud to call you family! We will see you in 2024 for a whole new batch of episodes.