Show notes:

In this episode, Rebecca and Cynthia discuss:

1. The evolution from racer to community builder and filmmaker
2. Why Cynthia chooses not to lead with her athletic achievements when introducing herself
3. The struggle and liberation of separating self-worth from race results
4. How ultra-distance events create space for presence and reflection
5. The making of “Two Steps Forward, One Step Back” and what Cynthia learned from two years of physical and emotional challenges
6. The importance of showing up authentically, regardless of outcome
7. Lessons from organizing gravel races and fostering community in cycling
8. The value of curiosity and humility in adventure and life

Transformative Insights:

1. Identity is more than a podium finish—results are just one piece of the story
2. Presence and self-reflection are found in the quiet, difficult miles
3. Community and storytelling can be powerful tools for growth and connection
4. Confidence is built through consistent effort, not just external validation

Vulnerable Moments:

1. Cynthia opens up about the pressure to define herself by results and the work it takes to move beyond that
2. Honest conversation about feeling “not enough” and learning to embrace the full spectrum of identity
3. Both guests share stories of meeting at the finish line and the mutual respect that comes from shared struggle
4. Cynthia reflects on the emotional journey behind her latest film and the lessons learned from setbacks

Practical Wisdom:

1. How to introduce yourself beyond your job or achievements
2. Tools for building self-belief and showing up as your best self
3. The importance of community in endurance sports and beyond
4. Why it’s essential to separate your worth from your wins and losses

Personal Growth:

1. Cynthia’s evolution from athlete to organizer, filmmaker, and mentor
2. Rebecca’s ongoing journey to find meaning and presence in adventure
3. How both use movement and storytelling as vehicles for self-discovery and connection
4. The role of vulnerability and honesty in building a meaningful life

Helpful Links:

1. Cynthia’s Website: wattwagon.cc
2. Cynthia’s YouTube: @wattwagon
3. Cynthia’s Films: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back: Racing the Transcontinental After Everything Fell Apart
4. Cynthia’s Instagram: @watt_wagon

Sponsor:

This episode is brought to you by Rebecca’s Private Idaho—an event that’s all about showing up as your full self, finding community in the wild, and discovering what you’re capable of beyond the finish line. Whether you’re chasing a personal best or just want to ride with purpose, RPI is where adventure and connection meet. Join us in Sun Valley for an unforgettable experience on and off the bike. Registration is open now at rebeccasprivateidaho.com.

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Blood Road

In This Episode, Rebecca and Dr. B Explore:

1. The difference between eyesight and true vision—and why it matters for performance, healing, and self-perception
2. How Dr. B’s personal experience with vision therapy transformed his life and purpose
3. The hidden impact of visual processing on confidence, learning, and movement
4. Why addressing the root cause—not just the symptoms—unlocks real growth
5. The shift from reactive to proactive vision care, and what it means for athletes, patients, and everyday humans
6. How our visual system is overloaded by modern screens and what we can do about it
7. The power of awareness, patience, and trust in the brain-body connection

Transformative Insights

1. Vision is more than seeing clearly—it’s about how we interpret and interact with the world
2. Healing and high performance both start with understanding and retraining the visual brain
3. Our sense of safety, confidence, and potential is deeply tied to how we see ourselves and our environment
4. The brain’s plasticity means change is always possible, no matter your starting point

Vulnerable Moments

1. Dr. B shares how childhood struggles with vision shaped his identity and career path
2. Rebecca reflects on her own concussion recovery and the wish to have found vision therapy sooner
3. Both discuss the emotional journey of moving from frustration and limitation to empowerment and purpose

Practical Wisdom

1. How to recognize when vision—not just eyesight—may be holding you back
2. Simple strategies to reduce screen overload and support healthy visual processing
3. The importance of seeking care that addresses the whole person, not just isolated symptoms
4. Building trust in your body’s ability to adapt and heal

Personal Growth

1. Dr. B’s evolution from patient to practitioner, and his commitment to changing the paradigm of vision care
2. Rebecca’s ongoing journey to integrate new tools for healing and performance
3. The ripple effect of sharing our stories—how one person’s breakthrough can inspire hope and action in others

Helpful Links

1. Dr. Bryce Appelbaum’s Website: MyVision First
2. ScreenFit Program
3. Vision Performance Training
4. Dr. Bryce Appelbaum on Instagram
5. Dr. Bryce Appelbaum on LinkedIn

Sponsor

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Take 10% off selected MyVisionFirst shop products using code RUSCH

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Blood Road

Key Topics:

1. The reality of facing unpredictable conditions on the ITI and making the call to stop before the finish
2. How Jay’s mindset has evolved after years of racing, and what it means to listen to the trail and your own limits
3. The emotional aftermath of a race that doesn’t go as planned, and the lessons found in disappointment
4. The ongoing process of recovery—physically, mentally, and emotionally—after high-stakes adventure
5. The value of reflection, community, and honest storytelling in the wake of challenge

Memorable Moments:

1. Jay describes the moment he realized the ITI would not go as planned, and the internal dialogue that followed
2. Reflections on the difference between “old Jay” and the wisdom that comes with experience
3. Honest talk about the pressure to perform, the expectations we set for ourselves, and the courage it takes to walk away

Reflection Questions:

1. When have you had to change course, even when you were deeply committed to a goal?
2. What does it look like to honor your limits without losing your drive?
3. How do you process disappointment and find meaning in the aftermath?

Resources & Links:

1. Part 1: Ride Forward: The Art of Endurance
2. Jay's website
3. Jay's Instagram
4. Fat Pursuit
5. Iditarod Trail Invitational

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Blood Road

Show Notes:

In this episode, Rebecca and Jay explore:

1. The evolution from adventure racing to redefining ultra-endurance cycling
2. How Jay’s “Ride Forward” philosophy shapes his approach to life, sport, and mentorship
3. The role of adaptability and continuous learning in both racing and personal growth
4. Why building community and sharing knowledge matter more than medals
5. The mental and emotional challenges of self-supported racing—and the lessons found in solitude
6. Gear innovation: how tinkering and necessity led Jay to revolutionize bikepacking equipment
7. The origins and spirit behind the Fat Pursuit and Gravel Pursuit events
8. Navigating setbacks, uncertainty, and the unexpected with curiosity and grace

Transformative Insights:

1. The value of “perfect is good enough” in high-stakes environments
2. How letting go of rigid expectations opens space for discovery and joy
3. The importance of mentorship and inviting others into the wild unknown
4. Why the most meaningful achievements are often the ones shared with community

Vulnerable Moments:

1. Jay reflects on the discomfort of public recognition and the challenge of self-definition
2. Rebecca and Jay discuss the tension between solitude and connection in endurance pursuits
3. Honest stories about failure, recalibration, and the courage to keep moving forward

Practical Wisdom:

1. Approaching adversity as an opportunity for growth, not just a hurdle to overcome
2. Simple practices for staying grounded during long, uncertain journeys
3. The power of curiosity and play in sustaining motivation

Personal Growth:

1. Jay’s ongoing journey to balance ambition with presence
2. Rebecca’s reflections on learning from Jay’s mentorship and friendship
3. How both have found meaning in letting go of what no longer serves them

Helpful Links:

1. Jay Petervary’s Website: https://www.jaypetervary.com/
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jay_petervary/
3. Fat Pursuit: https://www.fatpursuit.com/
4. Gravel Pursuit: https://www.gravelpursuit.com/
5. Iditarod Trail Invitational

Sponsor:

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Blood Road

Featured Guests & Clips:

Andy Walshe

Andy shares stories from the world of elite performance, describing how uncertainty, mindset, and ancient selection rituals are used alongside modern data to push athletes beyond their limits. He reflects on the importance of learning, shifting expectations, and the untapped frontier of the mind.

Florence Williams

Florence discusses her research into awe, resilience, and the healing power of nature. She explains how ancient practices of noticing beauty and connecting to the natural world are now being validated by science—and why we need both the data and the reminders to seek out what our ancestors knew intuitively.

Teddi Dean

Teddi, a former pro skateboarder turned mindfulness teacher, explores how meditation and Buddhist philosophy help us build a relationship with our minds and bodies. He shares practical wisdom on sitting with discomfort, tuning into our emotions, and using heart-centered practices to transform daily life.

Michael Gervais

Michael, high-performance psychologist and host of Finding Mastery, reflects on the path from high performance to true mastery. He discusses how ancient insights and modern psychology both point us toward self-knowledge, purpose, and connection as the foundation for a meaningful life.

Key Themes:

1. The intersection of ancient wisdom and modern science in personal growth and performance
2. Mindset, uncertainty, and the power of learning
3. The healing and transformative potential of nature, awe, and mindfulness
4. The importance of self-knowledge, purpose, and community

Join the Conversation:

How do you blend ancient wisdom and modern science in your own life? What practices or research have helped you grow? Share your thoughts with Rebecca on social or by leaving a review.

Thank you for being part of this journey and for celebrating a year of meaningful conversations with us. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to What’s the Rusch wherever you listen to podcasts.

Click the links below to listen to the full episodes mentioned in today's podcast:

1. Andy Walshe on the Future of Performance
2. Florence Williams on Healing through Nature and Heartbreak
3. Teddi Dean on Identity, Meditation, and Purposeful Pacing
4. Michael Gervais on the Dark Side of Success

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Blood Road

Featured Guests & Clips:

Caroline Buchanan

Caroline opens up about building her identity both on and off the bike, navigating reinvention, and learning to define success on her own terms. She shares how she’s found purpose beyond podiums by mentoring others and embracing new challenges.

Kate Courtney

Kate reflects on what it means to define success beyond the podium. She shares how she’s learned to measure achievement by effort and growth, not just results, and how her work with the She Sends Foundation is helping to expand opportunities and redefine what winning looks like for herself and the next generation.

Allen Lim

Allen shares how growing up as part of an immigrant family in Los Angeles shaped his sense of identity and belonging. He reflects on how the bicycle, the Olympic movement, and the power of community helped him redefine what success means—not just as winning, but as connection, dignity, and inspiring others.

Alexandera Houchin

Alexandera talks about how her identity has evolved and so has her sense of responsibility. She shares how her early drive to right past injustices and give voice to her family story has shifted toward embracing her own presence and authenticity, and creating space for others to do the same.

Key Themes:

1. Redefining what it means to succeed
2. Letting go of old expectations and embracing new identities
3. The power of community, mentorship, and giving back
4. Finding purpose and meaning beyond traditional measures of achievement

Join the Conversation:

How has your definition of success changed? What does identity mean to you? Share your thoughts with Rebecca on social or by leaving a review.

· Thank you for being part of this journey and for celebrating a year of meaningful conversations with us. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to What’s the Rusch wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Blood Road

To celebrate one year of What’s the Rusch, Rebecca Rusch brings together some of the most honest and courageous moments from the past year. This special episode is all about embracing vulnerability, slowing down, letting go, and sharing the real stories behind the highlight reels. Rebecca introduces and reflects on powerful clips from four guests who have opened up about their struggles, growth, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Featured Guests & Clips:

Stacy Sims

Stacy shares her experience of moving to New Zealand, facing postpartum depression, and reaching a breaking point that led to a suicide attempt. She talks about the importance of support systems, rebuilding, and the need to reach out for help—even when you feel you have to be stoic.

Jess Kimura

Jess opens up about the loss of her partner, the overwhelming grief that followed, and how she found herself again through surfing and allowing herself to be vulnerable. She discusses the pressure to appear tough in her sport and the relief of finally letting herself be seen.

Rush Sturges

Rush recounts a harrowing experience in Nepal, surviving a massive earthquake while on a river expedition. He describes the trauma and PTSD that followed, the physical symptoms he endured, and the long journey of healing through therapy, mindfulness, and learning to listen to his nervous system.

Chris Burkard

Chris reflects on a transformative darkness retreat and the power of being vulnerable with others. He shares how opening up to a stranger after the retreat changed his perspective, and how he’s learning to bring more honesty and connection into his everyday life—not just during extreme adventures.

Key Themes:

1. The strength in sharing what’s real, even when it’s uncomfortable
2. Navigating grief, trauma, and mental health challenges
3. The importance of support, community, and self-compassion
4. Redefining what it means to be strong and successful

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Blood Road

Brain Storm Podcast

Join the Conversation:

What does vulnerability mean to you? How have you learned to let go or ask for help? Share your thoughts with Rebecca on social or by leaving a review.

Thank you for being part of this journey and for celebrating a year of meaningful conversations with us. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to What’s the Rusch wherever you listen to podcasts.

In this episode, Rebecca welcomes Dr. Jaimie Lusk, a Marine Corps veteran, clinical psychologist, and endurance athlete, whose life’s work bridges the worlds of trauma recovery, adventure, and community healing. Their conversation moves beyond the surface of resilience, exploring what it means to truly thrive after survival. Together, they unpack the messy, beautiful process of listening to your inner wisdom, honoring the body’s need for rest, and finding clarity through movement and nature. This episode is a deep dive into the art of staying open, even after life cracks you wide open, and the power of community in the healing journey.

Show Notes

Rebecca and Dr. Lusk explore:

1. The difference between surviving and thriving and how to recognize when you’re ready for more than just getting by
2. How Jaimie’s experience as a Marine and psychologist shapes her approach to trauma, moral injury, and complex grief
3. The role of nature, movement, and adventure in building resilience and self-trust
4. Why healing is never a solo endeavor, and how community and purpose fuel recovery
5. The importance of tuning into your “inner knower” and honoring intuition, even when it runs counter to external expectations
6. Practical ways to integrate mind-body practices, from breathwork to outdoor experiences, into daily life

Transformative Insights

1. Healing is a practice, not a destination—one that requires both fierce compassion and honest self-reflection
2. Sometimes the nervous system needs space and movement before words can land
3. True resilience is about staying open and choosing connection, even after hardship
4. The “script” of toughness can drown out our real needs; learning to listen inward is a radical act

Vulnerable Moments

1. Jaimie shares her journey from the battlefield to the therapy room, and how her own healing informs her work
2. Rebecca and Jaimie reflect on the challenges of letting go of high-performance identities to embrace rest and recovery
3. Both discuss the ongoing process of moving from impenetrable strength to authentic vulnerability

Practical Wisdom

1. How to use nature as a co-therapist: simple ways to bring the outdoors into your healing process
2. Tools for checking in with your intuition and honoring what you need in the moment
3. The value of community, mentorship, and shared adventure in sustaining long-term growth

Personal Growth

1. Jaimie’s evolution from “mud-loving kid” to Marine, psychologist, and advocate for wild resilience
2. Rebecca’s reflections on the power of collaboration and shared values in the healing journey
3. How adventure and evidence-based psychology intersect to create new pathways for thriving

Helpful Links

1. Modern Elder Academy: Wild Resilience Retreat with Rebecca & Dr. Jaimie Lusk
2. Dr. Jaimie Lusk’s Website
3. LinkedIn: Dr. Jaimie Lusk
4. Psychology Today Blog

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Blood Road

Brain Storm Podcast

In this conversation, we explore what “Fly Always” really means when you can’t do your sport the way you used to, and how Kaya has rebuilt her life through honesty, values work, and learning to create space for herself and others. From the moment she told her coach, “I’m done…pull me out,” to the dark, quiet years of healing back home in Montreal, Kaya walks us through the hardest kind of courage: the kind that looks like surrender, asking for help, and choosing self-care on an 8/10 pain day.

Show Notes

In this episode, Rebecca and Kaya explore:

1. How rollerblading and skateparks became Kaya’s foundation for freestyle—and why she taught herself to ski at 17 by taking the Greyhound to Whistler every day
2. The misconception that elite freestyle athletes are fearless—and why fear is part of staying alive on “hundred-foot kickers”
3. The difference between chosen pain (growth) and unchosen pain (life, injury, heartbreak)—and why the second one is where “the real work” begins
4. The crash that sliced Kaya’s pancreas in half, the ICU in San Francisco, and being told to leave skiing behind before her career even began
5. How chronic headaches, cumulative impacts, and undiagnosed concussions became an invisible war that forced retirement a year before 2018
6. The moment at Worlds in Spain when Kaya finally said, “I surrender…this is enough,” and made the call to stop
7. Why identity can get dangerously fused to performance—and what it takes to become “more than one thing”
8. The question Dr. Mike Gervais asked that cracked Kaya open: “Why are you here on this earth?”
9. The real meaning of “Fly Always”: create space, take the leap, inspire—and why “creating space” starts with honesty
10. What “flying” looks like now: self-care, hard conversations, sitting with pain instead of escaping it, and “standing in the center of the fire” with yourself
11. How mindfulness “micro-breaks” and Rebecca’s “brain breaks” help regulate the nervous system and bring you back steadier, brighter, more present
12. The six-year healing chapter: moving back to Montreal, low capacity, and rebuilding from a dark period—one phone call at a time

Transformative Insights

1. Pain has layers. There’s pain that expands you (chosen) and pain that humbles you (unchosen)—and the second one asks for a different kind of strength.
2. Identity isn’t a job title. Kaya reframes “who I am” as what she loves, what she values, and what lights her up—not just what she did in sport.
3. “Fly Always” is a life philosophy, not a sports slogan. For Kaya, it begins with creating space (and safety) for the whole human to show up.
4. Values work is the bridge. The journey from “be the best” to “be true” runs straight through first principles and personal philosophy.
5. Presence is built in tiny moments. Five-minute resets and micro “slices of discipline” change the nervous system—and the way you move through your day.

Vulnerable Moments

1. Kaya relives the crash that caused pancreatic surgery at 18—and the whiplash of being told her career might be over before it started.
2. She names the invisible suffering of chronic pain—hurting internally while the outside world encourages you to push one more year.
3. The Worlds-in-Spain moment: “I’m done…pull me out,” and the catharsis of finally leaning in.
4. The dark stretch after retirement—UCLA dreams, surrendering independence, moving home, and not working for six years because survival took everything.
5. Kaya opens up about escaping pain for a long time—and then learning to sit with it, listen, and stay with herself through it.

Practical Wisdom

1. Try a 5-minute reset 2–3 times a day: breathe, notice what you’re feeling, and return with a steadier pace.
2. Build “brain breaks”: step off screens, go outside, lie down, pet the dog—then come back more regulated.
3. If you don’t know what to do next: reach out anyway. Kaya describes the power of dropping the guard and calling someone who knows you.
4. Practice “create space through honesty”: tell the truth about what you’re carrying—even when it’s messy.
5. When you see someone hurting: say something simple—“I see you.” It matters more than you think.

Personal Growth

1. Kaya moves from “queen of slope style” armor to a more integrated identity—artist, nature-lover, community-builder, coach.
2. She redefines high performance as self-care on hard days, honesty in relationships, and staying present when the body flares.
3. Her career comes full circle: from athlete with Dr. Mike to mindset coach at Finding Mastery—turning lived experience into service.

Helpful Links

Kaya Turski

- Kaya’s Instagram

- LinkedIn:

- Threads:

- Team Canada bio:

Finding Mastery (Dr. Michael Gervais)

- About Finding Mastery (coaches/team): https://findingmastery.com/about-us/

Sponsor

This episode is supported by MOMENTOUS

Use code RUSCH to get 35% off your first momentous subscription

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Blood Road

Brain Storm Podcast

This conversation moves through ghost-lit writing rooms, ritual landscapes, long bike journeys, serendipity, and the internal shifts that only happen when we slow down enough to let the world permeate us. Together Craig and Rebecca explore why immersion, not arrival, is what transforms us.

Show Notes:

Immersion as the Pathway to Truth

1. Why Craig must be in a place—feeling the ground, light, wind—for the story to reveal itself
2. How walking ancient routes or biking across deserts becomes a form of listening
3. The difference between reading landscape through photographs vs. letting it enter your body

Hemingway’s House & the Ghost of Influence

1. Craig’s three-week writing residency in Ernest Hemingway’s preserved home in Idaho
2. The strange, creative tension of living where Hemingway lived—and even feeling watched
3. How inhabiting another writer’s space reshaped Craig’s awareness of language and simplicity

Energy, Memory & Mystery in the Natural World

1. The ineffable sensations some landscapes hold—ritual sites, ancient paths, places marked by loss
2. How intention sharpens awareness of what we cannot explain
3. Rebecca’s story of biking 1,200 miles along the Ho Chi Minh Trail to reach her father’s crash site, and the unexpected peace found there

The Wild Dark: Riding Into the Night

1. Craig’s decision to bike—not hike or drive—from the brightest sky (Las Vegas) to the darkest sky in Nevada
2. Understanding the Bortle Scale, and how each night revealed an entirely different sky
3. What humanity loses when we stop looking upward—and the questions the night sky asks of us

Creative Curiosity & How Stories Choose Us

1. How Craig selects each new book subject: serendipity, timing, emotional bandwidth, personal readiness
2. Why some stories (such as those rooted in trauma) demand discernment, and why he sometimes says no
3. Moving from archaeology, to animals, to geology, and now to mountain lions

Internal Exploration & the Dialogue Within

1. The constant internal conversations that unfold when moving across landscapes
2. How physical exertion becomes a gateway to reflection, memory, and presence
3. Why writing is the spark—not the purpose—behind many of Craig’s journeys

Modern Disconnection & What We’re Losing

1. Craig’s experience witnessing a death on a transatlantic flight and realizing how few people noticed
2. The shrinking spaces for eye contact, curiosity, and shared humanity
3. The closing-in effect of modern life compared to the expansive awareness offered by nature

Transformative Insights

1. Immersion creates understanding—arrival alone does not.
2. Landscapes hold memory and meaning that reveal themselves when we’re quiet enough to notice.
3. Awe is not optional; it is a human requirement.
4. The night sky is one of our oldest teachers, and losing it means losing half our questions.
5. Serendipity is often guidance—if we’re paying attention.

Vulnerable Moments

1. Rebecca shares the emotional unraveling of reaching her father’s crash site after a long bike journey.
2. Craig opens up about choosing not to pursue certain book topics because the emotional toll would be too great.
3. Both explore the discomfort of modern loneliness and the desire for deeper connection.
4. Craig reflects on being swept into the rush of freelance life—and how he finds his way back to slower rhythms.

Practical Wisdom

1. Use nature as your reset—it requires no preparation or perfection, only presence.
2. Let your curiosity—not your agenda—shape your explorations.
3. Build spaciousness into your life: dawn light, unstructured time, long walks, quiet moments.
4. Notice what your senses are telling you; they’re often wiser than your plans.
5. When life feels rushed, create friction by slowing down—sit on a boulder, look at the sky, breathe.

Personal Growth

1. Craig’s evolution from writing about ancient worlds to exploring the immediate, living stories around him.
2. Rebecca’s ongoing shift from “rusher” to someone who seeks and protects stillness.
3. The power of long journeys—literal and internal—to peel away armor.
4. How exploration helps us remember our humanity and place in the larger world.

Helpful Links

Craig Childs

Website: https://www.torreyhouse.org/craig-childs

Instagram: @wandercrag

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Blood Road

Brain Storm Podcast

Together, Rebecca and Steven explore why flow is accessible to everyone, what happens when you chase it too hard, and why recovery is a form of grit. Steven also opens up about the period of his life when Lyme disease left him bedridden, suicidal, and stripped of his identity, and how an unexpected moment in the ocean became the spark that rebuilt everything.

This is a conversation about curiosity, resilience, and how the smallest actions, walking the dog, doodling on a page, stepping outside, can literally help us find our way back to ourselves.

Show Notes

In this episode, Rebecca and Steven explore:

Understanding Flow & Peak Performance

1. What flow actually is from a neurobiological perspective
2. Why flow follows focus—and the 28 triggers that bring us into the present moment
3. The different forms of flow: individual, interpersonal, group, and communitas
4. Why flow operates on a four-stage cycle (and why you can’t be in flow all the time)

Chasing Flow vs. Working With It

1. The danger of using risk as a flow trigger
2. How novelty and creativity create safer, more sustainable pathways into flow
3. Why action sports athletes often “break things” chasing that feeling
4. How micro-changes—like interpreting terrain creatively—can upgrade performance without increasing danger

Recovery, Afterglow & the Science of the Come-Down

1. What happens in the brain after a massive flow state
2. Why a big flow day almost guarantees a low-performance day right after
3. The neurochemical crash that mimics the comedown of recreational drugs
4. How to use healthy recovery habits to shorten the “cost of flow”

Steven's Journey Through Illness

1. Steven recounts the years when Lyme disease left him unable to walk across a room
2. The suicidal moment when he believed he’d become a lifelong burden
3. The friend who insisted he go surfing—and the wave that triggered a full-blown, mystical macro-flow state
4. How repeated exposure to flow helped reboot his immune system and rebuild his life
5. What neuro-immunology reveals about the connection between flow, healing, and homeostasis

Flow, Longevity & Life Design

1. Why immersion in nature is one of the most potent flow triggers
2. The role of action sports and outdoor movement in mental health and aging
3. Why walking—even slowly—is medicine for the nervous system and the brain
4. How Steven teaches older adults to park-ski using creativity instead of risk

Transformative Insights

1. Flow is trainable. With the right structure, most people can increase flow by 70–80% within eight weeks.
2. Recovery is a grit skill. High performers burn out not from doing too much—but from never shutting down.
3. Creativity microdosing between tasks keeps you in flow and prevents ego spikes that knock you out of it.
4. Tragedy can be a teleportation chamber. Sometimes the hardest experiences become the doorway to the life we wanted but couldn’t reach on our own.
5. Movement + nature = neurobiological reset. Just 20 minutes outdoors begins to flush stress hormones and restore baseline balance.

Vulnerable Moments

1. Steven shares in detail the physical and psychological collapse brought on by Lyme disease.
2. Rebecca reflects on her traumatic brain injury and how losing access to movement shook her identity.
3. Both discuss the terrifying experience of losing cognitive function—and the slow rebuild back to themselves.
4. Steven opens up about the friends who walked him around the block when he couldn’t walk on his own.
5. Rebecca recalls calling Steven in desperation during her recovery, and how his advice helped guide her back.

Practical Wisdom

1. How to recognize the difference between microflow and macroflow
2. Why doodling, sketching, or five minutes of creative play resets the brain
3. How to transition between tasks without “waking up the ego”
4. Why meditation isn’t about quieting the mind—it’s about practicing returning
5. Why “clear goals” are a flow trigger and a cue for when to stop working for the day
6. How sauna, reading, breathwork, and small rituals can switch the nervous system from drive to recovery
7. The importance of training your brain before you “inflict yourself on your relationships”

Personal Growth Themes

1. Steven’s evolution from punk-rock misfit to leading voice in applied performance neuroscience
2. Rebecca’s rediscovery of writing and art during her concussion recovery—and the reminder to keep creativity in her life even when sport returns
3. The lifelong pull of curiosity as a survival mechanism and a drive toward mastery
4. Embracing novelty, humility, and the willingness to start over again and again

Helpful Links

1. Steven Kotler Website: https://www.stevenkotler.com/
2. Flow Research Collective: https://www.flowresearchcollective.com/
3. Books by Steven Kotler: The Rise of Superman, The Art of Impossible, Gnar Country, and more
4. Zen authors discussed: John Tarrant & Joan Sutherland

Sponsor

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Blood Road

Brain Storm Podcast

Rush shares his journey from world champion athlete to filmmaker and mentor, the lessons learned from loss and risk, and how a devastating earthquake in Nepal reshaped his understanding of fear, nervous system health, and what it really means to live fully. This is a conversation about flow, healing, and the art of coming home to yourself.

Show Notes

In this episode, Rebecca and Rush explore:

1. Growing up at his parents’ kayak school, Otter Bar, and discovering a lifelong calling on the Grand Canyon at age 14
2. The parallels between rivers and life—how chaos, calm, and flow teach us who we are
3. What expedition kayaking reveals about presence, teamwork, and vulnerability
4. The evolution from athlete to filmmaker to musician, and the importance of building creative “teams” off the river
5. The transformative impact of mentoring Indigenous youth through Ríos to Rivers and the Paddle Tribal Waters project during the historic Klamath River dam removal
6. Lessons from loss—processing death, danger, and risk in the adventure community
7. Rush’s experience with PTSD after surviving a deadly Nepal earthquake and how it forced him to confront the limits of endurance
8. The healing power of therapy, meditation, and slowing down
9. Why true mastery is learning to move—and to rest—with intention

Transformative Insights

1. The river as teacher: Its turbulence and stillness mirror the flow of life.
2. Healing the nervous system: How mindfulness, breathwork, and community restore balance after trauma.
3. Creativity as connection: Music, film, and art as extensions of nature’s flow.
4. Redefining performance: Moving from risk and recognition toward service, purpose, and self-awareness.

Vulnerable Moments

1. Rush recounts surviving a catastrophic earthquake in Nepal that triggered years of tremors and insomnia.
2. He opens up about witnessing loss in the kayaking community and how grief shaped his view of risk.
3. Rebecca shares her own recovery from brain injury and how both learned the power of stillness and surrender.

Practical Wisdom

1. Small shifts—like walking more slowly or unplugging from your phone—can reset the nervous system.
2. True strength comes from knowing when to stop pushing and start listening.
3. Building “teams” in life, art, and healing creates the support needed for real transformation.

Personal Growth

1. From adrenaline and ego to empathy and awareness—Rush’s evolution as a creator and human being.
2. How service projects like Paddle Tribal Waters reconnect purpose to passion.
3. The practice of slowing down as a daily meditation—one mindful step, one quiet breath at a time.

Helpful Links

1. Rush Sturges: Website | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
2. Films: The River Runner | Chasing Niagara | Paddle Tribal Waters
3. Ríos to Rivers: riostorivers.org
4. Concussion Resources:  Brain Storm Podcast & Resource Book | Concussion Video Resources

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Blood Road

Brain Storm Podcast

They dive into the paradox of progress, the intersection of technology and humanity, and why the best tools for mastery are often the simplest: movement, stillness, curiosity, and connection.

In this episode, Rebecca and Andy explore:

1. How Red Bull’s human performance program redefined the boundaries of elite training
2. The creation of Andy’s holistic Human Performance Model — integrating physiology, creativity, spirituality, and character
3. Why partnership, not prescription, is the key to unlocking potential
4. How discomfort and uncertainty build resilience
5. The role of curiosity and purpose in sustaining long-term growth
6. The evolving relationship between humans and technology — and what it really means to “make humans more human”
7. The importance of community as the ultimate performance enhancer

Transformative Insights

1. The Power of Purpose: Every high performer shares one trait — a purpose greater than themselves.
2. Curiosity as a Practice: The best in any field stay in “beginner’s mind,” constantly challenging assumptions.
3. Partnership Over Perfection: The most effective coaching is built on collaboration and curiosity, not control.
4. Embracing the Unknown: Performance breakthroughs often come when certainty is stripped away.
5. The Future of Performance: Technology can enhance insight, but only human connection creates meaning.

Vulnerable Moments

1. Rebecca shares the identity crisis following her concussion and how she rediscovered herself through stillness and movement.
2. Andy opens up about leaving Red Bull and navigating his own professional transition.
3. Together they reflect on the power of community, purpose, and humility in times of change.
4. Andy reveals why his favorite experiments at Red Bull weren’t about numbers or metrics — but about what happens when the plan falls apart.

Practical Wisdom

1. True mastery is not about doing more — it’s about being more aware.
2. The most valuable recovery tools are ancient: movement, time in nature, and intentional rest.
3. Technology should free us to connect more deeply, not distract us from it.
4. Building resilience starts with small, consistent practices that strengthen body, mind, and spirit.
5. Create pauses in your day — the stillness is where insight lives.

Personal Growth

1. Rebecca’s “Athlete Operating System” reframes sport as a framework for life — a daily practice of curiosity, connection, and self-awareness.
2. Andy’s mission through Liminal Collective is to democratize human performance, bringing world-class tools to everyday people.
3. Both explore how to carry the lessons of high performance into the rest of life — from the mountains to the boardroom to the dinner table.

Helpful Links

Andy Walshe

🔗 Website

🔗 Liminal Collective

🔗 LinkedIn

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Blood Road

Brain Storm Podcast

Show Notes

In this episode, Rebecca and Alex discuss:

1. The science behind The Explorer’s Gene and why curiosity drives human progress
2. The tension between exploring new frontiers and exploiting what we already know
3. How doing hard things gives life deeper meaning
4. Why we need uncertainty to grow—and how to find the right balance of risk and reward
5. The surprising link between exploration, play, and creativity
6. How sport serves as the ultimate laboratory for self-discovery
7. The difference between passive and active exploration in the age of algorithms

Transformative Insights

1. Exploration is about learning something new about yourself.
2. The “effort paradox”: we value what’s hard because it’s hard.
3. Play and exploration are deeply connected; curiosity is the bridge between them.
4. The sweet spot for growth lies between fear and boredom—where uncertainty meets possibility.
5. Hardship and learning are inseparable; meaning comes from the struggle.

Vulnerable Moments

1. Rebecca shares how her old Bronco became a symbol of independence, transformation, and letting go.
2. Alex opens up about his struggles with anxiety before races and learning to find calm through experience.
3. Rebecca reflects on losing her sense of play and how she’s rediscovering joy beyond performance.
4. Both reflect on shifting from “the next challenge” to learning how to slow down and savor the journey.

Practical Wisdom

1. You can’t outsource discovery—real learning comes from active participation, not algorithms.
2. Explore doesn’t mean “chase everything new”; it means follow what sparks curiosity.
3. To stay engaged, add novelty in small ways: take a new route, learn a new skill, have a new kind of conversation.
4. If a goal feels a little scary, you’re probably in the right zone for growth.
5. The most meaningful goals are challenging and chosen, not imposed.

Personal Growth

1. How Rebecca’s athletic evolution mirrors the explore–exploit balance.
2. Alex’s reflections on writing, family, and why building a treehouse changed how he thinks about learning.
3. Finding stillness amid ambition: learning when to slow down without losing momentum.
4. Why rediscovering play as adults is a powerful act of exploration.

Helpful Links

1. The Explorer’s Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and Blank Spots on the Map
2. Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance
3. Alex Hutchinson’s website
4. Alex on LinkedIn

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Blood Road

Brain Storm Podcast

Show Notes:

In this episode, Rebecca and Caroline explore:

1. How Caroline transformed a life-threatening injury into a launchpad for growth
2. The identity crisis that came with stepping away from racing and learning to pause
3. Why slowing down can be the most powerful move you make
4. The mental shift from outcome-driven goals to purpose-driven living
5. Her transition from BMX Olympian to freeride pioneer and broadcast commentator
6. The creation of her new Ignite mentorship and education platform for athletes

Transformative Insights:

1. “Effort first” — how her parents instilled a mindset of earning progress, not expecting it
2. Why being “what you couldn’t see” became her lifelong mission
3. How a doctor’s simple prescription—gratitude, sunrise, and connection—reignited her joy
4. The “why” statement that became her compass for every decision
5. Using tapping, meditation, and mindfulness to rewire her nervous system for confidence and calm
6. The difference between chasing medals and living a meaningful legacy

Vulnerable Moments:

1. Caroline recounts her devastating 2017 crash that punctured her lungs and heart wall
2. The moment she realized she didn’t have the right people supporting her recovery
3. Facing depression and anxiety during two years of painful reconstruction
4. The courage it took to “put her learner plates back on” and start over in freeride
5. How slowing down forced her to find nurture, femininity, and emotional intelligence

Practical Wisdom:

1. The three healing practices that replaced medication: watch the sunrise, express gratitude, and connect with others
2. How to use mantras as mental anchors in both triumph and hardship
3. “This too shall pass”—a reminder that both pain and glory are temporary
4. How to define your “why” so clearly that it becomes unshakable
5. Viewing patience as part of performance, not a pause from it

Personal Growth:

1. Caroline’s evolution from BMX prodigy to mountain bike pioneer and mentor
2. Building Ignite to guide the next generation of athletes on professionalism and purpose
3. How her near-death experience reshaped her definition of success
4. Learning to lead from the bench—impact without medals
5. The strength that comes from blending mind, body, and spirit into one foundation

Helpful Links:

Connect with Caroline Buchanan:

1. Instagram
2. Caroline’s Website
3. Ignite Program

Mentioned in the Episode:

1. Nam Baldwin – High Performance Coach
2. Wolfpack by Abby Wambach
3. Red Bull Rampage

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Blood Road

Brain Storm Podcast

Together, they share the stories behind their biggest climbs, the challenges of sustaining both a relationship and two elite careers, and the deep lessons they’ve learned about resilience, love, and redefining success.

In this episode, Rebecca, Emily, and Adrian discuss:

1. Emily’s historic free climb of El Capitan’s Golden Gate route in a single day
2. Adrian’s no-oxygen Everest summit and why he continues to return to the Himalaya
3. The dynamics of being partners on the mountain and at home
4. What it means to take risks together—and where they draw the line
5. Building a life that blends adventure, purpose, and presence
6. How they support each other through setbacks, injuries, and fear

Transformative Insights:

1. Growth doesn’t happen without discomfort—and sometimes failure is the best teacher.
2. True partnership means knowing when to step up and when to step back.
3. The stories we tell about our achievements are less important than the values they reflect.
4. Adventure is not just about summits—it’s about the process of becoming.

Vulnerable Moments:

1. Emily opens up about the injuries that nearly derailed her career.
2. Adrian reflects on the loneliness and pressure of leading Everest expeditions.
3. Both share what it feels like to risk their lives in the mountains while also protecting their relationship.
4. Rebecca and Emily connect over the challenge of balancing identity as athletes with evolving into new roles.

Practical Wisdom:

1. Why clear communication is as essential on the mountain as any technical skill.
2. How to prepare mentally for risk and uncertainty.
3. The role of rest, recovery, and perspective in sustaining long careers.
4. Tips for finding presence—even in the middle of high-stakes pursuits.

Personal Growth:

1. Emily’s evolution from competition climber to bold alpinist.
2. Adrian’s shift from chasing summits to finding deeper purpose in guiding and mentoring.
3. Rebecca’s reflections on partnership, identity, and letting go of the need to “prove it.”
4. The reminder that achievement without connection is never enough.

Helpful Links:

1. Emily Harrington Website
2. “Girl Climber” - live on Jolt 10/15. Streaming everywhere in November
3. Adrian Ballinger Website
4. Alpenglow Expeditions
5. Rebecca Rusch Website
6. Rebecca Rusch Instagram
7. Rebecca Rusch YouTube
8. Rebecca Rusch LinkedIn

Rebecca and Anneke dive into what it means to rewrite your story after the finish line, how to navigate the invisible injuries, and the power of staying in the sport—just in a different role. Now a coach, mentor, and skills instructor, Anneke is helping shape the next generation of riders, while also navigating her own ongoing recovery.

This episode is about identity, purpose, healing after an injury, and what it means to keep showing up, even when the ride looks different than you planned.

 In this episode, Rebecca and Anneke explore:

1. Starting BMX at age 4 and racing internationally as a teen
2. The evolution of a mountain bike career across disciplines—BMX, 4X, Enduro
3. The car accident that caused her traumatic brain injury
4. Letting go of a racing career before she was ready
5. Coaching for USA Cycling and mentoring Olympic medalist Haley Batten
6. Coaching from Crankworx to beginners, with equal joy and passion
7. Finding peace, purpose, and a new kind of finish line

Transformative Insights:

1. "Fun was always a non-negotiable part of my training."
2. Brain injuries are treatable—but require advocacy and patience.
3. Recovery is not linear, and it’s often invisible.
4. You can still win—by helping others rise.
5. Letting go of the comeback dream was the first step toward real healing.

Vulnerable Moments:

1. Anneke shares the fear and emotional toll of post-TBI symptoms
2. The grief of losing a lifelong identity in one instant
3. Feeling isolated in a facility surrounded by stroke survivors at age 38
4. The emotional reckoning of realizing she couldn’t race again
5. What it meant to return to Crankworx—not to compete, but to close a chapter

 Practical Wisdom:

1. Follow your gut: fear and intuition are both teachers
2. “Just give me two hours to undo what you’ve been doing for 10 years”—Anneke’s coaching mantra
3. Record videos or journal during recovery to track invisible progress
4. Helping others can bring the same thrill as racing
5. You don't need a podium to have purpose

 Personal Growth:

1. From podiums to mentorship: how Anneke found joy in coaching
2. Learning to ask for help—and accept it
3. The move to Bentonville as a radical act of healing and community
4. Letting go of plans and finding presence in the moment
5. Redefining success through connection, not competition

📚 Helpful Links:

1. Anneke’s Website
2. Crank it Up MTB Coaching
3. Anneke’s YouTube
4. Brain Storm Podcast and Resource Guide
5. Rebecca’s YT Concussion Video Resources

Sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by Eternal.

Eternal is redefining athlete health with personalized, evidence-based care. From advanced blood biomarker testing to in-depth performance assessments and concierge support, they give you the tools to train smarter, recover better, and avoid injury.

Check them out at eternal.co and use promo code WTR for 10% off your performance physical today.

Support What’s the Rusch:

💬 Love the show? Share it with a friend, leave a review, or post your favorite moment on Instagram and tag @rebeccarusch. Every bit of support helps us continue these deep conversations.

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Blood Road

Brain Storm Podcast

Be Good Foundation

This conversation dives into the deep lessons that come from showing up authentically, honoring your body, and embracing the uncomfortable process of growth.

Show Notes:

In this episode, Rebecca and Lauren discuss:

1. Why redefining success beyond medals and podiums is essential for long-term fulfillment
2. The importance of honoring your nervous system and holistic health in training
3. How Lauren’s book Good for a Girl challenges the systems that fail young female athletes
4. The transition from professional athlete to advocate, coach, and mentor
5. Why authenticity and vulnerability can be more powerful than achievement

Transformative Insights:

1. The cascade effect of living in alignment with your values
2. How sharing your story can help shift culture and create belonging
3. Why advocating for women in sport isn’t just about equity—it’s about human potential
4. The critical role of joy, play, and self-compassion in performance

Vulnerable Moments:

1. Lauren shares what it was like to face injury and the loss of her athletic identity
2. Rebecca and Lauren reflect on the pressure to perform and the cost of perfectionism
3. Both explore how adventure and movement can be grounding forces through life transitions

Practical Wisdom:

1. Introduce yourself with your values, not just your profession
2. Remove decision-making burdens by leaning into core non-negotiables
3. Recognize that nervous system health is the foundation of performance
4. Find ways to support others in non-threatening, authentic ways

Personal Growth:

1. Lauren’s evolution from chasing external validation to creating systemic change
2. Rebecca’s recognition of adventure as a lifelong throughline—for healing, growth, and connection
3. The reminder that the strongest people often need support too
4. Why embracing impermanence and discomfort can lead to lasting resilience

Helpful Links:

1. Lauren Fleshman’s Website: https://www.laurenfleshman.com/
2. Lauren on Instagram: @fleshmanflyer
3. Lauren’s book Good for a Girl: https://www.laurenfleshman.com/book
4. Wilder Retreats with Lauren

Sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by Eternal.

Eternal is redefining athlete health with personalized, evidence-based care. From advanced blood biomarker testing to in-depth performance assessments and concierge support, they give you the tools to train smarter, recover better, and avoid injury.

Check them out at eternal.co and use promo code WTR for 10% off your performance physical today.

Support What’s the Rusch:

💬 Love the show? Share it with a friend, leave a review, or post your favorite moment on Instagram and tag @rebeccarusch. Every bit of support helps us continue these deep conversations.

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Blood Road

Brain Storm Podcast

Be Good Foundation

They dive into the power of friendship, the necessity of slowing down, and the ways fear can both guide and free us. Michelle shares how she’s evolved beyond athlete into filmmaker, advocate, and student of herself—and why letting go of who she thought she had to be helped her become who she truly is.

In this episode, Rebecca and Michelle discuss:

1. How fear and flow shape Michelle’s relationship with skiing and filmmaking
2. The role of friendship and community in creative and athletic longevity
3. Transitioning from athlete to producer and redefining her “why”
4. The emotional journey through concussions and identity shifts
5. Finding grounding through journaling, reflection, and intentional living

Transformative Insights:

1. Adventure and joy can coexist with self-awareness and rest
2. Injury can be a portal to creativity, clarity, and reinvention
3. The stories we tell ourselves are just as powerful as the ones we tell others
4. Building a fulfilling life is not about chasing the next mountain—it’s about choosing the right one

Vulnerable Moments:

1. Michelle shares her experience with brain injury, mental fog, and relearning who she is
2. Rebecca reflects on their shared concussion journeys and the subtle healing that comes with time
3. They both explore the tug-of-war between external achievement and internal peace
4. Michelle opens up about losing friends in the mountains—and how that changes her relationship with risk and joy

Practical Wisdom:

1. How to balance structure with spontaneity in creative and athletic pursuits
2. Tips for staying grounded when your identity is tied to performance
3. Why rest, reflection, and play are just as important as hustle
4. Strategies for navigating transitions—on the mountain and in life

Personal Growth:

1. Michelle’s evolution from competition skier to filmmaker, mentor, and creative leader
2. The power of saying no—and redefining success on your own terms
3. Building confidence by choosing what feels right instead of what looks impressive
4. How Michelle has learned to live more intentionally and embrace “enoughness”

Helpful Links:

1. Michelle Parker on Instagram
2. Michelle’s Red Bull Profile
3. Alpenglow keynote speech: A shift in perspective 
4. Season 1 Episode 1 of Originate with Red Bull
5. Continuum - Michelle’s first ever Director title

Sponsor: Eternal is redefining athlete health with personalized, evidence-based care. From advanced blood biomarker testing to in-depth performance assessments and concierge support, they give you the tools to train smarter, recover better, and avoid injury.

Check them out at eternal.co and use promo code WTR for 10% off your performance physical today.

Support What’s the Rusch:

💬 Love the show? Share it with a friend, leave a review, or post your favorite moment on Instagram and tag @rebeccarusch. Every bit of support helps us continue these deep conversations.

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Blood Road

Brain Storm Podcast

Be Good Foundation

This conversation explores what happens when you bet on yourself—on and off the bike—and how the moments that test us can often be our greatest teachers.

Show Notes:

In this episode, Rebecca and Kate discuss:

1. The founding and vision behind SheSends: a race team and a movement
2. Her evolution from factory team rider to entrepreneur and team builder
3. How Leadville became her unexpected comeback after injury
4. Cultivating intrinsic motivation in a results-driven world
5. The changing landscape of women’s cycling and why it matters
6. Letting go of external validation to focus on values-based leadership
7. The mental and physical shift that comes from playing the long game

Transformative Insights:

1. Believing in yourself—not just the outcome—is the most powerful performance tool
2. You don’t have to wait to feel confident to take the leap—just “send it”
3. Structure is the secret sauce, not sheer discipline
4. Curiosity is often the most powerful motivator we have
5. Building your own path can energize your performance in unexpected ways

Vulnerable Moments:

1. Kate opens up about the injury that sidelined her season—and sparked a reset
2. She reflects on early years of being underestimated and overextended
3. Rebecca and Kate share how they’ve both wrestled with shifting identities in sport
4. Kate talks about learning to rest, reframe, and rebuild—without losing momentum

Practical Wisdom:

1. Use values—not just metrics—to define success
2. Treat injury or detours as data, not defeat
3. Redefine goals through bronze/silver/gold tiers to keep perspective
4. Let structure support joy, not stifle it
5. Create space for the “main thing”—and know when to let the rest go

Personal Growth:

1. Kate’s shift from peak performance to purpose-driven impact through SheSends
2. Her approach to writing, reflection, and building mental clarity through Monday Mantras
3. Embracing uncertainty as a form of freedom
4. Expanding her team from just staff and support to a mission-aligned community

Helpful Links:

Kate’s Website 

SheSends Foundation

Kate Courtney's Substack – Monday Mantras

Kate on Instagram

Kate’s Interview on Rich Roll

Kate on the Second Nature Podcast

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Blood Road

Brain Storm Podcast

Be Good Foundation

LINKS

Follow our Guest:

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Facebook 591K Followers

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https://katecourtney.com/

She Sends - Foundation & Race Team

Through stories of summer camp, teaching, motherhood, poetry, and being a plus-size Black woman in spaces not designed for her, Mirna reveals the power of choosing yourself, again and again. This is a conversation about joy as resistance, belonging as birthright, and the ripple effect of being exactly who you are. It’s about introducing yourself with your values, not just your profession—and letting adventure be a lifelong thread in your story.

In this episode, Rebecca and Mirna explore:

1. Finding her voice in both poetry and the outdoors
2. The poem Trophic Cascade and how it mirrors life transformation
3. Nature as the ultimate teacher and refuge—“Nature is always the answer”
4. Core values as non-negotiables, and how to lead with them
5. What it means to take up space—on trails, in life, and in leadership
6. The strongest people often don’t get the support they need—and how to change that
7. Supporting your people in non-threatening, nourishing ways
8. How writing, community, and curiosity became Mirna’s healing practices

Transformative Insights:

1. Nature doesn’t just welcome us—it changes us
2. Your presence can shift a space, even if you weren’t invited in
3. Belonging starts with deciding you’re allowed to belong
4. Cultivating joy is a radical act of self-preservation and leadership
5. Introduce yourself by your values, not just your job title
6. You don’t need to reach the summit to feel the transformation

Vulnerable Moments:

1. Mirna shares what it felt like to not be seen in outdoor spaces—and how she kept showing up anyway
2. She talks about grief, burnout, and the internal tug-of-war of performing vs. simply being
3. Rebecca opens up about her own depression and loss of purpose during recovery from a head injury
4. The two reflect on how writing became a lifeline in the dark
5. Mirna speaks to the exhaustion of being “the strong one”—and how she’s learning to ask for help

Practical Wisdom:

1. How to identify your core values—and use them as navigational handrails
2. The importance of creating judgment-free space for processing, growth, and rest
3. Why vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness
4. Ways to build community through action, not just intention
5. How to hold space for both leadership and learning

Personal Growth:

1. Mirna’s evolution from educator to outdoor leader to published author and DEI advocate
2. Rebecca’s journey from podiums to poetry
3. The ways both women are reclaiming what it means to “perform” and to “belong”
4. Reframing the pursuit of adventure as something that starts with joy—not outcomes
5. Embracing a new season of life where permission comes from within
6. Adventure as a lifelong throughline—for Mirna and for Rebecca
7. Lifelong educator. Lifelong student. Lifelong adventurer.

Helpful Links:

1. Mirna Valerio’s website – The Mirnavator
2. Mirna on Instagram
3. Mirna’s book – A Beautiful Work in Progress
4. Camille T. Dungy’s poem “Trophic Cascade”
5. Mary Oliver’s poem “Wild Geese”

Lisa Congdon’s Live Your Values Deck

Sponsor: Momentous

Fuel your performance from the inside out. Use code RUSCH for 35% off at Live Momentous.

Support What’s the Rusch

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Leave a review. Send it to a friend. Let’s walk this path together.

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Blood Road

Brain Storm Podcast

Ted Talk

Be Good Foundation

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This episode explores the transformation that happens when we stop running and start listening. Through personal stories, Buddhist wisdom, and practical tools, Teddi reminds us that stillness isn’t the absence of momentum—it’s the beginning of something deeper. Whether you're in transition, chasing purpose, or simply curious about meditation, this conversation is an invitation to begin again.

In this episode, Rebecca and Teddi explore:

1. How Teddi went from pro skateboarder to mindfulness teacher
2. Identity, reinvention, and the chapters of a lifetime
3. Why community is essential for transformation
4. The importance of pausing in a hyper-productive culture
5. Navigating midlife transitions with grace and curiosity
6. How MEA (Modern Elder Academy) supports mindful aging

Transformative Insights:

1. Identity is fluid; we live many lives within a lifetime
2. Meditation helps us observe and reset—not escape
3. The antidotes to suffering (loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity) are tools for realignment
4. Vulnerability is strength—it builds authentic relationships and internal peace
5. You don’t have to “fix” yourself to start healing; just begin

Vulnerable Moments:

1. Rebecca shares how she’s learning to sit still after decades of “moving meditation” as an athlete
2. Teddi reflects on his struggles with addiction, identity loss, and rediscovery through mindfulness
3. They both explore the discomfort—and necessity—of letting go of former versions of ourselves

Practical Wisdom:

1. Why meditation is not about stopping your thoughts
2. How to apply “beginner’s mind” to aging, creativity, and career
3. Creating space for discomfort as a doorway to change
4. The role of ritual and daily practice in emotional hygiene
5. Why we must learn to forgive ourselves first

Personal Growth:

1. Teddi’s evolution from a skateboarding icon to MEA’s Head of Mindfulness
2. Rebecca’s journey from “Queen of Pain” to explorer of the inner landscape
3. How community and storytelling accelerate healing
4. Learning to be a “kook” again—embracing the beginner within

Helpful Links:

1. Teddi Dean’s Website
2. Book Recommendation: Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening
3. MEA (Modern Elder Academy)
4. Teddi on Instagram

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What emerges is a conversation about healing, identity, and purpose—one where Jess reminds us that being “the uninvited” is sometimes what it takes to change the game.

In this episode, Rebecca and Jess discuss:

1. Breaking into a sport where women weren’t invited—and staying there
2. The connection between athletic ambition and grief
3. The power of mentorship and building opportunities for others
4. The creation and impact of The Uninvited film and invitational series

Transformative Insights:

1. Why “showing up uninvited” became a guiding force in Jess’s career
2. How redefining success helped Jess shift from accolades to impact
3. The evolution from performance to purpose after personal tragedy
4. Why surfing became a lifeline—and what fear in the water taught her about fear in life

Vulnerable Moments:

1. Jess opens up about the sudden loss of her partner and the grief that followed
2. She reflects on the isolation and pressure at the top of her sport
3. The long-term mental effects of head injuries and how they shape identity
4. How she pushed through being undervalued, overlooked, and underestimated
5. The raw truth about loneliness, mental health, and the need to ask for help

Practical Wisdom:

1. Navigating burnout by redefining work-life boundaries
2. Learning to build support systems—even when independence feels easier
3. Understanding how to take up space without permission
4. The importance of community, visibility, and fair investment in women’s sports

Personal Growth:

1. From snowboarder to producer and event founder, Jess charts a new course
2. Finding strength in softness—and realizing that you can lead with both
3. Developing intergenerational friendships and learning across differences
4. Building legacy not by being the best, but by helping others rise

Helpful Links:

1. The Uninvited Invitational 
2. Jess Kimura on Instagram 
3. Learning to Drown (film) 
4. Feisty Media’s Brain Health Course
5. Brain Storm Podcast with Rebecca Rusch & Selene Yeager
6. Rebecca’s Concussion Video Resources

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Together, they explore the transitions that come with aging, identity, motherhood, and purpose, as Gabby shares how she continues to evolve from athlete to leader, from competitor to creator. They talk about the need for structure and stillness, learning to surrender as a parent, building sustainable wellness practices, and why perfection has no place in a purposeful life. Gabby opens up about her upbringing, her challenges, and the deep personal work she’s done to lead with integrity, balance both masculine and feminine energies, and continue making an impact.

This episode is an invitation to do the work—and to keep asking what truly matters?

In this episode, Rebecca and Gabby discuss:

1. The mindset shift from performance to lifestyle
2. Using structure and discipline to protect your stillness
3. Navigating transitions with purpose and self-awareness
4. Learning to parent through surrender, not control
5. How failure plays a key role in shaping purpose
6. The truth about visibility, beauty, and aging
7. Why strong doesn’t have to mean hard—and soft doesn’t mean weak

Transformative Insights:

1. “White space” is not a luxury—it’s part of the discipline
2. Doing something well doesn’t mean doing it forever
3. The body is a portal for deeper emotional and spiritual clarity
4. We can reframe aging as wisdom, not loss
5. Surrender is not weakness—it’s a form of strength

Vulnerable Moments:

1. Gabby opens up about growing up without consistent parental support
2. Her honest reflections on failing in business, parenting, and marriage
3. How she’s working to release the internal governors holding her back
4. The fear of running out of time—and what she’s doing about it

Practical Wisdom:

1. Make “doing nothing” part of your practice
2. Don’t chase metrics—trust your own inner signals
3. Create your day around your energy, not just your to-do list
4. Let your body reflect your values, not just your aesthetics

Personal Growth:

1. Gabby’s journey from sports icon to wellness entrepreneur
2. Learning to hold space for both strength and softness
3. Reinventing yourself again and again without apology

Helpful Links:

1. Gabby Reece’s Website
2. The Gabby Reece Show (Podcast) 
3. Laird Superfood
4. XPT Life

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Alexandera lives in northern Minnesota—on the land her ancestors lived on– where she now trains for some of the world’s toughest bikepacking races. Alexandera shares her journey from disconnection to deep cultural reconnection. What began as a tool for freedom during a difficult time has become her path to visibility, voice, and purpose.

Together, Rebecca and Alexandera explore what it means to claim space—in sport, in community, and within yourself. This conversation goes beyond endurance to examine identity, representation, responsibility, and the quiet strength it takes to build something meaningful for those who come next.

In this episode, Rebecca and Alexandera explore:

1. The intergenerational impact of cultural disconnection—and how Alexandera reconnected with her Ojibwe roots
2. Her early experiences with addiction and the bike as a tool for survival, then transformation
3. How storytelling, sport, and representation can be tools of reclamation and healing
4. The struggle of turning passion into profession—and keeping purpose at the center
5. Her dream of becoming a fully supported professional athlete in ultra-endurance bikepacking
6. Why she’s shifting from avenging past injustices to building a future of visibility and strength
7. Her big goals for the Tour Divide, and what “winning” means on her terms

Transformative Insights:

1. “I used to want to avenge what was done to my family. Now I want to become the person I needed to see growing up.”
2. Representation isn’t performative—it’s a responsibility to those who come next
3. Belonging is power. Community is performance fuel.
4. You can’t be what you can’t see—visibility matters

Vulnerable Moments:

1. Alexandera opens up about her family’s forced separation due to federal Indian policy
2. Her journey with addiction and how cycling became a tool for freedom and identity
3. The conflict between pursuing sport professionally and staying grounded in purpose
4. How Rebecca’s mentorship helped her take the leap into being a full-time athlete

Practical Wisdom:

1. The importance of cultural storytelling—and the tension between oral tradition and written legacy
2. Why bikes are a vehicle for both personal sovereignty and collective connection
3. “Don’t worry about being fast. Worry about being full—full of purpose, connection, and intention.”
4. You don’t have to do it all alone. Ask for help. Build your village

Personal Growth:

1. Alexandera’s evolution from bike courier to competitive athlete to cultural advocate
2. Her transition from pushing through pain to honoring process
3. Letting go of scarcity mindset and embracing mentorship, partnership, and legacy
4. How sport, when rooted in identity and community, becomes ceremony

Helpful Links:

1. Alexandera’s Trackleaders for Tour Divide
2. Alexandera Houchin on Substack
3. Alexandera on Instagram
4. Watch “Connections” with Rebecca & Alexandera

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Together, they unpack the themes of Melissa’s new memoir, Enough—a raw, reflective look at her life beyond the summits. More than a climbing story, the book (and this episode) explores what it means to constantly redefine your identity, let go of perfection, and step fully into your truth.

From guiding on Everest to navigating grief, from challenging gender dynamics in male-dominated spaces to learning how to write through pain, Melissa shares with honesty, clarity, and courage. This episode is about evolution, visibility, and the quiet bravery it takes to say: who I am is enough.

Show Notes:

In this episode, Melissa and Rebecca explore:

1. Why Enough isn’t a book about Everest—and what the title truly means
2. How identity shifts over time, and the permission we need to evolve
3. What it’s like to guide in a male-dominated industry—and how gender still shapes perception and opportunity
4. The difference between doing something impressive and creating something meaningful
5. The power of storytelling, self-reflection, and writing as a form of healing
6. How parenthood, grief, and community shaped Melissa’s current chapter
7. The vulnerability of public honesty and what Melissa has gained—and lost—by sharing her full self

Transformative Insights:

1. Enough is a moving target: Melissa reveals how the definition of “enough” transformed for her—from achievement to self-acceptance.
2. The summit is for the ego, but the journey is for the soul: Why what happens on the way up matters more than the peak.
3. We are all complicated: And sharing that truth gives others permission to do the same.
4. Creation vs. Accomplishment: What it means to create something lasting, instead of just doing something impressive.

Vulnerable Moments:

1. Melissa shares the fear of public rejection before releasing her memoir—and the surprising liberation that followed.
2. She opens up about parental estrangement, and the emotional toll of letting go of hope for their approval.
3. Rebecca and Melissa reflect on how their perceptions of each other evolved through honesty and friendship.
4. Melissa discusses internalized misogyny and the challenges of being one of the only women guiding on Everest.

Practical Wisdom:

1. Let go of the container: Identity isn’t rigid—it’s amoebic, ever-changing, and dynamic.
2. Mentorship matters: Especially in male-dominated spaces, visibility and honest mentorship create real change.
3. Create to heal: Writing helped Melissa process her past and give shape to her truth.
4. Your story is enough: There is value in being fully seen—not just for the polished parts.

Personal Growth:

1. From projecting perfection to embracing complexity, Melissa’s story is a blueprint for honest evolution.
2. Rebecca reflects on her own experiences with vulnerability and the power of female friendship built on truth.
3. The episode redefines leadership as visibility, advocacy, and sharing lived experience with others.

Helpful Links:

1. Melissa Arnot: https://www.melissaarnot.com/
2. Enough by Melissa Arnot: Order here 
3. The Juniper Fund: https://www.melissaarnot.com/the-juniper-fund
4. Melissa on Instagram: @melissaarnot 

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From pushing physical limits to rewriting what’s possible at any age, this conversation dives deep into the psychology of endurance, the value of failure, and the beauty of evolving with each chapter of life. Diana’s voice is clear, bold, and unflinchingly honest as she reflects on personal trauma, the pursuit of legacy, and the softening that comes with wisdom.

Whether you're staring down your next big dream or simply trying to remember that it's not too late, Diana’s story is a masterclass in finding purpose, holding onto passion, and daring to begin again.

In this episode, Rebecca and Diana talk about:

1. Why true endurance is more mental than physical—and how it applies to life beyond sport
2. How failure, not success, built Diana’s legacy
3. What it takes to dream big, assemble a team, and come back after defeat
4. Why aging is not a limitation, but an invitation to rewrite your identity
5. The role of awe, nature, and connection in fueling purpose
6. Diana’s powerful reflections on her relationship with her mother, personal trauma, and healing

Transformative Insights:

1. “Courage to fail” is more valuable than a perfect track record.
2. The physical body may falter, but the mind’s will can carry you to the shore.
3. Endurance is a human quality, not an athletic one—it lives in all of us.
4. Sometimes the longer path is the one that leads to the deepest growth.
5. The goal isn’t always to win, but to show up and discover who we are.

Vulnerable Moments:

1. Diana reflects on her childhood sexual abuse and how it shaped her drive.
2. She shares the regret of not being more forgiving to her mother—and the healing that came just before her passing.
3. She opens up about living with intensity and learning, even at 75, to soften.
4. Rebecca shares how a concussion changed her relationship with movement, identity, and purpose.

Practical Wisdom:

1. "Be in the arena.” The critic on the sidelines doesn’t count.
2. Learn to pause: sometimes slowing down helps you see more clearly.
3. Don’t buy into age limits—dreams have no expiration date.
4. Use awe—nature, connection, challenge—as a gateway to meaning.
5. Start where you are. There’s magic in beginning.

Personal Growth:

1. Diana’s shift from ego-driven achievement to team-centered leadership
2. Letting go of perfection and embracing authenticity
3. The never-too-late power of second (and third) acts
4. Being curious as you are wise—staying in the game with intention
5. Turning adversity into your greatest strength

Helpful Links:

1. Diana Nyad’s website
2. EverWalk Foundation
3. “Find a Way” by Diana Nyad

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Together, Rebecca and Hebah explore the intersections of identity, faith, visibility, and wellness. From struggling to run a single mile during her medical residency to finishing one of the world’s most iconic ultramarathons, Hebah’s journey is a powerful reminder that transformation doesn’t require perfection—it requires courage.

They dive into what it means to show up authentically and how she’s navigating life as a single mother, endurance athlete, and physician. Hebah’s voice brings vulnerability, warmth, and strength to conversations on cultural barriers, representation, and the importance of doing hard things to grow.

Transformative Insights

1. Owning Multiple Identities – Why claiming every part of who you are can be a radical act of self-love.
2. Running as Transformation – How sport became Hebah’s entry point to confidence, health, and spiritual growth.
3. Redefining Representation – The impact of showing up visibly in male-dominated and non-diverse spaces.

Vulnerable Moments

1. Hebah recounts the discrimination she faced wearing hijab as a medical student post-9/11.
2. She opens up about the guilt and exhaustion of raising three young kids while navigating medical residency.
3. A turning point: a patient calls her out for not practicing the health habits she preached—sparking a wellness journey.
4. Hebah shares the weight of representing an entire community on the world’s biggest endurance stage.

Practical Wisdom

1. How to build fitness and confidence from the ground up—even in your 30s with no athletic background.
2. The importance of showing your children that your well-being matters too.
3. Creative ways to fit training into family life—like running circles around a cul-de-sac or the soccer field.
4. Why doing something hard on purpose prepares you for life’s unexpected challenges.

Personal Growth

1. Hebah’s evolution from doctor to mother to athlete—and finally claiming the title of athlete out loud.
2. Learning to slow down, rest, and recognize that doing “nothing” can be deeply healing.
3. Why your identity is allowed to evolve—and how embracing change can unlock your greatest self.
4. Reframing visibility as opportunity: showing up publicly in a hijab and transforming perceptions of what an athlete looks like.

Helpful Links

1. Dr. Hebah Hefzy GU Athlete Profile
2. Hebah's Instagram

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Lisa opens up about the vulnerability of starting over, navigating self-doubt, and the hard-won freedom that comes with aging. From living as a broke aspiring artist to becoming a renowned creative entrepreneur and elder Gen Xer with a powerful voice in the cycling and art worlds, Lisa’s story is an inspiring reflection of reinvention, identity, and enduring curiosity. 

Together, Lisa and Rebecca discuss how to use our creativity to not only express ourselves, but also to make change—and why embracing flow, community, and self-defined success is the real masterpiece.

Show Notes:

In this episode, Rebecca and Lisa discuss:

1. Building a thriving art business from the ground up in her late 30’s without formal training
2. What cycling gave her that art didn’t—and vice versa
3. How community and connection power both endurance and creativity
4. The emotional and physical impact of aging and identity shifts

Transformative Insights:

1. There’s No Perfect Time to Begin: Lisa’s story reminds us that it’s never too late to become who you’re meant to be.
2. Imposter Syndrome Can Be Conquered: Success doesn’t eliminate self-doubt—but it can be dismantled with age, experience, and intention.
3. Movement and Art as Medicine: Both cycling and creativity offer essential healing, especially during times of physical or emotional recovery.
4. Redefining Success Through Values: Knowing your values gives you a compass to navigate the choices that shape your life.

Vulnerable Moments:

1. Lisa recalls the early years of building her business while struggling financially and feeling insecure about her skills.
2. She shares the deep impact of imposter syndrome even as her fame and recognition grew.
3. Lisa and Rebecca reflect on the emotional and identity shifts that come with physical injury, aging, and transitioning careers.
4. Lisa talks about the fear—and eventual freedom—of slowing down post-knee replacement and how art carried her through.

Practical Wisdom:

1. Flow Follows Familiarity: Mastery brings presence—when you know your tools, whether a paintbrush or a bike, you can get lost in the moment.
2. Set Boundaries to Preserve Joy: Lisa’s shift to a 4-day workweek helped her rekindle her love for art—and for life beyond work.
3. Make Space for Play and Recovery: Whether in creative practice or physical pursuits, recovery time is essential to long-term joy and success.
4. Use Your Platform for Good: Lisa uses her art to raise awareness, fundraise, and share values—because creativity can be activism.

Personal Growth:

1. Lisa’s evolution from broke, self-taught artist to respected voice in the creative and cycling worlds.
2. Embracing elderhood as a Gen Xer and using life experience as power.
3. Letting go of external validation and instead aligning with personal values and joy.

Links:

1. Lisa Congdon Website: https://lisacongdon.com/
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisacongdon/
3. Lisa’s "Live Your Values" Deck:

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Together, Rebecca and Travis reflect on two decades of friendship, racing, and the evolving meaning of success. They explore how legacy, grief, and deep love fuel purpose—how presence, not podiums, can be the true marker of achievement. Travis shares raw stories from his journey through burnout, concussion recovery, and the emotional terrain of navigating his father’s memory loss while raising kids of his own.

From redefining impact to embracing play, this conversation is a powerful reminder that life’s deepest challenges can also offer the most meaningful connections—and that being still can sometimes be the bravest move of all.

Transformative Insights

1. Legacy Through Connection – Why Travis defines success not by accolades, but by the emotional depth of his relationships.
2. Redefining Impact – The shift from measuring success by breadth (likes, downloads, podiums) to depth (personal meaning and contribution).
3. Healing Through Storytelling – How writing, podcasting, and fiction helped Travis process grief and share his truth.
4. Slowing Down to Speed Up – The unexpected clarity and growth that comes from rest, reflection, and nervous system regulation.

Vulnerable Moments

1. Travis opens up about the emotional toll of his father’s Alzheimer’s and the grief of “losing someone while they’re still here.”
2. He shares how concussion recovery forced him to stop, re-evaluate, and rebuild from the inside out.
3. Rebecca and Travis exchange stories of personal loss—including Rebecca’s mother and father, and Travis’s beloved teammate Emma Roca—and how grief fuels their present-day purpose.
4. Travis reveals his inner battle with perfectionism and how he’s learned to embrace nuance, playfulness, and uncertainty.

Practical Wisdom

1. Impact Isn’t a Metric – How to reframe success in your career, sport, or creative work through personal resonance, not just reach.
2. Navigating Identity Shifts – Tools for evolving from athlete to author, or competitor to coach, without losing your sense of self.
3. Coaching with Heart – Why Travis emphasizes emotional intelligence and long-term growth over PRs and watts with his clients.
4. Building Rituals for Presence – From stopping mid-run to take in the view to daily gratitude reflections, Travis shares practices that ground and restore.

Personal Growth

1. Letting go of all-or-nothing thinking around athletic identity.
2. Using nature, storytelling, and parenting as daily teachers.
3. Discovering spiritual connection through plant medicine, meditation, and flow.
4. Embracing midlife reinvention not as a crisis, but as an opportunity to build deeper meaning.

Links

1. Travis Macy Website
2. Books: A Mile at a Time & The Ultra Mindset
3. Instagram
4. Skimo Gold Podcast
5. Travis Macy Show with Steven Kotler - Ep130
6. Travis Macy Show with Mike Kloser - Ep24
7. Brain Storm Podcast - Rebecca Rusch & Selene Yeager

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Their conversation is a journey through decades of friendship and creative partnerships from adventure races in the jungles of Borneo to documenting Rebecca’s earliest endurance cycling records. But it’s also a reflection on how we build something that lasts— a creative business and a meaningful legacy through work, family, and community.

Corey opens up about the evolution of his career, the pressure of running a production company, and the deeper questions that come with success: What are we really building? Who are we building it for? And how do we stay aligned with our values along the way?

This is a conversation about how we evolve, how storytelling changes us, and how slowing down can illuminate what really matters. Corey shares intimate reflections on burnout, parenthood, vulnerability, and why showing up with curiosity and care might be the most radical act of all.

Whether you’re a creative, an entrepreneur, an athlete, or someone navigating your next chapter, this episode will leave you thinking differently about presence, pressure, and purpose.

Transformative Insights:

1. Authenticity Over Aesthetics: Why Corey values honest, photojournalistic images that capture real emotion over curated perfection.
2. Evolving the Craft: From dirtbag climber to commercial director, Corey shares how staying curious and committed to his values has shaped his path.
3. Presence Is the Point: “We design our lives”—Corey discusses how meaningful moments often emerge when we stop chasing and start savoring.
4. Legacy Through Story: From his daughter to his community park project, Corey explores what it means to create impact beyond accolades.

Vulnerable Moments:

1. Corey opens up about questioning his purpose during high-pressure projects and dreams of simpler lives during times of stress.
2. He talks about showing his photos to his mom as a personal litmus test for emotional truth—and the rarity of images that truly “move the needle.”
3. Rebecca and Corey reflect on aging out of peak performance and how identity shifts can feel both liberating and confusing.

Practical Wisdom:

1. “Work really hard. Be easy to work with.” Corey’s no-nonsense creative philosophy for success in high-stakes environments.
2. The Importance of Community: Building a local bouldering park and bar wasn't just a lifestyle choice—it was about building culture and connection.
3. Storytelling as a Family Practice: How nightly story circles at the dinner table are shaping the next generation of creators.
4. Business with Heart: Why mission-driven brands and intentional culture matter more now than ever in creative work.

Personal Growth:

1. Corey discusses designing a life rooted in curiosity, play, and contribution—not just productivity.
2. His shift from documenting others’ stories to helping the next generation shape their own.
3. Letting go of external validation to find satisfaction in impact, intimacy, and shared experience.

Links:

1. Corey Rich | Website
2. The Story Behind the Images | Book
3. Novus Select | Production Company
4. YEA! Camps
5. WHY Short Film
6. Corey’s Episode on Finding Mastery

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Dr. Allen Lim’s journey is one of contrasts; balancing external validation with self-acceptance. Growing up as a latchkey kid in LA, cycling became both an escape and a calling, leading him from city streets to the Olympic stage. His early kitchen experiments fueled his passion for performance science and led to the creation of Skratch Labs. Inspired by the 1984 Olympics, he believes sport is a unifying force and now focuses on "creating luck" and fostering environments where athletes thrive. Through personal loss, including the tragic passing of Moriah Wilson, he’s learned that connection and play are just as vital as performance. As he prepares for the 2028 LA Olympics, his message is clear: the Games won’t change athletes’ lives, but their impact can inspire the world.

Transformative Insights:

1. Being Seen vs. Being Enough – The shift from seeking external validation to embracing self-worth.
2. The Importance of Connection – How relationships, mentorship, and community shape success and well-being.
3. Lessons from the Kitchen – How meal prep, family dinners, and cooking for others became foundational to Allen’s philosophy on life.
4. Balancing Ambition with Acceptance – The tension between striving for greatness and realizing that what we have is already enough.

Vulnerable Moments:

1. Allen opens up about his childhood experience of exclusion and how it shaped his commitment to building bridges.
2. He shares the trauma of losing Moriah Wilson and the simple human need for comfort and companionship in grief.
3. Rebecca and Allen reflect on the pressure of high achievement and learning to let go of the fear of not being “enough.”
4. Allen talks about the weight of responsibility in leadership and business and how he learned to trust his team.

Practical Wisdom:

1. The "Making Luck" Philosophy – Why success isn’t just about hard work, but about creating environments where people can thrive.
2. How to Build a Vision of Greatness – The importance of articulating your purpose to stay aligned in moments of doubt.
3. Tools for Play & Performance – How bringing joy and competition together leads to better outcomes in sport and life.
4. The Dinner Table Rule – Why tracking who you share meals with can be a more meaningful measure of success than work achievements.

Personal Growth:

1. Allen’s transition from scientist and coach to nurturer and community builder.
2. The realization that true leadership is about care, not control.
3. Learning to embrace contradictions—beauty and terror, ambition and stillness, winning and losing.
4. Finding freedom in play, laughter, and human connection.

Links

1. The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership – A guide to leading with authenticity and awareness.
2. Zingerman’s Guide to Building a Great Business – Lessons on creating vision and culture in any endeavor.
3. Allen Lim & Skratch Labs – Website | Instagram

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Together, Maureen and Rebecca explore the deep inequities in education access, the overlooked power of community-based solutions, and what it really means to redefine success later in life. From navigating male-dominated boardrooms to rising before dawn to prioritize wellness, Maureen’s story is one of grace, grit, and lasting impact.

As a powerful advocate for gender equity and rural development, Maureen is proving that leadership is not just about what you achieve, but about what you lift in others. Her voice is a rallying call to rethink our legacy, reimagine retirement, and move through life with purpose, connection, and heart.

Transformative Insights

1. The bicycle is a tool for mobility that is transforming access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity across rural Africa.
2. Why Maureen left a 26-year corporate career to pursue lasting community impact.
3. Redefining success after 50 by letting go of the pressure to win and embracing a more holistic, human-centered definition of achievement.
4. Why relationships—not just results—are the currency of sustainable leadership.

Vulnerable Moments

1. Maureen opens up about being unaware of rural poverty in her own country until witnessing it firsthand during COVID.
2. She shares the emotional story of a mother whose daughter’s new bicycle meant she could finally sleep peacefully at night.
3. Rebecca and Maureen dive into the pressure women face to choose between motherhood and ambition—and how to build a life that honors both.
4. Maureen reflects on hitting burnout, and how learning to rest became her ultimate act of strength.

Practical Wisdom

1. How to lead with empathy, clarity, and shared purpose.
2. Engaging men, communities, and families to champion girls’ education and create cultural change from the ground up.
3. Wellness is a part of wholistic leadership practice including the role of movement, morning routines, and boundaries in staying grounded.
4. Why trust and generosity are the foundation of lasting influence.

Personal Growth

1. Maureen’s evolution from task-driven corporate leader to holistic, impact-centered changemaker.
2. Embracing health and stillness as core values—not luxuries—in a high-demand life.
3. Leading by example for her children, showing that failure, like not finishing a marathon, can still be a proud win.
4. Maureen’s reflections on legacy and how she’s shaping a retirement defined by service and joy.

Links

1. World Bicycle Relief 
2. Be Good Foundation – Rebecca’s Nonprofit
3. Rebecca’s Kilimanjaro Ride for WBR (Video)
4. Follow Maureen Kolenyo on LinkedIn

Sponsors – GU Energy Labs & Momentous

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Chris shares his journey from being a self-taught photographer living out of his car to becoming a globally recognized storyteller. But beyond the accolades, he opens up about the emotional and personal costs of chasing the extreme—from burnout to the challenges of balancing ambition with family life.

The conversation takes a profound turn as Chris recounts his experiences in endurance cycling, including his grueling Tour Divide ride, the life-changing winter fat bike expedition across Iceland with Rebecca, and his recent darkness retreat, where he confronted himself in total isolation. He reflects on the lessons of stillness, the importance of asking for help, and how he's learning to embrace a new kind of adventure—one that prioritizes presence over achievement.

This episode is a raw and real look at the internal and external landscapes we must navigate to find true fulfillment.

Transformative Insights

1. How extreme environments expose the rawest versions of ourselves.
2. The power of endurance sports in stripping away emotional armor.
3. Learning to let go of external validation and redefine success.
4. The role of stillness and self-reflection in preventing burnout.

Vulnerable Moments

1. Chris opens up about his struggles with burnout and the pressure to constantly achieve.
2. His raw reflections during the Tour Divide, where he questioned why he was racing for validation instead of presence.
3. His unexpected realization during the darkness retreat—where he found answers to questions he hadn’t even thought to ask.
4. The internal conflict of being both a devoted father and an explorer constantly drawn to the wild.

Practical Wisdom

1. How to embrace discomfort as a tool for growth—without losing yourself in the process.
2. Strategies for balancing high-performance goals with personal well-being.
3. The importance of asking for help, even when it feels unnatural.
4. How to cultivate presence in everyday life—not just in extreme environments.

Personal Growth

1. Chris’ shift from chasing validation to finding joy in the process.
2. The realization that the most powerful stories aren’t about conquering landscapes, but about personal transformation.
3. Learning to replace achievement-driven identity with a sense of internal fulfillment.
4. The ongoing challenge of balancing ambition, creativity, and family life.
5. 
   

Links

1. Chris Burkard - Official Website
2. Chris Burkard on Instagram
3. Chris Burkard on YouTube
4. Sky Cave Darkness Retreat

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Florence opens up about her personal journey of heartbreak following the end of her 25-year marriage and how she turned to science, self-experimentation, and nature to navigate grief, trauma, and transformation. She and Rebecca dive into the neuroscience of emotional pain, the healing power of awe, and the importance of reconnecting with the natural world in our increasingly digital lives.

This conversation is a masterclass in resilience, vulnerability, and self-discovery, offering practical wisdom for anyone seeking to heal, grow, and embrace life’s inevitable changes.

Transformative Insights

1. How nature impacts our physiology and mental health
2. Why awe and beauty are essential for resilience and healing
3. The unexpected power of psychedelic-assisted therapy in emotional recovery
4. How to embrace uncertainty and redefine personal success

Vulnerable Moments

1. Florence’s struggle with loneliness after divorce and how it impacted her health
2. The physical toll of heartbreak—how stress manifests in our bodies
3. Her transformative solo wilderness journey and why it didn’t lead to immediate healing
4. Letting go of perfectionism and learning to embrace imperfection in relationships and work

Practical Wisdom

1. How micro-dosing nature can improve daily mental well-being
2. Simple ways to cultivate awe, even in urban environments
3. The role of authentic connection in healing and happiness
4. Why midlife is a powerful time for reinvention and self-discovery

Personal Growth

1. Florence’s shift from seeking control to embracing the unknown
2. Learning to prioritize rest, play, and joy over constant achievement
3. The importance of accepting personal flaws and modeling that for others

Links & Resources

Website https://florencewilliams.com/

Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey – Florence Williams' Website 

The Nature Fix – Read More Here

Outside Online podcast episode with Florence & Rebecca:

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Haley’s story highlights the evolving culture of Women’s Sports, where fierce competition and genuine camaraderie coexist at the highest levels of racing. However, her journey hasn’t been without challenges—her battle with multiple concussions forced her to shift from pushing through pain to truly listening to her body. Through mindfulness, meditation, and journaling, she found resilience and growth, redefining success beyond podiums. As she continues to race at the elite level, Haley’s passion for education and cognitive psychology fuels her mission to inspire the next generation—on and off the bike. This conversation goes beyond racing, offering insights into finding strength in stillness, embracing setbacks, and redefining success.

Transformative Insights:

1. Genuine friendships among female competitors are shaping the future of the sport.
2. Forced rest periods and slowing down due to injury became Haley’s biggest teachers.
3. Lessons in self-trust come from realizing the importance of prioritizing long-term well-being.

Vulnerable Moments:

1. Haley opens up about the fear of losing her career due to repeated concussions.
2. She shares the mental fog and frustration of long recovery periods.
3. Rebecca and Haley discuss the hidden pressures of elite competition and the battle between ambition and acceptance.
4. Haley reflects on stepping off a race course mid-race—a defining moment in her journey to put health first.

Practical Wisdom:

1. How to recognize and manage concussions - identifying key signs and best recovery practices for athletes.
2. Meditation, journaling, and visualization are game-changing tools for mindfulness in high performance. 
3. Building a strong support system of coaches, family, and mentors is key  in both recovery and success.

Personal Growth:

1. Haley’s evolution from pushing through at all costs to prioritizing longevity in sport and life.
2. Learning to trust her instincts and make bold decisions, even in high-stakes moments.
3. The realization that being present with loved ones is just as important as podium finishes.

Links:

1. Haley’s Concussion Awareness & Return to Play Guidelines
2. Brainstorm Podcast Series by Rebecca Rusch & Selene Yeager
3. Outdoor Athlete Concussion Lounge Video
4. Connect with Haley Batten – Instagram | Website

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She opens up about navigating motherhood while maintaining a professional career, redefining success on her terms, and how her latest film, Butterfly in a Blizzard, captures the raw beauty of overcoming life’s most profound struggles. Take in this inspiring conversation on resilience, reinvention, and embracing the unpredictable nature of life.

Transformative Insights

1. How letting go of control can open the door to unexpected strength.
2. The importance of changing industry norms to better support women in sports.
3. How community, movement, and self-awareness help navigate life’s biggest challenges.
4. The power of showing up authentically, even in the hardest moments.

Vulnerable Moments

1. Kimmy’s battle with self-doubt and fear when advocating for maternity rights.
2. Her cancer diagnosis and how it shattered her sense of identity as a professional athlete.
3. The pain of losing her mother and how it shaped her perspective on life, loss, and motherhood.
4. Her struggle to let go of perfection in parenting, career, and recovery.

Practical Wisdom

1. How to advocate for yourself in male-dominated spaces.
2. Strategies for balancing ambition and self-compassion in high-performance careers.
3. The importance of nature as a healing force through trauma and transformation.
4. Why pivots in life don’t mean endings—they’re just new directions.

Personal Growth

1. Kimmy’s shift from proving herself to redefining success on her terms.
2. Learning to embrace change, uncertainty, and imperfection.
3. Finding strength in community, vulnerability, and self-trust.

Links

Butterfly in a Blizzard Documentary Film

Kimmy Fasani - Website

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Cory has been on the highest peaks in the world and captured some of the most breathtaking images. But his greatest expedition has been the journey within. From surviving an avalanche to navigating childhood trauma, bipolar disorder, and personal loss, Cory has spent his life confronting the depths of the human experience and outlines them in his stunning book, The Color of Everything.

Together, we discuss the difference between survival and true resilience, why crisis can be the greatest catalyst for transformation, and how leaning into discomfort often leads to the biggest breakthroughs. Cory opens up about identity shifts, the weight of expectations, and redefining his purpose. This conversation is an invitation to examine the stories we tell ourselves, to strip away the labels that no longer serve us, and to embrace the messy, beautiful process of becoming.

Transformative Insights

1. True resilience comes from releasing instead of holding on
2. Crisis as a catalyst for growth
3. The difference between survival and resilience
4. Defining purpose internally versus externally

Vulnerable Moments

1. Cory opens up about his lifelong journey with mental health, including his bipolar diagnosis and childhood struggles.
2. He shares the emotional toll of recently losing his father and navigating identity shifts
3. Cory discusses the importance of the intentional community he has built and the deep gratitude he feels for those people.

Practical Wisdom

1. Leaning into curiosity as a directional tool
2. Reframing trauma as a teacher 
3. Embracing and cultivating the power of community 
4. The practice of Imago therapy in communication and relationship
5. Daily acts of giving and kindness

Personal Growth

1. Cory’s evolving identity and current purpose: to connect people to themselves
2. Cory’s journey of learning to trust, rather than thrust, his way forward.
3. Letting go of old survival scripts and developing new resilience tools
4. Viewing pain and hardship with gratitude for their lessons
5. Roadmap for resilience: agency, endurance, curiosity, and adaptation

Links

CORY RICHARDS Website

"The Color of Everything" - by Cory Richards

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Transformative Insights

1. The idea that midlife is not a crisis but a chrysalis—a time of deep transformation rather than decline.
2. How wisdom isn't about what you know, but how well you metabolize experience and share it with others.
3. The shift from an achievement-based mindset to one that values presence, purpose, and service.
4. The importance of embracing "liminality"—the space between no longer and not yet—as a necessary stage for growth.

Vulnerable Moments