Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Discomfort Zone

How do you learn to trust yourself enough to know your limits, and still take the big risk when it counts?

In this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Anna Levesque, former professional whitewater kayaker and founder of Mind Body Paddle, talks with Nadia Burton, founder of WhatVest and Big Hollow Designs. Nadia spent more than 25 years in the ski industry, competing out of Jackson Hole, cat ski guiding, and running heli-ski base operations in Alaska. She left competitive skiing after five concussions in one season, and later walked out of an office job she calls her glass cage, to build her own outdoor industry business.

Today Nadia says she skis better than she ever has. So what shifted? And how does someone who once pushed past every limit decide which risks are worth taking now, on the mountain, on the river, and in business?

If you've ever pushed past your limits to prove something to yourself, this one is for you.

In this episode:

• Why Nadia still takes the bigger cliff jump

• What flipping and swimming have to do with losing money in business

• What Nadia's Dad said when she quit her job to sew for a living

• Is "follow your passion" bad business advice?

Tune in wherever you get your podcasts!

Have you ever wondered how the legendary Brown Claw got started?

Dave Fusilli runs West Coast sales and marketing for Pyranha Kayaks, is a longtime IR athlete, and is one of the founders of Demshitz and the Brown Claw. In this replay of one of the most downloaded episodes of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Anna Levesque, former professional whitewater kayaker and founder of Mind Body Paddle, gets the real origin story, then asks Dave about the hardest stretch of his life.

Paddling icon Bren Orton traveled in the Pyranha van with Dave for years. Dave says he was always afraid of THAT phone call. Then it came.

If you want to be able to hold joy and grief at the same, this one is for you.

In this episode:

• Where the Brown Claw actually came from

• What Dave does above a big waterfall when his heart rate is up and his muscles stop cooperating

• Why Dave gives people 5 chances

• How he navigated the devastating loss of Bren

Listen in, stop taking yourself too seriously, and go throw somebody the Brown Claw.

On her birthday, Amy Bowers Cordalis was handed a detonator wired to a dam on the Klamath River and told to stomp on it as hard as she could.

In this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Anna Levesque, former professional whitewater kayaker and founder of Mind Body Paddle, talks with Amy Bowers Cordalis: Yurok attorney, executive director of Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group, UN Champions of the Earth laureate, and author of The Water Remembers. Her family fought for the Klamath and its salmon for six generations, from fish protests to the removal of four dams.

What does it take to win a six-generation fight nobody thought you could win? Amy shares the courage, faith, tenacity, and humor it took, and what she found by walking straight through the door of fear.

If you need an uplifting river story right now, this episode is for you.

In this episode:

• Her grandmother and great-grandmother facing down armed federal marshals from a rowboat, with granny panties tied to the net and a prayer song

• The 2002 fish kill that sent Amy to law school 

• The Yurok worldview of balance and responsibility that fueled generations of resistance

• What her niece Keeya Wiki's first descent of the free-flowing Klamath means after 170 years of fighting

Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.

Sommerville Johnston brought a rubber band to this recording. Stretched, it is the discomfort zone. Pulled further, it snaps. How much stress resilience do you have before you snap?

Sommerville Johnston is a licensed professional counselor, somatic experiencing practitioner, wilderness guide, and founder of Aspen Roots Collective. She joins Anna Levesque, former professional whitewater kayaker and founder of Mind Body Paddle, on The Discomfort Zone Podcast to talk about growing stress resilience and regulating your nervous system, on and off the water.

If you've been running at a higher level of stress than usual, this one is for you.

In this episode:

• The difference between the stress that is growing you and the stress that is about to take you out

• The back body practice for nervous system regulation you can do while you listen

• Why Anna stepped back from hard whitewater mid career, and what was different when she came back to Class IV

• Strategies for not letting perfectionism run or ruin you

A replay from The Discomfort Zone Podcast 2023 archives. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

She told everyone in the eddy she was only going to ferry. When she peeled out, she was shocked by what happened next.

The whitewater decision making strategy that Anna Levesque, former professional whitewater kayaker and founder of Mind Body Paddle, got from Clay Wright years ago sounded strange. In this solo episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast she works out why it became the perfect strategy to come back from her back injury to surf Garburator, her favorite big wave of all time.

If you're the type who puts a lot of pressure on yourself to perform and prepare, but then find that nerves get the best of you in the moment, this episode is for you.

In this episode:

• The moment Anna realized she was observing herself making a different choice than she had planned

• When to decide to commit and when to stay curious

• What Clay says to paddlers before running a river

• How to support others in making good decisions 

Listen now and take your whitewater decision making to the next level, both on and off the water.

What does ego have to do with confidence in kayaking? 

Benny Marr, one of the best big wave and expedition paddlers in the world, has a surprising answer that will help you discern whether to run a challenging rapid or walk away. In this conversation from 2024 on The Discomfort Zone Podcast with Anna Levesque, Benny goes into how he has used his ego for both 'good' and 'evil' in kayaking, and what that has taught him along the way.

If you have ever wondered who you're actually paddling for, this one is for you.

In this episode:

• Why it's important to discern between being self-confident and self-conscious

• Where he feels nerves in his body, and the strategies he uses to focus

• How he approaches instruction and helps his clients progress in kayaking 

• The strategies he and his crews have used to reach their goals.

This is one of the most downloaded episodes of The Discomfort Zone podcast with lots of stories from Benny about running big whitewater with top paddlers all over the world. Benny also turns 40 this week - so great timing for a re-release!

Tune in to learn from one of the best and most grounded paddlers in the world.

What do you do when you are the only thing between you and the line you know you can run?

Abby Holcombe, world champion freestyle kayaker, four-time USA national champion, and three-time USA team member, joins Anna Levesque on The Discomfort Zone Podcast to talk about the fear she knows is irrational, but still gets in the way. 

This conversation is a replay, and since it first aired, Abby has joined the Mind Body Paddle team as Content and Marketing Coordinator. We're thrilled for her to join the team, and bring the authenticity, courage, self-awareness and experience you hear in this conversation to our work.

If you have ever talked yourself out of something you were ready for, or spent sometime cry-yaking, this one is for you.

In this episode:

• The three hours Abby spent scouting Lava Falls before she ran it a twelve years old

• Why she hiked her boat into Oh Be Joyful and then hiked back out

• What she started filming after noticing every river beta video she watched was of men

• The mantra she picked up after winning Worlds and getting torn apart on Instagram

• What it was like to live van-life as a kid, and adventure-life as a family

Listen now if you want a reminder of how to get out of your own way and stay true to yourself.

How do you break through the resistance to doing the things you know will build your confidence, but you're afraid of doing them?

In this solo episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Anna Levesque, former professional whitewater kayaker and founder of Mind Body Paddle, takes on the hard truth that more confidence, more skill, and more joy all live on the other side of the stuff you're avoiding. The roll is the obvious example. Most paddlers know they need to practice it, but too often, put it off for months, even years.

Anna shares the story of facilitating her first adventure week, and the joy she re-discovered when she was pushed into unexpected new experiences. Find out how her client went from saying she would absolutely not whitewater kayak to then giggling joyfully at the bottom of every rapid.

In this episode you'll explore:

• The importance of recognizing the pattern of resistance

• What resistance Anna had to overcome to break out of her comfort zone 

• How kindness and challenge work together in the same container

• Why courage is easier to find when you're in community with others

🎧 Whether you're resisting your roll, a rapid or a move (on or off the water), tune in to get inspiration for breaking through and finding more joy and confidence.

How do you settle your nerves when the pressure is on and everyone is watching?

In this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Bryan Kirk, a former member US Freestyle Kayak Team member and Worlds medalist who has taken social media by storm with his old school boats and tricks, claims that once a paddler has the skill set, performance is 95 percent about keeping the mind under control. 

He walks us through the visualization and breathing practices he has used for two decades, and shares the story of how his performance fell apart at one of the most important competitions of his life. What he took from that day changed how he has approached pressure ever since. 

If you've  ever trained hard, prepared well, and then watched your mind come apart the moment it counted, this one is for you.

In this episode, Anna and Bryan explore:

• Why your mind is your biggest limiting factor, not your skill
• The awareness and breathing sequence Bryan uses before anything that scares him
• Hard moves in easy water for the mind, and why mental training deserves the same hours as skills training
• The strategy that allows him to throw down linked cartwheels at age 47 without getting hurt 

Whether you're chasing your first reliable roll, coming back from an injury, or figuring out how to keep paddling for the next thirty years, this conversation will provide you with strategy and training tips.

🎧 Listen now, and start working your mental agility on and off the water.

What does it actually take to lead a team, run an international guiding business, and still choose the hard line when it would be easier to stay comfortable?

Juliet Jacobsen Kastorff is co-founder of Endless River Adventures, owner of Rio Quijos Ecolodge in Ecuador, and founder of the nonprofit Need More Outdoors. She's been teaching and guiding whitewater kayaking in Western North Carolina and internationally since 1991. On this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Anna Levesque talks with Juliet about leadership, building a guiding business that outlasts you, and staying uncomfortable on purpose after three decades in the outdoor industry.

This conversation is really about what it means to lead well: building a team you can eventually hand things off to, taking responsibility instead of making excuses, and noticing when your own expertise has quietly turned into a comfort zone.

If you lead a team, run a business, or coach others and want to hear how a 30-year industry veteran keeps growing instead of coasting, this one is for you.

In this episode, you'll explore:

• Why staying in your comfort zone as an expert, running the same line or the same rapid, can quietly stall your growth

• How Juliet builds leaders who could replace her, and why that's the goal, not the threat

• The hotel industry lesson that changed how she handles mistakes and hard conversations

• Why "a bad moment, not a bad day" changes how you show up after things go wrong

• What three decades of guiding in Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Chile taught her about community over ego.

Whether you're leading a business, coaching a team, or just trying to get comfortable being uncomfortable again, this conversation will meet you there.

Listen now, and start noticing where your own comfort zone might be holding you back.

What do you do when fear shows up and your instinct is to either force your way through or quit altogether?

In this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Anna talks with Sara Hunter, a licensed clinical mental health counselor, certified emotionally focused couples therapist, and PMBIA Level 1 mountain bike instructor based in Asheville, NC. Sara takes clients out of the office and onto the trail, using mountain biking to help them notice what's happening in their bodies, name what they're feeling, and practice new ways of responding to fear.

This conversation is really about the skill of slowing down, and why the smallest step toward what scares you is often the most courageous one.

If you tend to white-knuckle your way through hard things, or freeze when the pressure is on, this one is for you.

In this episode, you'll explore:

• Why slowing down and naming what's happening in your body changes how you respond to fear

• What titration means, and how to break an intimidating goal into steps your nervous system can actually handle

• Why beginners often grow more on the trail than seasoned athletes, and why sitting still is the real discomfort zone for adventurers

• How the rhythm of pedaling and scanning the trail calms the body's threat response

• The surprising link between perfectionism and the courage to ask a clarifying question

Whether you're eyeing a rapid you've been walking around, a trail feature that gets in your head, or a hard conversation you keep putting off, this episode offers a kinder and more effective way through. 

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts!

What does it mean to paddle a river your family fought six generations to free?

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the historic first descent of the undammed Klamath River by Indigenous youth in the Paddle Tribal Waters program. To honor it, Anna is replaying her conversation on The Discomfort Zone Podcast with Keeya Wiki, a Yurok kayaker who completed that first descent at 17. Keeya also belongs to the Te Aupouri and Ngati Porou tribes of Aotearoa (New Zealand), and her family has fought for generations for the health of the salmon, the river, and their right to fish.

This conversation is about joy as resilience, and what happens when the healing of a river becomes the healing of the generations connected to it.

If you love rivers and want to understand what dam removal and Indigenous-led restoration mean for the people who fought for it, this one is for you.

In this episode, Keeya and Anna explore:

• What it felt like to paddle the Klamath after generations of advocacy for dam removal

• How Keeya listens to her body and grounds herself when fear and self-doubt show up

• The intense underwater moment on the river that tested her self-trust

• The power of community, mentorship, and representation in outdoor spaces

• Why the joy Keeya experienced on the river has the power to heal generations

Since this conversation, Anna has read The Water Remembers by Amy Bowers Cordalis, Keeya's aunt and the lawyer who played a key role in getting the Klamath dams removed. Amy joins The Discomfort Zone Podcast later this summer, and you may have seen Amy and Keeya together on the Kelly Clarkson Show sharing their family's legacy. Consider this replay the first chapter of that story.

Whether you paddle whitewater, care about river restoration, or simply want to hear what courage and joy sound like, listen now and let the Klamath's story move you.

What does it actually take to train your brain for courage, and can you do it while running a 13-mile hike-in class V expedition and going back to school full-time?

In this replay episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Anna Levesque revisits her conversation with Anna Wagner: whitewater paddler, explorer, and Dr of Occupational Therapy, whose approach to courage is equal parts science and grit. Anna Wagner has run the Middle Kings, the Stikine, and the Rio Baker, and has a knack for finding her "mean girl" voice exactly when she needs it most.

This is a conversation about what courage actually looks like when it's built deliberately, not borrowed from someone else's highlight reel.

If you've ever wondered why hard things feel so hard, and how to keep showing up for them anyway, this one is for you.

• How neuroplasticity works — and why positive self-talk feels fake before it feels true
• Anna's "mean girl" strategy for cutting through fear and self-doubt mid-rapid
• Why chunking big adventures into small steps is the same skill as running a rapid
• How one piece of advice from a professor changed Anna's lifestyle and her performance

Whether you're preparing for a big river objective, navigating a major life transition, or just trying to quiet the voice that says you don't belong here, this conversation will give you something real to work with.

🎧 Listen now and start building the neural pathways that bring you back to your best.

Sage Donnelly just became the Queen of the North Fork, and it's the perfect time to revisit our 2024 conversation on The Discomfort Zone Podcast, recorded when she was the reigning Women's Freestyle World Champion.

Sage is a multi-discipline competitor across slalom, freestyle, and extreme racing. In this conversation, she breaks down how she trained her mind to find calm and flow at the start line and in the biggest rapids she runs.

If you've ever choked under pressure on something that mattered, or wondered how the best in the world stay loose when everything's on the line, this one's for you.

How Sage went from competing out of fear and expectation to competing with the kind of relaxed confidence that brought her back to the World Championship podium

Why feeling a rapid in your boat matters more than overanalyzing it from the eddy

The expedition that taught her she could push further than she thought possible

How she manages type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, and hypothyroidism without letting any of it define her

Whether you're chasing a competitive goal, learning to trust your gut, or navigating a diagnosis that feels bigger than you, Sage's story has something for you.

🎧 Listen to the replay now.

Ever feel like you need the perfect plan before you can start anything? This conversation might change that.

In this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Anna sits down with Chris Baer, a raft guide and whitewater kayaker who lives half the year out of a converted school bus and spends his winters chasing first descents in remote corners of the world, often with little more than two weeks' notice.

This conversation is for anyone who's ever held back because they didn't have it all figured out yet.

Anna and Chris dig into: 

🌫️ Why whitewater is "all gray," and how letting go of rigid rules opens up better decisions 

🧩 How problem-solving on the fly becomes a way of life, on the river and off 

✈️ What happens when you trade a five-year plan for two weeks' notice and a plane ticket 

👣 Why getting feet on the ground beats overanalyzing every detail in advance

If you're craving more confidence in navigating the unknown, this one's worth a listen.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts!

What if the language you've been using to help people is actually underselling them?

In this solo episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Anna Levesque shares a perspective shift that stopped her in her tracks: after 25 years of building a brand around "empowering women," she's retiring the phrase. Sparked by Emma Grede's book Start With Yourself, Anna explores why the word "empowerment" may inadvertently suggest women need someone else to give them what they already have.

This episode isn't about tearing down a movement. It's about getting more honest and more precise about what great coaching, instruction, and community actually do: create the container, hold the space, and trust that the person in front of you already has what it takes.

If you've ever questioned the language you use, wrestled with a belief that served you well and then stopped, or wondered what it really means to support someone's growth, this one is for you.

In this episode:

• Why Anna is dropping "women's empowerment" from her brand vocabulary after 25 years

• The real role of a coach, instructor, or mentor, and why it matters how we frame it

• What her year-long recovery from a herniated disc taught her about inner strength and being supported

• How to hold an idea you've outgrown with both honesty and self-compassion

• Why changing your language is an act of courage, not correction

Whether you're a coach, a paddler, or someone mid-shift in how you see your own work, this episode will give you something worth sitting with.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

What does it take to help someone do something they're afraid to do?

In this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Anna sits down with Casey Bryant Jones, Director of the Ottawa Kayak School, for a conversation that gets into the real inner game of learning whitewater kayaking. Casey has spent years teaching paddlers of all levels on one of the world's premier big-water rivers, and he gets specific about fear, confidence, and what it actually means to succeed on the water.

This is a conversation about what happens in the space between what you think you can do and what you're actually capable of doing.

If you paddle whitewater at any level and want to build more confidence on the water, this one is for you.

In this episode:

• Why flipping and rolling is a superpower, not a failure (and why the students who flip most often are the ones who progress fastest)

• The "ramp up, ramp back down" approach that Casey uses to find the right level of challenge without breaking a student's confidence

• The breathing technique a mentor taught him in Chile that he still uses today

• Why he and his wife have introduced their young daughters to whitewater kayaking even though it can be uncomfortable and scary

🌊 Whether you're working on your roll, developing your skills on the water, or building confidence, this one is worth your full attention.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Have you ever had a "stupid, hare-brained idea" that worked so well it took over your life for a decade?

That's exactly what happened to James Byrd when he looked at the North Fork of the Payette River in Idaho, thought about his college football stadium experience, and decided the best kayakers in the world should be racing it in front of a crowd. What started as a passion project became one of the premier whitewater extreme races on the planet, the North Fork Championship, and now, after a few years away, James and his wife Regan are bringing it back.

James is also a registered nurse, a lifelong paddler, and one of the most genuinely stoked people I know. This conversation went a lot of places I didn't expect, and I think you'll appreciate it.

In this episode:

• The visualization practice James uses before stepping up to something big and scary on the water, and why he won't send it until he genuinely feels ready

• What it was like to get pushback when he first launched the event, and the one moment that changed everything

• Why he thinks kayaking athletes deserve to be known, not just watched, and what he's doing about it

• The real talk on money, sustainability, and what he and Regan discovered when they did the math on their nursing wages versus the hours they put into North Fork

• How going nonprofit is changing what's possible for the event's future

If you've ever poured everything into something you believed in, hit friction, and wondered whether it was worth it, this one's for you.

🎧 Listen now and walk away thinking differently about what it actually costs to build something worth having, in paddling and in life.

What does it take to keep going when everything around you — the sport, the culture, the system — says this isn't your place?

At the age of 13, Naina Adhikari made her way to the Ganga River, 300 km from her home village to start learning how to whitewater kayak. She couldn't swim, and was the only girl on the river with no female mentors to turn to. Although she faced many obstacles, she persisted. 

Naina has since represented India at the World Championships and Olympic qualifiers, won the Ganga Kayak Festival twice, and founded Ganga Girls and the Pravahini Foundation, projects that train Indian female kayakers, and that bring survivors of human trafficking to the river, and to paddling, to experience freedom, strength, and community.

This is a conversation for anyone who has ever had to find their footing in a world that wasn't built for them.

In this episode:

• The real off-river challenges of being the only woman in a male-dominated sport inside a traditional culture

• What Naina had to navigate alone, and why she stayed anyway

• The story behind Ganga Girls and Project Shakti

• What big volume water on the Ganga teaches about presence and showing up every day

Naina's legacy word is "revolutionary." After listening, you'll understand why.

Why do some paddlers make moves look effortless while others keep missing them by inches? And when did you last give up on a move you could have made?

In this solo episode, Anna shares what two recent private instruction clients discovered that changed everything: looking where you want to go isn't as natural as it sounds, especially when something intimidating downstream is pulling your eyes away.

Anna connects this paddling fundamental to the bigger picture, including how her dream of leading a whitewater paddling and Ayurveda trip to India went from a casual idea shared in a Reboot and Refuel Reset to a sold-out reality, and how her own back recovery required the same commitment to vision over time.

In this episode, you'll explore:

• Why looking ahead is a learnable skill that takes practice
• How committing your vision changes your angle, and your outcome
• The real reason we give up on moves, goals, and dreams too soon
• Why sustainability means keeping your eye on the goal even after things start going well

This episode is for anyone who knows where they want to go but keeps getting pulled into distraction and worry, or gets stuck in tunnel vision, looking only at what's right in front of you (aka your bow).

🎧 Listen now and start paddling toward what matters.

Ann Gillard saw a gap in the paddling community and did what any good river person would do: she gathered her crew and got on the water to build a space where people can actually show up as themselves.

Ann is an ACA Level 4 whitewater kayak instructor, NRS ambassador, and founder of Pride Day on the River, a volunteer-led event on the Deerfield River in Massachusetts dedicated to LGBTQ+ visibility and participation in paddle sports. It draws over 150 people for a community paddle, beginner clinics, affinity group paddling, and one of the most joyful after-parties on the river.

In this episode, Anna and Ann explore:

• The discomfort zone continuum — how Ann uses body cues to distinguish her comfort zone, panic zone, and the growth space in between

• The 51% rule — Ann's personal metric for deciding when a rapid is worth running, and why purpose matters more than peer pressure

• Ego and the river — when ego is a useful push, when it gets in the way, and how to tell the difference

• Building genuinely inclusive spaces — what it actually looks like to create a container where people can show up as themselves, not as who the sport expects them to be

• Ann's favorite river metaphor — she shares one in rapid fire that will make you see rivers and community completely differently

• Cleaning up your mistakes — the courage it takes to own an error in front of a group, and why that moment of accountability can build more trust than getting it right the first time

If any of this is resonating — hit play. This one stays with you.

Seth Chappelle competed at ten Freestyle Kayak World Championships before standing on top of the podium in 2023. That kind of persistence doesn't happen by accident — and it doesn't happen without discomfort. He's also an ER nurse, volunteer ski patroller, and a stay-at-home dad to two girls under five. In other words, he knows something about staying calm under pressure.

In this conversation, Seth and Anna dig into what keeps a world-class athlete going through a decade of near-misses, including four fourth-place finishes at Worlds, and what it takes to finally break through. But this episode is about more than paddling results. It's about how the river teaches you to manage the discomfort that shows up everywhere else in your life.

Seth and Anna talk about:

• Why breaking a rapid down move by move is the same skill that helps you make hard decisions in life

• What it's like to nearly podium at Worlds four times and how Seth stayed motivated instead of bitter

• The identity shift that comes when competition stops being your primary focus

• What it really means to be a stay-at-home dad when your identity has been built around athletic performance

• How Seth is introducing his daughters to the outdoors without pressure, and why keeping it fun is the long game

• The river metaphor that carried Seth to a world title: a river cuts through rock not because of its power, but because of its persistence

This one is rich with honest reflection from someone who has competed at the highest level for over 25 years and is now navigating one of the most humbling discomfort zones of all: parenthood.

Tune in if you're navigating a shift in identity, a long-term goal, or just need a reminder that persistence is its own kind of skill.

What does resilience actually look like when pain isn't occasional - it's constant?

Jak Fantastic has been kayaking since she was six years old, born with severely clubbed feet and limited mobility. By 14, she was on the GB Freestyle Kayak Team. By 19, she was facing hip dysplasia, multiple surgeries, and a prognosis that said she would never kayak again. She went eight years without paddling. And then, in 2018 - unable to walk - she got back in a boat.

In 2025, Jak made the decision to amputate her leg, hoping it would give her back more of her life. Before her wound had fully healed, she was back on the water. A year later, she's running remote expeditions in India and competing at the highest levels of the sport.

In this episode, Jak and Anna explore what it means to keep showing up when every day includes some form of pain - physical, emotional, or both. They talk about identity loss, the dark years when kayaking stopped being possible, and what finally cracked open the door to meditation after years of resistance (hint: it started in a yoga class in Rishikesh after a Christmas that broke her open).

This is one of the most honest conversations about discomfort, courage, and the choice to keep going that we've had on this show.

In this episode:

• Why Jak says discomfort isn't the obstacle — it's just life, and how that shift changed everything

• The eight years she spent away from kayaking and what it took to find her way back

• How grief, a solo trip to India, and one quiet moment in the mountains cracked open her meditation practice

• Living with phantom limb pain after amputation — and what sitting with pain (instead of fighting it) has taught her

• What the whitewater community needs to do to make the sport more accessible for differently abled paddlers

Press play and spend an hour in the discomfort zone with someone who lives there every day, and continues to choose it powerfully.

About Jak Fantastic: Jak Fantastic is a British whitewater kayaker, adaptive sports advocate, and expedition paddler with over 30 years on the water. A former GB Freestyle Team member, she competed at the 2023 World Freestyle Championships and has podium finishes at World Cups and British Championships. She paddles with one leg, an ADHD brain, a dry sense of humor, and zero interest in being told what she can't do.

Today is my 52nd birthday — and I'm doing something I don't do nearly enough: actually stopping to celebrate.

If you're someone who moves straight to the next goal, minimizes what you've accomplished, or quietly compares yourself out of your own wins — this one's for you.

I'm sharing a simple reflection practice that has a way of shifting everything, including how you talk to yourself when something feels hard or out of reach.

It takes about five minutes. Your younger self will thank you.

Try the exercise and let me know what you discover: Email Me!

What if slowing down your progression isn't playing it safe — it's actually the most ambitious thing you can do?

River Mutton is an extreme whitewater world champion from New Zealand who does tricks over waterfalls, runs lines most paddlers only dream about, and deliberately keeps her progression slower than her skill level. In this conversation, Anna talks with River about the mental game behind big water performance — and what happened when a bad swim in familiar water shook everything she thought she knew about staying safe.

In this episode:

• How River reframes fear as hyper-focus rather than a stop sign

• Why she runs things well below her skill level, and what that looks like at world-champion level

• The swim that shook her confidence and the month she spent questioning why she paddles at all

• What going to Chile taught her about rediscovering joy on the water

• Making decisions from facts instead of fear stories

• What River and Anna discovered about self-criticism across generations of women paddlers

Whether you're working up to your first big drop or returning to the water after a setback, this conversation will shift how you think about fear, confidence, and what it really means to progress.

Listen now for inspiration on how to be confident in your process at your own pace.

Ask Mariann Sæther what got her to two world championships, and she won't say talent.

Mariann is a two-time world champion in extreme kayaking, a mother of two, and one of the most accomplished women in whitewater history. She retired from competition in 2024 after nearly three decades of paddling rivers around the world.

In this conversation, Mariann and Anna dig into what it actually takes to perform at the highest level, navigate real risk, and keep showing up when it's not working. From getting flipped repeatedly down Jakes at 3,000 CFS two days before winning the North Fork Championship, to learning to separate a failed line from a failed identity, Mariann brings a rare mix of honesty, humor, and hard-won insight.

In this episode, you'll explore:

• Why grit and hard work matter more than talent, and how to stop letting the "talent story" hold you back

• The difference between scared and nervous, and how that distinction shapes good risk decisions

• Why leading the rapid changes everything for women building confidence on whitewater

• How to stay useful, engaged, and growth-oriented when you choose to walk a line

• What pioneering women in whitewater built, and why their stories deserve to be remembered

• Mariann's approach to breaking big goals into small pieces, from horse training to creek boating

If you've ever told yourself you just don't have what it takes, this episode is a direct and generous challenge to that story.

🌊 Once a river person, always a river person.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

What does it take to rebuild a life around what you actually love — not what looks impressive from the outside?

Laura Kurup spent years as a high-performing tech executive — Chief Strategy Officer at the SEC, Chief Data Officer at the New York Fed — and somewhere along the way, paddling took a backseat. Then came a rare and aggressive breast cancer diagnosis at 40. What followed was a two-year unraveling and rebuilding that led her back to the river, into whitewater instruction, and toward a life anchored in her own intuition.

In this episode, Laura and Anna explore what it really means to face discomfort — not just the dramatic kind, but the low-level stuff we spend enormous energy ignoring. Laura shares how cancer cracked open the identity she'd been clinging to, why letting go of control on the Grand Canyon led to better lines, and what she's learned about expanding her window of tolerance — on the water and in life.

In this episode, you'll explore:

Why high performers often ignore discomfort until it becomes a five-alarm fire — and how to work with it at lower levels instead

The mental shift that transformed Laura's lines on the Grand Canyon: from controlling the plan to reading and running

How identity attachment (like being "the canoeist who doesn't flip") can quietly limit your growth

What a cancer diagnosis revealed about the difference between performing a life and actually living one

Laura's take on using AI intentionally — and why she compares it to ketchup

The river metaphor she brought home from the Grand: following the bubble line

If you've ever pushed discomfort down until it exploded, played it too safe and ended up stuck on the rocks, or wondered what life might look like if you gave yourself permission to follow your intuition — this episode is for you.

The river gives you a put-in and a take-out. How you run it is up to you.

🎧 Listen now and find your bubble line.

Whitewater kayaking naturally pulls us into the present moment. When you're paddling a rapid, your senses sharpen, your mind clears, and you're fully focused on the line ahead.

But what if you didn't have to wait for a rapid to access that state?

In this solo episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, I share simple mindfulness and breathwork practices that help paddlers reset their nervous system, quiet negative self-talk, and stay calm and focused — both on the river and in everyday life.

These practices come directly from Week 7 of the Mental Agility Mastery 8 Week Course, where participants train their ability to pause, reset, and respond skillfully when things don't go according to plan.

• Why paddling naturally creates a powerful mindfulness state
• How mindfulness helps you reset after a mistake, swim, or missed line
• The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise for returning to the present moment
• Simple breathwork techniques to regulate your nervous system
• How mindful movement strengthens confidence and focus

One of the most powerful lessons from the river?

Sometimes the most skillful move isn't paddling harder.

It's embracing the pause.

🎧 Listen now and discover simple mindfulness practices that help you find flow — on the river and in life.

You've felt that edge before — the moment between staying in the eddy and peeling out into the current.

In this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, I sit down with world-class kayaker, coach, and avalanche specialist Tyler Curtis to explore what it really means to lean into uncertainty — on the river and in life.

From freestyle kayaking and youth coaching, to living abroad and learning a new language, Tyler shares how following his passion shaped not just his career, but his resilience, confidence, and leadership. We talk about how fear evolves, how risk tolerance changes over time, and why modeling failure as a coach builds real trust.

This conversation blends whitewater wisdom with practical mindset tools you can apply immediately — whether you're challenging yourself to run harder rivers, leading others, or navigating uncertainty in your everyday life.

In this episode, you'll explore:

• How to tell the difference between real danger and the stories your mind creates
  
  

• Why modeling failure builds trust, confidence, and stronger coaching relationships
  
  

• How freestyle kayaking develops resilience and mental agility under pressure
  
  

• What youth athletes can teach us about courage and pushing comfort zones
  
  

• Why following your passion builds transferable life skills — from leadership to risk management
  
  

If you care about building courage — in yourself or in the people you lead — this episode will change how you think about fear and growth.

🎧 Listen now to explore how passion becomes discipline, skill, and leadership.

What do you do when the pressure is on, and you don't have the answer?

In this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, I sit down with longtime paddler, freestyle competitor, and squirt boater Matt Hamilton to explore what real composure looks like in high-stakes environments.

As a paramedic and ski patroller, Matt regularly operates where the margin for error is razor thin. On the water, he's spent decades river running, paddling freestyle, and chasing deep mystery moves. Across both worlds, he's learned that confidence isn't about eliminating stress — it's about staying effective within it.

We talk about breathwork, repetition, aging in sport, the evolution of professional kayaking, and why variety and play are essential for long-term resilience.

This conversation is about more than kayaking. It's about learning to zoom out, reset your nervous system, and keep moving forward — especially when you feel stumped.

• Why composure means effectiveness under stress — not calm conditions
  
  

• How repetition and experience build real confidence over time
  
  

• What to do when you feel stuck or overwhelmed
  
  

• How play, community, and longevity shape resilience
  
  

• Why staying in the sport doesn't require chasing the latest tricks
  
  

If you want to build resilience, confidence, and mental agility — on the river and in life — this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen now and explore what becomes possible when you stay grounded under pressure.

What do polar expeditions have to teach you about conserving energy, building resilience, and showing up with real confidence?

In this episode of The Discomfort Zone, Anna sits down with endurance performance coach Jon Fearne, who has trained record breaking solo polar explorers, Atlantic rowers, and elite endurance athletes for nearly 30 years.

This conversation isn't about heroics. It's about what builds real confidence and resilience day after day, and it's probably not what you think.

They explore:

• Why routine reduces mental strain and builds resilience

• How small energy leaks — not big mistakes — cause failure

• How to train your nervous system for high-stress environments

• The psychology of solo adventure

• What failure really teaches you

• Why waiting for perfect conditions keeps you stuck
  
  

Jon shares the unfiltered truth about elite performance: it's not built in heroic moments. It's built in daily discipline.

If you've been waiting for ideal conditions before taking action — this episode is your reminder:

Confidence comes from preparation.
And preparation happens in the mundane.

🎧 Listen now and learn how to conserve energy, build resilience, and paddle with real confidence.

About Jon

Jon Fearne is an adventure performance coach who has worked with 1000's of endurance athletes all over the world from Atlantic Rowers to Record breaking Polar athletes, and multiple world endurance MTB riders.

He's worked in the endurance and adventure industry for 29 years, starting out as an Outdoor education instructor in surf and kayaking, and then studied Sports Science, co-writing a MSc Athlete development and peak performance. He runs an endurance coaching business called E3C, and his passions include time with family and being in the mountains on skis.

This is the 100th episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast — and it almost never happened.

In this solo milestone episode, Anna reflects on the journey from sitting on the idea of a podcast for years to surpassing 50,000 downloads — and the single insight that finally helped her take the leap.

That insight came from one paragraph in Hidden Potential by Adam Grant, where he describes three kinds of courage that accelerate growth:

• The courage to abandon your tried-and-true methods

• The courage to step into the ring before you feel ready

• The courage to make more mistakes than others make attempts
  
  

Through stories from whitewater kayaking, launching her first instructional DVD for women, and navigating the fear of publishing a podcast, Anna shares how leaning into discomfort shaped not only her career — but her life.

In this episode, you'll explore:

• Why discomfort is the gateway to growth

• How to peel out of your "eddy" and take action

• Why mistakes are essential for mastery

• How paddling mirrors the way we show up in life

• Reflection questions to help you move toward what matters most
  
  

If you've ever felt stuck, hesitant, or unsure whether you're ready, this episode is your reminder that growth starts exactly there.

The river doesn't wait for you to feel ready.
You peel out of the eddy anyway.
And that's where transformation happens.

🌊 Reflection Questions from This Episode

• Where in your life can you abandon your tried-and-true methods?
  
  

• Where can you step into the ring before you feel ready?
  
  

• Where can you make more mistakes than others make attempts?
  
  

🎧Listen now, and peel out toward what matters — even if you don't feel ready yet.

What if the river could teach you how to stay alive — and how to truly live?

In this powerful episode of The Discomfort Zone, I sit down with Lauren Byrd — combat veteran, whitewater kayaker, and creator of PaddleCalendar — for an honest, courageous conversation about fear, grounding, and finding your way back to yourself through paddling.

Lauren shares how kayaking became more than a sport — it became a lifeline. From learning to regulate her nervous system in an eddy before a rapid, to discovering the profound boat–body–head connection, Lauren walks us through how river skills translated directly into life-saving mental agility.

We talk about:

• How grounding practices finally made sense — not in a classroom, but on the river
  
  

• Using eddies as a metaphor for pausing, breathing, and resetting in life
  
  

• Starting whitewater kayaking as an adult (in her late 30s) — and going all in
  
  

• Competing on the world stage without comparison or perfectionism
  
  

• Why being in the boat matters more than the outcome
  
  

• How playboating, presence, and progression helped shift suicidal thoughts into a desire to live
  
  

This episode is for paddlers, adventurers, and anyone navigating fear, overwhelm, or big life transitions. You don't need to be running Class V to learn from the river — sometimes the most important work happens in the eddy.

If you've ever felt stuck on the shore of your own life, this conversation is an invitation to get back in the boat, trust your process, and paddle forward — one intentional moment at a time.

🎧 Listen in and let the river remind you what's possible — on and off the water.

What if self-doubt isn't a sign to stop — but an invitation to listen more deeply?

In this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Anna Levesque sits down with packrafter, educator, and counselor Jule Harle for a thoughtful, grounded conversation about imposter syndrome, purpose, and learning to trust what's guiding you — even when your mind is loud.

Jule shares how feeling "not good enough" has shown up across her life, from moving to Alaska without knowing how to ski, to stepping into leadership roles in paddlesports, education, and community building. Rather than trying to silence that voice, she offers a different approach: non-attachment, kindness toward yourself, and staying connected to what genuinely feels meaningful.

Together, Anna and Jule explore:

• Why imposter syndrome often appears when you're on the right path
  
  

• How heart-led desire can be a compass — even when the outcome is unclear
  
  

• Letting go of results while still showing up fully for the work
  
  

• The parallels between rivers, yoga, Ayurveda, and everyday decision-making
  
  

• Why rest, sleep, and seasonal rhythms are foundational for confidence
  
  

• How service, authenticity, and joy can coexist — without burnout
  
  

This conversation weaves river wisdom, Eastern philosophy, and lived experience into a practical reminder: growth doesn't come from proving yourself — it comes from presence, curiosity, and staying kind to yourself along the way.

🎧 Press play and explore what it means to quiet the mind, open the heart, and keep choosing what feels true — on the river and in life.

What if happiness isn't something you wait for — but something you generate?

In this solo episode, Anna walks you through a moment from the start of her year that offered a clear reminder of how you can create ease — even when things don't go as planned.

Through this real-life moment, Anna unpacks one of the most powerful mindset shifts she knows:

👉 Sometimes the hardest decision is actually the most easeful one.

Using whitewater kayaking metaphors, nervous system awareness, and mental agility tools, this episode explores:

• How to stop labeling your whole day (or year) as "bad"
• Why a "bad 10 minutes" doesn't equal a bad life — or a bad paddling day
• How to interrupt unhelpful stories and return to facts
• What it really means to generate happiness moment to moment
• Why being attached to "wins" creates emotional whiplash
• How to get off the up-and-down roller coaster and into a steadier wave train of life

If you've had a rough start to the year, a missed line on the river, or a moment where plans unraveled fast — this episode is an invitation to reframe, breathe, and choose clarity over fear.

Anna also shares how these practices are taught and trained inside her Mental Agility Mastery program — a live, small-group experience designed to help paddlers and adventurers move from feeling disempowered to grounded, confident, and capable.

🎧 Listen in if you're ready to:

• Paddle past unhelpful self-talk
• Make cleaner, more self-trusting decisions
• Find ease even when life feels hard
• And remember that nothing is ever all good or all bad
• Because just like on the river — it's about learning how to paddle through rapids with skill and self-trust.

In this encore episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, I sit down with Heidi Walsh, one of the most dynamic all-around female kayakers in the world and a 2025 Female Paddler of the Year finalist, for a raw conversation about mindset, resilience, and learning through failure in high-consequence whitewater.

Heidi is known for charging Class V creeks, competing at the highest level of freestyle kayaking, and running massive waterfalls—including 92-foot drops. In this episode, she breaks down what it actually takes—mentally and technically—to keep progressing when the stakes are high and the beatdowns are real.

We dive into the story behind her now-viral switch freewheel off Spirit Falls, and what it was like to follow that iconic moment with a humbling swim while attempting to hand-paddle through Chaos after her paddle was ripped from her hands. Heidi shares the lessons she took from that moment—and why mistakes, when approached with awareness and safety, are essential for growth.

In this episode, we explore:

• How to fail safely while pushing your limits in kayaking

• Why beatdowns don't mean you're doing it wrong—they mean you're learning

• The mental skills required to run big drops and charge hard lines

• How to build resilience and confidence after setbacks

• What "sending it with style" really means beyond the highlight reel

Heidi's grounded, no-nonsense approach to risk, progression, and self-trust offers powerful takeaways for paddlers—and anyone navigating fear, challenge, and growth in their own life.

🎧 If you're ready to rethink failure, build real confidence, and lean into discomfort with more clarity, this episode is for you.

In this encore episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, I'm joined by Sophie Gilfillan, recently named U21 Female Paddler of the Year, for a powerful conversation about mindset training for kayaking, managing fear, and letting go of perfectionism—without losing the joy of paddling.

Sophie is a silver medalist at the Junior Women's World Freestyle Championships and a multi-discipline paddler across freestyle, slalom, and creeking. In this conversation, she shares how she works with pressure, self-talk, and expectations at a high level—while staying grounded and connected to why she paddles in the first place.

In this episode, we explore:

• How to tell the difference between rational and irrational fear on the river

• Why perfectionism can quietly sabotage confidence and performance

• Sophie's "rule of thirds" mindset tool for bouncing back after tough performances

• How extreme slalom is changing the culture of competition

• A refreshing definition of success that isn't tied to medals or results

With wisdom beyond her years, Sophie offers insights that apply to competitive paddlers and everyday river runners alike.

Whether this is your first listen or a return to a favorite episode, this conversation is a reminder that progress doesn't have to come at the cost of joy.

🎧 Listen in and reconnect with why you love paddling.

What if you didn't set another resolution… and instead chose a theme you could actually live into?

In this bonus re-release, I'm joined by my longtime friend and entrepreneur Michelle Tennant Nicholson for a grounded, energizing conversation about creating an annual theme that becomes a true north star — not a January idea you forget by February.

We talk about what it really takes to stay engaged in your life (especially when you're tired, busy, or tempted to drift back into the comfortable shallows). You'll hear stories, laughs, and practical frameworks you can use right away — like reverse-engineering your year from the future, using people / places / things to build momentum, and treating "failure" as feedback instead of proof you're behind.

Michelle also shares how she navigated a major life pivot after Hurricane Helene disrupted her homestead plans — and how choosing a theme helped her realign with purpose when the path got rocky.

If you're craving clarity, courage, and a simple way to steer your attention into what matters most… this episode is your eddy to reset in — before you peel out into the year ahead.

✨ Listen now, and then send me (and Michelle!) your theme for the year.

In this inspiring episode of The Discomfort Zone, I sit down with Makinley Kate Hargrove, two-time Junior World Champion, World Cup gold medalist, and six-time U.S. Junior National Champion, to explore how she leans into discomfort and finds her flow both on and off the river.

We dive deep into:
🌊 How elite athletes reframe pressure into purpose
😊 Why choosing joy is a daily practice — not a personality trait
🤝 The power of community for courage and resilience
💪 Navigating injury with patience, perspective, and grounded mindset tools
✈️ How travel and culture shape who we become as paddlers and humans
💗 The role of authenticity and vulnerability in the competitive world
🌟 What Makinley Shares in This Episode

Makinley opens up about what it was like to compete on the world stage as a teenager, including the moment she first realized that discomfort could actually fuel her growth. She reveals the grounding practices she uses before competition — including visualization and tapping into joyful memories — that help her stay centered under pressure.
She also talks about how she releases expectations from others and returns to the simple joy of paddling, especially when competition and travel become intense. And in a powerful segment, McKinley walks us through her shoulder injury journey, how she stayed mentally resilient through forced rest, and the comeback she's building with clarity, patience, and purpose.
If you're a paddler, adventurer, or someone learning to navigate your own discomfort zone, this conversation offers courage, clarity, and so much heart.

🎧 Tune in and learn how to paddle past fear and into confidence — one joyful moment at a time.

If you've been stuck in negative self-talk, overwhelm, or the holiday-season hustle, this episode is your fresh breath of clarity.

In this solo episode of The Discomfort Zone, I share two powerful mindset exercises that have helped me peel out of stress spirals, rebuild confidence, and reconnect with ease — even in the middle of a six-month injury that kept me off the river.

Whether you're healing, navigating a busy season, or feeling mentally overloaded, these tools will help you shift from disempowered to empowered — which is exactly what mental agility is all about.

• 🌊 Fact vs. Story — the simple but profound tool that instantly interrupts negative spirals
  
  

• 💛 The Feeling Generator Exercise — how to create the emotions you want to experience, even before circumstances change
  
  

• 🧠 Why your brain constantly predicts danger (and how to work with it, not against it)
  
  

• 🚣‍♀️ How I rebuilt confidence while returning to whitewater after a herniated disc
  
  

• ✨ Why shifting your inner state is more powerful than positive thinking
  
  

I also share the vulnerable truth about my healing journey: months of not being able to sit, lying on my stomach during coaching calls, and slowly rebuilding strength until I finally paddled my first whitewater run again — and the joy that came with it.

• You're tired, overwhelmed, or stuck in a stress loop
  
  

• You want to build a more confident mindset
  
  

• You want to shift your inner dialogue from harsh to empowering
  
  

• You're ready to navigate the rapids of life with more ease, not force
  
  

These exercises are simple, accessible, and truly transformational — and you can start practicing them today.

🎧 Tune in and learn how to flip your internal script, generate confidence from the inside out, and paddle forward with clarity and courage.

What if the real discomfort zone isn't the big rapid, the waterfall, or the leap into the unknown — but the murky middle between who you've been and who you're becoming?

In this powerful, honest conversation, Anna sits down with lifelong adventurer and Color My Outdoors founder Simone Adams to explore what it really takes to navigate fear, identity, and belonging in outdoor spaces. Together they dive into:

🌿 What discomfort actually looks like
Simone shares how the discomfort zone isn't the scary new goal itself, but that tender in-between space where you've outgrown an old version of yourself but haven't stepped fully into the new one.

🧠 Journaling, self-awareness & manifesting with action
She opens up about using journaling to process anxiety, build self-awareness, and create the kind of intentional, actionable manifestation that actually moves you forward.

🌊 Why your outdoor journey doesn't have to look like anyone else's
From bucket lists that evolve to letting go of pressure to chase adrenaline, Simone and Anna talk about choosing the version of adventure that fits you now. 

🏞 Reclaiming space in the outdoors

Simone explains how Color My Outdoors helps people of color reconnect with nature, challenge internalized stereotypes, and feel welcome in outdoor recreation — without needing expensive gear or industry "rules."

If you've ever felt pressure to paddle harder, show up a certain way, or push yourself before you're ready, this episode is your reminder that growth doesn't have to look like anyone else's.

This conversation will ground you, inspire you, and remind you that the outdoors — and your growth — are yours to define.

In this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Anna sits down with Laura Zulliger — ACA Level 5 Coastal Kayak Instructor, whitewater paddler, and Saltwater Program Director for California Watersports Collective — for a powerful conversation about surrendering through challenge, trusting yourself in uncertainty, and finding play inside discomfort.

Together, they explore:

🌊 The real meaning of the discomfort zone — why fear, doubt, and imposter syndrome always show up at the edges of growth
🧠 How paddling teaches surrender — and what "going with the current" looks like in everyday life
🤰 Pregnancy, recovery, and whitewater — the surprising overlap between both journeys
💪 Reframing failure as freedom — and why getting wetter might actually mean you're progressing
💫 The role of play in building courage, confidence, and resilience on the water and in life

Anna and Laura weave together lessons from kayaking, surfing, and motherhood, revealing how transformation often comes not from pushing harder — but from letting go, trusting the process, and savoring the experience.

💬 Favorite Quotes
"The only way out is through."

"Sometimes you have to surrender to discover how strong you really are."

"If you're getting wetter, you're getting better."

If you're craving courage, connection, and a reminder that you're not alone on your growth journey, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

When Hurricane Helene tore through Western North Carolina, it didn't just reshape the riverbanks — it challenged an entire community to step into the unknown and take action, even when no one felt "ready."

In this powerful episode of The Discomfort Zone, I sit down with French Broad Riverkeeper Anna Alsobrook and MountainTrue River Cleanup Operations Manager Jon Stamper, two leaders who stepped straight into the chaos with courage, clarity, and a whole lot of heart.

We explore:

🌧 What discomfort really feels like — from itchy armpits to butterflies to the moment you realize the problem is bigger than anything you've ever seen

🏞 Behind-the-scenes stories from Hurricane Helene — including flooded wells, destroyed river access points, entire houses swept downstream, and shipping containers wrapped around bridge pilings

🤝 How community action becomes the antidote to overwhelm
From grilling hot dogs for displaced neighbors to launching the largest river-cleanup operation in North Carolina history, Anna and Jon share how small steps created massive impact.

💪 Why taking action before you feel "ready" is sometimes the most powerful move,
and how doing so expands our capacity for courage — on the river and in life.

🌊 A paddler's mindset for disaster, uncertainty, and leadership
including "one spoonful at a time," reading the water ahead, and grounding the nervous system when everything feels like too much.

This conversation is raw, inspiring, and deeply rooted in the heart of The Discomfort Zone:
start where you are, trust yourself, and keep moving one paddle stroke at a time.

If you're a paddler, adventurer, or someone navigating your own personal floodwaters, this episode will remind you that courage isn't about having the perfect plan… it's about looking where you want to go, and making the next right move.

🎧 Listen now and paddle into more courage, clarity, and community.

Most paddlers are trying to build courage and skill on top of a shaky foundation — and they don't even know it.

In this solo episode, I break down why so many paddlers (and humans!) focus on the wrong thing when they're trying to improve. Whether it's your roll falling apart, your eddy peel-outs feeling frantic, or the ever-present fear of being underwater (or in any challenge that doesn't seem to ever go away), chances are you're working on symptoms instead of the actual root.

And when you build on a weak foundation?
It only holds for so long… until it doesn't.

Inside this episode, you'll learn:

🌊 The real cause behind head-lifting in the roll (hint: it's not your head)
🧠 How your nervous system reacts before your brain does — and why that matters for paddling confidence
 💪 Why muscling through fear eventually stops working as we age or lose flexibility
 🔥 The overlooked root cause driving tension, hesitation, and rushed decision-making on the river (and in life)
 🔍 How to build true self-awareness so you can stop repeating patterns that keep you stuck
 📹 Why video review is a game-changer for seeing what you can't feel in the moment
 🌿 How Ayurveda taught me to look deeper — and how those principles apply directly to paddling + mindset

I also share an update from my own healing journey — six months off the water, relearning how to engage my core, and rebuilding a stronger foundation inside and out. Growth isn't always sexy… but it is powerful.

If you're ready to stop skimming the surface and actually transform the way you paddle, move, and navigate fear, this episode hands you the tools to build the strong, steady core you've been missing.

What if the same mindset that gets you through a Class IV rapid could help you start a business, write a book, or take a bold leap in life?

In this episode of The Discomfort Zone, Anna sits down with Melissa DeMarie — international kayak coach, river guide, and founder of California Watersport Collective — to talk about how navigating the unknown on the river mirrors the discomfort we face in life, leadership, and growth.

Melissa shares her "mental flow chart" — a practical, soulful framework for aking decisions when fear hits.

We explore:

🌊 How to transform nerves into excitement when the butterflies kick in
🧠 Why "failure" on the river (or in business) is just another rapid to learn from
💪 The power of rituals, self-talk, and embodiment when stepping into challenge
🔥 What it really takes to build confidence, community, and courage over a 20-year paddling career
💫 And how to bring your inner silverback gorilla to the moments that scare you most.

This one's not just for paddlers — it's for anyone ready to push past fear, trust themselves, and find flow on the river and in life.

👉 Listen now to learn how to paddle smarter through fear, failure, and growth — and why your next breakthrough might just start in your discomfort zone.

About Melissa

Melissa is a certified whitewater kayak coach, international guide, and founder of California Watersports Collective, a paddlesports school offering instruction and adventure programs across the U.S., Chile, Norway, and Italy. Melissa combines technical expertise with a deep passion for empowering others through outdoor adventure. She also leads a nonprofit initiative, Riverbound, focused on breaking down barriers to access in paddlesports, creating inclusive and supportive spaces on the water. A proud team paddler for Kokatat, Pyranha and Werner Paddles, Melissa brings 20 years of experience, mentorship and environmental stewardship to every river she shares.

Connect with Melissa

Cali Collective: https://cwwcollective.com/

IG: @cwwcollective

FB: melissa.demarie

Riverbound: https://www.riverboundoutreach.org/

In this episode of The Discomfort Zone, Anna Levesque talks with Olympian and extreme kayaker Sofia Reinoso, the first Mexican woman to compete in Canoe Slalom at the Olympic Games. Sofia opens up about what it takes to say yes anyway — even when fear, uncertainty, or failure show up on the path to your biggest dreams.
From her beginnings paddling Mexico's Alseseca River to competing on the world stage, Sofi shares how she's built confidence through courage, community, and consistent mindset work.

You'll hear:
🌊 Why discomfort is a daily practice — not a punishment
💪 How to train your mind like your body for resilience and clarity
❤️ The power of saying no to the "easy route" so you can say yes to what matters
🧭 How small, consistent "yeses" build unstoppable confidence

This conversation will inspire you to choose growth over comfort — and to remember that your greatest power comes from saying yes anyway.

👉 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

About Sofia
Sofia Reinoso is a Mexican slalom and extreme race competitor, kayak instructor and guide. She has medaled in both K1 Womens and K1 Extreme Women at the Pan American Games, and has a World Cup K1 Extreme medal to her name as well.

Sofia grew up at Aventurec, a rafting outfitter and kayak school that also hosts the annual Alseseca Race. She has extensive guiding experience on her home rivers in Mexico and other countries around the globe including Argentina, Colombia, France, Chile, and the United States. 

Connect with Sofia

IG: @sofireinoso

FB: Sofia Reinoso

Can laughter on the river be a way of reconnecting to self, to ancestors, to the water itself?

In this powerful episode of The Discomfort Zone, Anna sits down with Keeya Wiki, a 17-year-old Indigenous kayaker who belongs to the Yurok peoples of the Klamath river and Te Aupouri and Ngati Porou tribes of Aotearoa (New Zealand). Keeya shares the story of completing the first descent of the newly undammed Klamath River, a historic journey led by Indigenous youth reclaiming connection to ancestral waters.

Through laughter, vulnerability, and reflection, Keeya and Anna explore:

🌊 What it felt like to paddle the Klamath after generations of advocacy for dam removal
💫 How to navigate discomfort, fear, and self-doubt with grounding and self-trust
🤝 The power of community, mentorship, and representation in outdoor spaces
😮How she navigated an intense underwater experience on the river

🔥Why the joy she experienced on the river has the power to heal generations

Keeya's young wisdom invites us to listen deeply, and learn from Indigenous peoples and their resilience as we move and paddle forward through the world.

🎧 Listen now to hear how joy, courage, and river restoration flow together on the Klamath.

In this week's episode of The Discomfort Zone, Anna dives into the power of accountability as a key mental agility skill — both on the river and in life.

From her journey healing a herniated disc to returning to the water with strength and gratitude, Anna shares how holding herself accountable (even when it's hard) helped her rebuild courage, confidence, and consistency. 💪

You'll learn why being kind to yourself sometimes means doing the hard thing, and how small daily actions — those "easy moves in easy water" — create real momentum toward your goals.

Anna also explores how accountability shapes true leadership: walking your talk, staying the course, and inspiring trust — whether you're leading a river crew or your own life. 🌊

💡 Why Listen
If you've ever...
✨ Set a goal and drifted off course
✨ Struggled to get back into rhythm after fear or injury
✨ Wondered how to balance self-compassion with discipline
✨ Needed a reminder that small daily actions really do matter

...then this episode will meet you right where you are.

Anna shares paddling stories, honest reflections, and actionable tips to help you:

Rebuild trust with yourself

Practice accountability without perfectionism

Stay in your flow — even when the current gets tricky 🧘‍♀️

🔥 Key Takeaways
🛶 Accountability isn't punishment — it's an act of self-leadership.
🌊 "Easy moves in easy water" build strength for harder runs.
💙  Being kind to yourself can mean doing the hard thing.
🤝 You don't have to do it alone — find a buddy, system, or coach to help you stay the course

🎧 Listen Now
Available wherever you get your podcasts