Episoder
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We’re couldn’t be more excited to announce a new partnership here at the Bounce Forward and Be Audacious. We’re teaming up with one of the fastest (and baddest) men on two wheels, Cole Paton. The Bounce Forward as you know it isn’t going anywhere, we’ll still do long form, in depth conversations with athletes and performers, but we’re going to add another layer with our new show within the show Roll On, Cole Paton.
In this first episode of Roll On, Cole Paton, we take a deep dive into Cole’s time in Bentonville for the final event of the 2024 Life Time Grand Prix—Big Sugar. We explore the mental challenges Cole had to hurdle, unable to race the final weekend of his season. In true Roll On and Bounce Forward fashion, Cole shares how he worked through being too sick to compete in the last big throw down of 2024 and how he’s embracing the beginning of his off-season.
With the show title, Roll On, we’re giving a nod to Cole’s path as one of the top off-road endurance cyclists in North America, staying true to what it looks like to ‘Bounce Forward,’ while representing where we grew up, the Evergreen State, and the Columbia River watershed, ‘Roll On Columbia roll on,’ if you know, you know.
With Roll On, we’re going to bring you stories from inside the game, inside the mind and inside the season of Cole Paton. We’re going to consistently connect with Cole, checking in, unpacking things after the highs and lows of big events, like Leadville, any and all Life Time Grand Prix races and Marathon Worlds and Nationals, just to name a few.
These conversations will be raw, real and vulnerable—and as a result, we believe, really powerful, adding value and telling some damn good stories.
We’ll also utilize this show as an opportunity for Cole to share any big announcements, or just riff, talk story and share what’s on his mind. Our goal here is to share Cole’s experiences afield with the world—with you, the listener.
If you don’t know Cole, you’re about to, and I can tell you with 100% certainty, he’s the real deal.
We plan to bring some fresh perspective and strong energy—while keeping it light and loose. We’re really passionate about this canvas we’re painting, this connection we’re building and this thing we’re creating.
We hope you’ll join us on this journey.
Cole’s Instagram: @colepaton
Website: beaudacious.com
Michael’s Instagram: @michaelleachba
Show’s Instagram: @thebounceforward
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Lauren De Crescenzo is a cycling icon, gravel racing protagonist, winner of the biggest off-road races on the continent, and TBI (traumatic brain injury) survivor, advocate and champion.
In this conversation, on the first official day of her off-season, we explore how LDC became a paragon of off-road endurance cycling, her propensity to shake things up by taking flyers early and often, and how she became a poster child for grit and tenacity. Lauren shares stories from Unbound (triumph and flats), winning The Rad Dirt Fest for the 3rd time, and how she found gravel.
We’ll also discuss her decorated collegiate career, her near fatal crash and traumatic brain injury (the before and after), her Master’s degree of Public Health in Epidemiology and her time working at the Centers for Disease Control. We’ll wrap up this deep dive exploring her latest adventure as a privateer and her advocacy work for the TBI community and the Craig Hospital.
Lauren’s candor, courage, compassion and witty sense of humor are on full display throughout this conversation—as is her high intelligence and charismatic nature. She’s got the best laugh in the game and races with her heart. The Queen of the comeback, or better put, the epitome of the bounce forward, LDC’s maturity, wisdom and perspective will offer aspiring athletes a glimpse into the mind of one of the baddest and fastest women on two wheels.
WNbL,
Lauren’s Instagram: @laurenissima
LDC Merch: https://e9aece-3.myshopify.com/collections/all
Website: beaudacious.com
Michael’s Instagram: @michaelleachba
Show’s Instagram: @thebounceforward
Michael's Mindset and Mental Endurance Coaching: https://beaudacious.com/coaching/
This episode was powered by The Bicycle Station
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Manglende episoder?
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In today’s episode I sit down for a conversation with Devon Dabney from DR Performance. Devon wears a lot of hats, working for Wahoo Fitness, leading DR Fitness with her partner Robert, all while pushing the limits as a strong, bold and fearless racer, leaning into triathlons of all distances.
From Kona to 70.3, the indoor training studio to the community and team that DR Performance is building, from navigating injury to breaking long standing swim records at LSU, we’ll dive into the deep end with Devon.
I walked away from my conversation with Devon, inspired by her grit, grace, tenacity, dedication and unwavering drive to not only become the best version of herself, but to foster a team that provides a positive space for her athletes to do the same.
Whether you’re parent of a young swimmer, navigating your own swim dreams, thinking of jumping into a bold and daring endeavor, or just want to see what you can absorb from a highly successful athlete and coach, I’m confident that you’ll find something worthwhile in today’s listen.
WNbL,
DR Performance: https://www.instagram.com/devonandrobert_tri/
Website: beaudacious.com
Michael’s Instagram: @michaelleachba
Show’s Instagram: @thebounceforward
Michael's Mindset and Mental Endurance Coaching: https://beaudacious.com/coaching/
This episode was powered by The Bicycle Station
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In today’s episode I sit down with husband, dad, rider and strong man, David Curtis. David is featured in my favorite Leadville short documentary, Chase The Storm chronicling CrossFit Legend, Rich Fronning as he and David raced for Mayhem Madness. The man, David Curtis just keeps digging deeper and getting faster at the highest, hardest mountain bike race in North America.
But David Curtis is far more than a rider and racer. He’s a committed father, a dedicated husband, a fearless leader and a deep thinker. In today’s conversation we explore parenting, faith, leadership, being a person of color in the ultra marathon world, training for long endurance events in harsh winter climates, motivation and how we can consistently keep our bodies moving for the long haul.
This one is raw and real. David is determined to keep showing up each day for the people and pursuits that most matter to him. I’m confident that you’ll all find David to be thoughtful, authentic, reflective and committed to leaving this world a better place. Talk about a good human, David Curtis is just that.
WNbL,
Chase The Storm: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=chase+the+storm
Website: beaudacious.com
Michael’s Instagram: @michaelleachba
Show’s Instagram: @thebounceforward
Michael's Mindset and Mental Endurance Coaching: https://beaudacious.com/coaching/
This episode was powered by The Bicycle Station
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In today’s episode I have the pleasure of sitting down with Brianne Kwasny. Brianne is a former collegiate soccer player and current endurance athlete. After winning her age group at the Breck Epic in 2023, she competed in the pro division at the Breck in 2024, holding her own, and racing her race.
In this conversation we’ll explore how Brianne balances her demanding professional work life while staying consistent in her training, why sleep is her superpower, the mindset she embraces when the going gets tough, and how loss has inspired her to be the best version of herself on and off the bike.
You’re going to find Brianne to be humble, thoughtful, articulate and highly intelligent. I’m confident that Brianne’s approach to life, training and work will be both inspiring and uplifting.
WNbL,
Brianne’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bkwasny
Website: beaudacious.com
Michael’s Instagram: @michaelleachba
Show’s Instagram: @thebounceforward
Michael's Mindset and Mental Endurance Coaching: https://beaudacious.com/coaching/
This episode was powered by The Bicycle Station
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In today’s episode I sit down with Bikes Change Lives co-founder, CJ Wiggins. We’ll to learn about the Bikes Change Lives mission and how they advocate for using bikes as a vehicle to navigate mental health challenges. We’ll also dive deep into CJ’s horrific bike accident just six weeks before the 2024 Leadville 100 and his audacious comeback to complete the biggest, baddest, highest and hardest mountain bike race in North America for the third straight year.
In true Bounce Forward fashion, we’ll go old-school with a real bounce back story. This one is for any young athletes out there looking for inspiration, athletes in transition—thinking about moving from one sport to another, parents on the lookout for stories and to inspire your teens, or anyone that just enjoys a good old comeback story.
I’m sure you’ll all find CJ to be likable, thoughtful, relatable and inspiring. He’s a young man that’s on a mission to make a difference, to lift people up and to be an example of how to endure hard things.
WNbL,
CJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cjwiggins7/
Bikes Change Lives IG: https://www.instagram.com/bikeschangelives_/
Bikes Change Lives website: https://bikeschangelives.com/
Leadville 100 Fundraiser: firstdescents.org/fundraiser/
Website: beaudacious.com
Michael’s Instagram: @michaelleachba
Show’s Instagram: @thebounceforward
Michael's Mindset and Mental Endurance Coaching: https://beaudacious.com/coaching/
This episode was powered by The Bicycle Station
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I’m excited to bring you this long form conversation with friend of the show, friend of the family and Bounce Forward fan favorite, Roger Thompson. The ironman himself is back to share his experience with the highest, hardest mountain bike race in North America, the Leadville 100.
In this episode, Roger and I will take a deep dive, sharing our Leadville stories. Whether you’re thinking about doing Leadville, or some other big, long endurance event like Leadville, or you feel like reliving Leadville through the perspective of someone else’s saddle, or you just feel like listing to the wise words and soothing voice of endurance athlete, coach, teacher, husband, father and friend, Roger Thompson, we hope you’ll enjoy the listen.
You can also journey through my Leadville story through my freshest piece on the Be Audacious blog.
Roger's Instagram: roger_thompson
Leadville 100 Fundraiser: firstdescents.org/fundraiser/
Website: beaudacious.com
Michael’s Instagram: @michaelleachba
Show’s Instagram: @thebounceforward
This episode was powered by The Bicycle Station
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Cole Paton is a professional off-road racer and one of the fastest men on two wheels—hailing from Cashmere, Washington. He’s a heavy hitter in the Life Time Grand Prix Series and recently went big at the Leadville 100.
You’re going to find that Cole is far more than a bike racer—yes, he’s a fighter and tenacious competitor but he’s also a humble, high character, real and thoughtful individual, putting a lot of good energy into the world. In this conversation we’ll dive deep into his process and mindset.
Cole’s mental game is on full display during this conversation as we explore how he’s become such a strong and resilient athlete on and off the bike. We’ll talk about how Cole paced his race at Leadville, stepping up on the podium with a third place finish at the biggest, baddest mountain bike race in North America, using power as his governor as he metered out his effort.
We’ll also dive into pre-race breakfasts and some of the routines and rituals that ground Cole during training and on race day. I’m confident that he’ll become a Bounce Forward Podcast fan favorite—as Cole is a lovable human who radiates kindness and goodness.
Lastly, we’ll explore what happiness looks like to Cole and how he goes about fostering joy in life, on the bike and in his most important relationship.
Hold onto your seats folks, we’ve got a good one coming your way.
WNbL,
Cole’s Instagram: @colepaton
Leadville 100 Fundraiser: firstdescents.org/fundraiser/
Website: beaudacious.com
Michael’s Instagram: @michaelleachba
Show’s Instagram: @thebounceforward
This episode was powered by The Bicycle Station
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Anna Yamauchi is a professional off-road bike racer and competitor in the Life Time Grand Prix Series. But Anna is so much more than a bike racer and athlete. Humble grace, quiet confidence and easy speed are what comes to mind after spending ninety+ minutes in conversation with this exceptional young human—who just so happens to be really strong and good on the bike.
In this episode we explore a wide range of topics from relationships to mindset, routines to flexibility, training to mental health. We’ll also discuss how Anna's finding the warrior within, her headspace following a frustrating Unbound, her grit and determination in the face of health challenges, and her meteoric rise and breakout in the most competitive field of off-road cycling North America has to offer.
Full of grace, grit and courage, Anna Yamauchi is a standout athlete and special human; she’s thoughtful, resilient, intelligent and witty. Fresh off a trip from Paris, we’ll talk about her journey to observe the 2024 Olympics and the steps she’s taking to bounce forward stronger than ever.
Present, grounded and fully here—Anna’s likability, authenticity and big heartedness are on full display. Anna is someone showing up, rising above her challenges and circumstances and she's sure to inspire. I’m really excited to bring you this conversation today.
WNbL, mwl
Anna’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yamaggucci/
Leadville 100 Fundraiser: firstdescents.org/fundraiser/
Website: beaudacious.com
Michael’s Instagram: @michaelleachba
Show’s Instagram: @thebounceforward
This episode was powered by The Bicycle Station
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Taylor Lideen is a a professional off-road bike racer with an extensive resume of strong two-wheeled results. But he’s far more than a rider. This is hands down one of my favorite and most meaningful conversations to date.
In this episode of The Bounce Forward Podcast, Taylor and I will explore his struggles with anxiety and depression, while also diving into his mission to be a mental health advocate. From wins and podiums ultra endurance races like 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo and Unbound XL, to Marathon National Championships, True Grit and Rule of Three, to spending weeks at a time in bed when in the midst of a mental health episode, we’ll discuss how Taylor is shifting his mindset, courageously and passionately bouncing forward day after day.
Taylor Lideen is not only a testament to a resilient and tenacious human that is living the BA Way (the Be Audacious Way), but he’s the personification of what it looks like to bounce forward—not one time from an injury, but every day, while navigating depression and anxiety.
In this episode, Taylor and I share our stories and struggles with depression, getting raw, real and vulnerable, in hopes of truly connecting, while destigmatizing depression and mental health challenges.
The guards are down, the masks are off, and we both share some dark times and deep stories from the depths of despair. Anyone who has or knows a family member or close friend who has experienced depression, anxiety or mental health challenges will relate to the waves we ride in this episode, and I’m pretty sure that you’ll find Taylor’s story to be a lifeline, buoying us up when the waves are crashing down.
Taylor’s website: https://www.taylorlideen.com/
Taylor’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tlideen/
Taylor’s Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoTCH2oEGUk
Leadville 100 Fundraiser: firstdescents.org/fundraiser/
Website: beaudacious.com
Michael’s Instagram: @michaelleachba
Show’s Instagram: @thebounceforward
This episode was powered by The Bicycle Station
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We’re back with another episode from the dynamic Dylan Johnson. He’s a fan favorite and three time guest of the show. On this 24th episode of The Bounce Forward Podcast, we take a deep dive with one of our favorite endurance athletes.
In today’s episode we'll also explore Dylan's big breakthrough this season and how he’s celebrating his current fitness. He also gives me solid advice as I navigate some heavy training fatigue and shares how he bounced forward from illness in the weeks leading up to Unbound—where he took a top ten in the most stacked field of riders we’ve ever seen at a gravel event.
We also explore Dylan’s mindset coming into the season, what adjustments he’s made to his training and how his big results at Mid South and Unbound have boosted the confidence of a rider that’s already racing with a lot of self-efficacy.
As a mental endurance coach, every time we connect, I’m impressed with the mindset of this athlete and coach. I always walk away from a conversation with Dylan feeling inspired and uplifted—something I’m sure you feel after giving this conversation a listen. I’m confident that this one will add value, make you think and most likely, make you fall in love with our favorite rider in the LifeTime Grand Prix.
To listen to previous episodes with Dylan, look for episodes 10 and 11.
Dylan’s coaching page https://www.dylanjohnsontraining.com/
Dylan’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dylanjawnson/
Dylan’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@DylanJohnsonCycling
Leadville 100 Fundraiser: firstdescents.org/fundraiser/
Website: beaudacious.com
Michael’s Instagram: @michaelleachba
Show’s Instagram: @thebounceforward
This episode was powered by The Bicycle Station
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When we’re really pushing things in training and honoring the Holy Trinity, it’s truly a threading of the needle as we try and balance the desire to build fitness with our body’s need for rest and recovery. When we’re building stamina for a big event, overtraining and overuse injuries are a reality that all endurance athletes must acknowledge.
In this short, monologue style free-flow of an episode, I share some updates and progress on the Leadville 100 training, which is only six months from today. How we navigate big training blocks, niggles and fatigue will ultimately determine if we’re able to keep the wheels of consistency churning or if we need to pump the brakes and hit the pause button.
Learning to train intuitively is an art that requires listening to our body while having the wisdom to pivot, remaining adaptable versus feeling the need to always stick to the plan—that’s the name of the game when we’re threading the training needle.
Leadville 100 Fundraiser: firstdescents.org/fundraiser/
Website: beaudacious.com
Michael’s Instagram: @michaelleachba
Show’s Instagram: @thebounceforward
This episode was powered by The Bicycle Station
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Roger Thompson is a husband, father, teacher and coach. He’s also an Ironman athlete with a deep history and storied career in the sport. His race resume includes 20 lifetime Ironmans, National Age Group Champion and 8x Kona World Championship qualifier.
This conversation explores the power of sport and importance of keeping our body moving, but we go much deeper than endurance sports in this episode. Diving deep into loss, injury and setbacks—I feel like Roger takes us on a master class of how to live and live well.
This conversation is itself a toolkit for parenting, aging gracefully and training for the long haul. From time-management to growth mindset, we explore a wide range of topics that include the importance of effective and regular communication in our relationships, how to foster a fruitful marriage and how to accept the challenges of taking care of our aging parents. Roger also shares how we as parents can better monitor the use of smartphones while reducing the harmful impacts of social media.
I greatly admire Roger’s consciousness, mindset and self-awareness. He’s a deep thinker and he’s a highly intelligent and articulate human who tackles some of the most daunting and overwhelming aspects of life, giving us a roadmap for living a meaningful life. Truly a peaceful warrior, I’m proud to bring you Roger Thompson, and I’m confident that this one will add value and make you think differently about how we lead, learn and love.
Roger's Instagram: roger_thompson
Leadville 100 Fundraiser: firstdescents.org/fundraiser/
Website: beaudacious.com
Michael’s Instagram: @michaelleachba
Show’s Instagram: @thebounceforward
This episode was powered by The Bicycle Station
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Jesse and Chase Smith are husband and wife and also the owners of The Bicycle Station. With three locations in Indiana, these new parents and YouTube profiteers are movers and shakers in the bike world. From humble beginnings to a powerhouse couple, these two have navigated injury, illness and a pregnancy, all while purchasing a bike shop and opening the doors to two new stores.
In this episode, Chase shares stories from her unexpectedly challenging pregnancy and how she’s bouncing forward, getting back on the bike and competing at this year’s Mid South, parenting, serving on the board for Brown County Mountain Biking and holding it down at the shop. Jesse talks about what fuels him to be a content producing machine, capable wrench and ambitious player in the bike industry, all while continuing to pursue his passion as a pointy end of the pack racer on the mountain and gravel bike.
From the beginning, everything with this couple has been fast and furious and in this conversation with Michael, Jesse and Chase talk Leadville, training with a toddler, building a YouTube bike channel empire and the growth of their thriving business, The Bicycle Station.
This episode was powered by The Bicycle Station
Leadville 100 Fundraiser: firstdescents.org/fundraiser/
Website: beaudacious.com
Michael’s Instagram: @michaelleachba
Show’s Instagram: @thebounceforward
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Kai Luan is a 27-year-old paracyclist from Chicago, Illinois. Within a year of his osteosarcoma diagnosis in the middle of his junior year of high school, Kai underwent a below-knee amputation following multiple rounds of chemotherapy.
Kai’s story and bounce forward is a testament to the power of the human spirit and the epitome of resiliency in action. An athlete at heart, Kai returned to competing in martial arts following his amputation, until he discovered his love for the bike. Once Kai found the bike, he audaciously began chasing dreams on two wheels. Kai placed 1st in his C4 category and 4th overall at the 2023 USA Cycling eSports Paracycling Nationals. He’s an avid road and gravel racer, pushing the limits as an athlete and now race promoter.
When not working as an attorney, Kai can be seen chasing his two wheeled dreams while working to inspire others to embrace new challenges, shedding light on and increasing visibility for adaptive sports and athletes.
In today’s conversation, Michael and Kai talk Unbound, LA 2028 Paralympics, Kai’s work as a race promoter and his ambitious 2024 race calendar. Kai and Michael dive deep into what it was like working through a dramatic and life altering challenge as a teenage athlete. Humble, hungry, articulate and thoughtful, Kai is sure to become a Bounce Forward fan favorite.
You can listen our episode with Dylan Johnson on Unbound 2023 here.
Leadville 100 Fundraiser: firstdescents.org/fundraiser
Website: beaudacious.com
Michael's Instagram: @michaelleachba
Show Instagram: @thebounceforward
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Rose Grant is a friend of the show and one of our favorite examples of a human that knows how to bounce forward strong. Rose is a 5x Mountain Bike Marathon National Champion and two-time Leadville 100 winner. A mom, wife, cycling coach, horse-trainer and adventurer, Rose is an inspiration and force of nature.
In today’s conversation, Michael and Rose explore her next chapter and what the first year of retirement from professional racing has looked like for one of the most dominant endurance athletes of the last decade. From her work as a Leadville ambassador, to training up athletes on how to tackle the most daunting one day mountain bike race in North America. In our second conversation with Rose, we’ll also dive into her work as a coach and horse trainer and what her current life looks like in NW Montana.
Articulate, thoughtful and full of wisdom, Rose never disappoints. For those looking for uplift and inspiration, look no further, because Rose always delivers in abundance.
https://support.firstdescents.org/fundraiser/5198318
https://beaudacious.com/
https://www.instagram.com/michaelleachba/
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We decided to sneak in one final episode before we say goodbye to 2023. In this final episode of Season One, we explore the up and down nature of being an athlete. Regardless of our best intention or our commitment to following a plan or to stay healthy, injury, illness and setback are a natural part of the athlete journey and learning to ride the waves that come with being a life-long athlete, becomes an art and practice.
While none of us welcome injury or illness, any athlete training for the long haul, with years of training under their belt knows that these challenges represent an inescapable reality. In this short episode we explore how we can think about these setbacks when they come, while shedding light on the importance of language, the problem with labels and how we can seek the support we need during these vulnerable times.
Instagram: @thebounceforwardpodcast
Website: https://beaudacious.com/podcast/
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In this final episode of Season One, we briefly recap our first season, explore what’s to come in season two and dive into some storytelling and coaching. When things don’t go as planned or we’re in the midst of an injury, how do we cope and manage the many emotions and feelings of letdown? Even though most setbacks are temporary, these challenging circumstances often represent loss for the individual.
Learning to navigate injury, illness and setback is a far steeper task than preparing for the biggest, baddest, hardest endurance race around. Unlike preparing for a race, there’s no template or cookie cutter training plan to guide us. How we navigate the trials and tribulations that are inherent to working our way through injury or illness can become the foundation for developing fortitude and cultivating perseverance in the face of what may represent the most difficult endurance feat of them all.
Instagram: @thebounceforwardpodcast
Website: https://beaudacious.com/podcast/
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Sarah Kaufmann is a highly sought after cycling coach and owner of K Cycling Coaching. Sarah is a former professional mountain bike racer, with a fifteen year racing career in XC and CX. Sarah has been coaching for over a decade and in this episode we discuss her journey from athlete to coach, the evolution of her coaching, the reason she still builds in interval sessions to her weekly training and why she stuck with it as an endurance athlete after a mediocre beginning as a high schooler.
This one’s for any of you with young athletes or for budding athletes not having the success that you feel reflects your training. Persistence, resilience and sticktoitiveness is the name of the game with this episode of the podcast. Sarah is an inspiring testament to how keeping our body in movement not only strengthens our mental and physical selves, but by staying the course and keeping faith alive—simply staying in the game and doing the work—we give ourselves a shot at hitting our stride and achieving things physically and professionally that would have seemed a pipe dream to our teenage selves.
To learn more about the show or dive into previous episodes drop by https://beaudacious.com/podcast/
Instagram: @thebounceforward
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My mom loved this new cover art, so it's a keeper. Writing my 'Dear Momma' essay was hard, recording it/this was a big and vulnerable lift.
This episode will have a different feel and won’t be for everyone. I didn’t intend for it to be this long, but this one’s from the heart—straight flow and no cuts or edits (I couldn’t listen back on this one). I start this episode with an update on where we’ve been and what’s been going on since we published our last episode and then I dive into a tribute/essay to my dear mom, who we suddenly and unexpectedly lost earlier this month.
My mom was such a big fan of this show, such a champion of and believer in all of these Be Audacious endeavors. I miss my mom like crazy and this episode is both a tribute to her and my attempt to get back in the saddle, to bounce forward with resilience and fortitude, while staying on mission, striving to produce content that adds value, uplifts, inspires and elevates our listeners and readers—content that would make her proud.
My mom was a force of nature, a champion of our wild world, an advocate of the underdog, a brilliant author (of 10+ books), a bold wildlife conservationist and activist, a pet rescuer and the best mom, grandma, wife and editor you could ever ask for.
You can learn more about my audacious mom at https://www.aprilchristofferson.com/
This is one of my favorite articles on my mom from the University of Utah’s School of Biological Sciences https://www.biology.utah.edu/alumni/april-christofferson/
Be good, do good, but stay feisty and fiery. Express your gratitude and love for your nearest and dearest, early and often and keep fighting the good fight.
WNbL, mwl
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