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In this interview with Darcy Gaechter we uncover motivations rooted in being counted out. Being small, a woman, not fitting a stereotypical mold that the world projects that we must fit in, Darcy is the perfect example of how a “chip on the shoulder” can be a positive motivator.Of course, choosing alternative lifestyles have their own pitfalls and its this that she finds to be her biggest crux in life now.Co-owner of Small World Adventures and first female source to sea descent of the Amazon River, Darcy Gaechter may be small in physical stature, but bigger in life than most of us can comprehend. Enjoy this interview as we dissect her life path, touch on her expedition through the Amazon River basin, and discuss what’s in store for her next.

What I thought was going to be an episode about preventative medicine and dealing with injuries, I realized it was more of a love story than anything else. John Ditmars found himself hitting a rock bottom when he experienced a traumatic injury which pretty much left him paralyzed. From helplessness and depression to motivation and resolve, John find himself back doing what he loves the most, squirt boating.John describes his injury in detail and the anguish of recovery both physically and mentally and the folks, both in traditional and non-traditional medicine, that helped set him on the path of becoming a licensed acupuncturist.John earned his Master’s Degree in Acupuncture at New York City’s renowned Tri-State College of Acupuncture, where he extensively trained under Sensei Kiiko Matsumoto and Dr. Mark Seem.If you want to check out more about John and his practice check out his websites below:http://www.integrative-acupuncture.com/https://www.fumedicinals.com/

Sam and Jenna fell in love with the outdoors and each other in the Nantahala Gorge in Western NC nearly a half decade ago. Before they married they decided to take on the challenge of living together on the road, while working, as "traveling trainers" for the Leave No Trace organization. Already advocates for our outdoor spaces, they learned that the biggest challenge wasn't developing the ideas but getting the ideas out there in turn creating more stewards of our wild spaces.Sit back and enjoy my conversation with the Ovett's as we discuss how they managed to land the dream job, what it was like to be a traveling trainer, as well as some of the biggest challenges they still face as an organization.

Heather Ekstrom has been exploring edges since she was a little girl. Growing up in a household full of activity, Heather was encouraged to find 'fun' and chase after it; the kicker being that she got to be the one to slap the definition on 'fun' herself. From triathlons to ultrarunning, Heather's relationship with challenge, suffering, and triumph is closely knitted in her world view: adversity is inevitable, and learning to deal with it healthfully is wildly fulfilling. Join Heather for a bright but real, colorful but defined peek in to her world of making her home in the Pain Cave; we talk mental health, daily practice, and what it means to endure.Heather has asked us to make the following link and message available to our listeners and their loved ones: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/"To anyone who has/had/will suffer from a challenging relationship with food and body image please know that there are resources available and people who are ready to listen and guide. The worst thing you can do is think that there are "bigger" and "more important" problems in the world - stop - YOU are big - YOU are important - and you are not alone."

Heather Ekstrom has been exploring edges since she was a little girl. Growing up in a household full of activity, Heather was encouraged to find 'fun' and chase after it; the kicker being that she got to be the one to slap the definition on 'fun' herself. From triathlons to ultrarunning, Heather's relationship with challenge, suffering, and triumph is closely knitted in her world view: adversity is inevitable, and learning to deal with it healthfully is wildly fulfilling. Join Heather for a bright but real, colorful but defined peek in to her world of making her home in the Pain Cave; we talk mental health, daily practice, and what it means to endure.Heather has asked us to make the following link and message available to our listeners and their loved ones: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/"To anyone who has/had/will suffer from a challenging relationship with food and body image please know that there are resources available and people who are ready to listen and guide. The worst thing you can do is think that there are "bigger" and "more important" problems in the world - stop - YOU are big - YOU are important - and you are not alone."

Although this wasn't our intended episode 4, we eventually were going to get to a review episode of some of our past episodes. We're happy to get to this sooner rather than later as we are still early in the life of UnderCurrents and will help us define the direction we take creatively. Enjoy this episode with Chris and Lydia as we explore this definition and ultimately get back to what we liked about each previous episode.This turned out to be an entertaining episode with no established focus on the front end, but ultimately flows really well. We'll talk to you all again in a couple of weeks :)

Kaysee Armstrong is magnetic… and intense. We often think about the draw, the pull of magnetism, but it also has the opposite effect, too: pushing away. Kaysee’s intensity in life and in her professional pursuit of mountain biking can change the polarity of that magnetism. She’s learning to cope with that and in the start of her 3rd season, she seems to have found some peace and identity in where she draws the most fulfillment from in mountain biking. We dive deep into Kaysee’s roots of competition and drive, her meteoric rise in mountain biking, and what moving forward might potentially look like for her. Will she quit the pro circuit and go back to a 9 to 5? Can she find what she enjoys the most about local races in the bigger and lonelier existence of the professional circuit?

Join host Chris Wing as he dives into the past and the present of waterman, Robbie Gilson. Robbie is most noted recently for swimming portions of the Upper Gauley River with friend, Mac McGee. Despite some community criticism, Robbie offers insight into their motivations and processes as they approached the actual event. He also divulges on personal philosophy with approaches with water, life, and death.I promise this first episode will keep you captivated throughout.