The PowHERful Podcast with AJ McCord

Kelsey Pfendler (Ocean Row)

“Being brave is not an absence of fear, you need fear to be brave.” Kelsey Pfendler is trying to do what no woman her age has done before - row from Monterey, California to Oahu, Hawaii by herself, completely unsupported, rowing a boat utilizing only her own power to get across the 2,400 mile stretch of Pacific Ocean. It sounds crazy, but for Kelsey, who’s been a professional whitewater rafting guide in the Grand Canyon for eight years, on the water in the middle of nowhere is where she feels most at home. She shares her goals, her fears, and her why. It’s an episode that we hope inspires you to dream of your own mid-Pacific row, showing up scared, and doing it anyway.  You can track Kelsey’s progress here [https://yourowkelsey.com/].You can follow her journey here [https://www.instagram.com/yourowkelsey/].  Make sure you follow, subscribe and share The PowHERful Podcast everywhere you get your podcasts and on IG [https://www.instagram.com/thepowherful/], TT, [https://www.tiktok.com/@thepowherfulstories] and YT. [https://www.youtube.com/@ThePowHERful]    See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Special Episode: Now Days

Women’s surfing is entering a new era, one of equal pay, consequential waves, an excitement for the sport that feels unquenchable. Six women are leading the way and in a groundbreaking Red Bull Media House Film they share their Now Days. Highlighting the surfing of world champions, Olympians and ceiling shatterers, four of the women sit down to share where they see women’s surfing going, how they’ve created collaboration in the midsts of intense competition and what is most PowHERful to them. Now Days drops Friday, May 1 on Red Bull TV See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

(BEST OF) Brenna Huckaby (USA Para Snowboarding)

CURIOSITY | Para-snowboarder Brenna Huckaby describes her journey from Louisiana to professional snowboarding as a bit of a “Jamaican Bobsled” story. After losing her leg to cancer, she was introduced to the mountains through a hospital program designed to help recent amputees rebuild confidence — the idea being that if they could conquer a physical mountain, the metaphorical ones ahead might feel a little less daunting.   For Brenna, it was love at first sight. Racing down the mountain reignited a spark cancer had tried to extinguish.    From learning to live with a prosthetic leg, to becoming a mother at 19, to chasing Paralympic history, Brenna has carried a contagious curiosity — about how to show up fully for herself, her family, and those who look up to her, all with authenticity and heart.    This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt like their hardest day might break them and wondered where strength and hope could possibly come from. Brenna shares the hard-earned roadmap she’s traveled — one that guides us toward a more courageous, curious, and joyful existence.   For more on the Winter Paralympics in Milan-Cortina, follow @ThePowHERful on Instagram!   See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Oyuna Uranchimeg (USA Wheelchair Curling)

RESILIENCE | When Oyuna Uranchimeg visited the US in 2002 from Mongolia, she had no idea how her life would change. A car accident left her paralyzed, in a foreign country, with a six-year old son at home who needed her. As she prepares for her 2nd Paralympics representing Team USA in wheelchair curling, Oyuna shares how she showed up for herself, despite days when she wasn’t sure she could. This is a story about resilience, about self-belief, and the ways we can all do it until our own Team USA moment arrives. For more on the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, follow @ThePowHERful on Instagram!   See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Natalie Allport (CAN Freeride Snowboarding)

INTUITION | Natalie Allport appears to be absolutely fearless. A former member of the national snowboarding team in slopestyle, former competitive Crossfiter and current member of the Freeride World Tour where she snowboards off cliffs on raw mountain faces around the world, she takes on everything that comes her way without faltering. However, in this episode, Allport shares how developing a relationship with her intuition has helped her overcome fears that once crippled her. It’s a skill she’s honed as much as her technical snowboarding skills and the best part is, we can all tap into it the same way.  Check out Nat on the 2026 Freeride World Tour [https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.freerideworldtour.com/__;!!N96JrnIq8IfO5w!kZM_vC70aJ3AoyfCHVT9Mll5NjZS_Vqw6tF1YkmwxUb7b-empB7hnSmoh0QZjC26ZPK1RvqMxOTb1g3CiN19xttVWA$] and on TikTok [https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.tiktok.com/@natalieallport?lang=en__;!!N96JrnIq8IfO5w!kZM_vC70aJ3AoyfCHVT9Mll5NjZS_Vqw6tF1YkmwxUb7b-empB7hnSmoh0QZjC26ZPK1RvqMxOTb1g3CiN0qXArmvg$]   For more on the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, follow @ThePowHERful on Instagram!   See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.