The Bolder Woman

Chris Stafford Bikes the Potomac Heritage Trail

Marci Kornegay chats with Chris Stafford about the bike ride they did together—April 19-26—when they took on the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail from Point Lookout State Park in Maryland, on the Chesapeake Bay, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - a total of 427 miles over eight days. Marci, 42, and Chris, 70, combined their athletic backgrounds and adventure seeking spirits to take on their first long distance cycling challenge. The ride would involve two days on the road in southern Maryland to reach Washington, DC. From there they joined the Columbus & Ohio Canal Path (C&O) that runs from Georgetown, DC to Cumberland, MD, arriving three days later. it is there that the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) begins and runs over the Allegheny Mountains reaching 2392 feet at the Eastern Continental Divide, shortly after crossing the Mason Dixon Line, arriving in downtown Pittsburgh, PA. It was an epic adventure for them both, not knowing what was around every corner along the way, and where some situations would mean facing real fears head-on. Marci takes on the role of host as she interviews Chris about the trip, what it felt like to take on such a big challenge, why she did it, what she learned from it, including her fear of heights, and what advice she would have for other women to dare to be bold. Marci and Chris were also raising money to feed Ukrainian refugees via World Central Kitchen. Visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/RidingforUkraine [https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/RidingforUkraine] to donate. #ridingforukraine For more information, links and resources and hundreds more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the ONLY GLOBAL PODCAST FOR WOMEN’S SPORT with more than 60 hosts, 1600+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. Every episode is a WiSP SPORTS ORIGINAL PRODUCTION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. We are ranked in the top 2% of more than 2.71 million podcasts worldwide. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com [info@wispsports.com].

Kate Cochrane-Brink: Steeplechaser

Our guest this week is Canadian Hurdler turned Steeplechaser Dr. Katherine Cochrane-Brink who at 52 is continuing her sporting life in Masters Track & Field. Kate rode horses as a child before she turned to gymnastics and later rowing at university. At the 1990 OWIAA rowing champs she won the lightweight 4s and 8s for the University of Toronto.  Other wins include the North American Henley in 1989, 1990, 1991 in lightweight 8s and she rowed heavyweight for the Oxford University Blue Boat in England in 1992 and1993 and also won the Head of the River on the Thames in 1992. Kate won a Rhodes Scholarship in 1991 the year she took part in the Pan Ams selection camp.  After Oxford she went into medicine at University of Toronto and took part in rowing, mountain biking, Nordic skiing and later more road biking. Triathlon was her first Masters sport experience and she competed in the 2002 and 2005 World Age Group Champs.  Her Masters track and field career started in 2010 and in 2019 she claimed the Canadian W50 record in 2000 m steeplechase. Nowadays Kate spends her winters competing in Nordic ski and snowshoe races. In 2019 I won the 10 k National Masters Snowshoe racing title and was 4th overall amongst the open women. Host: Chris Stafford This episode was first released in 2019 For more information, links and resources plus conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s First and Only Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 60 hosts, 1500+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. We are ranked in the top 2% more of than 2.69 million podcasts worldwide. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com [info@wispsports.com].

Laura Val: Masters Swimmer

Californian Laura Val is a Masters Swimmer who has clocked up some 360 world records, which is more than any other Master Swimmer. In one race meet when she turned 60 eight years ago, she broke six World Records; the 50m,100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m and became the first woman ever to do so. In 1984 she joined a Masters Swimming Team and went to her first nationals in 1987 where she broke five national records. In 2016 Laura broke the World Record in the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyles on her way to the World Record in the 1500m at a meet at the San Francisco Olympic Club. Laura has been inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame and the International Masters Swimming Hall of Fame. She has also graced the cover of numerous magazines including Swimming World Magazine, Swimmer Magazine and SWIM Magazine. “I started as a kid at a local team. When I was about 10 years old, my mom got my four sisters and me into swimming. I instantly fell in love with it and was pretty successful from the start. I just loved it – everything about it,” said Laura who thanks her mom for leading her to the sport. Host: Chris Stafford This episode was first released in 2019. For more information, links and resources plus conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s First and Only Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 60 hosts, 1500+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. We are ranked in the top 2% more of than 2.69 million podcasts worldwide. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com [info@wispsports.com].

Sue Nattrass: Trap Shooting

Canadian trap-shooter and Officer of the Order of Canada Dr. Susan Nattrass is unparalleled both in terms of her successes in world trap shooting events and also her contribution to the way the sport’s governance. At 68, she is now in her fifth decade of competing at elite world level and has been described as the most-decorated and longest-running competitor in Canadian shooting history. Sue is a seven times world champion, she’s competed in six Olympic Games, she’s been 14 times either captain or a member of the American Trapshooting Association All American Team, she’s an International Shooting Sport Federation coach.  Sue was the first woman to participate in a shooting event at the Olympics in 1972. (Shooting was open to both men and women together till 1992.)  Sue won gold at the 2007 Pan American Games and the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Sue runs the Puget Sound Osteoporosis Center where she studies the effects of aging in bones of active sports-women over 40. Sue is an officer of the Order of Canada and has been recognized as Canadian Athlete of the Year. This episode was first published in 2019 Host: Alex Rotas For more information, links and resources plus conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s First and Only Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 60 hosts, 1500+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. We are ranked in the top 2% more of than 2.69 million podcasts worldwide. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com [info@wispsports.com].

Petra Mattes: Dragon Boat Racing

This week’s guest is Canadian Dragon Boat Racer Petra Mattes, who at 57 has been paddling for 20 years; the last ten of which have taken her around the world.  It’s a sport that she took up when she was in search of a new activity after her children were grown up, and she has not looked back.  Petra is a member of the New Dragons Racing Club Toronto (NDRC) which trains at the Sunnyside Paddling Club in Toronto. Her career highlights include the IDBF Club Crew World Championships in Ravenna Italy. She has paddled for the 'Outer Harbour Senior A Women' winning gold medals in all three races.  In 2017 at the World Nations Championships on Dianchi Lake in Kunming China and has represented Canada for Senior A in the Women's and the Mixed Divisions where they won eight gold medals out of eight races; four for each division. She is currently preparing for the Canadian. National Championships in Regina, Saskatchewan with the goal of qualifying for France 2020 and she will also be competing in Thailand later this year. Host: Chris Stafford This podcast was first released in 2019. For more information, links and resources plus conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s First and Only Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 60 hosts, 1500+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. We are ranked in the top 2% more of than 2.69 million podcasts worldwide. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com [info@wispsports.com].