Alex Armstrong // Skier with a Philanthropic Heart

Alex Armstrong // Skier with a Philanthropic Heart

In this episode, I sit down with Alex Armstrong, a pro skier based in Squamish, BC. We recorded this about ten months ago, but her energy and insights are still just as impactful. Originally from Ontario, Alex moved to Alberta for the Rockies before making her way to the coast. She's a powerhouse—driven, self-aware, and pushing the sport forward. Plus, her philanthropic spirit really stands out. I’m excited to share this conversation and can’t wait to see where she’s headed next. Hope you’re as inspired as I am!

In memoriam // Jan Phelan

In memoriam a re-release of my fourth podcast with Momma Jan. Jan Phelan, Mother to Sarah talks about little Sarah and her gracious journey to be the woman she became to be on skis and off. She was a bright light and pioneer for woman in freestyle skiing. She successfully lobbied the IOC to have the event included in the Olympic program for 2014. She was a five-time Winter X Games gold medallist and won the world championship in the halfpipe in 2005.

Celeste Pomerantz // 4 Season Athlete

I sat down with Celeste this spring, and then the world moved in all different directions, and I’m just getting this out now. My apologies, but it’s worth the wait, and I’m happy to report that I’m back for another batch of podcasting… hoping for a weekly installment. But we’ll see. Celeste lives in Squamish, BC, where we recorded this, and I came into this conversation a bit hot on her Sailing ski trip in Norway because I had just watched ‘Wavy 2’ on YouTube.  It’s a ski documentary backed by her sponsor Black Crows, where she and Niko Schirmer sail to the northern Norwegian island of Svalbard and ski under arctic conditions. You’ll want to see it… maybe watch it now so we don’t give away spoilers. Celeste is an easy conversation, she has a lot of honesty, depth and an understanding of the world that I love, and we talk about her work doing her master’s in energy renewables, climate change, getting injured, how she pitches projects that get her fired up amongst other things. She’s a four-season athlete, a scientist and good on bikes and skis, and I’m sure anything she puts her mind to. Enjoy.

Juliette Pelchat // She Stands Sideways

Juliette Pelchat is a force on a snowboard, but it was her work with RWK // Real Wild Kittens that touched me the most! A Girl Shred Movement to promote female involvement in male dominant sports.   Watching her and her sister empower girls on skateboards and in life makes me excited for the future.   I was very excited to see that she won the Sarah Burke scholarship this year. I know that Sarah would be proud …    She’s got a lot of insight and drive far behind her eighteen years and I think we can thank her parents for giving us Juliette. She’s incorporated a company, has her eyes set on the olympics, being a pilot, blowing up the backcountry and continuing to connect with every generation of snowboarding.    I look forward to following the sisters as they continue to challenge and propel eachother forward.

Ian MacKay | Humanitarian | Critical Care Nurse

With dozens of overseas deployments in the wake of natural disasters, wars, and both underserviced and politically charged areas of the world.  One of the biggest takeaways from this interview comes from looking at people at a human or individual level, beyond their conditioning or current events. Empathy and compassion are two things we should embrace locally and globally. I gained a lot of perspective about life and death beyond my very privileged existence, and I love how curious Ian is about people and learning. Plus, we talk about the multi-billion dollar industries that are fueling and creating a lot of these gaps in human rights.  We don’t solve the world's problems, but we talk about some of them, which is a beginning. I hope this episode encourages you to broaden your worldview.