No Barriers

You can’t hear. You can’t speak. How do you function in this world? Oh you want to climb mountains? The biggest ones in the planet?  You rely on sign language, how ya gonna sign with oversized mittens or in a white out with snow coming at ya sideways? Oh you’re not sure? Ah… too risky for you. Better find something else to do….  Our guests heard these questions and concerns over and over again… an...

Erik’s goal with these interviews is to shine light into that obscure terrain between the struggle and the success. It’s dark there with plenty of barriers; metaphorically speaking certainly, but also many times literally….  as is the case with Sarah; she stared into the darkness of  English Channel waters crossing it back and forth twice. Oh yeah, she was swimming. And she was battling breast can...

There’s much to be said about the effect of wild places on the human psyche….  therapeutic, healing, transformative … a place to experience mindfulness….  Even scary for some, however, our guest Katelyn McKinney simply sums it up like this: “When our bodies are in a wild space we are simply more at ease.” She’s been busy testing that idea by bringing groups of people into wild settings, creating s...

https://www.zachanner.com/ https://ifatbirthyoudontsucceed.com/ Instagram: @zach.anner Youtube Zach Anner is a unique personality, writer, comedian, and media influencer born in America in 1984. He is also a YouTube star who motivates people to make daily positive changes. From an early age, he advocated for positive thinking and self-realization no matter what. He became popular after emerging as...

“You can’t make dreams come true if the only thing you’re doing is dreaming.”  This is from a guy who was counted out on Day 1. What does that mean? It means not being included in an activity. In this case, that activity was life itself. The doctors told his parents he would’t live more than a few months. He was born without arms, almost no legs, and given up for adoption.  Now, decades later, he’...

Jenna's Website: https://www.jennabainbridge.com/ Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bainbridgejenna/ Episode Highlights 🔸 A Blank Slate for Auditions Jenna shares her unique approach to auditions, using a nondescript wheelchair to present herself as a "blank slate" for casting directors, allowing her talent to shine first and foremost. 🔸 Fashion Forward Mobility She’s on the hunt for...

Shawn reached out to the pod recently looking for a little insight from Erik on a project. It’s called the Shine Music festival. She founded it in 2019, formed a non-profit, assembled a team, and next month will be their 4th annual event. With that in mind, we put Erik in the hot seat for a bit, and Shawn asks some pressing questions about his experience growing the No Barriers organization. You’l...

Episode Rundown 00:00 Navy choice surprising, personal agency, self-assessment. 10:07 Routine of deployment, planning missions, intense focus. 15:36 Be vigilant for potential IED hazards. 16:35 Struggle to stay focused in combat heat. 25:33 Grateful for life after near-death experience. 29:57 Realized blindness after combat, surgery wasn't successful. 34:45 Frustration over unique challenges and s...

Ben's Website: www.jetbutterflies.com Ben's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jetbutterflies/

This duo took the Grand Canyon head-on, from one side to the other and back again, with nothing but their grit and trusty hand cycles — or "trikes" as they like to call them. Why trikes? Because they are both paralyzed from the waist down. Jason was injured in a rollover vehicle crash. Quinn, from a fall while climbing a giant wall of granite, the famed El Capitan in California. Their journey, mar...

Tanja, a four-time Paralympic gold medalist, shares her personal journey as an athlete, the changing significance of her victories, and her involvement advancing adaptive sports. Her dedication to the community and the memories she's cherished are an integral part of this conversation. Ross, an engineer, takes us through the technical strides and the human stories behind the development of the Tet...

Gabriel Rodreick website: https://gabrielrodreick.com/ LISTEN: Freaque https://open.spotify.com/artist/6xmxsU99bvYcGrvdsw3pFk WATCH: 16 min interview covering the basics of his story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7lH6xeWghs

Listen to the full episodes referenced in this episode. Episode 178 - Rob Cahill and 4DWN Episode 177 - Nic Novicki Episode 173 - Dr. Diva Amon, Behind the Bubble Episode 172 - Kathy Eldon, the active soul in all of us Episode 150 - Chasing Dreams with Diana Nyad

You've arrived at the intersection of human willpower and biomechanics. After this episode you’ll be wondering, “is the term ‘disability’ about to be dismantled and  and reshaped by pioneers using the power of technology?”  Our guests are Keenon Werling and Russel Martin, two pHd students from the Stanford Biomechatronics lab. The topic. Wearable Robots. Exoskeletons. Maybe the first image that co...

WEBSITE: The Davis Phinney Foundation WATCH: 8 minutes. Davis Phinney Moment of Victory . 

Today, we’re talking augmented reality with audio and ultimately sensory substitution. Our guest is Tim Devine. He and his team at Action Audio have developed a product that translates the spatial data from live sports into sound, allowing blind and low vision audiences to follow the action in real time. It’s not just functional tech though, it’s emotional. He wants to bring the tension, the antic...

Today we meet Alice Brouhard and her daughter Kara. When Kara was 5 she was struck by an out of control skier. The accident caused a traumatic brain injury, left Kara legally blind and mostly paralyzed on one side of her body. Kara's parents helped her relearn as much as they could and raised Kara to live as independently as possible, patiently pushing her to chase her dreams. Alice took finding a...

What would you with an extra tank of gas? It’s a metaphor for living that we had not heard, until now, when we interviewed Nick Martinez. He’s a true adventurer and survivor of life's highest peaks and deepest valleys. And to complete the metaphor, yes, the fuel indeed ran out and not just once. His narratives provide insight into his world of BASE jumping and climbing as well as his life-altering...

Book Link. RESILIENCE: THE SCIENCE OF MASTERING LIFE’S GREATEST CHALLENGES Dr. Dennis Charney on LinkedIn

4DWN Film Trailer https://4dwn.org/ https://www.instagram.com/4dwn_org/ https://www.facebook.com/4DWNskateboarding https://www.youtube.com/@4dwnproject197

https://www.nicnovicki.com/ https://www.instagram.com/nicnovicki/ https://www.instagram.com/disabilityfilmchallenge/ https://disabilityfilmchallenge.com/ The Disability Challenge video. https://youtu.be/FISwEhPXWzQ

Kyle Maynard is no stranger to pushing the limits, overcoming obstacles, and inspiring others to live a no barriers life. That’s why he’s our guest today AND in a few weeks when we see him on stage at the No Barriers Summit. His first No Barriers Summit was 12 years ago and a pivotal moment in his life, because soon thereafter he bear crawled to the top the highest mountain in Africa. Bearcrawled?...

In anticipation of the No Barriers annual 3-day festival we call the Summit (starts on Aug 25th), we’re re-releasing an episode that was recorded live at a previous Summit in Lake Tahoe. The guest? JR Martinez. His journey is filled with ups and downs. While on patrol with his Army unit in Iraq, his vehicle was hit with a roadside bomb. He was trapped inside as the explosives his vehicle was carry...

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