Off The Beaten Path

In this season finale of Off the Beaten Path , Dave sits down with Stan Gowan, who has been legally blind since birth and has spent a lifetime proving that blindness does not limit a full and adventurous life. Stan shares stories from his recent travels — including navigating the steep, vertical city of Taormina in Sicily, exploring Greek ruins, cruising across the Atlantic, and confidently moving...

In this episode of Off the Beaten Path , Dave sits down with Kasey Hopper — Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, youth soccer coach, visually impaired father, and creator of the 4 Fam Frogs YouTube channel. Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa himself, Kasey brings both professional expertise and lived experience to the conversation. Together, he and Dave explore what it means to navigate...

Sedona Dave sits down with Monica Pruitt to talk about life, adventure, and identity as a blind traveler and athlete. Monica shares her personal journey with hearing aids since childhood, limited peripheral vision, and her reliance on a white cane—along with how she’s built resilience through movement, storytelling, and advocacy. They dive into Monica’s $10,000 travel grant experience visiting nat...

In this episode of Off the Beaten Path , Dave sits down with Steve Baskis for a thoughtful conversation about adaptive sports, leadership, and what it takes to keep moving forward when life changes. The discussion explores how mindset, trust, and well-designed equipment shape the way blind and low-vision individuals navigate both rugged terrain and everyday environments. Dave and Steve talk candid...

In this episode, Dave sits down with Australian chef-turned-adventurer Dale Pierce , whose life took an unexpected turn after sudden vision loss in 2023. Dale shares how he moved from a 32-year culinary career into a new chapter defined by resilience, movement, and wilderness exploration. He talks about adapting to blindness through cardio, O&M training, and eventually trail running — a journe...

I am so pleased to welcome Ted Tahquechi to the show!  Ted and I talk about his transition from managing game development at Atari, Accolade, and Mattel Toys to creating tactile art after losing significant vision in a car accident.  He explained how he developed a process with his wife Carrie, in partnership with the Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Art, to transform photographs into touchable a...

In this episode of Off The Beaten Path , Dave sits down with the remarkable Laurie McBride—martial artist, advocate, and fierce champion of the DeafBlind community. Their conversation moves from the mat to daily life, weaving together Laurie’s journey in Taekwondo, her commitment to earning her black belt, and her hands-on work as an employment specialist supporting DeafBlind adults in building me...

Climbing Kilimanjaro Blind: A Conversation with Joel Isaac In this episode, Dave talks with Joel Isaac — a Ugandan-born father of two, former software engineer, and passionate adventurer who recently summited Mount Kilimanjaro. Joel shares how he trained for the climb, the gear that got him through volcanic ash and freezing nights, and the moment he chose safety over ego near the summit. Together...

Sedona Dave launches Season 2 of Off the Beaten Path with a brief recap of season one and a preview of the upcoming season.  We're going to take an adjacent and more esoteric path this season by diving deeper into our blind experience.  With this season's guests, Sedona Dave is exploring topics like: breaking stereotypes within our own beliefs of what a blind person can and should be doi...

We are wrapping up Season One of Off The Beaten Path with the amazing Justin Bishop. Justin shares about his life and journey with his condition, Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). Justin's condition advanced rapidly, leading to his blindness at the age of 25. He also talked about his work with children on the autism spectrum, teaching them social and motor skills through sports like skateboarding. ...

Part two of my interview with Julius Mbura! We continue to dive deep into his life growing up in Kenya and his remarkable climb of all seven peaks of Kenya!  More about Julius Julius Mbura is a lawyer, disability rights advocate, and motivational speaker making waves in Kenya and beyond. As a blind person, Julius is driven by his lived experience to bridge the gap between legal frameworks and the...

This is probably one of the most remarkable and inspiring interviews for me yet! I have been inspired by all of my guests so far as we meet life on life's terms and go beyond what our perceptions of our abilities as blind/low vision people tell is possible.  I am thrilled to share part one of my interview with  Julius Mbura. Julius rang in the New Year with an incredible feat—summiting Mt. Ki...

In this episode of Off The Beaten Path I am interviewing Taryn dickens.  Taryn, who has Cone-Rod Dystrophy, shared her experience of being diagnosed at the age of 35 and how it has led to a new life of sports and helping others. She is currently preparing for her first World Cup and is excited about the opportunities ahead. I really admire her resilience and adaptability in the face of change. Mor...

In this weeks podcast I interview Shawn Cheshire. My new bestie to the north (she lives in Flagstaff) She is an amazing human being who shares her  inspiring adventures with us.  You're gonna love this interview with as much as I did! More About Shawn Shawn Cheshire is a 49 year old US Army Veteran who sustained a traumatic brain injury rendering her totally blind.  She is a 13 time Paracycli...

We resume season one of Off The Beaten Path with my interview with Eric Hartman. Eric travels the world and vlogs his experiences as a blind/low-vision traveler and shares some of his adventures with us. We discuss the latest technology and accessibility tools for travel.  Eric also shares his experience as a blind/low-vison artist and the time he spent painting sunflowers where Van Gough painted!...

I am so excited to share this interview with Lonnie Bedwell with you! Lonnie Bedwell is a blind veteran, and extreme sports athlete. He shares his empowering story of tragically losing his eyesight to gaining vision ultimately being named a National Geographic adventurer of the Year. From accident to recovery, his journey led him to the first blind kayaking descent through the Grand Canyon and to...

Today we are talking to Dr. Kirk Adams. Kirk and I talk about his blindness journey  which started at age five. We dove into what it was like for him growing up in a small town and discovering how there wasn't much available for blind kids to have developmentally appropriate experiences. This was the catalyst for the direction he took in life -to be an advocate for people with disabilities. ...

Today I am speaking with Penn Street! She shares with me her life as a young tom-boy and her adventurer's spirit. The harrowing tale of survival and healing from a rattlesnake bite and how she overcame all the no's in life and learned to navigate her vision loss on her own terms. I know you will find great inspiration in what she has to share with us today! Here's a bit more about P...

Today I welcome blind wood burning artist, Krista Webb to the Off The Beaten Path studio. Krista has Usher's syndrome and is a huge advocate of staying in the game. We talked about her life as an artist, family life and her time as a young athlete. I know you will find her story inspirational!   Krista is 37 years old and is a wife of 16 years, mother of 2 boys who are 10 and 12, and a wood b...

Today I have a chat with Sam Seavey of the blind life we talk about his support systems, family and how he got started producing the Blind Life Podcast and his mission. We also talked about some common experiences being blind and he handles them. I am always super inspired by Sam and I know you will be too. Here's a bit more about Sam Seavey Sam Seavey, the visionary behind The Blind Life You...

Hey Everyone! Sedona Dave here with a brand new offering from Awarewolf Gear! You guessed it- A Podcast! I will be dropping a new episode every other week until March of 2025. We are going to have some amazing guests like, Sam Seavey from the Blind Life, Penn Street of the Blind Chick, outdoor adventurers Lonni Bedwell and Taryn Dickens and many more. I am so excited to be offering this to inspire...