Daylight Spotlight

Shar sits down with my friend Ryan Borntrager — climber, community-builder, and the brain behind The Warehouse Climbing Co. in Goshen, IN. We catch up about the Annual House Party Competition on May 9th (aka the most joyful chaos you can legally host in a bouldering gym) and swap stories about what pulled us into climbing in the first place.  Support this Podcast: Review the Daylight Spotlight pod...

The lights are back on, the mics are warm, and Daylight Spotlight is returning after a year away—grateful, grounded, and ready to reconnect. In this first episode of Season 2, we welcome listeners back into the circle and sit down with Shar , a mom, climber, rider, yoga instructor, and bringer of good vibes. We talk about growth, creativity, and what it means to return to the things that matter. A...

Lou Martinez has been active most of his life — at least since his mom dropped him off at cross country practice in high school and sped off without him. Now with the desire and discipline to go after just about anything, he was one of the lucky few to get chosen to participate in the docuseries, From The Ground Up!  In this episode of the Daylight Spotlight, we get to know Lou a little better bef...

Who moves across the country to do the thing she loves to do? Joanna J. Yates does — that's who. Originally from West Virginia she and her husband fell in love with mountain biking to the point where they just wanted to do it year round. Thus began their journey to Sedona, where Joanna began her coaching career. Bettering her skills while learning how to coach others was a natural path. Under...

Any sport can be a bit daunting when you first start. Learning the skills can be hard enough, let alone dealing with the social pressures to perform our activities for social media or community members.  Sammie Bennet talks about Friendship Miles, a nonprofit that has taken measures to make the running community more approachable for newcomers. She discusses her background in running, dealing with...

She shreds – both on the bike and on the bass guitar. By her active lifestyle, you’d never know that Sophia lives with the realities of spina bifida with tethered cord syndrome. She and Brenda talk about resources that have contributed to both of their health journeys, including meditation and physical therapy. The family’s perspective of prioritizing personal health over podium will encourage lis...

Part 1 – with Hunter Bell, joined by mom, Brenda Bell In this episode, we highlight the support of the cycling community, especially in the face of grief. We also discuss the importance of hydration and regular physical checkups. Brenda educates us about proper nutrition and the need to not just listening to your body, but responding to it. Hunter talks about his passion for riding, whole-health t...

Don't let her age fool you. This 15 year old knows what she wants — your spot on the podium — and she'll put in the work to get it. Katja Opfer discusses her love for MTB, racing, and competition. She comes from a family with a life-long love of cycling, setting her up with an early exposure to racing MTB. From the age of 10, her involvement led to a place of high competition and first h...

Maybe you didn’t know you could break down water, but that’s just one of the new things Edie Wilkinson has learned as a competitive angler. Bass kayak fishing wasn’t necessarily something Edie would have seen herself doing, but her open attitude toward trying something new has been an exciting challenge that grew into a central part of her life.  In our conversation, she emphasizes how simple it i...

The Original Michigan Girl, Kandace Chapple, joins us for a conversation about forming MiGirl; a group for women to do outdoor meetups and activities. A group that started as a group of a few friends, into an actively social group of over 2,000 women members over a few short years!  We love that you don’t have to be a hardcore athlete or fit a certain stereotype to be a part of this group. Kandace...

In today's episode we meet with Dr. Jess Evans, physical therapist, neurological clinical specialist, and owner of Headstrong Physical Therapy. She schools us in neuro-pathways, what types of pain are appropriate during physical activity, what to expect with physical therapy, and the connection between physical and mental health as well as some of her experience as a competitive weight lifter...

Fallon was our first ever interview for the blog way back in 2018.  We catch up with her 6 years later to see how she's doing, how her goals have changed or been reached, and what the sport of climbing (as well as the climbing community) means to her today. Support this Podcast: Review the Daylight Spotlight podcast on Apple Podcasts to show us some love, or drop your feedback in the comments...

Holly Florian talks about her love of hiking, doing things intentionally, and seeking out other perspectives to better understand our place in the world, all while "nerding out" over trees.  Support this Podcast: Review the Daylight Spotlight podcast on Apple Podcasts to show us some love, or drop your feedback in the comments below! Make a donation to help sustain future episodes. Becom...

Alexey Vermeulen, pro cyclist and native michigander discusses his passion project "From the Ground Up" with Ryan Petry, signing up for MTB races, and the welcoming nature of the mountain biking community.  Support this Podcast: Review the Daylight Spotlight podcast on Apple Podcasts to show us some love, or drop your feedback in the comments below! Make a donation to help sustain future...