No Barriers

Our three hosts sat down with George Basch in our studio. Repeat episode description. For Jeff and Erik it was more of a reunion as they have a climbing history together. They reminisce on their first climb in ‘98 up Aconcagua. In fact, George and Erik met in Phoenix during Erik’s previous life as an English teacher (he taught George’s son!) and he essentially became a mentor and an inspiration wh...

*Please note that this episode explores mature themes and has minor profanity Dave brought Nadia in as a guest after he heard her speak at the Nantucket Project and was incredibly impressed with her and the parallels of her words and our No Barriers messaging. All three hosts sat down with Nadia in our studio in Golden to talk about her own journey to become a Pastor for House for All Sinners and...

Shortly after the Thanksgiving holiday Sean Swarner came to Launchpad studios to meet with Jeff and Erik and speak about his journey beating the odds to become an incredible adventurer and inspiration to so many. With only one functioning lung, a prognosis of fourteen days to live, and being in a medically-induced coma for a year, Sean Swarner is the first cancer survivor to stand on top of Mt. Ev...

Jeff and Erik met up in Golden following Thanksgiving to hang out with Craig Demartino, a renowned rock climber who is also an amputee. They are missing their “fearless leader,” Dave Shurna. Craig works with an organization called, Adaptive Adventures, that helps folks of all abilities get out and experience athletic endeavors. Craig works with helping people learn to or get back to rock climbing...

Angie Shireman, a jewelry artisan, small business owner, certified yoga instructor, wife, mom, and artist, Angie seemingly has lived a carefree life. But, her smiling personality belies her real story. During this episode, our hosts have Angie recount these dark moments in her life and how she dug deep to find her way to the light and become the shiny person she is today. Host, Erik Weihenmayer ha...

Dave, Jeff and Erik welcomed Luis to the No Barriers Podcast studio and it felt initially like a trip down memory lane. Jeff and Erik have known Luis since they were all young mountain climbers in their late 20’s. They have made films, went on great expeditions and shared countless experiences. Since those days all three have been on different trajectories all while still maintaining a connection...

Erik and Jeff begin the session recapping a recent experience helping Nerissa Cannon, a young woman in a wheelchair, climb a Colorado 14er. The discussion revolves around the importance of teamwork which is fitting since our guest is Maj. "Diggs" Brown who, since he left the Army, has worked with teams of Veterans to help them heal. Diggs has had seemingly many lives. He's a current film...

We recorded this episode shortly after Erik had just returned from New York City where he circumnavigated all of Manhattan in a kayak to promote the No Barriers Summit that took place in October 2018. He took interviews along the way as journalists and you can read more and see some photos here . Erik, Dave, and Jeff dove in with Shannon asking about her and her daughter’s website and how they cam...

After establishing Steve and Dave’s Chicago connection the hosts dive into why he’s been brought on as a guest - after Steve attended a No Barriers Corporate retreat he was able to recognize the core No Barriers elements that he could bring back to his own company to reinvigorate his teams. Corporations face their own types of barriers but in more “invisible” ways. Steve talks about how employees...

Jeff, Erik, and Dave speak with Heidi McKenzie who is speaking from her home state of Kentucky. After a car accident left her as a T4 paraplegic in a wheelchair when she was just 21 she not just survived but started a thriving career and has been an outspoken advocate for folks with disabilities. Heidi talks about what it was like to now live day to day in a power chair and learn her “new normal.”...

Erik and Jeff speak with Tom Dixon, a young man from Philadelphia and the inventor of a brilliant mobile app called ME.mory. Like most app inventors Tom identified a need that wasn't being met and created software to address that need. His tragic accident and unique story behind his creation is what sparked our hosts interest and what makes Tom a true No Barriers Pioneer. 8 years ago, in what Tom...

George Heinrichs' resume is filled with awards and accomplishments for his aptitude for business as well as social justice. But George would not have gotten where he is today, the CEO of a major company, without facing barriers both professionally and in his personal life. Our hosts, Jeff, Erik, and Dave, are familiar with George from his role as a Board Member of No Barriers. He helps to extrapol...

This episode will introduce our listeners to the mission behind the No Barriers Podcast and what we are trying to accomplish with putting this out to our community. To start you will meet our hosts and hear about their background. Host Erik Weihenmayer discusses his background as a blind climber and being known most widely as being the first blind person to summit Mt. Everest and what got him inte...

Gretchen Evans  served 27 years in the US Army, earning a bronze star, and rising to the rank of Command Sergeant Major. During her service, Gretchen survived a rocket blast which left her with hearing loss and a traumatic brain injury.  While struggling with depression after her injury, she relied on a new rope team to bring her back into the world and show her she still had the ability to find p...

Mark Wellman is a nationally acclaimed author, filmmaker and motivational speaker. Despite being paralyzed in a mountain climbing accident, Mark has inspired millions to meet their problems head-on and reach for their full potential. A two-time Paralympian and former Yosemite Park Ranger, Mark's NO LIMITS philosophy encourages individuals to adventure into new horizons; to go beyond the seeming un...

Billy Lister is a Paralympic cyclist, who most recently represented Team USA in the Rio Olympics, competing in both track and road events. 18 years ago, Billy was diagnosed with a rare and acute brain abnormality which resulted in a loss of mobility due to a stroke. With 6 million stroke survivors living in the U.S., Billy hopes his aspirations will lend them hope and courage. He has pledged to tr...

As a young boy, Ethan Johnston was kidnapped from his family in Ethiopia, blinded and used as a beggar. Fortunately, at age 10 he was adopted by a family in the United States. He faced numerous emotional, physical and cultural barriers, including slowly learning not only English but English Braille. He found sports, including baseball, which became an outlet and passion. Despite the hardships he f...