The BrainStoke Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Ashlie Hogge is one of Utah’s top high school mountain bike racers and we argue one of the coolest student-athlete minds we’ve met. We were stoked to get her in studio to talk about her back-to-back Varsity girls wins at the last Region 2 events at Soldier Hollow and Mantua. Riding and racing bikes is part of the Hogge family DNA. The Hogge’s have a tradition of putting in “work”...

Send us Fan Mail Matthew Lefthand has learned to master the “pivot”. As a mental health therapist, husband, Father of two and 19,000+ mile Uber cyclist YTD (5,000+ more miles than most pro cyclists have ridden this year) he has shown that embracing change is a key ingredient to facing struggle and finding stoke. Whether education, profession, faith or endurance running Matthew credits his ability...

Send us Fan Mail We were stoked to be guests on the Hyperthreads podcast. Behind Hyperthreads athletic apparel company is an entrepreneur, Spencer Storey who through his own story of struggle and stoke has built a dynamic company that is helping build and shape the community of cycling in Utah and surrounding states through custom athletic apparel including cycling kits.  Spencer, Kevin Day and th...

Send us Fan Mail We have been gone for a little bit. But, back in the saddle Tom and Preston are raring to go in this one. From Tour de France demons to magical eagles, BrainStoke is back and ready to give out the D.O.S.E.

Send us Fan Mail Preston Page has been legally blind for almost his whole life. Now at 17 years old he has five percent of his vision left. Does that stop him, nah he just gets it done. Preston is an all around athlete and rides mountain bikes in Utah's NICA mountain biking league. He is also one of the funniest kids we've ever met. He touches on his love for the bike, the struggles he&a...

Send us Fan Mail John Howard is an identical twin. He credits the motive of his 25+ year career as a mental health therapist to being raised with a brother who was largely like living with a second version of himself. Kindness, compassion and genuine concerns for someone that was literally born with him…6 minutes his junior gave him the capability a therapist needs to love, lift and sit with other...

Send us Fan Mail “Family, faith, cycling and 80’s music are all part of the Eck DNA. Kirk and TJ Eck are a father-son, coach-athlete cycling duo from Smithfield (near Logan) with huge hearts and wake-with-the-sun work ethic. Kirk Eck is known state-wide in the cycling community with 6 LOTOJA wins. The sport has been his preferred form of stress-coping as an adult and when his wife passed away cycl...

Send us Fan Mail Tucked into the hills of 'Creek Valley' (Apple Valley, Colorado City, Centennial Park, Cane Beds and Hildale) for 10+ years, local resident's had not had local healthcare. On December 18th, 2019 the Creek Valley Health Clinic opened.  As the clinic provided healthcare to locals they recognized many children didn't have hobbies that were productive, safe and fun...

Send us Fan Mail With good vibes and gratitude being the motto, no one incapsulates positivity and stoke like TJ Eisenhart. From being the under-23 national champion and riding on Team BMC TJ has seen it all and has the stories to back it up. His art focuses on influencing for good and putting his soul in to each of his pieces. With an extremely humble "Make Lemonade" attitude and Imagin...

Send us Fan Mail From Davis County to National Champion, Kevin Day knows a thing or two about what it takes to win. Kevin is an extremely decorated cyclist and talented family-man. BrainStoke sits down with him to talk about his childhood and developing his stoke for bikes as well as his mental strategies and tricks he uses in his own racing. He touches on his bouts with disappointment and depress...

Send us Fan Mail BrainStoke sits down with Tyler Blocker, a K2 sponsored skier and local mad-lad. Tyler touches on his incessant need for the serotonin and stoke of skiing and being outside. He talks about his crazy adventures with his dad and his unwillingness to let setbacks and near death injuries taint his positive outlooks. Tyler was in Warren Miller's 2022 movie "Daymaker" and...

Send us Fan Mail BrainStoke sits down with Karson Kinikini CMHC, one of Aspire Counseling Network's co-founders and Chief Clinical Officer for Aspire Counseling. With extensive experience as a talented therapist, listen to Karson's thoughts on Aspire's mission and his barefoot (literally) approach to therapy and "hope giving."  

Send us Fan Mail Dallen Atack finished his 32 year decorated career as the Commander of the Utah Army National Guard where he led 5,000+ service women and men. He left the military early to lead the mission at Utah High School Cycling that serves 7,000+ student-athletes. Get your DOSE of stoke as Dallen talks about his love for mountain biking, Metallica, good “flow” (long hair) and building menta...

Send us Fan Mail Team Whitmer, (Jeff, Shera, Jack, Ken, and John) are amazing people and friends of the podcast. They sailed the Atlantic for a year with their family and have an attitude of determination that can't be matched! They touch on raising a family and empowering their sons to have confidence in tough situations. Shera speaks on finding peace and spirituality with your own place in...

Send us Fan Mail Davis High School world history teacher and 7x soccer state champ Coach, Souli Phongsavath is in studio to discuss his unique approach to teaching, coaching and life.  From fleeing Laos to inspiring his students to belong, Souli's life of struggle and stoke is evidence of his devout love of God, family, and his candidacy for president of Taylor Swift's fan club.

Send us Fan Mail The BrainStoke team is back with another amazing episode and guest. Scott Mortensen is a long time friend and neighbor of Tom and Preston and loves getting his 5 S's, especially in the swim, bike, and run persuasion. With a background in medical administration and a knack for arts as well, Scott touches on his life of struggling in confidence, the power of faith, and his deca...

Send us Fan Mail BrainStoke recaps the Utah High School Cycling League Coach’s training with guest Liza Telford.  Liza is a licensed marriage & family therapist with Aspire Counseling. Get your DOSE of learning by hearing her definition of anxiety, the shame free spectrum of coping as well as  why she hilariously named her amygdala, “April." 

Send us Fan Mail With their first guest in studio, Tom and Preston have a conversation with Uber-biker, Payson Norman, the 2022 NICA Utah (Utah high-school cycling league) State Champion. They talk about his mindset, motivation, upbringing, and the mental battles he uses as fuel in his racing. Payson's "think with your legs," mentality has helped him become an extremely successful c...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Tom interviews Preston in a similar format to episode 2, but with Preston's stories that range from 3x class officer (hints at the abuse of power) :) to surviving an avalanche. Preston has some hilarious and terrifying stories to tell in this episode. They discuss the mental struggles of being a young father, providing for a family and carrying high self-expec...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Preston interviews Tom as a get to know you for the audience. They discuss Tom's history with mental health and his story of struggle and stoke through his childhood, school, and his serial-entrepreneur career.  They discuss where his "If it's to be, it's up to me," attitude stems from overcoming learning and reading disabilities combined w...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to The BrainStoke Podcast! Hosted by Tom Telford and Preston Niederhauser, this show shares people's stories of struggle and stoke. The goal, deliver a daily DOSE (dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins) of happy chemical learning. Come for the positive inspiration of "mattering" but stay for the mental health Jedi-skills. This intro episode shares ins...