The Mind Mountain Podcast

This episode of the podcast brings you an engaging conversation with my friend and fellow coach, Piyush Chavan.  Hailing from India, Piyush started his mountain biking journey as part of a tight-knit group of riders. After cutting his teeth in downhill races in Nepal, he found inspiration to embrace a biking lifestyle in New Zealand, drawn by the allure of the mountain playground that is Queenstow...

On this episode, I sit down with Steve Vanderhoek. Steve is a North Shore-born and bread mountain biker, trailbuilder and a professional firefighter/paramedic. He is known for building and riding some of the most precise, exposed, and high-consequence lines in the area, and along with his long-time partner Kelsey Toevs, makes some of the most creative and jaw-dropping mtb films around. (Hear from...

Today on the podcast I got to chat with Kelsey Toevs. Kelsey is a professional filmmaker and photographer based out of North Vancouver.  Growing up in Lynn Valley, Kelsey has been combining her passion for Mountain Biking, Snowboarding, and filmmaking since a young age.  When she met her longtime partner in crime, local free-rider Steve Vanderhoek, they combined forces and set out to help each oth...

In this episode, I catch up with Nate Spitz. Nate is one of the most creative and talented mountain bikers in the Sea to Sky and has a lot of wisdom to share. Originally from New Hampshire on the east coast of the USA, Nate grew up skiing, and when he wasn’t doing that he was riding bikes and learning an impressive bag of tricks. He now lives and works here in Squamish, sharing his skills and pass...

On today's episode,  we have Michael Sousa. Mike is a passionate Mountain Biker, Instructor, Guide, and Filmmaker based in Whistler, BC. After almost 20 years of honing his skills on the steep and technical trails of BC he has dedicated the summer to learning air tricks on his mountain bike.  As well as this personal exploration, Michael recently gained his Level 3 PMBIA coaching qualificatio...

On this episode, I got to interview Squamish local, Blake Rowsell. Blake is a professor at Capilano University who teaches a variety of outdoor recreation programs. He also has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to Mountain Bike Tourism in BC having completed his master's degree on the topic. We dive straight into Blake's personal journey with Mountain Biking, discussing some of the too...

In this episode, we hear from Yoann Barelli. For those that aren't familiar, Yoann hails from Nice in the south of France and has been racing Mountain Bikes since the tender age of 7 years old. From there he went on to have numerous successes, including becoming the French Elite DH champion in 2004, and multiple podium finishes in the Enduro World Series after that.  Over the past few years,...

In this episode, I chat with Greg McDonnell. Greg is a sports fanatic, an avid mountain biker, and is also a registered clinical counsellor. He grew up on the North Shore and has been riding bikes for as long as he can remember.  When he moved to Whistler 20 years ago, he started racing mountain bikes, and alpine ski mountaineering which enhanced his growing interest in the mental side of performa...

Today on the show, I got to head out for a rip with Jo Peters . We rode one of her favorite trails here in Squamish, Two Stroke Smoke, and then sat down for an insightful conversation. Jo is active in the mountain bike community as a coach, volunteer, and enduro racer. She also works full-time as an RMT and is an expert when it comes to the Mind/Body/Bike connection.  Coaching-wise, Jo runs her ow...

Today's episode is a little different. I felt called to introduce myself, or re-introduce myself to new and old listeners alike since we have seen our audience base expand a lot in recent times! (A huge thank you to you all for listening) So join me as I talk a little bit about my background in the Mountain Bike coaching industry, my passion for all things Mountain Sports, and how I got into...

Today on the show I’m sitting down with Adam Van Luu, a Squamish local Physiotherapist and Concussion Specialist. Through his clinic which is part of Union Health & Performance,   Adam works with people ranging from everyday enthusiasts, all the way up to elite-level athletes including a lot of the Blueprint crew. Outside of work, Adam is an avid Mountain Biker, Climber, and Trail Runner. This...

On this episode of the s how, I went for a ride and sat down for a chat with North Vancouver local and freeride legend, among many other things, Geoff Gulevich who is otherwise known as, 'Gully'. Geoff’s longtime career as a Professional Mountain biker has been filled with impressive highlights, remarkable comebacks from injuries, and a continued dedication to sharing his passion and exp...

In this special episode of the Grit With Wisdom Podcast, we headed to  @WhistlerBlackcomb for one of the most exciting days of the year, Whismas. With both excitement and nerves running high among the crowd, we set about getting a real voice of the people, to understand some of the different ways we can operate mentally in the Bike Park. We got a whole bunch of unique and entertaining answers when...

Today on the show we have Geoff Livingston. Geoff is a North Vancouver local Mountain Biker, Photographer, Dad, and Cancer Survivor. Having been through some incredibly tough circumstances, Geoff sheds an interesting perspective on what it means to be a mountain biker, and what is important in life. We talk about the mental rollercoaster of going from his highest high, completing the Great Divide...

Today on the show we have an avid biking enthusiast - Jarrad Connolly! Hailing from the sunny shores of Newcastle on the Central Coast of Australia, Jarrad has been living and breathing bikes since he took his first steps. He's got a passion for all things two-wheeled and believes that it's not about fancy gear, it's about the pure joy of riding. Jarrad's journey in the biking...

Joining us today on the show is Matt Smith, a critical care flight paramedic, and a professional first responder educator. Matt's journey has taken him across Canada and the US, from the Yukon to Wyoming, and he has held an array of exciting jobs, including  working as a raft guide, and ski instructor.  These days, Matt spends much of his time running bike and ski specific wilderness first ai...

On today's episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Nick VanEgmond from Bicycle Broker Insurance. What's really cool about this conversation is that Nick has found a way to blend his love for riding, racing, and traveling with his entrepreneurial spirit. Drawing from his own experiences racing on the global enduro circuit, Nick identified the gaps in coverage and decided to fill...

A few weeks ago we headed back out to the trails for the 2023 Squamish Enduro to find out more about the perceptions, mental tools, and challenges that riders face during Enduro Races here in BC. Listen in as we gain a broad perspective from a mixed bag of riders including pro racers all the way down to your everyday enthusiasts. We received a range of interesting and entertaining answers on the f...

On today's episode, I got to have a chat with Christina Chappetta. Christina is a bit of a local legend in the Whistler mountain biking community, known for her incredible energy and passion for the sport.  With her background in enduro racing and current role as a video producer and presenter at PinkBike, Christina has a wealth of firsthand knowledge about the highs and lows of mountain biki...

In this episode, we headed back to the BC Bike Show for day two, armed with some more fun questions. We had the opportunity to speak to a whole bunch of Mountain Bikers ranging from industry pro's to everyday riders. Listen in as we gain a broad perspective into people's experiences with: Mental challenges on the bike Flowstate, and how to get into it Crashing. What do riders do directly...

In this episode, I caught up with Tori Wood for a chat right before the snow melted and bike season kicked back into gear. Tori is a Mountain Biker based in Squamish and is an incredible fit for this show because she not only shreds on a bike, but she is also completing her master's degree in Psychological Counseling. Having picked up riding only 5 or so years ago, Tori wasted no time and tru...

We decided to have some fun and mix things up a bit with this episode. We headed over to the BC Bike Show, down in Vancouver, and get the answers to some of Mountain Biking's biggest questions when it comes to mindset. The goal was to gain a broader insight into the mindset of a whole bunch of Mountain Bikers from a whole bunch of different backgrounds, all over Canada.  Listen in as we ask r...

In this episode, I got to share a conversation with the man himself, Lewis Buchanan. Lew is an amazingly accomplished rider who has stuck true to his roots and remains very humble despite his success. This was an important conversation as we dissect and raise awareness around some of the lesser talked about issues surrounding mental health and mountain biking, especially when it comes to the moder...

Today I got to sit down with Jason Bond.  Jason is a professional strength trainer for Mountain Bikers and has been running his popular MTB Dryland training programs in North Vancouver for the past 15 years.  His business, Bond Training, has helped thousands of riders ranging from competitive athletes to your everyday enthusiast reach new levels of performance, health, resilience, and happiness on...

Today I was lucky enough to sit down for a chat and then go for a ride with Ollie Lowthrope.  Ollie is a professional mountain biker based out of Squamish, here in BC. Originally from Jersey in the Channel Islands of the UK, his roots lie in XC racing, having competed from a young age and most notably at the commonwealth games in Australia back in 2018. These days, his riding taste has evolved to...