Obstacle Course

This has been... Obstacle Course! Thank you for listening, friends.Andrew's song lyrics: "Every new beginning is some other new beginning's, end."This final episode isn't a memorial, it's a celebration. If you've listened to every episode, you've spent over 7500 hrs with us. Check ya later folks.Union Pacific Coffee Shop has great atmosphere and delicious coffee/home-made food."Ironically Wim doesn't respond well to cold calls." Gold. "This podcast has never been one to make us money but we don't want it to cost us a lot either." haha. The episode where John learned to be present.Hosting Stories of Resilience.Jesse Roper's incredible episode."Screw it up, just go for it, hang it out there. People will love you more for hanging it out there then trying to be something you're not." - Jesse RoperWhen you're ok with who you are, you'll stop making everything about you.Our guests were people willing to take action!!It's not about being fearless but fearing less.Courage is feeling the fear and doing it anyway.The p

For our final Obstacle Course interview, we're excited/sad to share the second part of our conversation with Josh Dueck. In this episode, Josh shares his current obstacles and dreams for the future. For our final guest episode we let the music play us off… There is a Part One  to this conversation which you should listen before this. Because it's Part One. And that's what you do. Everything comes to an end. Like this Podcast. And Andrew and I. What can never end is our shared journey on the Obstacle Course as every day brings new challenges and opportunities for growth. Our final episode will air February 24, 3 years after we began. -------------------------------------------The death of our identity can often feel fatal. What we learn is this rock bottom can be a solid place to rise up and begin again.Discipline creates freedom!A space to just be. Meditation in Motion. Josh's family motto: Listen, Be kind and Have fun! (Feel free to steal this)Terry Fox, the greatest Canadian! This is a great book as is the

 Josh Dueck is the quintessential obstacle course guest including a stunning story, professionally told and is now changing the world through his work. This is Part One of our conversation. Here's the word John nearly hurt himself trying to pronounce. Despite John's weird analogy, this episode really does have everything and is the essence of Obstacle Course. Andrew practiced for weeks to say  Chef De Mission.For the record, Josh is a 3 time paralympic medalist, including gold! He's also won an X games gold medal and the world championships.John's finger has healed nicely. His ego continues to be a work in process.--------------------Josh is the first person in history to perform a backflip on a sit ski!!!  Here's the iconic jump!"We're going to go make an effort today." It turns out that's all any of us can ever do. Wake up. Do the work. Rinse and Repeat. When we're in the middle of doing our best work and aren't distracted by ego or fear, serenity will guide the way. The Freedom Chair is a beautifully filme

We are joined today by Jeff Sorensen, founder of the Breath Army.We changed the intro. Deal with it. Also, Happy 2021!! :) If you are interested in learning more about The 75HARD Challenge, listen to this informative and inspirational episode by the creator.Andrew and Sarah's Hard mantra:  "We can do hard things. We choose to do hard things. We become better by doing hard things. We see out hard things to do."Everybody breathes. Not everybody connects with their breath. Breathwork Breathing is a behaviour. We need to up our breath game. As humans, we have a tendency to seek out what we know. This can get us into trouble. At rock bottom, Jeff choice life over death. He mentioned a "sense of something that was left undone." Yes, you heard correctly. Jeff worked for the Sinaloa Mexican Cartel!From the Cartel, Jeff went to Wim Hof. Here's Tim's great conversation with The Iceman!Go here to join Jeff's Breath Army or be notified when his book is released.

Welcome to the Podcast! Today we speak with the remarkable Kara Robinson Chamberlain. When Kara was only 15 years old, she was kidnapped in broad daylight by a serial killer who stuffed her into a rubber maid container and took her back to his apartment where she was sexually assaulted over an 18 hour period. We talk to Kara about where she found the courage and resourcefulness to not only escape her restraints but help the police track down her captor. We also talk about the importance of sharing your story and how social media platforms like Tik Tok can actually make you happy. This! Is Obstacle Course.Choose Your Reaction WiselyTik Tok Can Make You HappyHow Strong We Truly Are.Have we mentioned that Andrew is an English major? Kara's Tik Tok. She can make you happy!Here's the excellent episode from the wildly popular My Favourite Murder Podcast. It starts at the 32 min mark. For more information on Kara's story and to connect with Kara, definitely go to her website.Check out The Social Dilemma on Netflix.

For episode 80, we're excited to welcome Chris Wilkinson into the studio. Chris Wilkinson is the owner/GM for Nurse Next Door Home Care Services for Cowichan and central Vancouver Island. For more info visit www.NurseNextDoor.com or for questions or a free in-home Caring Consult call 250-748-4357, or email Chris.Wilkinson@NurseNextDoor.comChris is also a columnist for the Cowichan Citizen and the article he wrote about the death of his father, inspired this episode. On Today's episode...- Fathers and Sons- Stiff Upper Lips - Know Better, Do BetterWe talked about our death denying culture way back in episode 19!If you can't sleep, listen to our fantastic episode on it.Heather's episode is a master class in vulnerability and one of the best conversations we've ever had. It's a must listen for anyone who has loved and lost.The Pixar movie Coco explores the connection between loss, grief and death."I got this," may be a signal that you are repressing your thoughts and feelings.Repression is at the heart of toxic

Today, we continue our trend of discussing politics! We'd like to officially welcome Dr. Valerie D'Erman,  Instructor of Political Science at the University of Victoria, on the Podcast. Mcgill University!Why do we do the thing we say we'll never do? Pattern recognition? Habits?Introverts rejoice! You don't have to call restaurants anymore. :)Speaking of introverts, this important book is currently helping John understand everyone around him :) Not to disagree with Valerie, but I assure you, she meant to say, Britain is officially and legally out of the EU! :) Thanks for listening Giuseppe! :) For more information on Brexit and all things news, BBC is generally a great source of reliable information!"Obstinate Euro Scepticism." This doesn't sound good...Populism is a common and potentially dangerous reality that pervades all sides of modern politics. Has Trump thought it through?Neutral Analytics is a practice we all need to learn. What a less angry and better connected world we could be. Well done Valerie!GWY

We're thrilled to welcome Sonia Furstenau back to the Podcast. If you missed Part 1 of our conversation, we have remastered it and you can listen to it here! Let's vote! Maeve's not a day over.... for......t...something... You can catch our amazing episode with Maeve here! It's our first ever Obstacle Course interview! We were FIRST!!! Suck it CNN. When in doubt, blame Maeve. #liferules"I'm so inspired by the platform that we have. I look at it and I feel hopeful about the future. It's platform of solutions oriented on what matters most -taking care of people.""It goes to something that is very core and has always been part of me, which is this idea that we can be better, we can do better, we can treat each other better and we can be kinder, more compassionate and empathetic.""I really do think we need to do politics differently. We don't have to be terrible to the people we are debating with."You can catch our conversation with Olympian, Jason Dorland, right here! The root of the word competition means, "to

Sharp, frank, and fearless, that’s Buddhist sex therapist, psychologist, author, and speaker Dr. Cheryl Fraser. With a rare combination of academic credibility, humor, straight-talk, and life-changing advice, she has helped thousands of couples jumpstart their love life and create passion that lasts a lifetime. She has taught for Tony Robbins and Jack Canfield, appears on countless podcasts, and writes about love and sex for magazines. And chocolate nipples! John's at 45 days in a row now on  Headspace.Great sex begins in your head!Buddha in the Bedroom is a fantastic book! The link between mindfulness and being a good lover is real. You. Are. Normal. Long term couples include anyone in a relationship for 12-18 months or longer. The bio-chemistry of falling in love is the same as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.Come As You Are. Another excellent book to check out.You are not broken. You are in process. "Reaearch indicates the greatest predictor of mental well being, longevity and life satisfaction is having a q

We're super excited to welcome local rock star, Jesse Roper, to the podcast. What a great guy. And super talented! You can check out everything Jesse, here! Jesse's also very active on Instagram and Facebook!23 years baby! Love you Ang. I feel like my and Andrew's live music stories could have been reversed. No wonder we get along. :) The Golden Hinde is the tallest mountain on Vancouver Island. Jesse's a beast. If you're not ready for this 3-5 day hike, start with Mount Benson or Mount Arrowsmith.To our Saskatchewan listeners.... we feel for you... kisses.Resilience is often an artist's most important tool.The notion of an artist being in the "transportation," business, is a topic we also discussed in our fantastic conversation with Coco Jones.Here's the American Idol story!!Jesse's song, "Anytime of Night is his most personal. Here's his hair (and mind) blowing video."People will love you more for hanging it all out there than trying to be something you're not." Jesse "If you can capture the best parts of y

We don't like to experience the nerves but we need the nerves!That thing WILL kick in.The only difference between the feelings of fear and excitement is how we label it.People hate plastic flowers but real flowers are a lot more work!!"I fell in love with the soul, the outside wrapper was just a bi-product." - Margarita MARGARITA'S BOOKAmazon #1 Bestselling book: Sitting On The Fence is a 10-part journey into love - Ten life-changing chapters revealing soulful realizations, learnings, and ideas about the power of love. Love comes from within and it is all-seeing. It is not "just an emotion" or something to rely on others to fulfill for us - it is a state of being. This book will help you examine your perception of love, expand your awareness of how you show up in your life and explore your connection to love and deepen your fulfillment in your relationships     Book Page: https://leapzone.lpages.co/book/ Dare To Brand Documentaryhttps://leapzonestrategies.com/portfolio/dare-to-brand-documentary/   ...........

For this episode, we brought back three elite athletes to discuss the state of athletics, exercise and competition in 2020. In this episode we have a Gold Medalist, Ironman Triathlete and a beastly Business Owner.  Episodes, 4, 27, 36. :)  Welcome back to the podcast, Adam Kreek, Sara Gross and Simon Young!This episode has a lot of buzz! Sorry by the way, also, you're welcome. It's Simon's 3 Keys to success in training and lifeShow UpDo the workAsk questionsCitizen athletes. Nice. Accurate yet not offensive :) Adam's muscle garden sounds amazing!!Ready for a new challenge? Try the Murph!A great cure for depression is to get out of the way of yourself."As a pro athlete, being self absorbed was a strategic advantage. Post sports, it's less of a strategic advantage." Adam Kreek Missing Pro Sports? The Last Dance documentary on Netflix is INCREDIBLE. Check out Sara's latest podcast - Unfazed!Adam's accents are the best. haha.Rocky Rocky Rocky Rocky!!!! #4 

This is Part Two of our conversation with Jon Williams. If you haven't listened to Part One, we highly recommend it. "Look after yourself, have fun and for goodness sake smile." Want a t-shirt?Anyone else relate to Jon's library trolley brain analogy? #onpointWhat Was That Radio is now LIVE!  Check it out!!!$7/month or $55 per year will help Jon bring you the music and artists you want!Jon really loves his M&M's. This podcast finds its origin and identity in Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey. "You have to ask yourself what you've been through and you have to face that.""You have to push yourself as an individual to eventually be one with the darkest part of your being.""You've got to tell them who you are. You have to be yourself and you must vocalize your truth!""Look after yourself. Have fun. And I love you." Jon Williams

In this episode we speak with Jon Williams, former host of The Zone 91-3 and present host of Victoria's newest internet radio station, What Was That! Welcome Williams of Jon/Jon Williams.Britain's next great Comedian! What makes a great interview? Authenticity, openness and vulnerability. You must be vulnerable in order to create trust, not the other way around. Autopilot: Where interviews go to die. The recovered interview with George Brewster, the WWII veteran!The identity of Jon's abusers remains unknown.If you have experienced sexual abuse of any kind, it is important that you seek out a professional therapist whom you can trust and can help you process what happened. Foundry offers young people ages 12-24 health and wellness resources, services and supports – online and through integrated service centres in communities across BC. Check it out!! Not using your voice is a form of lying - to yourself and others. If you'd like to subscribe to What Was That, Jon's online radio station, go here  and here and h

This is the final part of our three part conversation on what happened to Ben Kilmer. In this final episode, we discuss how Tonya was able to endure  this traumatic time and we also discuss prevention. You can and should listen to Heather McLeod's excellent episode here. She shares openly her process of grief after losing her 38 yr old husband, Brock, to cancer. It's one of our top downloaded episodes of all time for a reason.We all have a fail safe to get through life's traumas.  Kelly McGonical writes and speaks extensively on stress, how to manage it and how it can be a good thing. Spirituality tends to come up in most of our episodes. Although, Andrew and John are not religious (John was a Christian Pastor for decades and discusses his loss of faith in his episode) they are both very spiritual and find their connection through time spent in nature.  Spirituality can be transformative in times of trauma and stress but can also be a crutch if leaned on permanently. "I had to find against depression every si

If you haven't listened to Part 1 of our conversation with Tonya, we highly recommend you push stop and listen to it first. We realize we left you on a 2 week cliff hanger. Sorry? :) Calling 911 is the best option if you become emotionally compromised and you can't reach a loved one or mental health professional. Do not hesitate to call.  Tonya is still convinced this could have saved Ben. The Find Ben Kilmer Facebook page was extremely helpful in supporting Tonya and the family in the search for Ben. Anxiety is not a sign of weakness. It means you have a pulse. It takes real strength to face how you're feeling and ask for help. The days of the Cowboy are over. Keep Sexy Alive. :) If you're looking for additional resources on mental health or to continue the conversation, go here.Part 3 of our conversation will be released on August 12. If you have enjoyed these conversations, please share this episode or leave us a a kind review on iTunes!

For more information on mental health or to connect with Tonya Kilmer, please visit her website.  

Our guest today is local artist Coco Jones. While they appreciate great art, Andrew and John have no painting or drawing talent whatsoever. Coco Jones... coolest name in history. John seems to debut a new laugh in this episode. Similar to Cookie Monster. It's lovely?We're everywhere folks. Even on Spotify. Coco's daughter, Enya, was in studio for this one! Hiiiiiii Enya!!"Art is a mad search for individualism." Gauguin"Art is anything you can get away with." Andy WarholAll artists long to be original in some way. Art is a compulsion. Something you can't NOT do."The feeling I got from doing art was a conduit to the Divine. It took away my pain and suffering." Coco.Perfection is often the great escape from ourself." We talked about this in our fantastic conversation with Lindsay in episode 66.Coco's Dad wanted her to be a lawyer and not a starving artist. Her compulsion won out."Fulfillment comes from doing what you want rather than what's expected."Born to Run - Storytelling at its best.A steamy affair with a

A huge thanks to Club Kwench for hosting us! If you missed the Victoria BLM Rally, it was an incredible event. Our guests today are none other than the great Pamphinette Buisa, Vanessa Simon and Asiyah Robinson. We stand with them. "We will never understand but we will stand with you."Isolation is at the heart of racism. Until we are equal, we will be separated. We all need and deserve a place to belong.Confidence comes from a place of belief and truth deep within.Vulnerability is crucial in being able to share your voice.Dave Chappelle's post George Floyd tribute is powerful. "I didn't have to speak up because the streets were crying out."Not racist is not a thing. You're either racist or anti-racist. Part of the problem or part of the solution. Check out Ibram Kendi's amazing book on "How To Be An Anti Racist."Being not racist is NOT enough. Be Anti-Racist.Canada is just like everywhere else. Racism is alive and not well.For more information on micro-aggressionsApologizing and being polite can be an obstacl

Episode 66 is another transformative conversation as we sat down with the amazing Lindsay Knazan. A student of Eastern Philosophy and teacher of every day buddhism and yoga practices, Lindsay is a wealth of wisdom! Like all gurus, her training has come via her own pain and suffering. If we can learn to embrace these difficult emotions, we discover a freedom and strength we never knew we had.  We also discuss shame, anxiety, learning to love ourselves and the importance of PLAY.  Andrew at 24... hmm... I can only imagine.The Obstacle Course NEVER stops. John used to hoop it up. Rumour is he could even dunk. The older he gets, the better he was. Find your PLAY and get back into it! If hoops is your thing (Maeve) then message John, he'll probably say yes! If you want to continue the conversation, connect with our guests and other listeners, join our Obstacle Course Community private group on Facebook.Nice to meet you John. "I'm sure it is, I'm a great guy." - John Close. Humble man. Beginning an episode with a g