Ep. 1200: Climbing to Overcome with Melissa Strong

Paddleboard racing: Casey's unexpected overall win in the 80-mile Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis from Bahamas to Florida, taking the women's division and top spot, building on her skimboarding background where she became world champion twice, and her rapid rise in paddleboarding since starting in January 2021.Casey had high hopes when she set off from the Bahamas to race her paddleboard to Florida during the annual Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis. She knew she had trained well, prepared her best and was a strong paddler. However, she didn’t expect that she would actually win the 80-mile adventure. When she ran through the finish line on the Florida beach, she was elated to find that she had not only won the women’s division of the race but the race overall! Today we’re hearing Casey’s story about how her love of skimboarding and unexpectedly being crowned the world champ twice led to her also becoming a highly accomplished paddleboarder, a sport she has only started since January 2021. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Backcountry skiing & The Way Out!Today, Devon O'Neil, a writer and adventurer, shares his experiences in mountain life and the risks and rewards associated with outdoor adventures. We discuss O'Neill's book 'The Way Out,' which recounts a tragic skiing accident involving a family and the lessons learned from it. The conversation explores themes of preparation, the allure of mountain living, the importance of avalanche safety, and the balance between adventure and family life.Website: https://www.devononeil.com/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Paragliding: A nearly 3,000-kilometer journey retracing the iconic Monarch Butterfly migration route from the mountains of Northern Mexico all the way to Canada. Benjamin Jordan is back on the Adventure Sports Podcast with another incredible journey to share. He recently retraced the iconic path that Monarch Butterflies take every year from a remote mountainous region of Northern Mexico all the way to Canada. It’s a phenomenon that science doesn’t quite understand and one that Benjamin was inspired to try himself. A documentary about the nearly 3,000 km experience, "Fly Monarca", drops Thursday, May 6th at Midnight EST at flymonarca.com. Listen to Benjamin’s previous episode on Adventure Sports Podcast here: Ep. 524: Vol-Bivouac Paragliding 1,200-Km of the Canadian Rockies - Benjamin JordanExpedition Website:  monarcaexpedition.comFilm Website: flymonarca.comFB/IG: @benjaminjordanadventureX: @ben_j_adventureLyndsay Nicole (FB/IG): @pilotlyndsaynicole (expedition photography/support credit)Lyndsay Nicole (X): @lyndsaypilot (expedition photography/support credit)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

True transformation through endurance athletics. What do you do when you find yourself at your end? Sometimes we need to face the facts and begin to win ourselves back. Endurance athlete and author David Richman shares his transformative journey from a sedentary, unhealthy lifestyle to completing over 50 triathlons, including Ironmans, and biking 4,700 miles in six weeks. Discover how facing personal challenges, self-reflection, and endurance sports can unlock profound life changes and resilience.Website: https://david-richman.com/Books: https://david-richman.com/cycle-of-lives/https://david-richman.com/winning-in-the-middle-of-the-pack/IG: davidrichman_cycle of livesAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Kayaking: Join the first paddle descent of the Sonam Section of the Kuri Chu river in the remote wilderness of eastern Bhutan.Ben is joining Adventure Sports Podcast to tell us about his first paddle descent of the Sonam Section of the Kuri Chu in eastern Bhutan.  More about Ben from Precisionpaddlesports.com:“Ben is a native of Orange, Virginia where he grew up playing around in and paddling on local rivers. Over the past 15 years Ben has been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to work alongside numerous paddlesport instructors and coaches at various paddling schools, outfitters, and colleges throughout the U.S. and abroad including the National Outdoor Leadership School, Nantahala Outdoor Center, Jackson Hole Kayak School, Costa Rica Rios, DeRiemer Adventure Kayaking, Otter Bar Lodge Kayak School, New Zealand Kayak School, Wilderness Rescue International, Next Adventure Paddlesports Center, Alder Creek Kayak and Canoe, Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center, Canoe Kayak and Paddle Company, Zoar Outdoor and many others.  While Ben's background is river kayaking, he enjoys spending time in diverse environments on paddleboards, canoes, and sea kayaks. Ben's strengths lie in his excitement to share his passion for paddlesports with others, his eagerness to continue to grow and develop as a paddler and instructor, and his positive interpersonal skills. Ben will be excited to work with you whether its helping you improve your paddling technique, guiding you down beautiful tropical rivers in Central America, or leading you on your first multi-day river experience.” www.precisionpaddlesports.comEmail: [email protected]: (540) 907-8450Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Healing for Adventure! Rolfing, back pain relief, health and alignment. Jani Wedmore Pulaski is a certified Rolfer®, Rolf Movement Practitioner, health coach, and wellness professional based in Darby, Montana (with previous ties to Gunnison and Crested Butte, Colorado). She specializes in structural integration (Rolfing), body alignment, movement therapy, and holistic health approaches to help people with chronic pain, posture issues, and overall wellness. Her certifications and expertise include:Rolfing® and Rolf MovementMetabolic Balance® coaching (nutrition/lifestyle)Kundalini YogaHealth/lifestyle coachingShe runs the Real Change Institute and offers programs like the Back in Action Method for overcoming chronic low back pain through alignment and structural work.www.realchangeinstitute.orgAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Special announcement about the future plans for The Adventure Sports Podcast. Curt shares a bit about changes to the show and what the future holds. Short and sweet!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Mountaineering: Follow one climber's grueling 18-day journey tackling Montana's 50 highest peaks above tree line with minimal gear.From enduring injuries, to hunger, to all sorts of mental toughness, Branden gives us a very fresh deep dive of his recent climb of Montana’s 50 highest peaks. The journey was mostly above tree line which added some interesting challenges to the 18-day journey. Branden was also traveling pretty light so his challenges and achievement are that much greater. There's so much to unpack so let's get moving!Instagram: @the_wild_ned/Branden in the news:helenair.com/lifestyles/recreation/branden-s-joy-climbing-montanas-50-highest-peaks-in-18-daysAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Bungee Riverboarding: A sport you have never seen!Discover the exciting sport of bungee riverboarding with Robert Guyer, a sport that combines river currents, bungee cords, and skateboarding tricks. Learn about its origins, how it's done, safety tips, and how it could become an Olympic sport! Great fun for folks of all ages and a great new way to enjoy rivers and the outdoors.Web: https://www.evensurf.com/Non-profit: https://upstreamyouth.org/YT: https://www.youtube.com/@evenriverboardsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Rock climbing! Overcoming adversity to live life to the fullest!Melissa’s journey from a tragic electric accident to climbing again is beyond inspiring. She lost fingers, faced intense medical battles, and grappled with whether she could ever climb again — but her passion and perseverance kept her moving forward. Her story reminds us that even the darkest challenges can lead to breathtaking forests of gratitude and growth.Her secret? A relentless fire within and the courage to face her fears head-on. She’s living proof that your "new normal" can still be incredible — if you refuse to give up.IG: MelissaIStrongWS: www.MelissaIStrong.comMelissa's Book: Climbing Through - https://a.co/d/03C3t9ozMy Book: 99 Words - Building a Better Life - https://a.co/d/05UErDyEAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy