Wild Ideas Worth Living | Interviews On Adventure, Outdoors, Travel, Health, Fitness, Running, Business, Surfing, Exploring

In July of 2022, Greg Nance returned from an adventure of a lifetime. He ran across America, from New York to Washington State, in 84 days. For Greg, this cross country run wasn't just about checking the experience off his bucket list. Greg was running to raise funds for his youth mental health organization, Run Far Foundation.Connect with Greg: Instagram Website Run Far Foundation Resources: MoneythinkEpisode sponsor: Check out REI’s Fall 2022 Editor’s Choice Awards

This week we have a BONUS EPISODE featuring The Trail Ahead podcast  hosted by Faith E. Briggs and Addie Thompson. On the show, Addie and Faith bring together guests from all walks of life. They interview activists, artists, athletes, climate scientists and outdoor industry leaders to discuss representation and access to the outdoors. For this conversation, Faith and Addie interview Kamilah Journét, a long-distance runner and passionate environmentalist. Kamilah discovered her love for running in junior high and continued competing in Cross Country and Track at high school and collegiate levels. She talks to Faith and Addie about creating a space of belonging in the outdoors, embracing a changing identity as a runner, and taking up space. The Debrief features Sarah Jacquette Ray author of A Field Guide To Climate Anxiety: How to Keep Cool on a Warming Planet.Connect with The Trail AheadListen to more episodesJoin the community on InstagramEpisode ResourcesKamilah's Instagram Runners for Public Lands“Kamilah J

2022 was a pretty amazing year for Wild Ideas Worth Living. We released fifty episodes this year and interviewed some pretty awe-inspiring guests. We learned so much about healing in nature, being present, the value in moving our bodies, and creating equal access to the great outdoors. We talked about food and plants and gear, about mountains and caves and trails. Our guests taught us that age is nothing but a number, that there is activism in pursuing joy outdoors, and that nature can bring people together.To all of our guests and listeners this year - thank you.Episodes to listen to:How to Suffer Outside with Diana HelmuthHealing in the Mountains with Silvia Vasquez-LavadoMaking Indigenous Art with Louie GongGrowing a Garden with Marcus BridgewaterWalking Around the World with Tom TurcichSpirit of the Peaks with Connor RyanFinding Yourself in Climbing with Mario StanleyBuilding Cotopaxi with Davis SmithBuilding a Running Community with Iman WilkersonRiding Waves with the Boogie Board Wave ChasersWinter Trek

Whether we’re hiking a favorite trail or mountain biking for the first time, one of the benefits of adventuring outside is that we get to move our bodies. Katy Bowman is a body movement specialist who has written several books, including the bestseller, Move Your DNA. For decades, Katy has studied the science behind how our bodies react to living a sedentary life. All of her research has led her to some revolutionary ideas about how to stay a bit more active in almost any situation.Connect with Katy: Website Instagram Facebook YouTube Resources: Check out Katy’s booksLearn more about how to move more during the holidaysEpisode sponsors: Check out REI’s Fall 2022 Editor’s Choice Awards

Meg Fisher is one of the greatest para cyclists in the world. Twenty years ago, Meg was in a car accident that changed her life. During her recovery, she fell in love with physical therapy and pursued it professionally. She also discovered cycling thanks to an energetic service dog. Meg excelled in the sport and quickly began competing, gaining sponsors and winning competitions all over the world. Connect with Meg: Website Instagram Facebook Episode sponsors: CotopaxiCheck out REI’s Fall 2022 Editor’s Choice Awards 

Growing up in poverty with little access to outdoor adventure sports, Ryan Hudson never imagined he’d be snowboarding in big-time competitions and exploring the mountains of Alaska. Today, he’s taken expeditions with renowned athletes, starred in an adventure film, and he’s sponsored by brands like the North Face and Sierra Nevada. Ryan’s journey from "#streets2peaks" is an inspiring, and unlikely story. Connect with Ryan:Instagram TwitterResources:#streets2peaksWatch Mountain RevelationsLearn more about Outdoor OutreachEpisode sponsors: CotopaxiDanner

Mauricio Artiñano, a former mission planning officer with the United Nations, has worked to bridge the gap between former combatants and civilians with a pretty wild idea - white-water rafting.Connect with Mauricio:Instagram FacebookTwitterResources:Caguan ExpeditionsEpisode sponsors: DannerCheck out REI’s Fall 2022 Editor’s Choice Awards

Evelynn Escobar is a changemaker in the outdoor industry who’s building her movement a little differently. As the founder of Hike Clerb, Evelynn has taken an intentional approach to building a fun, stylish and inclusive community. As a result, Hike Clerb has achieved an incredible amount of success. They’ve worked with several well-known brands and are encouraging Black, Indigenous, and women of color across North America to spend more time in the outdoors together. Connect with Evelynn:InstagramHike Clerb's InstagramHike Clerb's websiteWatch REI Co-op Studio's "To Touch the Earth with Hike Clerb founder Evelynn Escobar" Read more on REI's Uncommon PathEpisode sponsor: Danner

In 2021, yoga instructor Monica Ramos packed up her home and went on a motorcycle adventure with her husband and their eight-year-old daughter. The family of three left their home in Costa Rica and rode for four months: one month to get to Mexico and more than two months exploring every corner of the country. On the trip, Monica learned to incorporate lessons from her yoga practice - like awareness of her body and mindful breathing - into motorcycle riding.Connect with Monica: InstagramFacebookResources:Vist the Harmony Hotel Episode sponsors:Cotopaxi Danner

In 2017, Stacy Bare took fellow veterans back to Iraq, where they had all served during the war. The team skied some of the highest mountains in the country and made an award-winning film called Adventure Not War. Now, since becoming a father to daughter Wilder, and weathering a global pandemic, Stacy’s work looks a little different. Instead of bringing folks out to nature, he’s working to build and improve green space in Grand Rapids, Michigan.Connect with Stacy:InstagramConnect with Friends of Grand Rapids Parks:WebsiteInstagramFacebookResources:Watch Adventure Not WarListen to Stacy on Wild Ideas Worth Living, 2018Episode sponsors:Cotopaxi Danner

Emily Ford loves winter. She does most of her adventuring during the coldest months of the year in the most frigid parts of the U.S. In March of 2021, Emily became the first woman and the first Black person on record to complete the Ice Age Trail, a 1,200 mile trek that winds through the state of Wisconsin. In March of 2022, she completed a 28 day trek where she skied 180 miles with her dog Diggins. Connect with Emily Ford:WebsiteInstagramFacebookResources:Ice Age TrailBoundary WatersEpisode sponsors: Teva Cotopaxi

Halloween approaches, and spending time outside is a little spookier than usual. As it gets dark earlier and leaves start to fall, our minds can run wild with visions of unknown creatures hiding in lakes or slithering across trails. Weston Davis - host of REI's Camp Monster podcast - tells the stories of these “impossible” creatures, and folks of all ages can’t get enough of them. He knows exactly how to build suspense and make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Connect with Weston:WebsiteListen to the Camp Monsters podcast!Episode sponsors: Teva Cotopaxi

Outdoor romance novelist Stacy Gold gave up her day job at a mountain biking nonprofit to write steamy romance novels. Her characters are strong, adventurous women - and the men who can’t resist them. Stacy has released four award-winning books, including her newest novel Wild at Heart, with more on the way. Writing romance novels that take place in the great outdoors gives Stacy a lot of material to work with: interesting plot points, beautiful scenery, and plenty of opportunity to crank up the tension.Connect with Stacy:WebsiteInstagram FacebookTwitterPurchase Stacy's latest bookEpisode sponsors: TevaCheck out REI's Fall 2022 Editor's Choice Awards   

Teresa Martinez knows all about building trails. She’s spent the last 30 years working on some of the longest and most well-known trails across the country. Her latest project is to connect the Continental Divide Trail so that thru-hikers can follow the 1,200 mile path from the Mexico/New Mexico border to Montana and Canada without having to walk on city streets and highways.  Connect with Teresa and The Continental Divide Trail Coalition:WebsiteFacebook Twitter Instagram Resources:Learn more about Benton MackayeEpisode sponsors: Teva Cotopaxi 

Louie Gong is one of the most successful Native American visual artists in the country. At the beginning of his artistic career, he wanted to find a way to sell and license his work without having to go through a gallery or museum. So he founded his own company, Eighth Generation. The brand started in 2008 in Louie’s 200 square foot living room, and now inhabits a 30,000 square foot space in the heart of Seattle. Eighth Generation partners with over 40 Native American artists around the U.S. to design, manufacture and market beautiful wool blankets, art prints, home goods, and more. Louie recently collaborated with Brooks to create the new Brooks Running Sasquatch Collection, designed by Louie, which features his art, inspired by his interpretation of Sasquatch. The limited edition collection includes running apparel and the Cascadia 16 trail running shoe. Learn more about Louie and the Sasquatch collection here. Connect with Louie:WebsiteInstagramResources:Eighth Generation websiteEighth Generation Instagram

Shyla Sheppard and Missy Begay are the founders of the first and only Native-women owned brewery in the U.S. They use Indigenous and local ingredients to make unique brews at Bow & Arrow Brewing in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The beer they make at Bow & Arrow Brewing is more than just a drink: it celebrates Missy and Shyla’s heritage and shares their stories with their community.Connect with Missy & Shyla: Bow & Arrow Brewing websiteBow & Arrow Brewing Instagram Bow & Arrow Brewing TwitterBow & Arrow Brewing FacebookListen to: Episode 185 with Chef Maria HinesEpisode 175 with Christian GeringEpisode sponsors: Teva Cotopaxi Sonos 

Leah Thomas, the blogger behind Green Girl Leah, is an outdoorswoman and activist who loves learning about science and society. In 2020, Leah posted an infographic on Instagram about “intersectional environmentalism” that went viral. The theory is an inclusive version of environmentalism that calls for climate justice through the lens of social justice–  gender, class and racial equity. Connect with Leah:Green Girl LeahInstagramIntersectional Environmentalist: WebsiteInstagramFacebook YouTubeTwitterResources:Get a copy of Leah’s book, ​​The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet REI Cooperative Action NetworkCatchafireEpisode sponsors:TevaCotopaxiSonos

Rue Mapp spent her youth swimming in creeks and playing on her family’s ranch in California. As she got older, Rue explored new ways to get outside and enjoy nature, but she didn’t see many other Black people in the outdoor spaces she loved. In 2009, she started a social enterprise called Outdoor Afro. In 2015, Outdoor Afro became a national not-for-profit that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. Now, Outdoor Afro, Inc. is releasing a clothing line in collaboration with REI Co-op that honors the history of Black people in the outdoors and celebrates Black joy.Shop – Outdoor Afro Inc. + REI Co-op Hike CollectionConnect with Rue:WebsiteInstagramFacebookTwitter Resources:Outdoor Afro WebsiteOutdoor Afro InstagramListen and Watch:"Made Together" VideoRue Mapp’s 2018 episodeEpisode sponsors:TevaSonos

A few years ago, Marley Blonsky bought a bike as a way to get to work. Soon after, she started bike camping and fell in love with the freedom of cycling. Fast forward to 2020, and Marley started All Bodies on Bikes with past guest and fellow body inclusive cyclist Kailey Kornhauser. The pair were featured in a beautiful short film, and they’ve been written about in some of the industry’s most prominent cycling publications. Now, Marley is traveling around the country working with riders and brands to advocate for size inclusivity.Connect with Marley:Marley’s websiteAll Bodies on Bikes websiteFacebookTwitterMarley’s InstagramAll Bodies on Bike InstagramResources:Check out the Wild Ideas episode with Kailey Kornhauser, co-founder of All Bodies on Bikes.Episode sponsor:Teva

The day before his 26th birthday, Tom Turcich walked out the door of his home in Haddon Township, NJ. He was setting off to walk around the world. Seven years and over 25,000 miles later, Tom returned home. Four months into his trek, he adopted a dog, Savannah, to keep him company. The pair’s adventure was filled with highs and lows - kindly interactions with strangers, health scares, beautiful scenery, and lots of lessons learned. Connect with Tom:WebsiteInstagram More on walking around the world:Becoming Someone You're Proud Of with Mike PosnerSponsor: Sonos