No Barriers artwork

No Barriers

189 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 80 ratings

Hosted by Erik Weihenmayer (the first blind person to summit Mt. Everest; among many other perhaps more impressive achievements) our audience tunes into hear stories of perseverance along with the outcomes on the other side. Individuals who've defied the odds (defying the odds) or flipped the script of their lives are frequent guests. - Podcast producer contact: [email protected]

Government Society & Culture inspiration overcoming barriers reality adaptive athlete interviews erik weihenmayer jeff evans
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed

Episodes

TetraSki Tanja Kari and Ross Imburgia

March 25, 2024 17:27 - 45 minutes - 42.1 MB

Tanja, a four-time Paralympic gold medalist, shares her personal journey as an athlete, the changing significance of her victories, and her involvement advancing adaptive sports. Her dedication to the community and the memories she's cherished are an integral part of this conversation. Ross, an engineer, takes us through the technical strides and the human stories behind the development of the Tetraski. It’s possibly the most advanced ski we’ve ever seen for sure. Is designed for people wit...

Gabriel Rodreick,Freaque

March 14, 2024 19:01 - 44 minutes - 41.2 MB

Gabriel Rodreick website: https://gabrielrodreick.com/ LISTEN: Freaque https://open.spotify.com/artist/6xmxsU99bvYcGrvdsw3pFk WATCH: 16 min interview covering the basics of his story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7lH6xeWghs

2023 Year End Recap

February 26, 2024 22:27 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MB

Listen to the full episodes referenced in this episode. Episode 178 - Rob Cahill and 4DWN Episode 177 - Nic Novicki Episode 173 - Dr. Diva Amon, Behind the Bubble Episode 172 - Kathy Eldon, the active soul in all of us Episode 150 - Chasing Dreams with Diana Nyad

Exoskeleton Evolution: New Frontiers in Disability and Mobility Assistance

January 25, 2024 18:07 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MB

You've arrived at the intersection of human willpower and biomechanics. After this episode you’ll be wondering, “is the term ‘disability’ about to be dismantled and  and reshaped by pioneers using the power of technology?”  Our guests are Keenon Werling and Russel Martin, two pHd students from the Stanford Biomechatronics lab. The topic. Wearable Robots. Exoskeletons. Maybe the first image that comes to mind are futuristic versions of these creations. They are all over Hollywood in blockbus...

Davis Phinney & Kevin Kwok. Healthy and Strong and Living with Parkinson's.

January 12, 2024 21:38 - 44 minutes - 40.8 MB

WEBSITE: The Davis Phinney Foundation WATCH: 8 minutes. Davis Phinney Moment of Victory. 

Action Audio with Tim Devine

December 14, 2023 20:50 - 44 minutes - 41.1 MB

Today, we’re talking augmented reality with audio and ultimately sensory substitution. Our guest is Tim Devine. He and his team at Action Audio have developed a product that translates the spatial data from live sports into sound, allowing blind and low vision audiences to follow the action in real time. It’s not just functional tech though, it’s emotional. He wants to bring the tension, the anticipation… the core of what makes live sports amazing to watch, to this audience. Tim shares hi...

Alice Brouhard - Beyond Caregiving, A Journey of Independence

November 21, 2023 21:10 - 47 minutes - 43.9 MB

Today we meet Alice Brouhard and her daughter Kara. When Kara was 5 she was struck by an out of control skier. The accident caused a traumatic brain injury, left Kara legally blind and mostly paralyzed on one side of her body. Kara's parents helped her relearn as much as they could and raised Kara to live as independently as possible, patiently pushing her to chase her dreams. Alice took finding assistive technology into her own hands and in the process became a champion of the use of techn...

Nick Martinez "Extra Mode"

November 13, 2023 22:52 - 1 hour - 58.7 MB

What would you with an extra tank of gas? It’s a metaphor for living that we had not heard, until now, when we interviewed Nick Martinez. He’s a true adventurer and survivor of life's highest peaks and deepest valleys. And to complete the metaphor, yes, the fuel indeed ran out and not just once. His narratives provide insight into his world of BASE jumping and climbing as well as his life-altering experiences that have shaped his unique perspective on life, death, and everything in-between. H...

Dr. Dennis Charney - Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life's Greatest Challenges

October 05, 2023 17:49 - 53 minutes - 48.5 MB

Book Link. RESILIENCE: THE SCIENCE OF MASTERING LIFE’S GREATEST CHALLENGES Dr. Dennis Charney on LinkedIn

Rob Cahill and 4DWN

September 15, 2023 19:24 - 1 hour - 56.9 MB

4DWN Film Trailer https://4dwn.org/ https://www.instagram.com/4dwn_org/ https://www.facebook.com/4DWNskateboarding https://www.youtube.com/@4dwnproject197

Nic Novicki

August 30, 2023 14:42 - 56 minutes - 52.1 MB

https://www.nicnovicki.com/ https://www.instagram.com/nicnovicki/ https://www.instagram.com/disabilityfilmchallenge/ https://disabilityfilmchallenge.com/ The Disability Challenge video. https://youtu.be/FISwEhPXWzQ

Kyle Maynard

August 15, 2023 17:04 - 44 minutes - 40.6 MB

Kyle Maynard is no stranger to pushing the limits, overcoming obstacles, and inspiring others to live a no barriers life. That’s why he’s our guest today AND in a few weeks when we see him on stage at the No Barriers Summit. His first No Barriers Summit was 12 years ago and a pivotal moment in his life, because soon thereafter he bear crawled to the top the highest mountain in Africa. Bearcrawled? He’s got a rare condition known as congenital amputation, that left him with arms that end at...

JR Martinez Live at the Summit

August 01, 2023 00:45 - 54 minutes - 49.6 MB

In anticipation of the No Barriers annual 3-day festival we call the Summit (starts on Aug 25th), we’re re-releasing an episode that was recorded live at a previous Summit in Lake Tahoe. The guest? JR Martinez. His journey is filled with ups and downs. While on patrol with his Army unit in Iraq, his vehicle was hit with a roadside bomb. He was trapped inside as the explosives his vehicle was carrying detonated around him. During his recovery with over 30 surgeries and skin grafts, he found s...

Brad Ludden, First Descents

July 14, 2023 16:48 - 42 minutes - 39 MB

https://firstdescents.org/  

Dr. Diva Amon, Behind the Bubble

June 30, 2023 14:33 - 49 minutes - 45 MB

Follow Diva on Twitter @divaamon and Instagram @diva_amon, or visit her website https://divaamon.com/.

Kathy Eldon, the active soul in all of us

June 14, 2023 14:13 - 51 minutes - 47 MB

http://kathyeldon.com

Freeriding Blind with Jacob Smith

May 18, 2023 20:02 - 43 minutes - 39.5 MB

https://www.instagram.com/jake.skis/ VIDEO: Invisible Mountains: Jacob Smith, Blind Skier (Skiing the Big Couloir)

The Brewability Lab with Tiffany Fixter

April 28, 2023 19:08 - 43 minutes - 39.5 MB

Many entrepreneurs say that starting a business is something they always felt destined to do. Then there are people who never in a million years thought they’d be running their own business, but, lo and behold, somehow the opportunity found them. The ‘accidental’ entrepreneur some might call themselves. Meet Tiffany Fixter. She founded The Brewability Lab, and what’s interesting is not only her path there, but the entrepreneurial journey, filled with challenges and adversity, that she is sti...

Baking Blind with Penny Melville Brown

April 12, 2023 14:56 - 1 hour - 55.7 MB

Penny Melville Brown's passion is cooking. However, for a career she chose the Royal Navy. Yes she’s British. During her service in the Royal Navy she became the first female barrister there; it’s a type of lawyer, the ones that wear those wigs. Then as it happened to all of our guests on this podcast, she had a life altering moment. In Penny’s case, she lost her sight and had to leave her 20-year career with the Navy. The next chapter of her life get’s real interesting. With an eye towards ...

In the Fight with Sam Tokita

March 31, 2023 12:15 - 57 minutes - 52.3 MB

SAM'S SOCIALS: Instagram - BionicKick VIDEO: Muay Thai and Me WEBSITE: https://www.samanthatokita.com/

Journeys of the Unexpected with Eric Larsen

March 08, 2023 15:01 - 1 hour - 63.5 MB

Polar adventurer, expedition guide, dog musher and educator, Eric Larsen has spent the past 15 years of his life traveling in some of the most remote and wild places left on earth. He traversed 550 miles of shifting sea ice and open ocean to get to the North Pole. That wasn’t enough, so off he went to the South Pole. 600 frozen miles and 41 days later he made it. Then back to the North Pole in winter, then up to the top of Mt. Everest… shall I go on? The curveball arrived. Did these journe...

2022 Year End Recap

February 22, 2023 17:21 - 55 minutes - 50.9 MB

To kick off 2023 we want to take a trip down memory lane from 2022. This episode showcases some of our favorite highlights from guests we spoke to in 2022. Enjoy! Listen to the full episodes referenced in this episode. EPISODE 136: 500 MPH WITH FORMER BLUE ANGELS PILOT JOHN FOLEY EPISODE 148: OVERCOMING TRAGEDY WITH SEBASTIAN “ZUKO” CARRASCO EPISODE 152: MINDSETS WITH MATT LEWIS, NAVY SEAL AND COO EPISODE 159: LONNIE BEDWELL FEAR SLAYER EPISODE 161: DR> HOBY WEDLER AND HIS SUPER SENSES EPISO...

Buddy Levy Unpacking a Quest for Knowledge

January 25, 2023 17:18 - 1 hour - 58 MB

A long or arduous search for something. The act of seeking. The idea of a quest is littered throughout history with 1000s of famous examples. Right now? humans want to go to mars AND return to the moon. The quest to solve climate or energy crisis is happening in real time. What do these have to do with the… Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the 1913 Canadian Arctic Expedition …. the life of the famous Apache leader Geron-imo …a 16th century explorer’s death defying navigation of the Amaz...

Patrick Kane Becoming Bionic

January 12, 2023 18:58 - 52 minutes - 48.1 MB

Patrick Kane needed a prothetic arm. Would he rather have one that looked quite natural, with real looking skin or one that was ‘machine beautiful’ with exposed titanium, carbon fiber, alloys, and the like. . Prosthetics have been around for 1000s of years. They’ve been found in Egyptian tombs. There’s a story about a German soldier who lost his arm in war, but that didn’t stop him from returning to the battlefield. He had a suit of armor made with a metal hand on it and he was known to be ...

Jen Bricker, Everything is Possible

December 22, 2022 18:01 - 1 hour - 55.4 MB

Born without legs, one would think Jen Bricker would be destined for a life of hardship.  However, the hand of destiny brought her an amazing adoptive family, who gave her one simple rule, “Never say can’t” and helped her forge a life of triumph, not tragedy.  As a child, Jen was obsessed with gymnastics, and her idol was Olympic gold-medalist Dominique Moceanu.  Seemingly against all odds, Jen went on to compete against able-bodied athletes, and became a State Champion in power tumbling—only...

Seeing Silence with Peter McBride

December 08, 2022 17:43 - 1 hour - 58.3 MB

TED TALK: Is the Grand Canyon for Sale https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71jvm2Pq0Us   WATCH: Peter’s 750-mile trek across Grand Canyon National Park. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLDc1Ib1acg LISTEN: NPR 1A podcast with Erik & Peter https://www.npr.org/2021/10/03/1042831854/seeing-silence-one-photographers-mission-to-find-the-worlds-quietest-places READ: Seeing the Silence book excerpt in Nature magazine.  https://www.nature.org/en-us/magazine/magazine-articles/book-excerpt-search-f...

Dr. Hoby Wedler and his Super Senses

November 18, 2022 20:20 - 1 hour - 59.6 MB

As Dr, Hoby Wedler puts it, wine is just two ingredients, yeast and grapes. Yet when people talk about how wine tastes it’s more complex and described through the lens of fruit flavors or perfumes or other plants and trees. As a food and beverage sensory expert Dr. Wedler's clients rely his abilities to translate those complexities into products that you and I enjoy. There is a twist though. Dr. Wedler is blind. Hoby earned a Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of California, Davis, and is...

Chris Waddell Embraces the Struggle

November 04, 2022 19:37 - 1 hour - 72.5 MB

Our guest usually finds himself speaking in front of large audiences motivating them through topics like the power of change or embracing the struggle, but today… we get him all to ourselves. Chris Waddell is a Hall of Fame Paralympic skier and wheelchair track athlete. A college skiing accident paralyzed him waist down. Yet he went to the highest levels of competition in the Paralympics winning medal after medal for a decade. The adventure continued with his unassisted ascent of the highes...

Lonnie Bedwell Fear Slayer

October 17, 2022 17:54 - 1 hour - 57.2 MB

In 2013 Erik Weihenmayer picked up the phone with an idea and a pitch. After 6 years of training, he was ready to throw himself into some of the biggest whitewater in the country... in a kayak. Where? That stretch of the Colorado River flowing through Grand Canyon. Who did he call? Lonnie Bedwell; today’s guest. Erik’s journey learning to kayak was a bit lonely at times. Where were the other blind kayakers? Eventually he found Lonnie, blind, who had thrown himself into the sport, and with r...

Shattering Expectations with Bayar Damdinjav of the Mongolian Consulate

September 23, 2022 17:34 - 48 minutes - 44.6 MB

Our guest today grew up in rural Mongolia; hundreds of miles from anything resembling an advanced health care facility. So when his legs stopped working as a young boy; finding out the reason would not be easy. The family began their quest by traversing over 400 miles across Mongolia without a paved road in sight making their way to the capital city. They found new jobs and connected their son with the best health care available at the time. 3 years later they still had no answer. In fact in ...

Chris Layne, Ms. Wheelchair Colorado 2020/21

September 15, 2022 14:36 - 50 minutes - 46 MB

Chris Layne on Instagram. 

Conscious Conversations with your Subconscious Mind

September 01, 2022 16:12 - 48 minutes - 44.1 MB

A couple days ago myself, our host Erik Weihenmayer, and maybe 50 others were sitting in an auditorium with our eyes closed. My knees were pressed up against the seat back in front of me. My arms were pinned between the hard wooden armrests. I was not comfortable. However… and I know this may sound a bit out there… buts… minutes later I found myself floating in space. I could no longer feel the pressure points in my knees and arms. I was on my way to a state of hypnosis. I was about to have a...

What is An Adaptive Athlete?

August 18, 2022 22:38 - 57 minutes - 52.5 MB

Some might imagine our guest today as the superhero on the cover a graphic novel. The headline would read… mild mannered kindergarten teacher by day and single handed slayer of ice creatures by night (or weekends more accurately). Kimber Cross was born with one hand. The nutshell version of her journey to where she finds herself today started with pushing her parents outside of their comfort zones, navigating her passions with insecurities, and flipping adversity into ultimately transformat...

Integrating Caregiving into Your Life with Elizabeth Miller

August 04, 2022 17:06 - 57 minutes - 53 MB

https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/  

Helping Caregivers with Bianca Padilla

July 14, 2022 18:15 - 40 minutes - 36.7 MB

If you provide care for an aging parent, spouse, relative or for an ill or disabled person, according to the AARP you are one of 53 million Americans in that same boat. That’s nearly one in every 5 people. Our guest today is Bianca Padilla. She also found herself in that position, however, it was at a time this Millenial’s life, when most of her peers were starting careers and stepping out on their own. Her grandmother’s health was declining and she needed daily care to recover from a surgery...

Matt Lewis-Navy Seal and COO

June 23, 2022 20:07 - 1 hour - 111 MB

The most recent census reported 7% of the US population are veterans. That’s about 18 million people who served in the active military, naval, or air service at some point and have since been discharged. “transitioning to civilian life” is a common topic for veterans when leaving the military. We get into that with our guest today, Matt Lewis. Matt is the chief operating officer of a spatial data company valued at almost a half a billion dollars. Matt is also a Navy Seal with deployments to I...

Vertical Pursuits with Hans Florine

June 09, 2022 13:29 - 1 hour - 157 MB

Hans' website. http://www.hansflorine.com On Insta. https://www.instagram.com/hansflorine/ Han's author page on Amazon.   

Chasing Dreams with Diana Nyad

June 02, 2022 14:26 - 1 hour - 148 MB

http://diananyad.com/ https://everwalk.com/ Diana's blog: https://medium.com/@diananyad Diana on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/diananyad/ Diana's memoir:  Finding a Way

dZi Foundation with Jim Nowak

May 19, 2022 16:06 - 56 minutes - 130 MB

https://dzi.org/ https://youtu.be/UCnZdbGK2mM

Sebastian Zuko Carrasco

May 12, 2022 13:24 - 1 hour - 143 MB

Sebastian on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/zuko_carrasco/ Libre film. https://vimeo.com/ondemand/zukolibre  

Abby Holcombe, Team USA Freestyle Kayaker

May 05, 2022 14:29 - 41 minutes - 94.6 MB

Abby on Insta. https://www.instagram.com/adventurous.miss/ Abby's website.  https://www.abbyholcombe.com/ USA Freestyle fundraiser for World Championships. https://www.gofundme.com/f/usa-freestyle-fundraiser-for-world-championships

Steve Emt, Paralympic Champion Curler

April 28, 2022 14:15 - 51 minutes - 117 MB

Steve's Book: You D.E.C.I.D.E.: A 6-step action plan to becoming the hero of your own life Steve on Team USA: https://www.teamusa.org/usa-curling/athletes/Stephen-Emt Steve's Website: https://www.steveemt.com/ Steve on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephen.emt/  

Disability Awareness Education with Patty O'Machel

April 15, 2022 15:41 - 46 minutes - 42.4 MB

https://educatingoutsidethelines.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/educatingoutsidethelines/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/educatingoutsidethelines Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patty-omachel/ Move United Organization https://www.moveunitedsport.org/

Cross Cultural Music with AJ Subat

April 07, 2022 17:37 - 1 hour - 56.5 MB

Ajmal Subat is an artist, activist, and creative consultant who helped coordinate the evacuation of some of Afghanistan’s most visible female leaders. He is trained in classic Indian and Afghan music and toured Afghanistan with one of the nation’s leading musicians. Ajmal coaches Afghan artists pro bono, composes music for television and film, and is currently producing his second album. https://restorehervoice.org/ https://www.instagram.com/restorehervoice/ https://www.instagram.com/suba...

Casey Harris of X Ambassadors

March 23, 2022 14:57 - 54 minutes - 49.8 MB

https://www.instagram.com/caseyharris_xa/ - Casey on Insta. https://www.xambassadors.com/ - Official website. Check out their latest album, Beautiful Liars https://www.instagram.com/xambassadors/ - X Ambassadors on Insta  

From Warrior to Healer with Dr. Zach Skiles, PsyD

March 09, 2022 15:53 - 1 hour - 82.5 MB

Dr. Zach Skiles on Linkedin Translational Psychedelic Research (TrPR) Program at University of California San Francisco The Mission Within Heroic Hearts Project National Center for PTSD Fantastic Fungi Film Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies

From Surviving to Thriving with Caitlin Connor

March 03, 2022 15:40 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MB

It’s safe to say Caitlin has gone through the lowest of lows… how does one rise from those ashes and overcome incredible adversity. What did that process look like; that mental and physical journey to becoming an endurance athlete competing in triathlons, a boxer, a runway model, the founder of a non-profit aiming to build the largest database of adaptive resources in the world, and most recently building the sport of para-speed skating. It’s all about human potential she says. https://www....

Social Change Makers Sabriye Tenberken and Paul Kronenberg

February 24, 2022 15:24 - 1 hour - 56.7 MB

It all started with Sabriye Tenberken, who is blind, embarking on horseback ride through Tibet as an extension of her studies of Tibetology and Central Asian Sciences. There she met eventual co-founder Paul Kronenberg and together they started the first school the the blind in Tibet’s capital city of Lhasa. This school formed the foundation of Braille Without Borders, an organization that empowers blind people to take their lives in their own hands. Kanthari Website  KanthariTV (YouTube)

Blind Stokers Club with Dave White

February 09, 2022 16:46 - 49 minutes - 45.3 MB

This episode is about biking blind. No, this is not a metaphor. Even Helen Keller, the famous disability rights activist, who happened to be deaf and blind, enjoyed a spin on her bike as a teenager in the late 1800’s. “Next to a leisurely walk I enjoy a spin on my tandem bicycle. It is splendid to feel the wind blowing in my face and the springy motion of my iron steed. The rapid rush through the air gives me a delicious sense of strength and buoyancy, and the exercise makes my pulse dance ...

Frontiers of the Mind with Dr. Albert Lin

February 02, 2022 15:19 - 57 minutes - 52.5 MB

Dr. Lin's website: https://www.exploreralbert.com/ Social Media https://www.instagram.com/exploreralbert/ https://twitter.com/exploreralbert https://www.facebook.com/exploreralbert/ Welcome to Earth Interview https://screenrant.com/welcome-earth-albert-lin-interview/ Nat Geo Explorer Profile Page https://www.nationalgeographic.org/find-explorers/albert-yu-min-lin Thurgood Marshall College Commencement 2018 - from UC San Diego Commencement Ceremonies  - https://youtu.be/GaFIqfJvMXM ...

Twitter Mentions

@habengirma 2 Episodes
@notimpossible 2 Episodes
@johnguccifoley 1 Episode
@eodconfections 1 Episode
@exploreralbert 1 Episode
@excitingfutures 1 Episode
@dwaynefields 1 Episode
@nicolegkelly 1 Episode
@projectcure 1 Episode
@vt100mirace 1 Episode
@rletada 1 Episode
@divaamon 1 Episode
@judaline6 1 Episode
@creativets1 1 Episode
@antoinettespen 1 Episode