The Discomfort Zone

By Anna Levesque

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Category: Wilderness

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Subscribers: 7
Reviews: 0
Episodes: 115

Description

Do you feel called toward something bigger — a dream, adventure, or purpose — but fear keeps holding you back? Welcome to The Discomfort Zone — the outdoor, mindset, and leadership podcast where courage meets the edge. Every Tuesday, host Anna Levesque — world-class whitewater kayaker, World Championship medalist, author, and mental agility coach — dives into raw, real conversations with paddlers, athletes, leaders, adventurers, and purpose-driven humans who choose growth over comfort. From powerful stories on wild rivers and mountain trails to navigating major life transitions, these conversations explore what it truly takes to face fear, build confidence, and find your flow — on and off the water. You'll hear: Stories from whitewater kayakers + outdoor athletes pushing their edge Insights from guides, coaches, and leaders creating impact in their fields Practical mental-agility + leadership tools you can use right away Lessons from expeditions, competition, and personal transformation How to navigate the discomfort that fuels growth, courage, and purpose Whether you're a paddler, outdoor enthusiast, emerging leader, or someone seeking more courage in everyday life, you'll walk away with practical tools to strengthen resilience, show up with confidence, and embrace the adventure of being alive. If you're ready to stop playing small and start living boldly, you're in the right zone.

Episode Date
Ep #112 Why You Keep Missing Moves On the Water and In Life
May 12, 2026
Ep #111 How to Know When You're Ready and Where You Belong with Ann Gillard
May 05, 2026
Ep #110 C1 World Champion Seth Chapelle on Persistence, Fatherhood, and Letting Go
Apr 28, 2026
Ep #109 Jak Fantastic: Pain, Amputation, and Radical Resilience on the Water
Apr 21, 2026
Ep #108 Your Younger Self Would Be Blown Away - Solo Ep
Apr 14, 2026
Ep #107 Fear as a Tool: How River Mutton Stays Locked In
Apr 07, 2026
Ep #106 Grit Over Talent: Resilience, Risk, and Paddling Hard Stuff with Mariann Sæther
Mar 31, 2026
Ep #105 From Cancer Diagnosis to the Grand Canyon: How Laura Kurup Found Her Flow
Mar 24, 2026
Ep #104 Mindfulness for Paddlers: Simple Practices to Stay Calm, Focused, and in Flow
Mar 17, 2026
Ep #103 Tyler Curtis on Modeling Courage and Why Passion Matters
Mar 10, 2026
Ep #102 Confidence Under Pressure with Matt Hamilton
Mar 03, 2026
Ep #101 Polar Expeditions, Resilience & Real Confidence with Jon Fearne
Feb 24, 2026
Ep #100 From Eddy to Action: The Courage Behind 100 Episodes
Feb 17, 2026
Ep #99 From Survival to Choice with Lauren Byrd
Feb 10, 2026
Ep #98 Imposter Syndrome, Purpose, and Packrafting with Jule Harle
Feb 03, 2026
Ep #97 Redefining Strong: Courage, Ego, and Longevity on the River with Darcy Gaechter
Jan 27, 2026
Ep #96 Bad Day or Bad 10 Minutes? Reframing Life, the River, and Your Year with Anna
Jan 20, 2026
ENCORE: Heidi Walsh (2025 Female Paddler of the Year Finalist) on Learning from Beatdowns and Sending with Style - Replay
Jan 13, 2026
ENCORE: Sophie Gilfillan (KS U21 Paddler of the Year) on Mindset and Letting Go of Perfectionism on the Water- Replay
Jan 06, 2026
ENCORE: Michelle Tennant on Creating a Year and Life You Love - Replay
Dec 30, 2025
Ep #95 How World Champion Freestyle Kayaker Makinley Kate Hargrove Turns Discomfort Into Growth
Dec 23, 2025
Ep #94 From Overwhelmed to Empowered: Two Simple Practices to Reset Your Mindset Fast
Dec 16, 2025
Ep #93 Claiming Your Space: Simone Adams on Courage, Belonging & Outdoor Joy
Dec 09, 2025
Ep #92 The Only Way Out Is Through: Laura Zulliger on Surrender, Play & Paddling
Dec 02, 2025
Ep #91 Hurricane Helene Recovery: Lessons in Rapid Response, Collective Resilience, and Caring for Our Rivers
Nov 25, 2025
Ep #90 Fix the Foundation: Anna on Getting to the Root of Fear and Skill Breakdowns
Nov 18, 2025
Ep #89 Flowcharts, Fear, and Silverback Courage with Melissa DeMarie
Nov 11, 2025
Ep #88 Say Yes Anyway: How Olympian Sofia Reinoso Turns Discomfort into Confidence
Nov 04, 2025
Ep #87 The Power of Joy with Keeya Wiki: Indigenous Youth on the Klamath River
Oct 28, 2025
Ep #86 Why Holding Yourself Accountable is the Kindest form of Courage with Anna
Oct 21, 2025
Ep #85 Dane Jackson on Fear, Flow, and Finding the Fun
Oct 14, 2025
Ep #84 From Fighter Jets to River Rapids: Khalid Kure on Courage, Service, and Healing
Oct 07, 2025
Ep #83 Balancing Fire, Flow, and Faith: Mardae Weaver on Discomfort as Opportunity
Sep 30, 2025
Ep #82 Money in the Bank: Making Every Move and Every Fail Count with Anna Bruno
Sep 23, 2025
Ep #81 Conquering vs. Connecting: Rethinking Adventure with Brett Mayer
Sep 16, 2025
Ep #80 5 Steps to Stop Negative Self-Talk (and Paddle Out of Your Inner Critic) with Anna
Sep 09, 2025
Ep #79 Reclaiming the Current: Ruby Williams on Indigenous Youth, Paddling, and Resilience on the Klamath
Sep 02, 2025
Ep #78 8 Strategies for Thriving in Discomfort With Rally Crew Founder Deborah Kane
Aug 26, 2025
Ep #77 From Freestyle to Lifelong Flow with Kalob Grady
Aug 19, 2025
Ep #76 Injury Update: What I Wish I Had Known and What's Working Now
Aug 12, 2025
Ep #75 Bright Shadow: Navigating Loss in Outdoor Adventure with Chris and Sommerville
Aug 05, 2025
Ep #74 From Boat Builder to Industry OG: Joe Pulliam on Business, Paddling and Impact
Jul 29, 2025
Ep #73 Trading Places: A Father-Son Story of Whitewater, Growth, and Trust with Ken and Cashion Porter-Shirley
Jul 22, 2025
Ep #72 Anna on Rethinking How I Work, Teach, Move and Heal
Jul 01, 2025
Ep #71 Mike Wang on Turning Conflict and Anger into Connection
Jun 17, 2025
Ep #70 Anna - When Pain Forces You to Pause — And Let Go
Jun 10, 2025
Ep #69 Growth, Kayaking & the Power of Being Real with Trey Rouss
Jun 03, 2025
Ep #68 Breathwork, Cancer Survival & Redefining the Human Experience with Adam Spillman
May 27, 2025
Ep #67 Train Your Brain for Courage with Anna Wagner
May 20, 2025
Ep #66 How to Shift Your Fear to Find Your Flow with Anna
May 13, 2025
Ep #65 Finding Light After Loss — Nina's Story of Grief, Healing & Hope
May 06, 2025
Ep #64 Charging Hard & Choosing Wisely with Todd Wells
Apr 29, 2025
Ep #63 Letting Go & Leading with Presence: Brad Burden on Coaching, Parenting & Mental Health
Apr 22, 2025
Ep #62 Lean Into the Hard: River Wisdom for Real Life
Apr 15, 2025
Ep #61 Jessie Stone on Paddling with Purpose
Apr 08, 2025
Ep #60 Sending It with Style: Heidi Walsh on Running 92-Footers & Learning from Beatdowns
Apr 01, 2025
Ep #59 Paddle Like a Boss: Lessons in Confidence, Consistency, and SUP Power with Seychelle
Mar 25, 2025
Ep #58 The Art of River Leadership: Lessons in Teaching and Growth with Anne Sontheimer and Jordan Taylor
Mar 18, 2025
Ep #57 From Fear to Joy: Isaac Levinson's Journey Through Adversity & Adventure
Mar 11, 2025
Ep #56 the Power of Human-Centered Leadership With Jennifer McClanahan
Mar 04, 2025
Ep #55 Anna on Scary Stories and How to Face Them
Feb 25, 2025
Ep #54 Libby Hinsley on Discomfort as a Catalyst for Change
Feb 18, 2025
Ep #53 Jiffer Bourguignon on the Discomfort of Belonging
Feb 11, 2025
Ep #52 Vishnu Das On the Wisdom of Discomfort
Feb 04, 2025
Ep #51 Andrew and Anna on Navigating Discomfort in Relationships (Part 2)
Jan 28, 2025
Ep #50 Michelle Tennant on Creating a Year and Life You Love
Dec 31, 2024
Ep #49 Gerry Seavo James on Breaking Barriers and Building Community
Dec 24, 2024
Ep #48 Boyd Ruppelt on Facing Fear and Managing Risk
Dec 17, 2024
Ep #47 Greg McFadden on Life Without Mirrors and Being the Change
Dec 10, 2024
Ep #46 Anna on Using Gratitude to Confront Your Fear
Dec 03, 2024
Ep #45 Kara Weld on Discomfort in Business and Kayaking and Why She Loves It
Nov 26, 2024
Ep#44 Danny Mongno on the Highs and Lows of Working in the Paddlesports Industry
Nov 19, 2024
Ep #43 Anna on Going With the Flow vs Navigating Your Life
Nov 12, 2024
Ep#42 Ottilie Robinson-Shaw on Fear of Failure, Being the Best and Being Yourself
Nov 05, 2024
Ep #41 Scott Gaffney on Following Your Passion, Skiing Naked and Making a Big Life Change
Oct 29, 2024
Ep #40 Dave Fusilli on the Origins of the 'Brown Claw', the Power of Connectivity and the Grief of Losing Bren
Oct 22, 2024
Ep#39 Sommerville Johnston on Grief, Grounding and Mental Health After Hurricane Helene
Oct 15, 2024
Ep #38 Anna on Living Through Hurricane Helene, Gratitude and Compassion
Oct 08, 2024
Ep #37 Anna on Lessons From the River: How to Set Boundaries Like River Banks
Oct 01, 2024
Ep#36 Arnaldo Cespedes on Positive Self-Talk, the Common Language of the River and Enjoying Every Moment
Sep 24, 2024
Ep #35 Michelle Weger on Living With Narcolepsy, a Giant Service Dog and Not Snoozing Your Dreams
Sep 17, 2024
Ep #34 Stephen Wright on the Power of Fun, Failure and Being the Stoke You Want to See in the World
Sep 10, 2024
Ep #33 Anna Levesque on Lessons From the River That Help You Navigate the Flow of Life
Sep 03, 2024
Ep #32 Sophie Gilfillan on Mindset Training for Kayaking and Letting Go of Perfectionism
Aug 27, 2024
Ep #31 Nicole Bernardin on Going at Your Own Pace in Ultra Running and Life
Aug 20, 2024
Ep #30 Adam Herzog on Recovering From a Catastrophic Accident and Redefining Success
Aug 13, 2024
Ep #29 Eleanor Knight on How to Not Let Mistakes and Scary Experiences Stop You
Aug 06, 2024
Ep #28 Shane Benedict on Building Confidence With Hard Moves in Easy Water
Jul 30, 2024
Ep #27 Shawanna Kendrick on Pushing Through Hard and Finding Freedom on MT Kilimanjaro
Jul 23, 2024
Ep #26 Benny Marr on Whitewater Kayaking, Ego and Choosing Confidence
Jul 16, 2024
Ep #25 Brenna Kelleher on Performance Coaching and Shifting Discomfort Zones
Jul 09, 2024
Ep #24 Holley Gardel on Adjusting Your Attitude and Altitude in Flying and in Life
Jul 02, 2024
Ep #23 Abby Holcombe on Facing Fear and Staying True to Yourself
Jun 25, 2024
Ep #22 Shaun Eggie on Helping Veterans Heal Through Whitewater Kayaking
Jun 18, 2024
Ep #21 Sage Donnelly on Reaching Goals and Cultivating a Class V Mindset
Jun 11, 2024
Ep #20 Chris Gragtmans on Setting Boundaries in Pursuit of Your Passions
Jun 04, 2024
Ep #19 Emily Jackson on Making Your Own Way and Turning Challenges Into Opportunities
May 28, 2024
Ep #18 Cindy Frost on Firefighting, Hiking the AT and How to Make Powerful Choices
May 21, 2024
Ep #17 How to Defeat Your Fear and Develop Self-Control Through Yoga
May 14, 2024
Ep #16 How Perspectives About the River and Anxiety Change With Age With Rush Sturges
May 07, 2024
Ep #15 Completing Ironmans and Not Underestimating Your Capabilities With Kristin Evans
Apr 30, 2024
Ep #14 Kayaking, Mental Health and the Importance Of Community With Adam Edwards
Apr 23, 2024
Ep #13 How to Navigate Fear as a Family With Zenovia Stephens
Apr 16, 2024
Ep #12 Be Willing to Fail and Never Give up With Nick Troutman
Apr 09, 2024
Ep #11 The Power of Facing Reality and Focusing on Fundamentals with Reg Levesque (Dad)
Apr 02, 2024
Ep #10 Staying Grounded and Thriving in Chaos
Mar 26, 2024
Ep #9 How to Grow Your Zone of Stress Resilience with Sommerville Johnston
Mar 19, 2024
Ep #8 How to Gamify Your Paddling for Performance and Longevity
Mar 12, 2024
Ep #7 The Power of Mtn Biking, Representation and Being Prepared with Laura Blythe
Mar 05, 2024
Ep #6 Yoga and Embracing the Darkness with Joe Taft
Mar 05, 2024
Ep #5 Swimming the English Channel and Fat Shaming with Jennifer Whitlock
Mar 05, 2024
Ep #4 Returning to Extreme Racing as a 50 yro Mom with Buffy Burge
Mar 05, 2024
Ep #3 Climbing Everest and Following the Beat of Your Own Drum with Philip Henderson
Mar 05, 2024
Ep #2 Navigating Discomfort in Relationships on and off the Water with Andrew Holcombe
Mar 05, 2024
Ep #1 Welcome to the Discomfort Zone Podcast
Feb 24, 2024