Salish Wolf #11 Jen Segger on Adventure Racing, Endurance Coaching, and Pain as an Option
Jen Segger has traveled the globe competing as a world-class adventure racing athlete. She has, year after year, for nearly 2 decades, pushed her body to the extremes of what the human body is capable of enduring. And now, on the brink of 40, she is showing little sign of slowing down or becoming sedentary.
Jen is my sister-in-law and partner to paddleboarder Norm Hann who I interviewed in episode 1. I interviewed her in my recording studio shortly after she and Norm paddled 250 km in 6 days from near their home north of Vancouver to my hometown of Victoria. Even in what was meant to be a getaway and chance to unplug, Jen still managed to push her body, and at some points her mind, to the edge – an edge that is far more remote than most people have ever dared to push near.
Although Jen now focuses a great deal of her time on coaching others to explore their physical extremes, when she races, she still strives to cross the finish line first, as was her goal heading into last year’s Eco-Challenge in Fiji, dubbed the “World’s Toughest Race” and the race that originally inspired Jen nearly 20 years ago. Her racing resume boasts a staggering list of accomplishments that date back to 2003 with only a single year of downtime to give birth to her son Kiel. Through a remarkable visioning technique, Jen manages to delay her awareness of pain until a more opportune time, i.e. after the race has ended.
Jen’s feats are extraordinary, and her story is full of life lessons and sheer awe. You probably want to listen to this one with your headphones while pushing toward your physical limits.
Episode Links:
Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race
Sunova Norm Hann Eco Expedition Board
Anchor Point Links: