Born to be Barefoot | From Science to Life

Today we had the privilege to interview our amazing guest, Scott Grisewood, who is a very knowledgeable sport science technologist that has been in the bio performance game for the last 28 years. Initially specializing in fascial release and biomechanical coaching, Scott has become North America’s most experienced shockwave therapy practitioner with over 50 million shocks delivered to date. Many athletes out there will be performing at the highest levels in the world, but their technique or movement methods aren’t always the best and often are the cause for future injuries, which is where Scott comes in to help them improve their technique. Helping his guys reach their performance goals 3:11Load response and pre swing 10:24How someone can perform at the top level, yet still have so many problems 16:28Concussions 23:57Testing 32:07Working on the OptoGait system 38:00Live time neuromuscular feedback 39:40Working with powerlifters 46:42Taking things to a higher level with combat athletes 54:48Concussions 57:51“Luckily we’re getting into an era in time where that doesn’t have to be the way going forward, especially when we get our hands on the younger kids as they’re growing up and we get them balanced out going forward, and my hope is that we’ll start seeing better and better performances once we start working with the younger crowd and they grow up.” 17:44hptherapy@rogers.com

We are delighted to have as our guest a gentleman from America, Erson Religioso, who is a physical therapist of great renown and he has a whole other list of activities and things that he treats, which we learn more about in this episode. We learn that variety is the spice of life and that in order to have lower probability of injury or pain, you need to change up what you’re doing in order to remain at your best performance. Learning to wear the right shoes plays a huge factor in preventing injury and Erson says that if you wear the shoes that you personally find most comfortable, then you’re less likely to be injured. His background 2:08Making things about the approach and not the tool 6:41Exceeding bodily capacity 8:52Hardcore barefoot running 22:24Corrective techniques 31:34Proper shoes and learning to move properly 42:49Shoe testing 53:43Follow Erson 59:12“If you did a lot of gardening, and then you did a huge kettlebell workout where you’re doing a bunch of swings, or a lot of dead lifts and you’re essentially doing a lot of forward bending, a lot of spinal unloading, then you went and you binged on the latest Netflix show and you watched like 3 hours of that. You essentially just never did enough upright, you never did enough of the opposite. That’s when the cup overflows.”Edgemobilitysystem.com@modernmanualtherapy

We have an awesome guest in this episode today by the name of Jeff Stapleton, who is a barefoot lifetime runner, lifetime sports coach with a fantastic background in fitness and training, and he has some great stories to tell us. Jeff and Katie have known each other for a while now, he being her snowboarding trainer for the olympics and helped train her as an olympian. Jeff came from an athletic background and got his Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology at Western in London, Ontario, Canada. Katie’s concussion 4:01Switching on the bottom of the foot 6:50Training tennis players, or people who can’t be barefoot 12:58Injuries you can’t resolve barefoot 21:13Letting the training keep you calm 28:21Cognitive training 32:45Fight or flight reflex 46:03The squat scoot 52:18“You end up with kids who come to me and I can see their confidence levels have been torn down quite a bit. So it’s more about building back up their confidence, and again the ‘Believe and achieve.’ I just keep coming back to that phrase, and then build them up gradually by having them succeed when they fail.” 37:06

We have a wonderful guest today, Mirna Valerio, who is joining us from Vermont. She is an American and has been running since 1989 who advocates for inclusion in the running community towards people of all races, sizes, genders, and backgrounds. We discuss with Mirna how running can make one feel and she talks about her own body, being made for running and that running just makes her feel alive. She decided to join the cross country team in school because it just looked more fun and chill than something like soccer and now she coaches cross country and accepts anyone into the sport, regardless of body type or whether you’re really good/bad at running. Where the running all started 1:13Going into a different brain level in running 13:31Are other body types in the media becoming more accepted? 16:38Her injury and getting into additional sports 24:31Body size and close mindedness 34:21How our insoles can help 46:18What’s next for Mirna 51:00“We as humans react to things that are not in our experience, that we have not yet experienced, or a frame of reference for. So that’s what the criticism is about, and all of the learning we’ve done about what nutrition is and the fact that you run so much, ‘Why aren’t you thin?’ That’s a huge question that people have and I think that is what bothers people.” 35:30@themirnavatorthemirnavator.com

Today I have a few guests with me and the first one is Guy Davenport, who is one of the most successful coaches in the UK climbing world for youth athletes and climbers. Two of his superstar climbers are also with us in this episode, Isabel Edgington, who just a few days before recording this has flown back from Dallas from the World Youth Championships, and along with her is Jessica Ward, who Guy has coached for 4 years now, and so far she has won every single competition she has entered this year. We discuss what it has taken them to reach the level of skill that they’ve achieved, which has them on track to be competing in the Olympic Games. Why Guy contacted Stuart 4:20Qualifying for the GB Team 9:03Helping athletes when they freeze up 19:00Under pressure 28:29The isolation zone and warming up 34:31Testing and assessing balance 44:32“I kinda liken it to learning to drive a car. You get in the car and suddenly the instructor sets you right, you come out to a roundabout, you gotta change gear, you gotta look in your mirror, you gotta put the clutch down, you gotta do all these things in a certain sequence, whereas now we get in a car and we don’t think about it. It’s just second nature and I want this kind of approach to climbing for my squad, for it to be kind of a second nature, that breathing process they go through.” 25:43

This episode is for our listeners to get to know us. Join us today as we introduce Stuart Gordon, sports therapist, expert physio, and the UK based co-host of the Born to Be Barefoot podcast. Today, Stuart talks about his own experience – as a former athlete turned sports therapist, how did he add podcast host to his resume? Spoiler alert – the mechanics of barefoot science may have had a little to do with it all: “It’s not enough just to tell them (my patients) what’s wrong. We need to provide them with a solution.” With over 30 years of experience in his field of movement, therapy & functional medicine, he’s treated people from all walks of life – from football stars to Sunday golfers, Ultra-trail runners to superstar veterinarians and everyone in between: Stuart helps bring the science behind balance, movement and Barefoot Science to life.

This episode is for our listeners to get to know us. Join us today and meet Katie Tsuyuki, one of the co-hosts of the Born to Be Barefoot podcast. Not only is Katie an Olympic snowboarding alumni, she’s an avid outdoor adventure seeker. Tune in as Katie talks about her sporting background, how her injuries led working with barefoot trainers and sports scientists, and how her journey has influenced her current path in life. These days, Katie lives in New Zealand with her husband & son. In between spending time in the mountains & the ocean, she makes time to host the Born to Be Barefoot podcast and share her expertise with our listeners!

Welcome to Born to Be Barefoot where you’ll hear stories of athletic journeys, disruptive technologies, and adventure from every corner of the globe as we chat with cutting edge sports scientists, top performers, and out-of-the-box thinkers. Every week we interview athletes, healthcare professionals, and people who are living interesting lifestyles. Listen in to hear stories of those who have gone through intense training, overcome career threatening injuries, and undergone soul searching experiences to achieve their goals. Join us every Wednesday for informative and entertaining discussions that will showcase how you can enhance your natural moving abilities for life long activity.