Wild Ideas Worth Living

Connor Ryan is a professional skier and proud Hunkpapa Lakota. As an athlete who spends his days in the mountains, Connor is always exploring how he can weave together his Indigenous culture and his love of winter sports. To highlight the relationship between skiing and his heritage, Connor recently made a film with Natives Outdoors and REI Co-op Studios called Spirit of the Peaks. The film is all about the balance between his athletic passion and his cultural obligation. Connect with Connor:InstagramResources:Learn more about the film Natives Outdoors 

Wild Ideas Worth living features high-impact interviews for those who love adventure and the outdoors. Host and journalist Shelby Stanger interviews world-class explorers, athletes, authors, scientists, health experts, and entrepreneurs about how they’ve taken their own wild ideas and made them a reality, so you can too. Some of the wildest ideas can lead to the most rewarding adventures. Take a listen to start living more wildly today.Learn more about the show. 

Our guests this season were all about breaking boundaries, shaking things up  and challenging the norm. There were some wild ones: the most enthusiastic birder, a Bigfoot scholar, some of the world’s fastest athletes and a handful of musicians. We talked to a lot of people working to make the outdoors a more inclusive, accessible place. We learned about why nature is good for us from advocates and researchers. We explored the power of kindness with trail angels.Thank you to all of our incredible guests this season — your stories have encouraged us all to go after their own wild ideas. And thank you to YOU, the listeners, for tuning in, sharing our episodes, writing reviews and sending us notes about your own outdoor experiences. Here’s to a wild, adventurous 2022.Featured episodes:Cliff BarackmanCorina NewsomeSusan LackeDavid Brown & Jerome AveryChristian GeringLesford DuncanAdam CampbellFlorence WilliamsMisha EucephBarney and Sandy Mann

The third and final episode in our series with On Running is all about recovery with professional steeplechaser Leah Falland. In combination with great training and a strategic recovery plan, in 2021 Leah has become one of the top 20 steeplechasers in the world, and this past season, she ran a personal best for the first time in five years. Leah’s success wouldn’t be possible without a big focus on recovery. She shares her story and some of her best recovery techniques in this episode.The guests in our series with On Running are not coaches, physical therapists, or doctors. Their advice is for educational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice. Connect with Leah:WebsiteInstagramEpisode Sponsor:On Running

The second episode in our bonus series with On Running is all about training. Sometimes when you’re working on improving your endurance, speed, or form, you can get stuck in a running rut. That’s why it’s important to train your mind and your body. In 2014, pro trail and mountain runner Allie McLoughlin won the World Long Distance Mountain Running Championship, and in 2020 she won the US Trail Marathon National Championship. Throughout her career, she’s had to hone her training schedule to heal from injuries, prevent future injuries, and get faster. In this episode Allie talks about how to build a training plan and why it’s important to work towards a specific goal. The guests in our series with On Running are not coaches, physical therapists, or doctors. Their advice is for educational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice. Connect with Allie:Website InstagramEpisode Sponsor:On Running

As the new year rolls around, there’s a lot of talk of resolutions. For some of us, that means creating new goals that help us get outside and move our bodies. In that spirit, we’ve partnered with On Running to bring you a series of episodes about three important aspects of running. This first episode is all about nutrition and features internationally renowned long distance runner Alicia Monson. She has run the 4th fastest 5,000 meter time in US history. Alicia built an incredible career as an athlete, but she's also studied nutrition. In this episode, Alicia shares her favorite nutrition tips and tricks for runners.The guests in our series with On Running are not coaches, physical therapists or doctors. Their advice is for educational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice. Connect with guests:WebsiteInstagramEpisode sponsor:On Running

When Gina Lucrezi fell in love with trail running in her 20s, she didn't see many other women out on the trail. Gina craved a community of female runners that she could connect with, so she decided to create Trail Sisters, a national organization that supports and inspires women to get into trail running. Now, Trail Sisters has over 130 chapters across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. By starting this group, Gina has opened up a new world for herself and thousands of other women.Connect with Gina:WebsiteFacebookInstagramEpisode Sponsor:HOKA

Christian Gering is a multimedia artist and one of the fastest ultra runners in America. Even though he’s built a career as a sponsored athlete, he doesn’t just run to win races. For Christian, running connects him with his Indigenous heritage and inspires him to create. Hailing from Katishtya (San Felipe Pueblo) and the Pi'pil people of El Salvador, Christian discovered that running can be a form of prayer. He’s celebrating his connection to the earth by running routes traveled by his ancestors. Connect with Christian:WebsiteInstagramLinkedInBehanceResources:Janji x Christian. Fall/Winter 21 season collectionLearn about Christian’s multimedia audio project, Unsettled SeriesEpisode Sponsor:Teva

When he’s not running, Lesford is the Senior Director of Programs at Outdoor Outreach, an organization that connects kids to the transformative power of nature. It’s not just about surfing or climbing — Outdoor Outreach teaches them about sustainability and advocacy. When these kids spend time outside, they’re discovering new passions, building confidence and connecting with peers and mentors. Other episodes to listen to:More about Outdoor OutreachConnect with Lesford:TwitterInstagramResources:Resilience video with Hoka One OneOutdoor OutreachEpisode sponsor:Hoka One One

Ryan Kinder isn’t your average Nashville musician. In addition to recently releasing his full length album Room to Dream, Ryan is an endurance athlete. What started as a way to honor a friend’s passing has now become a full blown obsession with Ironman triathlon competitions. With six Ironman races under his belt, Ryan spends time between recording sessions training hard for his next race, and he’s learned a lot about himself along the way. Connect with Ryan:WebsiteFacebookTwitterInstagramResources:Kinders KidsIronmanTour de Natchez TraceEpisode Sponsor:Teva