No Barriers

Our hosts, Erik, Jeff, and Dave, spoke with André, the other week during his training for his newest endeavor: to  explore human potential as him and his team cross continents - from the lowest point to highest summit, starting with South America.But André's story began in 2003 when, as a 23 year old student in Prague, he wound up on the tracks in front of an oncoming subway train. His injuries required both of his legs to be amputated above the knee. After his recovery he still returned to Prague to resume his studies, but it was a long road to recovery - both physically and emotionally. He wrestled with his inner demons and the choices he made that had led him to be in this situation. He speaks in depth about the mindset and steps it took to bring him to where is today in his athletic achievements. André’s journey taught him that he is always capable of more. In 2010 he became an ultra endurance pioneer, a Team USA Paratriethlete, an Ironman World Champion, and the only wheelchair athlete to finish an Ultraman Triathlon. Then, in 2017, he finished the Race Across America, hand-cycling 3,100 miles in just 12 days, sleeping 90 minutes a night to make it from Oceanside, CA to Annapolis, Maryland. Now, despite his tragic accident, André is a renowned speaker and incredible athlete breaking world records. Now, along with his teammates, he is setting off for Southern Patagonia at Laguna del Carbón, the lowest point in the western and southern hemispheres to ride 1,800 miles over gravel, road, and mountain passes to Aconcagua National park. They will trek in and climb up the 22,841 ft. peak, the highest summit outside of the Himalaya.Follow his South American journey on Instagram: @LowestHighest Learn more about André and his past and current adventures here.Check out the trailer for his upcoming film, Joyrider, here.  

Our hosts, Erik and Jeff, sit down with our first No Barriers Podcast guest of 2020, Anne Lorimor. Erik and Jeff had just both returned from their own adventures in Nepal and were fighting jet lag and the come down of an epic trip but as Jeff puts it: Anne was the cup of coffee they needed.Anne is a goal setting achiever at heart. She holds numerous degrees, including an RN, "as a backup career choice," and never stops pushing her limits to achieve what others see as impossible. Anne keeps up her fitness with hiking around her hometown and around the world; all with the goal of not just aging gracefully but to break records. At age 85, she broke the record for being the oldest woman to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world.  Her record was soon broken, so at age 89, she returned to the mountain to reclaim the record.  In July of 2019, she became the oldest person to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, giving her a place in the 2020 Guinness Book of World Records.  But Anne doesn't just shatter records for her own ego. She comes from a childhood of poverty and homelessness, and because of her background she has motivation to give back to children who are in similar circumstances. With her deep desire to  give youth the tools to reach their full potential and encourage them to pay it forward, she founded Lorimor Child Empowerment Foundation dba Creating Exciting Futures in 2016. Her charity works to provide opportunities for education and better options for children in underserved areas. During their conversation, Jeff and Erik, discover how Anne's purpose to help others drives her forward, but also about the rope team, the educators and mentors, she credits for helping her in her youth to overcome her barriers. Listen to learn more about Anne and Creating Exciting Futures at  her website.See Anne being interviewed on ABC News.Follow Anne on social:FacebookInstagramTwitter    

Gena Harper works as a Certified Investment Management Analyst, Senior Vice President and Senior Investment Management Consultant at Morgan Stanley and provides her clients with custom financial planning that delves into and simplifies even the most complex situations. Gena also happens to be blind and has spent her entire adult life proving that limitations are simply hurdles to be cleared.  She made the US National Para cycling Team in 2012 and won a bronze medal in the National Disabled Ski Championships. She cycles, bikes, whitewater rafts, rock climbs, skateboards, practices yoga and has even tried cliff diving. She has won numerous awards including being the first recipient of The Glaucoma Foundation Award of Merit, the Women of Vision Award, the American Foundation for the Blind Kay Gallagher Award, and was recognized by Morgan Stanley as one of the 15 outstanding women professionals in 2015. She is passionate about empowering others, and improving the lives of people with many kinds of disabilities, not just the blind. She helps employers to understand that by hiring people with disabilities they will acquire hardworking, willing employees. Every day, she proves that having vision for herself and for others doesn’t require being able to see.Gena’s energies and passions focus first and foremost on her family and my career, but they also extend into community involvement and motivational speaking. She is passionate about empowering others, and improving the lives of people with many kinds of disabilities, not just the blind. She helps employers to understand that by hiring people with disabilities they will acquire hardworking, willing employees. Some of her outreach activities have included:Current Board Member, Lighthouse for the BlindDowntown Berkeley YMCA; Past PresidentVolunteer, Girls Inc. of Alameda CountyPast Board Member, Guide Dogs for the BlindPast Board Member, The Glaucoma FoundationMember, The California Governor's Committee for the Employment of Disabled PersonsMotivational Speaker, Smith Barney Training on Business Practice Management Keynote Speaker, Guide Dogs for the Blind annual luncheonKeynote Speaker, Women of Vision EventKeynote Speaker, Munich Reinsurance of America, Inc.Speaker, International Foundation for Employee Benefit PlansGena Harper’s commitment to meeting life head-on extends to everything she does. Every day, she proves that having vision for herself and for others doesn’t require being able to see.Article about Gena for more information: https://www.davisenterprise.com/sports/for-gena-harper-its-more-than-meets-the-eye/

Hosts, Dave Shurna and Jeff Evans, speak with School Leader's, Jan Harrison and Jason Malone of the Compass Community Collaborative School. The Compass School is a tuition-free charter school located in Fort Collins, Colorado. Students learn through active and engaging real-world projects — and graduate with a plan, a portfolio, and the tools to make a positive impact.Today we are speaking with school leader, Jan Harrison, and assistant school lead, Jason Malone. Jan has an extensive background in education with three master’s degrees, two in science and one in Educational Leadership, as well as a principal’s license and served for 15 years as a public education as a high school classroom teacher, a department leader, a Dean of Students, and as a district-wide high school interventions facilitator. She is highly qualified and committed to facilitate the work of a team of creative thoughtful, and energetic change agents who are committed to writing the next chapter in public education. Jason also has two decades of experience in public education in Fort Collins. He also worked as an International Baccalaureate Program Coordinator for 10 years and an IB Workshop Leader, Consultant and Program Evaluator working with schools all over North America. He believes teachers are lifelong learners and was drawn to the collaborative and innovative aspects of the Compass School. He says “the process of honoring of identity and the power of each individual student is at the center of my teaching philosophy and our work at Compass.”The Compass School was one of the first No Barriers partnered schools based on their mission-driven curriculum and  emphasis on student-focused, individualistic, purposeful learning that extends beyond the classroom. To learn more beyond the conversation today please visit the Compass website at:https://compassfortcollins.org/

Today we have a special episode for you. We are sharing some one on one interviews with No Barriers Summit participants from this past June at Lake Tahoe. Our host, Jeff Evans, took a “man on the street” approach and got firsthand accounts from various folks to talk about their personal experiences. He spoke with Veterans, teachers, coaches, parents and many more people who were taking part in different activities to get their feedback and their personal takeaways.Jeff meets up with Lanelle, a participant who just took part in the No Barriers activity: The Amazing Race. Like the show on TV teams move through various obstacles and work together to complete the challenges. The No Barriers version is all accessible and you might be paired up with a blind person, someone who is using a wheelchair, or a family of 4! The half day event proves that these physical differences aren't important when you unite around a common Vision. Lanelle is taking part in the No Barriers Warriors (she's a special educator) and hopes to bring back the lessons she learns here at the Summit and during Warriors expeditions to bring back to her students.Next, Jeff connects with a trio of Warriors who also just wrapped up at the Amazing Race. One participant speaks about starting her own Non profit dedicated to encouraging Veterans to choose meditation over medication. Having previously completed a Warriors program she had taken a hiatus but speaks to the importance of coming to the Summit to reconnect with her teammates:"It gets lonely out there and coming to events like this it reminds you of why you're doing it, but it also helps you find your battle buddies. We look out for each other, we keep each other going and it's good to come back together and reengage - to link arms and go back out in the world." The trio is headed together to Mt. Baker and then Mt. Rainier following the Summit. Jeff wishes them the best and heads to his next activity: Improv.After Improv wraps, Jeff meets Dan and gets his thoughts. Dan is a football and baseball Coach in his home life and he appreciated the way the facilitators broke down the process and got the group to be open, receptive, and ignore their fear - much like he does as a Coach. Following Improv, Jeff heads to a workshop with Mandy Harvey, a jazz singer who happens to be deaf and 3rd place winner on America's Got Talent. He meets with Andrew H. who was blown away by the different tactics Mandy introduced the group to in order to experience music in different ways.  By being more grounded and tuning in with more focus it leads to a deeper experience.  He likens it to his personal meditation practice. Andrew works with folks with Autism and wants to take back Mandy's tools to bring to his classroom. He is already considering using a drum circle and having his students use a tactile vest or even a balloon to feel the vibrations of the music. Another example of No Barriers activities sparking ideas and creativity for people to not just enjoy in the moment but to introduce lessons back home to enhance their communities.Jeff then gets the chance to speak to Megan K. a wonderful young woman who came to the Summit on a Reach scholarship. Megan is almost entirely blind and also has a powerful, lovely voice. At the end of the clinic she sang a duet with Mandy that must be heard to truly appreciate the beauty of that moment. Lastly, Jeff meets with Melissa S., a young woman with cerebral palsy from Leadville, CO, who has also been enjoying her time at the Summit. Melissa and Jeff bond over a love of the band, Journey, and Jeff admits that watching her reaction to Mandy's music brought him to tears. The Summit is for people from all walks of life with all types of challenges - whether physical, mental or invisible. The Summit experience is as diverse as the people who attend and we wanted to showcase these individual testimonies. The next No Barriers Summit takes place in San Francisco, September 2020 and we hope to see you there. Visit NoBarriersUSA.org to sign up for updates.

Dave and Erik interviewed No Barriers supporters, business leaders, and co-founders of AFAR Media, Joe Diaz and Greg Sullivan for this episode’s podcast.  AFAR Media is a critically acclaimed, multi-platform media company. Founded by Diaz and co-founder Greg Sullivan in 2009, AFAR inspires, guides, and enables the world’s best travelers to have deeper, richer, and more fulfilling experiences. AFAR’s innovative and award-winning platforms include AFAR Magazine, AFAR.com, AFAR Experiences, AFAR in Residence, and AFAR Conversations. Ten years ago, when they launched AFAR Media, they also joined forces with No Barriers Youth to also launch Learning AFAR, which provides travel experiences to high school students from low income families. Over 1,500 students have been given life changing experiences through this joint program. Greg started his career as a corporate securities attorney and later an investment banker before launching a series of successful entrepreneurial ventures, including the world’s largest selling coin-operated basketball game manufacturer and the second largest used car sales and finance company in the USA. He currently also serves on the board of directors of Carvana, the leading online car retailer. For Joe Diaz: in addition to his daily responsibilities at AFAR, Joe is an accomplished speaker and frequently lends his expertise on a variety of topics, including travel trends, startups, brands, entrepreneurship, innovation through digital media, and more.Starting with a pivotal trip to India in 2009, Joe and Greg were quickly inspired to share their love of travel with the world. They see travel as not just glamorous or escapism but as a way to instead seek and discover meaning, purpose, and connection in their lives. They realized that there was a lack of resources for global travelers that explored the transformative power of travel. They wanted to start a magazine and literally went on amazon to order books on how to begin that process. Joe and Greg discuss these humble beginnings as well as what “transformative and experiential travel” means to them:“It starts with a mindset, that travel isn’t something you do two weeks out of the year but an approach you take to life. That you’re curious about the world and want to really get off the tour bus and sit at the kitchen table. It’s a spirit - everytime you walk out your front door you take it with you.” - JoeThey offer planning tips to get out in the world in more meaningful ways and how to take advantage of the resources and mission driven organizations that are out there to assist. It doesn’t always mean following an itinerary - you can volunteer or “spin the globe.” Greg and Joe speak to the value of guides and trip builders who help craft experiences for clients to get the most impact. “What does ‘been to’ mean? How many kitchen tables have you set at? Take part in experiential and deep-dive travel.” - GregOur guests discuss how to be open and curious during your day to day. How to start conversations with the people you encounter in your everyday experiences like commuting and grabbing coffee. With the No Barriers program, Learning AFAR, Greg and Joe wanted to expand these amazing opportunities to people that don’t have the financial means. Not everyone has access or funds to hop on a plane and get to another continent. Providing programs that allow underprivileged kids to experience different cultures and languages gives them a new perspective on life. And the most rewarding part is that they return wanting to do more for others.“How do you put a value on that??” - Greg“And now they can pay that forward.” - JoeJoe did a TEDx Talk where he talks about this: After years of traveling, Joe found that the most dangerous worldview is that of those who have never viewed the world. The more we travel, the more we learn and the less we fear our world. We can help people to fear less.Ultimately it is invaluable to know your neighbors and treat our planet with care and that is the message that Greg and Joe are sharing with others with their travel company and No Barriers programming. AFAR MediaNo Barriers Learning AFAR programInstagram, Facebook, & Twitter: @AFARmediaJoe’s Ted Talk

Our hosts, Jeff and Erik, sat down with Timmy at our studio in Golden to catch up. He was in town to train with Erik for their upcoming expedition to climb Ama Dablam, a beautiful peak in Nepal. Timmy, Erik, and Jeff have been friends for many years and know Timmy not just as a wild speed climber but as a thoughtful philosopher of sorts who has dedicated a large portion of his life to giving back both through his nonprofit, Paradox Sports, and his work with Cure Blindness in Africa. Timmy talks about his quest to live in the now and to find meaning in all of his pursuits. He works with folks who are in the midst of challenge; whether they are physically disabled and part of Paradox Sports, or are taking part in one of his leadership seminars, and he has learned many lessons along the way. A brief background on Timmy:Hailing from Philadelphia, Timmy O’Neill left after one semester of college to head out and design a life for himself. He quickly became known as the “Urban Ape," scaling buildings around the country, like the Chicago Tribune Tower, without any ropes. Now, he’s a seasoned Patagonia-sponsored climber with a lengthy and impressive resume that includes setting world speed climbing records in Yosemite, and first ascents around the world in Venezuela, Patagonia, Pakistan and Greenland. Timmy is also a world class slack liner, mountain biker and kayaker and recently guided completely blind kayaker, Lonnie Bedwell, down the Zambezi, a class V River. Outside of his athletic achievements, Timmy is always giving back. He co-founded Paradox Sports, a national nonprofit dedicated to providing inspiration, opportunities and adaptive equipment to the disabled community and provides ophthalmic surgical care in Africa as part of the organization, Cure Blindness, along with Dr. Geoff Tabin. Timmy's vitality and zest for life continues to inspire others as he pushes on to live a life of meaning. Follow Timmy on InstagramCheck out his Facebook and give him a like.Read more about Paradox Sports and Cure Blindness

Our hosts, Jeff Evans and Erik Weihenmayer, had the opportunity to catch Charlie for an hour during his extremely busy schedule. Charlie was in the midst of training to head off on his latest pursuit: to run from the lowest point on earth; the Dead Sea to the tallest; the summit of Mt. Everest. Jeff and Erik wanted to hear more about not only his athletic accomplishments (too many for one podcast!) but to hear about how he got to this place of focus in his life. Charlie Engle is many things: a writer, runner, recovering addict and speaker. He’s run across the Sahara Desert, the Amazon, swum with crocodiles and summited ice covered volcanoes, but according to Charlie his greatest challenge has been becoming sober. He has stayed clean since 1992 and has channeled his addictive nature into his passion to run and what he calls “positive, purpose-driven pursuits.” He discusses the mental clarity and resolve it takes to run such long distances and not avoid pain but to tap into it. He also talks about the sheer logistics and planning that go into endeavors like the ones he takes on and the folks in his life who help make it all possible - like his wife who works tirelessly on logistics behind the scenes. In 2016, he wrote a memoir titled, “The Running Man” to illuminate the lessons he’s learned in his struggles and his triumphs.  To learn more and keep up to date on Charlie's adventures by signing up for his newsletter go to his website.Follow Charlie on Facebook: @charlieengleruns, Instagram & Twitter: @charlieengle 

Jeff and Erik spoke with our guest, Tish Scolnik, calling in from her Boston headquarters, about her journey to cofounding and running her own company: GRIT that created the Freedom Chair. Tish has been a longtime friend and supporter of No Barriers. Her Freedom Chair, the "mountain bike of wheelchairs" has been used by many folks at our No Barriers events to navigate tough terrain and help wheelchair users climb mountains that would be otherwise completely inaccessible. While at MIT Tish met her friends and co-founders who came together over their belief that everybody deserves access to the outdoors and adventure. They created a prototype of the Freedom Chair and brought it around the world. Many iterations later, they are still working hard to customize chairs and improve each new version for their many users - all with unique needs. Learn more about GRIT here.Call GRIT at 877-345-4748Message them at Facebook and Instagram @GRITFreedomChair. GRIT is a small team committed to their users and loves hearing their experiences.    

Our hosts, Erik and Dave, sat down with J.R. Martinez the night before our No Barriers Summit began in a conference room at Lake Tahoe Squaw Resort to talk about his journey. Background on J.R.: J.R. Martinez is an actor, best-selling author, motivational speaker, advocate, and wounded U.S. Army veteran. He hails from a small town in Georgia, where he grew up as the son of a single working mother who emigrated from El Salvador. After high school, he joined the army and in 2003 was deployed to Iraq. One day his humvee hit a roadside bomb, ejecting the three other soldiers and trapping J.R. inside. He suffered smoke inhalation and severe burns to 34 percent of his body. He spent 34 months in recovery and had 34 different surgeries, including skin grafts and cosmetic surgery in the eleven years since his injury. During his recovery, he discovered the power of sharing his experience and listening to others. He now travels the world spreading his message of resilience and optimism. He has spoken to troops at various bases around the world, universities, non-profits, and Fortune 500 companies.He’s starred and co-starred on a number of shows including daytime drama All My Children and in 2013, on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars he and partner, Smirnoff, were named season champions. Martinez is also the author of the New York Times best-selling book, Full of Heart: My Story of Survival, Strength, and Spirit, a memoir about how he was able to take his own personal tragedy, and turn it into an inspiration for others. To book J.R. or to learn more go to his website. Follow J.R. on social media at @iamjrmartinez Make sure to check out his latest book. To stay up to date with No Barriers and get updates on our 2020 Summit in San Francisco go here.