Let's Take This Outside

• Adam Kourakis - Owner of Somersault Events

  Today I’m joined by Adam Kourakis: lifelong athlete, race director, and co-owner of Somersault Events. Adam’s been part of Somersault for over 20 years. First as a volunteer, then an athlete, and now as the person leading one of Ontario’s most iconic race series. We talk about the Winterlude Triathlon, a one-of-a-kind event that could only happen in Ottawa, where athletes skate, ski, and run as part of the city’s Winterlude Festival. Adam shares how this 40-year-old tradition brings the community together, and what it means to celebrate sport in every season. BIO - Adam Kourakis I've been with Somersault for 22 years (and I'm only 34 years old now!). I was hooked on Somersault from my very first event. For over two decades, I've been at every Somersault race - as a volunteer, a participant, a sponsor (with my other business Velofix Ottawa), and now as the owner & Race Director.  I'm a lifelong athlete who loves to swim, bike, run, ski, snowshoe, rock climb, ice skate, etc. I love being outdoors and I'm very grateful to have the opportunity to give others chances to enjoy outdoor events.  I'm also a father to an energetic 18-month-old girl. Ellie might be young, but she's already done a multisport race and is already training to take over the family business.  About the Winterlude Triathlon An event so unique that it could really only be hosted in Ottawa! Here's your chance to participate in the World's Oldest Winter Triathlons.  This event has been going on since 1984 and it's part of the annual Winterlude Festival. This winter triathlon is made up of skating, running, and cross-country skiing.  Watch dedicated winter enthusiasts ice skate for 7-8 km, cross-country ski for 6 km, and run for 5 km. About Somersault Events ​​Somersault is a race series, based in Ontario, Canada, that specializes in multisport and running events. Somersault has been producing events for over 35 years and has grown to now host thousands of athletes each year. Now under new ownership, co-owners and husband and wife, Adam Kourakis and Elizabeth Krause are committed to continuing the Somersault legacy of putting on incredible events in the National Capital Region. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Jeffrey Douglas - Mountain Guide + Owner of Mountain Goat Adventures

  Meet Jeff Douglas, a Canmore-based mountain guide who recently completed a three-year quest to hike every single one of Banff National Park’s 2,000-plus kilometres of trails… all in hopes of seeing the park’s elusive bison herd. As the owner of Mountain Goat Adventures and a certified guide, Jeff has spent more than 15 years exploring the Bow Valley, Banff, and beyond, turning his passion for the outdoors into a way of life. From long trail runs in remote corners of the Rockies to technical backcountry ski traverses, Jeff’s story is about curiosity, endurance, and what it means to truly know the mountains. ABOUT JEFF Jeff has lived and guided in the Bow Valley for over 15 years. As a certified ACMG Hiking Guide, Professional Interpretive Guide, and instructor of both flatwater canoeing and nordic skiing, Jeff has made his passions into his profession. Having worked at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise for the last 15 years, Jeff has been able to explore and connect with the endless trails surrounding Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise and beyond. If there is a trail that you want to check out Jeff has most likely planted a hiking pole on it. Currently, Jeff’s pursuits revolve around trail running in remote areas of the National Parks as well as long and technical backcountry skiing traverses. Article that started it all:https://www.ctvnews.ca/calgary/article/canmore-man-hiked-every-trail-in-banff-national-park-on-quest-to-see-the-elusive-bison-herd/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Sasha Galitzki - "Embers" - aerial artist and climate advocate

  Today we’re exploring how art can become activism through the story of aerial artist and climate advocate Sasha Galitzki. After losing her home in the 2024 Jasper wildfire, Sasha turned grief into purpose, using her breathtaking performances to spotlight the fragility and beauty of our changing planet. Her new project, Embers, is a powerful visual journey through loss, resilience, and renewal, blending art, science, and environmental storytelling. Featuring voices from glaciologists and wildfire experts, Embers reminds us what it means to find hope amid the ashes. ABOUT SASHA Sasha Galitzki is an acclaimed aerial artist and climate advocate. Her unique style of performance art shines a spotlight on the beauty and vulnerability of mountain environments. Losing her home in the 2024 Jasper wildfire strengthened her resolve to use her art to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on the places she loves and works to protect. Her unique perspective, breathtaking performance art, and creative approach to storytelling have made her a powerful voice in the fight against climate change. Additional voices from the scientific community — Glaciologists Dr. Alison Criscitiello & Dr. Mauri Pelto and wildfire experts Dr. Amy Cardinal Christianson & Dr. Mike Flannigan — support Sasha’s first-person narrative. ABOUT EMBERS After losing everything in a wildfire, aerial artist Sasha Galitzki performs amidst burnt forests and receding glaciers, channeling her grief into a visually arresting journey of environmental advocacy. On July 24, 2024, a wildfire tore through Jasper, Alberta, reducing aerialist Sasha Galitzki's home to ashes. Embers connects Sasha's loss in the wildfire and the glacial recession she has witnessed in her creative work to highlight their common cause: climate change. Set in the year following the fire, Embers follows Sasha as she rebuilds her life and confronts the realities of a warming world. Through interviews with wildfire and glacier experts, she seeks to understand the heartbreaking changes affecting the mountains and community she loves. Gradually returning to her aerial practice, she performs over the ashes of her home and amidst the whirling winds of melting glaciers—inviting us on an intimate journey to find hope out of darkness. Embers captures a profound shift within Sasha, who channels her grief and art into a powerful and visually impactful message of environmental activism. Watch the trailer for Embers here Sasha's Instagram Previous episode with Director Trixie Pacis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Dr. Julie Rak - professor and author exploring gender in mountaineering

  Dr. Julie Rak is a professor in the Department of English and Film Studies at the University of Alberta, Canada. Her 2021 book False Summit: Gender in Mountaineering Nonfiction (McGill-Queens University Press) is the first book-length study of gender, feminism and mountaineering narratives ever made- and she hopes that it won't be the last. She has also published on Rockies mountain guide and writer Tex Vernon-Wood, on gender and mountaineering film festivals, about the body of George Mallory and about Sherpa, the autobiography of Ang Tharkay. Julie was a novice to intermediate general mountaineer and ice-climber in the Canadian Rockies (she is now retired), and enjoys snow-shoeing, hiking, road cycling and kayaking in the mountains, and other places too.  Purchase False Summit Watch Julie's TEDx Talk - Rope & Tshirts: Mountaineering Objects & Gender Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Melissa Hafting - Dare to Bird: Exploring the Joy and Healing Power of Birds

  Melissa Hafting is an ethical, passionate, and respected birder, photographer, and mentor. Her love for birding has helped shape who she is and has helped with her mental health, along with enabling her to cope with the difficult aspects of grief and loss after the death of her mother and father. Showcasing some of Melissa’s most stunning bird images from the continental United States, Hawaii, and Canada, Dare to Bird explores the joy that birding and photography has brought to her life and how both have allowed her to foster meaningful connections with young birders from diverse backgrounds, along with the conservation community, eco-travel advocates, rare bird enthusiasts, and ethical wildlife viewing practitioners in order to preserve bird habitats that are constantly under threat. At the same time, she is determined to expand birding to include more BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour), women, and LGBTQIA+ through youth outreach and talking about the barriers (racism and sexism) she herself has faced in her journey to become part of the birding community. The magical imagery of birds is unparalleled in this inspiring collection, and Hafting helps the reader to understand why – as she believes – birds have the power to both save and heal us amid many of life’s challenges. Purchase your copy of Dare to Bird. Read Melissa's blog. Follow Melissa on Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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