The Discomfort Zone

Anna Levesque
  • 4.8 (6)
  • WILDERNESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Do you feel called toward something bigger — a dream, adventure, or purpose — but fear keeps holding you back? Welcome to The Discomfort Zone — the outdoor, mindset, and leadership podcast where courage meets the edge. Every Tuesday, host Anna Levesque — world-class whitewater kayaker, World Championship medalist, author, and mental agility coach — dives into raw, real conversations with paddlers, athletes, leaders, adventurers, and purpose-driven humans who choose growth over comfort. From powerful stories on wild rivers and mountain trails to navigating major life transitions, these conversations explore what it truly takes to face fear, build confidence, and find your flow — on and off the water. You'll hear: Stories from whitewater kayakers + outdoor athletes pushing their edge Insights from guides, coaches, and leaders creating impact in their fields Practical mental-agility + leadership tools you can use right away Lessons from expeditions, competition, and personal transformation How to navigate the discomfort that fuels growth, courage, and purpose Whether you're a paddler, outdoor enthusiast, emerging leader, or someone seeking more courage in everyday life, you'll walk away with practical tools to strengthen resilience, show up with confidence, and embrace the adventure of being alive. If you're ready to stop playing small and start living boldly, you're in the right zone.

  1. Ep #109 Jak Fantastic: Pain, Amputation, and Radical Resilience on the Water

    5D AGO

    Ep #109 Jak Fantastic: Pain, Amputation, and Radical Resilience on the Water

    What does resilience actually look like when pain isn't occasional - it's constant? Jak Fantastic has been kayaking since she was six years old, born with severely clubbed feet and limited mobility. By 14, she was on the GB Freestyle Kayak Team. By 19, she was facing hip dysplasia, multiple surgeries, and a prognosis that said she would never kayak again. She went eight years without paddling. And then, in 2018 - unable to walk - she got back in a boat. In 2025, Jak made the decision to amputate her leg, hoping it would give her back more of her life. Before her wound had fully healed, she was back on the water. A year later, she's running remote expeditions in India and competing at the highest levels of the sport. In this episode, Jak and Anna explore what it means to keep showing up when every day includes some form of pain - physical, emotional, or both. They talk about identity loss, the dark years when kayaking stopped being possible, and what finally cracked open the door to meditation after years of resistance (hint: it started in a yoga class in Rishikesh after a Christmas that broke her open). This is one of the most honest conversations about discomfort, courage, and the choice to keep going that we've had on this show. In this episode: Why Jak says discomfort isn't the obstacle — it's just life, and how that shift changed everything The eight years she spent away from kayaking and what it took to find her way back How grief, a solo trip to India, and one quiet moment in the mountains cracked open her meditation practice Living with phantom limb pain after amputation — and what sitting with pain (instead of fighting it) has taught her What the whitewater community needs to do to make the sport more accessible for differently abled paddlers Press play and spend an hour in the discomfort zone with someone who lives there every day, and continues to choose it powerfully. About Jak Fantastic: Jak Fantastic is a British whitewater kayaker, adaptive sports advocate, and expedition paddler with over 30 years on the water. A former GB Freestyle Team member, she competed at the 2023 World Freestyle Championships and has podium finishes at World Cups and British Championships. She paddles with one leg, an ADHD brain, a dry sense of humor, and zero interest in being told what she can't do.

    51 min
  2. Ep #108 Your Younger Self Would Be Blown Away - Solo Ep

    APR 14

    Ep #108 Your Younger Self Would Be Blown Away - Solo Ep

    Today is my 52nd birthday — and I'm doing something I don't do nearly enough: actually stopping to celebrate. If you're someone who moves straight to the next goal, minimizes what you've accomplished, or quietly compares yourself out of your own wins — this one's for you. I'm sharing a simple reflection practice that has a way of shifting everything, including how you talk to yourself when something feels hard or out of reach. It takes about five minutes. Your younger self will thank you. Try the exercise and let me know what you discover: Email Me!

    8 min
  3. Ep #107 Fear as a Tool: How River Mutton Stays Locked In

    APR 7

    Ep #107 Fear as a Tool: How River Mutton Stays Locked In

    What if slowing down your progression isn't playing it safe — it's actually the most ambitious thing you can do? River Mutton is an extreme whitewater world champion from New Zealand who does tricks over waterfalls, runs lines most paddlers only dream about, and deliberately keeps her progression slower than her skill level. In this conversation, Anna talks with River about the mental game behind big water performance — and what happened when a bad swim in familiar water shook everything she thought she knew about staying safe. In this episode: How River reframes fear as hyper-focus rather than a stop sign Why she runs things well below her skill level, and what that looks like at world-champion level The swim that shook her confidence and the month she spent questioning why she paddles at all What going to Chile taught her about rediscovering joy on the water Making decisions from facts instead of fear stories What River and Anna discovered about self-criticism across generations of women paddlers Whether you're working up to your first big drop or returning to the water after a setback, this conversation will shift how you think about fear, confidence, and what it really means to progress. Listen now for inspiration on how to be confident in your process at your own pace.

    43 min
  4. Ep #106 Grit Over Talent: Resilience, Risk, and Paddling Hard Stuff with Mariann Sæther

    MAR 31

    Ep #106 Grit Over Talent: Resilience, Risk, and Paddling Hard Stuff with Mariann Sæther

    Ask Mariann Sæther what got her to two world championships, and she won't say talent. Mariann is a two-time world champion in extreme kayaking, a mother of two, and one of the most accomplished women in whitewater history. She retired from competition in 2024 after nearly three decades of paddling rivers around the world. In this conversation, Mariann and Anna dig into what it actually takes to perform at the highest level, navigate real risk, and keep showing up when it's not working. From getting flipped repeatedly down Jakes at 3,000 CFS two days before winning the North Fork Championship, to learning to separate a failed line from a failed identity, Mariann brings a rare mix of honesty, humor, and hard-won insight. In this episode, you'll explore: Why grit and hard work matter more than talent, and how to stop letting the "talent story" hold you back The difference between scared and nervous, and how that distinction shapes good risk decisions Why leading the rapid changes everything for women building confidence on whitewater How to stay useful, engaged, and growth-oriented when you choose to walk a line What pioneering women in whitewater built, and why their stories deserve to be remembered Mariann's approach to breaking big goals into small pieces, from horse training to creek boating If you've ever told yourself you just don't have what it takes, this episode is a direct and generous challenge to that story. 🌊 Once a river person, always a river person. 🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

    1 hr
  5. Ep #105 From Cancer Diagnosis to the Grand Canyon: How Laura Kurup Found Her Flow

    MAR 24

    Ep #105 From Cancer Diagnosis to the Grand Canyon: How Laura Kurup Found Her Flow

    What does it take to rebuild a life around what you actually love — not what looks impressive from the outside? Laura Kurup spent years as a high-performing tech executive — Chief Strategy Officer at the SEC, Chief Data Officer at the New York Fed — and somewhere along the way, paddling took a backseat. Then came a rare and aggressive breast cancer diagnosis at 40. What followed was a two-year unraveling and rebuilding that led her back to the river, into whitewater instruction, and toward a life anchored in her own intuition. In this episode, Laura and Anna explore what it really means to face discomfort — not just the dramatic kind, but the low-level stuff we spend enormous energy ignoring. Laura shares how cancer cracked open the identity she'd been clinging to, why letting go of control on the Grand Canyon led to better lines, and what she's learned about expanding her window of tolerance — on the water and in life. In this episode, you'll explore: Why high performers often ignore discomfort until it becomes a five-alarm fire — and how to work with it at lower levels instead The mental shift that transformed Laura's lines on the Grand Canyon: from controlling the plan to reading and running How identity attachment (like being "the canoeist who doesn't flip") can quietly limit your growth What a cancer diagnosis revealed about the difference between performing a life and actually living one Laura's take on using AI intentionally — and why she compares it to ketchup The river metaphor she brought home from the Grand: following the bubble line If you've ever pushed discomfort down until it exploded, played it too safe and ended up stuck on the rocks, or wondered what life might look like if you gave yourself permission to follow your intuition — this episode is for you. The river gives you a put-in and a take-out. How you run it is up to you. 🎧 Listen now and find your bubble line.

    56 min
  6. Ep #104 Mindfulness for Paddlers: Simple Practices to Stay Calm, Focused, and in Flow

    MAR 17

    Ep #104 Mindfulness for Paddlers: Simple Practices to Stay Calm, Focused, and in Flow

    Whitewater kayaking naturally pulls us into the present moment. When you're paddling a rapid, your senses sharpen, your mind clears, and you're fully focused on the line ahead. But what if you didn't have to wait for a rapid to access that state? In this solo episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, I share simple mindfulness and breathwork practices that help paddlers reset their nervous system, quiet negative self-talk, and stay calm and focused — both on the river and in everyday life. These practices come directly from Week 7 of the Mental Agility Mastery 8 Week Course, where participants train their ability to pause, reset, and respond skillfully when things don't go according to plan. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why paddling naturally creates a powerful mindfulness state • How mindfulness helps you reset after a mistake, swim, or missed line • The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise for returning to the present moment • Simple breathwork techniques to regulate your nervous system • How mindful movement strengthens confidence and focus One of the most powerful lessons from the river? Sometimes the most skillful move isn't paddling harder. It's embracing the pause. 🎧 Listen now and discover simple mindfulness practices that help you find flow — on the river and in life.

    17 min
  7. Ep #103 Tyler Curtis on Modeling Courage and Why Passion Matters

    MAR 10

    Ep #103 Tyler Curtis on Modeling Courage and Why Passion Matters

    You've felt that edge before — the moment between staying in the eddy and peeling out into the current. In this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, I sit down with world-class kayaker, coach, and avalanche specialist Tyler Curtis to explore what it really means to lean into uncertainty — on the river and in life. From freestyle kayaking and youth coaching, to living abroad and learning a new language, Tyler shares how following his passion shaped not just his career, but his resilience, confidence, and leadership. We talk about how fear evolves, how risk tolerance changes over time, and why modeling failure as a coach builds real trust. This conversation blends whitewater wisdom with practical mindset tools you can apply immediately — whether you're challenging yourself to run harder rivers, leading others, or navigating uncertainty in your everyday life. In this episode, you'll explore: How to tell the difference between real danger and the stories your mind creates Why modeling failure builds trust, confidence, and stronger coaching relationships How freestyle kayaking develops resilience and mental agility under pressure What youth athletes can teach us about courage and pushing comfort zones Why following your passion builds transferable life skills — from leadership to risk management If you care about building courage — in yourself or in the people you lead — this episode will change how you think about fear and growth. 🎧 Listen now to explore how passion becomes discipline, skill, and leadership.

    50 min
  8. Ep #102 Confidence Under Pressure with Matt Hamilton

    MAR 3

    Ep #102 Confidence Under Pressure with Matt Hamilton

    What do you do when the pressure is on, and you don't have the answer? In this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, I sit down with longtime paddler, freestyle competitor, and squirt boater Matt Hamilton to explore what real composure looks like in high-stakes environments. As a paramedic and ski patroller, Matt regularly operates where the margin for error is razor thin. On the water, he's spent decades river running, paddling freestyle, and chasing deep mystery moves. Across both worlds, he's learned that confidence isn't about eliminating stress — it's about staying effective within it. We talk about breathwork, repetition, aging in sport, the evolution of professional kayaking, and why variety and play are essential for long-term resilience. This conversation is about more than kayaking. It's about learning to zoom out, reset your nervous system, and keep moving forward — especially when you feel stumped. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why composure means effectiveness under stress — not calm conditions How repetition and experience build real confidence over time What to do when you feel stuck or overwhelmed How play, community, and longevity shape resilience Why staying in the sport doesn't require chasing the latest tricks If you want to build resilience, confidence, and mental agility — on the river and in life — this episode is for you. 🎧 Listen now and explore what becomes possible when you stay grounded under pressure.

    45 min
See All (112)

Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Do you feel called toward something bigger — a dream, adventure, or purpose — but fear keeps holding you back? Welcome to The Discomfort Zone — the outdoor, mindset, and leadership podcast where courage meets the edge. Every Tuesday, host Anna Levesque — world-class whitewater kayaker, World Championship medalist, author, and mental agility coach — dives into raw, real conversations with paddlers, athletes, leaders, adventurers, and purpose-driven humans who choose growth over comfort. From powerful stories on wild rivers and mountain trails to navigating major life transitions, these conversations explore what it truly takes to face fear, build confidence, and find your flow — on and off the water. You'll hear: Stories from whitewater kayakers + outdoor athletes pushing their edge Insights from guides, coaches, and leaders creating impact in their fields Practical mental-agility + leadership tools you can use right away Lessons from expeditions, competition, and personal transformation How to navigate the discomfort that fuels growth, courage, and purpose Whether you're a paddler, outdoor enthusiast, emerging leader, or someone seeking more courage in everyday life, you'll walk away with practical tools to strengthen resilience, show up with confidence, and embrace the adventure of being alive. If you're ready to stop playing small and start living boldly, you're in the right zone.

Information

  • Creator
    Anna Levesque
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    112
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024
  • Show Website
    The Discomfort Zone

You Might Also Like