Voices of Ocean Parkway Voices of Ocean Parkway

Welcome to another episode of the Voices of Ocean Parkway. It’s been a long time coming, but I am excited to share this candid and open conversation with a close friend, incredible runner, family man, and all around inspiration, David Salama. While the context of our conversation is running, this episode is focused on the concept of “finding my why,” and all the ideas and lessons below the surface that motivate and drive us. I hope it excites and inspires you to find meaning in the pursuit of your next goals, both running and beyond.

This is the Voices of Ocean Parkway podcast, where we take a deep dive into the running scene of OPR & NYC. Each episode is a laid-back and free-flowing conversation with a member of the local running community, exploring what motivates local runners to lace up. You can catch the latest episodes of the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Anchor, and many other podcast platforms. Be sure to subscribe and follow us on instagram @voicesofoceanparkway Feedback and recommendations are always welcome!

For this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with all world triathlete and all star runner, Ari Baum. We touch on everything from his origin story, to his most recent races and everything in between. Our full disclaimer, we had a bit of wifi issues so my apologies if the audio is a bit fuzzy! But Ari makes up with his quality content. I hope you enjoy his conversation as much as I enjoyed having it. You can learn more about Ari by digging through his Facebook page or Instagram posts @theironadvisor, or simply DMing and asking him! 

This is the Voices of Ocean Parkway podcast, where we take a deep dive into the running scene of OPR & NYC. Each episode is a laid-back and free-flowing conversation with a member of the local running community, exploring what motivates local runners to lace up. You can catch the latest episodes of the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Anchor, and many other podcast platforms. Be sure to subscribe and follow us on instagram @voicesofoceanparkway Feedback and recommendations are always welcome!

On this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with an up and coming star in the OPR scene, Adam Bendayan. We touch on everything from his origin story, his recent running breakthroughs in the half marathon, food diaries, new training cycles as he trains for his first marathon, and even his daughter's love of llamas! 



Our full disclaimer, we had a bit of wifi issues so my apologies if the audio is a bit fuzzy! But Adam makes up with his quality content. I hope you enjoy his conversation as much as I enjoyed having it. Without further ado, here is my conversation with Adam Bendayan. You can learn more about Ralph by digging through his old Instagram posts @adambendayan or simply DMing and asking him! 



This is the Voices of Ocean Parkway podcast, where we take a deep dive into the running scene of OPR & NYC. Each episode is a laid-back and free-flowing conversation with a member of the local running community, exploring what motivates local runners to lace up. You can catch the latest episodes of the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Anchor, and many other podcast platforms. Be sure to subscribe and follow us on instagram @voicesofoceanparkway Feedback and recommendations are always welcome!

On this episode, I chat with Ralph Nasar. As the Vice President of OPR, president of the Deal chapter and now official head coach, Ralph plays many roles. On this episode we dive into the emotional roller coaster of Ralph’s lengthy running history, which dates back to 2007, and explore his ten and a half year pursuit of his marathon goal. We tap into the power of running as a platform to do good in the world, pay tribute to loved ones, give back to the community, be there for friends and family, and make a positive-lasting impact. You can learn more about Ralph by digging through his old Instagram posts @Yankeenets or simply DMing and asking him!
This is the Voices of Ocean Parkway podcast, where we take a deep dive into the running scene of OPR & NYC. Each episode is a laid-back and free-flowing conversation with a member of the local running community, exploring what motivates local runners to lace up. You can catch the latest episodes of the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Anchor, and many other podcast platforms. Be sure to subscribe and follow us on instagram @voicesofoceanparkway Feedback and recommendations are always welcome!

This week, I chat with the power couple of the Ocean Parkway Runners, Michelle and Sammy Esquanazi. We talk about their start in the sport and how running became a family endeavor. We speak about the power of juggling so many obligations and responsibilities, while still finding the time to commit to running and living a healthy lifestyle. We touch on using running as a platform to give back to the community and the multitude of events they have put on for local organizations. This episode will leave you belly laughing and smiling, but also inspired and touched emotionally. Michelle and Sammy's chemistry and fun nature is so clear throughout this episode and there are so many important values and lessons we can learn from their experiences. You can find out more about them on their Instagram pages, @michelleesqua and @samesqua.  
This is the Voices of Ocean Parkway podcast, where we take a deep dive into the running scene of OPR & NYC. Each episode is a laid-back and free-flowing conversation with a member of the local running community, exploring what motivates local runners to lace up. You can catch the latest episodes of the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Anchor, and many other podcast platforms. Be sure to subscribe and follow us on instagram @voicesofoceanparkway Feedback and recommendations are always welcome!

This week, I sit down Jessica Mathews. In this episode, you'll hear how Jessica manages and juggles her many commitments, from running, to family (she has 4 kids), to her full-time career as a teacher and education professional, and her food blog Kosher-Foodies. Jessica had a humble, simply trying to stay active and healthy, but in less than 2 years, she has already broken 1:30 for the half marathon, and it is clear she is nowhere near reaching her potential. There are so many important values and lessons we can learn from Jessica's experience, but what resonates with me is the power of friendships through running, the payoff from consistency, and her commitment to always find time for what is important in her life. 
You can find out more about Jessica @jbbm on instagram or by following her food account, @kosherfoodies. 
This is the Voices of Ocean Parkway podcast, where we take a deep dive into the running scene of OPR & NYC. Each episode is a laid-back and free-flowing conversation with a member of the local running community, exploring what motivates local runners to lace up. You can catch the latest episodes of the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Anchor, and many other podcast platforms. Be sure to subscribe and follow us on instagram @voicesofoceanparkway Feedback and recommendations are always welcome!