The Discomfort Zone

Anna Levesque
  • 5.0 (66)
  • 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. 23h ago

    Ep #121 Kayaking Is 95% Mental: Bryan Kirk on Nerves and Flow

    How do you settle your nerves when the pressure is on and everyone is watching? In this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Bryan Kirk, a former member US Freestyle Kayak Team member and Worlds medalist who has taken social media by storm with his old school boats and tricks, claims that once a paddler has the skill set, performance is 95 percent about keeping the mind under control.  He walks us through the visualization and breathing practices he has used for two decades, and shares the story of how his performance fell apart at one of the most important competitions of his life. What he took from that day changed how he has approached pressure ever since.  If you've  ever trained hard, prepared well, and then watched your mind come apart the moment it counted, this one is for you. In this episode, Anna and Bryan explore: Why your mind is your biggest limiting factor, not your skill The awareness and breathing sequence Bryan uses before anything that scares him Hard moves in easy water for the mind, and why mental training deserves the same hours as skills training The strategy that allows him to throw down linked cartwheels at age 47 without getting hurt  Whether you're chasing your first reliable roll, coming back from an injury, or figuring out how to keep paddling for the next thirty years, this conversation will provide you with strategy and training tips. 🎧 Listen now, and start working your mental agility on and off the water.

    Ep #121 Kayaking Is 95% Mental: Bryan Kirk on Nerves and Flow

  2. Jul 28

    Ep #120 Juliet Jacobson Kastorff on Confidence vs Control

    What does it actually take to lead a team, run an international guiding business, and still choose the hard line when it would be easier to stay comfortable? Juliet Jacobsen Kastorff is co-founder of Endless River Adventures, owner of Rio Quijos Ecolodge in Ecuador, and founder of the nonprofit Need More Outdoors. She's been teaching and guiding whitewater kayaking in Western North Carolina and internationally since 1991. On this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Anna Levesque talks with Juliet about leadership, building a guiding business that outlasts you, and staying uncomfortable on purpose after three decades in the outdoor industry. This conversation is really about what it means to lead well: building a team you can eventually hand things off to, taking responsibility instead of making excuses, and noticing when your own expertise has quietly turned into a comfort zone. If you lead a team, run a business, or coach others and want to hear how a 30-year industry veteran keeps growing instead of coasting, this one is for you. In this episode, you'll explore: Why staying in your comfort zone as an expert, running the same line or the same rapid, can quietly stall your growth How Juliet builds leaders who could replace her, and why that's the goal, not the threat The hotel industry lesson that changed how she handles mistakes and hard conversations Why "a bad moment, not a bad day" changes how you show up after things go wrong What three decades of guiding in Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Chile taught her about community over ego. Whether you're leading a business, coaching a team, or just trying to get comfortable being uncomfortable again, this conversation will meet you there. Listen now, and start noticing where your own comfort zone might be holding you back.

    Ep #120 Juliet Jacobson Kastorff on Confidence vs Control

  3. Jul 21

    Ep #119 How to Break Big Fears into Small Steps with Sara Hunter

    What do you do when fear shows up and your instinct is to either force your way through or quit altogether? In this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Anna talks with Sara Hunter, a licensed clinical mental health counselor, certified emotionally focused couples therapist, and PMBIA Level 1 mountain bike instructor based in Asheville, NC. Sara takes clients out of the office and onto the trail, using mountain biking to help them notice what's happening in their bodies, name what they're feeling, and practice new ways of responding to fear. This conversation is really about the skill of slowing down, and why the smallest step toward what scares you is often the most courageous one. If you tend to white-knuckle your way through hard things, or freeze when the pressure is on, this one is for you. In this episode, you'll explore: Why slowing down and naming what's happening in your body changes how you respond to fear What titration means, and how to break an intimidating goal into steps your nervous system can actually handle Why beginners often grow more on the trail than seasoned athletes, and why sitting still is the real discomfort zone for adventurers How the rhythm of pedaling and scanning the trail calms the body's threat response The surprising link between perfectionism and the courage to ask a clarifying question Whether you're eyeing a rapid you've been walking around, a trail feature that gets in your head, or a hard conversation you keep putting off, this episode offers a kinder and more effective way through.  Listen now wherever you get your podcasts!

    Ep #119 How to Break Big Fears into Small Steps with Sara Hunter

  4. Jul 14

    Ep #118 Humbled by My Own Advice: Letting Go of Perfectionism

    The Discomfort Zone

    Ep #118 Humbled by My Own Advice: Letting Go of Perfectionism

  5. Jul 7 ·  Bonus

    Replay: The Power of Joy with Keeya Wiki on the Klamath

    What does it mean to paddle a river your family fought six generations to free? This week marks the one-year anniversary of the historic first descent of the undammed Klamath River by Indigenous youth in the Paddle Tribal Waters program. To honor it, Anna is replaying her conversation on The Discomfort Zone Podcast with Keeya Wiki, a Yurok kayaker who completed that first descent at 17. Keeya also belongs to the Te Aupouri and Ngati Porou tribes of Aotearoa (New Zealand), and her family has fought for generations for the health of the salmon, the river, and their right to fish. This conversation is about joy as resilience, and what happens when the healing of a river becomes the healing of the generations connected to it. If you love rivers and want to understand what dam removal and Indigenous-led restoration mean for the people who fought for it, this one is for you. In this episode, Keeya and Anna explore: What it felt like to paddle the Klamath after generations of advocacy for dam removal How Keeya listens to her body and grounds herself when fear and self-doubt show up The intense underwater moment on the river that tested her self-trust The power of community, mentorship, and representation in outdoor spaces Why the joy Keeya experienced on the river has the power to heal generations Since this conversation, Anna has read The Water Remembers by Amy Bowers Cordalis, Keeya's aunt and the lawyer who played a key role in getting the Klamath dams removed. Amy joins The Discomfort Zone Podcast later this summer, and you may have seen Amy and Keeya together on the Kelly Clarkson Show sharing their family's legacy. Consider this replay the first chapter of that story. Whether you paddle whitewater, care about river restoration, or simply want to hear what courage and joy sound like, listen now and let the Klamath's story move you.

    Replay: The Power of Joy with Keeya Wiki on the Klamath

  6. Jun 30 ·  Bonus

    Replay: Train Your Brain for Courage with Anna Wagner

    What does it actually take to train your brain for courage, and can you do it while running a 13-mile hike-in class V expedition and going back to school full-time? In this replay episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Anna Levesque revisits her conversation with Anna Wagner: whitewater paddler, explorer, and Dr of Occupational Therapy, whose approach to courage is equal parts science and grit. Anna Wagner has run the Middle Kings, the Stikine, and the Rio Baker, and has a knack for finding her "mean girl" voice exactly when she needs it most. This is a conversation about what courage actually looks like when it's built deliberately, not borrowed from someone else's highlight reel. If you've ever wondered why hard things feel so hard, and how to keep showing up for them anyway, this one is for you. How neuroplasticity works — and why positive self-talk feels fake before it feels true Anna's "mean girl" strategy for cutting through fear and self-doubt mid-rapid Why chunking big adventures into small steps is the same skill as running a rapid How one piece of advice from a professor changed Anna's lifestyle and her performance Whether you're preparing for a big river objective, navigating a major life transition, or just trying to quiet the voice that says you don't belong here, this conversation will give you something real to work with. 🎧 Listen now and start building the neural pathways that bring you back to your best.

    Replay: Train Your Brain for Courage with Anna Wagner

  7. Jun 23 ·  Bonus

    Replay: Sage Donnelly on Cultivating a Class V Mindset

    Sage Donnelly just became the Queen of the North Fork, and it's the perfect time to revisit our 2024 conversation on The Discomfort Zone Podcast, recorded when she was the reigning Women's Freestyle World Champion. Sage is a multi-discipline competitor across slalom, freestyle, and extreme racing. In this conversation, she breaks down how she trained her mind to find calm and flow at the start line and in the biggest rapids she runs. If you've ever choked under pressure on something that mattered, or wondered how the best in the world stay loose when everything's on the line, this one's for you. How Sage went from competing out of fear and expectation to competing with the kind of relaxed confidence that brought her back to the World Championship podium Why feeling a rapid in your boat matters more than overanalyzing it from the eddy The expedition that taught her she could push further than she thought possible How she manages type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, and hypothyroidism without letting any of it define her Whether you're chasing a competitive goal, learning to trust your gut, or navigating a diagnosis that feels bigger than you, Sage's story has something for you. 🎧 Listen to the replay now.

    Replay: Sage Donnelly on Cultivating a Class V Mindset

  8. Jun 16

    Ep #117 Where Is Baer: A Life Built on Showing Up and Figuring It Out

    Ever feel like you need the perfect plan before you can start anything? This conversation might change that. In this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Anna sits down with Chris Baer, a raft guide and whitewater kayaker who lives half the year out of a converted school bus and spends his winters chasing first descents in remote corners of the world, often with little more than two weeks' notice. This conversation is for anyone who's ever held back because they didn't have it all figured out yet. Anna and Chris dig into:  🌫️ Why whitewater is "all gray," and how letting go of rigid rules opens up better decisions  🧩 How problem-solving on the fly becomes a way of life, on the river and off  ✈️ What happens when you trade a five-year plan for two weeks' notice and a plane ticket  👣 Why getting feet on the ground beats overanalyzing every detail in advance If you're craving more confidence in navigating the unknown, this one's worth a listen. 🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts!

    Ep #117 Where Is Baer: A Life Built on Showing Up and Figuring It Out
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5
out of 5
66 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
    127
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2024
  • Show Website
    The Discomfort Zone

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