Another sweet conversation, and I'm so happy to share it with you.

I sat down with Sergio Gómez, also known as Chexo, an agility enthusiast from Colombia, to talk about his journey into this sport we all love so much.

We discuss cultural perceptions and Chexo's personal journey from childhood to becoming a passionate agility trainer. We dive into his agility beginnings – that magical first moment when agility captures you and you just know that this is it. Chexo shares his experiences with his dogs, particularly Nuki, and reflects on his unique lifestyle living in a shipping container while pursuing his passion for agility.

But this conversation goes beyond just agility. We talk about life choices – the path he took to follow his passion, the challenges he faced along the way, and what it really means to build a life around what you love.

If you've ever wondered what it takes to truly follow your dreams, even when the path isn't easy, I think Chexo's story will resonate with you.

This is part one of two episodes with Chexo – so stay tuned for more!

Special offer for my listeners: Use discount code "Vendula10" for 10% off any Natural Pet Care System products at vendula.naturalpetcaresystem.com

Sign up to my Agility on the road monthly Newsletter for more behind-the-scenes stories from my travels and agility adventures https://agilityontheroad.com/newsletter/

Welcome back to the VendaVan! In this episode, I'm joined by Alejandro Salas, a well-known agility judge, trainer, and competitor from Spain. We met at the Slovakian Championship in Pezinok, and Alejandro graciously agreed to step out of his comfort zone and chat with me in English—even though Spanish is his forte!

We dive into Alejandro's agility journey, from competitor to international judge, and explore the exciting evolution of Spanish agility. Alejandro shares why the sport is improving by leaps and bounds in Spain and reveals a surprising fact—there are actually more men than women competing in Spanish agility! We also talk about emotions, which are such a big part of the Spanish nature and, of course, agility itself.

But behind every judge traveling the world is a support system, and Alejandro beautifully shares about his wife—the true hero who takes care of their two-legged and four-legged family while he's out making his judging dreams come true.

A huge thank you to Alejandro for his openness and willingness to refresh his English for this conversation. Muchas gracias!

Special offer for my listeners: Use discount code "Vendula10" for 10% off any Natural Pet Care System products at vendula.naturalpetcaresystem.com

Sign up to my Agility on the road monthly Newsletter for more behind-the-scenes stories from my travels and agility adventures https://agilityontheroad.com/newsletter/

What drives someone to dedicate their life to improving pet health naturally? In this special episode, I sit down with Andras, co-founder of Natural Pet Care System, to hear his incredible journey from idea to creating a company that's changing how we care for our four-legged family members.

As their ambassador, I was excited to dive deep into Andras's personal story - what inspired him to start this company and his mission to help dogs and cats live healthier, happier lives through natural supplements.

We explore all four of their products - Burgimmune, Flexi, Fortflex, and Multivitamin - discussing when and why each one can make a difference, whether you're looking at prevention or supporting healing.

We also talk about their upcoming webinar on Monday, September 29th, 2025, 7-9pm CEST, where you can learn even more about natural approaches to pet health. Find all the information on the Facebook event page HERE: https://www.facebook.com/events/2277837812630494/?ti=ls - and don't forget to sign up to get a 20% discount!

I'm currently using Burgimmune and Multivitamin for my 6-month-old puppy Sisu and my 14-year-old senior Eliot, and I'm really happy with how these natural supplements are supporting their health at different life stages.

Special offer for my listeners: Use discount code "Vendula10" for 10% off any Natural Pet Care System products at https://vendula.naturalpetcaresystem.com

The best part? You can combine both discounts for a total of 30% off!

Sign up to my Agility on the road monthly Newsletter for more behind-the-scenes stories from my travels and agility adventures https://agilityontheroad.com/newsletter/

What draws someone to build a life in one of America's most remote places? In this episode, I sit down with Michaela in her kitchen in Fairbanks, Interior Alaska, for my second visit to the Last Frontier.

We explore Michaela's personal journey – what brought her to Alaska and what keeps her there against all odds. From navigating months of darkness to extreme weather conditions, we discover what dog agility looks like when your training season is defined by Alaska's harsh realities.

This conversation shows not just the challenges of doing our sport in such a remote place, but what it really takes to create an agility community in the wilderness.

I recorded this in Michaela's cozy kitchen, with all that Alaskan wilderness right outside her windows. This is a story of determination, community, and finding home in the most unexpected places.

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Sign-up to my Agility on the road monthly Newsletter for more behind-the-scenes stories from my travels and agility adventures https://agilityontheroad.com/newsletter/

Meet Marion - an extraordinary 85-year-old woman who's been involved in dog sports for over 50 years and was actually there when agility was first introduced to the public at Crufts in the 1970s!

Marion is the devoted mama of three Schipperkes, a breed she's been passionate about for five decades. Currently training and competing in both agility and obedience, she embodies what it means to live life with purpose and energy at any age.

I met Marion at one of my seminars and was immediately struck by her incredible energy. When she casually mentioned she was 85, I knew I had to learn her secret to living such a fulfilled and active life. This conversation feels like catching up with an old friend - complete with lots of laughter that might test your eardrums!

We dive into her incredible journey with dogs, her competitive spirit that extends beyond agility to everyday life, her memories of witnessing agility's early days at Crufts, and her philosophy of always having goals to work toward.

As Marion puts it: "I always had goals. I had a big goal and then smaller goals to build to that. I have to live with goals, you know. You have to have some purpose."

A truly inspiring conversation about staying active, purposeful, and joyful - living proof that age is just a number when you have passion and purpose.

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Sign-up to my Agility on the road monthly Newsletter for more behind-the-scenes stories from my travels and agility adventures https://agilityontheroad.com/newsletter/

What started with just three sheep turned into a full-blown funny farm—complete with goats, mules, ponies, ducks, chickens, turkeys, and of course, dogs!

In this episode of Agility on the Road, I sit down with Mary Champagne , who began agility back in 1995 and now runs her own agility facility in the U.S. We talk about her journey into long-distance handling, the frustrating trial-and-error phase, and her determination to keep believing—even when it felt impossible.

We recorded this conversation in her dogs’ living room on my last day at her farm, and I couldn’t help but reflect on how far she’s come. From barely being able to move on the course to showing the world how you can run ISC and UKI courses without actually running. Step by step. Little by little. Just keep going.

Find out more about Mary and her Agility Facility at www.theagilityfacility.com

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Sign-up to my Agility on the road monthly Newsletter for more behind-the-scenes stories from my travels and agility adventures https://agilityontheroad.com/newsletter/

Tired after a sunny hike, with full bellies from a Slovak-style dinner, and so happy together in my VendaVan – which turned into a kind of sauna as we closed the windows to block out the noise outside – I recorded this episode with the sweet Nicky Manes, veterinarian and agility enthusiast from Argentina.

We met in Slovakia right after she competed in Prague, picked up her brand-new puppy, and before she continued her European adventure to Budapest and Vienna.

Nicky comes to Europe at least every couple of years to compete, traveling with her dogs on what is never a simple journey. In our conversation, we spoke about her agility journey, the sport in Argentina, what it’s like to travel more than 1000 km for a single competition, the challenges (and joys!) of bringing dogs from Argentina to Europe, and her heartfelt reminder of how important it is to enjoy every single moment in life because you never know when the game might be over.

A conversation filled with wanderlust, determination, and the universal language of agility love.

Find out more about Nicky :

https://www.instagram.com/nicky.manes/

Join me on a Latvian beach for a very special episode recorded in my VendaVan with four incredible dogdancing champions from Slovakia and Czech Republic. After supporting my dear friend Monika at the Dogdancing World Championship in Finland (where she placed 4th in Heelwork!), we were all driving home together when we stopped for this conversation.

Meet Alexandra Vavrova, Alexandra Mišková, and Monika from Slovakia, plus Alena Smolíková from Czech Republic - true legends of dogdancing who stepped out of their comfort zones to share their stories in English (which I deeply appreciate!).

We dive into the fascinating world of dogdancing - did you know one routine contains around 50 tricks? We explore how they create these extraordinary performances, teach complex tricks, and navigate the challenge of keeping dogs focused for 4 minutes without taking shortcuts to the reward. Plus a deep conversation about expectations - are they real pressure from others, or mostly in our own heads?

A beautiful blend of friendship, sport, and honest reflection recorded on the road.

Get to know our amazing guests better by watching their incredible dogdancing performances:

Monika: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?mibextid=wwXIfr&v=4758760227569713&rdid=35WCuQ4bXrbE8Em8

Follow Monika's educational dogdancing content on Patreon: www.patreon.com/dogdance

Alexandra Vavrova: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXmdcBIQsfA

Alexandra Mišková: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2aVS9Weo08

Alena Smolíková: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV9FzRHnndI

These videos showcase the artistry and skill we talked about in the episode - including some of those 50+ tricks that go into each routine! You'll see exactly what makes these champions so extraordinary in the dogdancing world.

Thank you to all four ladies for your dedication to the sport and willingness to share your experiences - it made this such a special episode.

Join me for a conversation with Hugo Santos, an agility judge and handler from Portugal. We met at the Janakkala Open in Finland, where he was judging, and recorded this episode right in my VendaVan at the venue - so please excuse any background noises from the competition!

I'm still working on improving the sound quality, but my dog Sisu had other plans and decided to bite through my mic cable! Since I'm traveling and need a specific Rode cable that's not easy to find on the road, I'm working with what I have for now.

We dive into course designing, agility in Portugal, Hugo's Border Collie Never, and much more. Even though this was the first time Hugo and I met, it felt like catching up with an old friend from the very first minute.

Hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

Join me in the kitchen of Sanna and Harri Katainen as we celebrate the release of my first podcast episode with non-alcoholic champagne that Sanna discovered in their fridge and fresh strawberries from their garden. This Finnish couple shares their incredible journey from agility competitors to business owners running their agility halls, training animals for television, and even teaching puppy yoga. We talk about their paths in agility, their agility podcast, what it's like living through Finnish winters, and how they've built a life around their passion for animals. A conversation that feels like catching up with old friends - complete with spontaneous celebrations.

Find out more about Sanna and Harri's work at

https://www.properro.net/

https://www.tiktok.com/@puppy.yoga.kuopio