Airdrie Inside

Fondly referred to as ‘Mr. Always Good’, Willy Williams a.k.a., Willy Snypes might be Airdrie’s hardest working hustler, and most dynamic people.

There’s very little Willy doesn’t do. From being a firefighter, a football coach, a rapper, and a small business owner, Willy take on challenges and faces adversity head on. Originally from the USA, Willy moved here in 2010 and instantly made Airdrie home. His most recent venture is a youth training company called Coliseum Athletics, where athletes build athletes.

Willy is humble, kind, and a community-driven guy always looking to improve the lives of others. Listen to his story, now streaming on all major platforms.

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This week’s podcast has you meet a local Airdrie Muay Thai and kickboxing fighter, Damion Smith. With the heart of a champion and the belt to back it up, Damion currently holds the World Kickboxing Associations 159lbs Western Canadian Championship.

It takes a special kind of someone to overcome personal struggles and land themselves in the number one spot, and Damion has done that with tenacity and grace. With his knowledge in the sport ever-growing, Damion has also taken on the roles of teacher and coach to mentor younger fighters at the Airdrie Martial Arts Centre. 

Listen to Damion’s journey to the top, streaming on all major platforms.

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Nothing says 'hello weekend' better than sipping on a Paloma TQLAVIDA with Chris and today's guest, Demi Broderick. 

Demi does it all - she's running 3 business ventures ranging from daycares to the beverage business, all while running a foundation and raising two young boys.

After struggling to find daycare options for her son, Demi decided to start her first daycare - Creating Futures Daycare and Preschool. With an ever-growing waitlist, Demi added a second location to respond to the demand for more daycare spots in the city. Demi's passion for robust childhood education runs deep and in 2023 she started 'A Heart for Children', a foundation dedicated to early childhood services. 

In an entirely separate industry (although some parents might argue the pair go hand-in-hand some days!), Demi dove into the beverage business and started a tequila based beverage company called TQLAVIDA. 

So sit back, grab a sip, and listen to this week's podcast with Airdrie Inside.

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In this week’s episode, Chris sits down with paramedic and advocate, Ryan Middleton. As a local to Airdrie, Ryan was concerned by the ambulance response times and felt moved to advocate for better for our city.  By using freedom of information requests, Ryan was able to raise awareness and show how everyday Albertans were struggling to secure ambulances when they needed them the most. 

Ryan’s advocacy could have come at incredible cost, and caused him to face possible suspension and discipline. Yet Ryan still spoke up and shone a light on something we all take for granted - access to emergent medical care. 

Thank you, Ryan for being the David in this Goliath story - our community is better with you in it.

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This week we follow Chris to a special on-location pod to visit brew master, legend, and owner of Balzac Brewery, Stew Ward. Stew gives us both samples and stories of how he crossed the pond from England to Canada, and spanned careers from Oil & Gas over to the craft beer world. Enjoy this episode with a side of Sea Buckthorn IPA, and learn how this not-so-little brewery grew legs, with support from their unofficial mascot, Hamish the Westie.

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Whoever said fight like a girl has never met Vanessa Bellegarde, former world Muay Thai champion and all around fierce opponent. Together with her husband and fighter/coach, Luis Cofre, they run the Airdrie Martial Arts Centre and the Lil Dragons Program, training people of all ages and stages here in Airdrie.

In this episode Chris sits down with Vanessa and Luis to hear how this powerhouse team not only hosts amazing local fight cards, but impacts the community through their kids programs.

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On today's episode of Airdrie Inside, Chris chats with Tare Rennebohm - a theatrical member of Airdrie's infamous Nose Creek Players and a driving force in our city's arts and culture community. Tare sits on the Arts and Culture Committee and is currently planning the Mayor's Night of the Arts on February 8, 2025. Listen along as Tare share his passion for growing the arts and culture movement in our city.

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In today’s episode, Chris interviews one of the nation’s best young female quarterback players, Alivia Trudeau and her coach, Dawn Sorsdahl from the Airdrie Raiders Female tackle football program.

Thank you to Alivia and Dawn for sharing their journey to shake up this ordinarily male-dominant sport, and spread their belief that sports, and in particular football, should be accessible and available to everyone.

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On the premiere episode of Airdrie Inside we sit down and talk with local Airdrionian, Mike Reist. As the founder of Airdrie's Adopt-A-Grad program, Mike has provided countless graduating students with their milestone-worthy attire, ensuring they feel suit-ably proud of their momentous achievement. This simple gift goes a long way to sending these young adults into the big world in style and celebration, and the program is just one of the many ways that our local heroes takes care of our caring community. Thank you for spending some time with us Mike, and we hope you enjoy the first weekly episode.

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