Nature Untold

Episode 9: Pain Leads To Purpose With Matt Arends

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Matt Arends (he/him) is based in Minnesota. He is an adventurer, environmentalist and thrill seeker. He also happens to have chronic pain and is the COO | CMO for The MindStrong Project.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • How being on a college football team shaped Matt’s drinking but also his need for community
  • How cyclical injuries affect your mental health
  • The identity crisis that comes after an injury or the end of your specific sports career
  • How alcohol is part of the equation in most outdoor sports
  • How he found the outdoor community after college
  • How one injury set him on the path of discovering and dealing with chronic pain
  • His time at a whale shark tour company in Tanzania
  • His experiences living with chronic pain
  • The importance of sharing our pain and being vulnerable for not feeling alone and finding community
  • How one friend starting a group chat can change everything
  • What lights him up now (spoiler alert: plants!)
  • His goal of helping to extend the local farming season in his hometown

    • Resources mentioned:

    • Documentary: The Weight of Gold
    • Backcountry Marketing podcast - episode with Becky Marcelliano

      • Where you can catch up with Matt:

      • Instagram

        • Thank you, as always, for listening to this episode. Please free free to follow along on the show’s Instagram, our private Facebook group, or wherever you’d like. We also have a Patreon if you’re interested in supporting everything Nature Untold is cooking up.

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