Kaya Turski’s story isn’t just about medals or firsts, it’s about what happens when the thing you love most gets taken away, and you’re forced to meet yourself without the helmet, goggles, and identity that once felt impenetrable. Kaya shares how pain shaped her from the very beginning, starting with a catastrophic crash at 18 that led to emergency pancreatic surgery, and how a lifetime of impact, whiplash, and chronic symptoms eventually pushed her out of competition before 2018, whether she was ready or not.

In this conversation, we explore what “Fly Always” really means when you can’t do your sport the way you used to, and how Kaya has rebuilt her life through honesty, values work, and learning to create space for herself and others. From the moment she told her coach, “I’m done…pull me out,” to the dark, quiet years of healing back home in Montreal, Kaya walks us through the hardest kind of courage: the kind that looks like surrender, asking for help, and choosing self-care on an 8/10 pain day.

In this episode, Rebecca and Kaya explore:

1. How rollerblading and skateparks became Kaya’s foundation for freestyle—and why she taught herself to ski at 17 by taking the Greyhound to Whistler every day
2. The misconception that elite freestyle athletes are fearless—and why fear is part of staying alive on “hundred-foot kickers”
3. The difference between chosen pain (growth) and unchosen pain (life, injury, heartbreak)—and why the second one is where “the real work” begins
4. The crash that sliced Kaya’s pancreas in half, the ICU in San Francisco, and being told to leave skiing behind before her career even began
5. How chronic headaches, cumulative impacts, and undiagnosed concussions became an invisible war that forced retirement a year before 2018
6. The moment at Worlds in Spain when Kaya finally said, “I surrender…this is enough,” and made the call to stop
7. Why identity can get dangerously fused to performance—and what it takes to become “more than one thing”
8. The question Dr. Mike Gervais asked that cracked Kaya open: “Why are you here on this earth?”
9. The real meaning of “Fly Always”: create space, take the leap, inspire—and why “creating space” starts with honesty
10. What “flying” looks like now: self-care, hard conversations, sitting with pain instead of escaping it, and “standing in the center of the fire” with yourself
11. How mindfulness “micro-breaks” and Rebecca’s “brain breaks” help regulate the nervous system and bring you back steadier, brighter, more present
12. The six-year healing chapter: moving back to Montreal, low capacity, and rebuilding from a dark period—one phone call at a time

1. Pain has layers. There’s pain that expands you (chosen) and pain that humbles you (unchosen)—and the second one asks for a different kind of strength.
2. Identity isn’t a job title. Kaya reframes “who I am” as what she loves, what she values, and what lights her up—not just what she did in sport.
3. “Fly Always” is a life philosophy, not a sports slogan. For Kaya, it begins with creating space (and safety) for the whole human to show up.
4. Values work is the bridge. The journey from “be the best” to “be true” runs straight through first principles and personal philosophy.
5. Presence is built in tiny moments. Five-minute resets and micro “slices of discipline” change the nervous system—and the way you move through your day.

1. Kaya relives the crash that caused pancreatic surgery at 18—and the whiplash of being told her career might be over before it started.
2. She names the invisible suffering of chronic pain—hurting internally while the outside world encourages you to push one more year.
3. The Worlds-in-Spain moment: “I’m done…pull me out,” and the catharsis of finally leaning in.
4. The dark stretch after retirement—UCLA dreams, surrendering independence, moving home, and not working for six years because survival took everything.
5. Kaya opens up about escaping pain for a long time—and then learning to sit with it, listen, and stay with herself through it.

1. Try a 5-minute reset 2–3 times a day: breathe, notice what you’re feeling, and return with a steadier pace.
2. Build “brain breaks”: step off screens, go outside, lie down, pet the dog—then come back more regulated.
3. If you don’t know what to do next: reach out anyway. Kaya describes the power of dropping the guard and calling someone who knows you.
4. Practice “create space through honesty”: tell the truth about what you’re carrying—even when it’s messy.
5. When you see someone hurting: say something simple—“I see you.” It matters more than you think.

1. Kaya moves from “queen of slope style” armor to a more integrated identity—artist, nature-lover, community-builder, coach.
2. She redefines high performance as self-care on hard days, honesty in relationships, and staying present when the body flares.
3. Her career comes full circle: from athlete with Dr. Mike to mindset coach at Finding Mastery—turning lived experience into service.

Kaya Turski

- Kaya’s Instagram

- LinkedIn:

- Threads:

- Team Canada bio:

Finding Mastery (Dr. Michael Gervais)

- About Finding Mastery (coaches/team): https://findingmastery.com/about-us/

This episode is supported by MOMENTOUS

Use code RUSCH to get 35% off your first momentous subscription

Love the show? Share it, review it, or text it to a friend who needs a little more space to breathe today.

Connect with Rebecca Rusch

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

Substack

Blood Road

Brain Storm Podcast