Few people are as aware of their bodies as professional dancers are. Not necessarily aesthetics, but the ‘mechanics,’ the function and feedback. Their bodies are not only their source of vitality and expression, but their livelihoods, and therefore need to be respected, maintained, and healed. We can all take lessons from their awareness and rejuvenation. BetsyAnn Baron has a unique view of body awareness, as a former professional dancer with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal. Her own experiences with injury and healing led her to the next phase of her life, that of a massage therapist and Structural Integrator. She also developed and teaches Structural Myofascial Therapy.

What You Will Learn  

- Unlearn some of the things done to our body.

- Structural Integration as a way to reset your body to restore   health, wellness, and vitality.

- Just because we get older, that does not mean that we have to deteriorate.

For some athletes, their path is clear and straightforward, often laid-out for them from a young age. Follow and connect the dots and you’ll get there if you put in the hard work and stay focused. For the rest of us, athletics, as in life, is full of twists and turns, and forks in the road. At some point, ‘greatness’ and ‘winning’ is not the goal, as getting older, relationships, children, and a hundred other things can divert us from our goals and force us to re-prioritize. Our next guest perfectly illustrates this non-linear road. Jennifer Wheeler was a collegiate runner, who transitioned into Roller Derby, and then into professional road cycling. Even then, she left to take a job, have a child, and returned to cycling while trying to balance it all.

What You Will Learn 

The path to your sports goals is not always clear – it’s okay to take a break and concentrate on other things. It IS possible to return and/or change your focus to adjust to your new realities. Don’t give up – adjust, and build a community that supports you, and you them.

During the past year we’ve had less control over where we go and who we meet, and have witnessed one of the most profound public health crisis of our lifetimes, along with its economic fallout. We’ve all been spending considerably more time at home, and have had more time to rediscover some more simple pleasures and joys.

One of those joys is food. Some have taken the imposed home time to cook more, while others have taken this opportunity to try a new diet. Or, a combination of both – perhaps even a diet that is not only based on ‘what’ we eat, but what our bodies are telling us. No one diet fits everyone, and our guest for this episode advocates for not only a whole foods based diet, but one that we tailor to ourselves – our cravings, our bodies, our lifestyles and our minds.

Mia Cara is a wellness coach who not only advocates for individual-based diets, but also the larger picture of wellness. Through a combination of eating well and treating our bodies with the respect they deserve, and listening to what our bodies are telling us, we can achieve higher levels of wellness.

What You Will Learn 

- What foods are not fit for human consumption.

- Learn to listen to your body. Not every ‘diet’ will work for everyone. If you listen, you’ll find out what works best for you.

- How blood type affects what you eat (even it you don’t consciously know it), and also what type of exercise you need.

- Getting useful information from food labels.

- How fasting helps your body regulate itself.

- Why bee pollen is magical.

Despite our best intentions, our best plans can, and often do, fall short. We’ve been taught since we were young to have goals and pursue them, sometimes doggedly and without question. This idea has followed many of us into our adulthoods, where we dutifully create goals, but without introspection or a plan, follow them without vision or flexibility.

Author, coach and instructor, Mary Marshall, is a strong proponent of upgrading the concept of mere goals to that of Smart Goals – the idea that goals should be realistically achievable, incremental, and in the case of 2020, adaptable. As in life, and as they are part of life, goals need to adjust to our changing realities and life circumstances.

Marshall’s most recent books include How Not to Be a Leader, How Not to Build a Great Team, and How Not to Create a Winning Strategy. Her previous books include The Entrepreneur Puzzle and The Great Cultural Disconnect.

What You Will Learn 

Tailor your goals to what you can actually accomplish. Learn which part of your goals are worth keeping and which parts are changeable. Get into the mindset that it’s OKAY to change your goals, and hear some real examples of how to make that determination.

Winning on the field is nice. But it’s even more important to translate the lessons we learn there to life beyond sports. To apply the discipline, work ethic and growth mindset of an elite athlete to everything we do.

Coach James Laurence is the Founder and CEO of Legerity Sports Performance, a coaching program for high-performing athletes of all ages based in Covington, Washington. James played football and ran track and field for the Antelope Valley College Marauders before earning a football scholarship to Western Washington University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in exercise science. James has 17 years of experience training a wide variety of elite youth, high school, collegiate and professional athletes.

On this episode of Holistic High Performance, James joins Daniel to explain why he didn’t play organized sports until seventh grade and how that informs his perspective as a coach now. He walks us through his journey from college football player to founder of his own coaching program, sharing the evaluation process he uses to determine if an athlete is a good fit and describing the growth mindset that helps him adapt as the industry changes. Listen in for insight on the foundation of faith in James’ family and learn how pursuing his own goal to compete on the world stage has shifted the way he thinks about coaching.

Why James didn’t play organized sports until seventh grade and how that informs his perspective as a coach now

The challenges James faced in being a husband, father and college athlete

Why James wasn’t the DII football superstar he anticipated at Western Washington

The series of jobs James took on when his pro football career ended

Who mentored James in building Legerity Sports Performance

The evaluation process James uses to decide if an athlete is a good fit for his coaching style

Why James is focused on helping athletes channel the lessons they learn on the field into life after sports

Who inspired James’ growth mindset and how it helps him adapt as the industry changes

James’ commitment to helping his athletes learn to ‘drive in traffic’

James’ personal goal to reach the podium in high hurdles at the World Championships by 2025 and how training has given him empathy for his athletes’ mental struggle

The foundation of faith in James’ family and how his wife and kids inspire him to be better

Legerity Sports Performance

Holistic High Performance

Daniel on LinkedIn

Seattle Chinese Athletic Association

Dave McBroom

Taylor Barton

Dale Baskett

Mike Cunliffe

What’s keeping you from achieving next-level success? For most of us, fear gets in the way, and we create self-imposed limitations based on what we think is possible or available to us. But what if you stopped to question those made-up limits on what you can achieve?

Our host, Daniel Christofferson, is the Founder and CEO of Holistic High Performance, a state-of-the-art performance and recovery center based in Seattle, Washington. He has been working in structural integration since 1996, helping thousands of clients transform their lives through the alignment of body, mind and soul. Best known for working with athletes, Daniel and his team support clients in realizing relief from pain, recovering from injury, and fulfilling their optimal athletic potential.

On this episode, Daniel goes solo to address a listener question around his journey to creating the Holistic High Performance Podcast. He explains his decision to go to massage school after college and describes how he came to work with Hellerwork practitioners Maureen Warren and Donna Bajelis before starting his own SI practice. Listen in for Daniel’s insight on doing more of what feeds your energy and learn how to spark transformation by questioning the artificial limits you’ve placed on yourself!

What You Will Learn 

The pivotal moment when Daniel questioned his beliefs for the first time

How trips to Europe and Asia shifted Daniel’s sense of history and appreciation for other cultures

What inspired Daniel to go to massage school rather than teach English abroad

How Daniel was introduced to Hellerwork and what he loves about it

How Daniel came to work with Maureen Warren and Donna Bajelis

The artificial limits Daniel placed on his income potential and how questioning those limits created a shift in his business

How an introduction to Michael Street led to Daniel’s work with athletes

Daniel’s commitment to continuous learning and improving his skills

When Daniel finally overcame imposter syndrome and developed an internal sense of confidence

What it takes to let go of fear and trust that the support you need will be there

The questions Daniel asks himself and his clients to challenge their self-imposed limits

Daniel’s routine self-care practices and how he makes decisions around doing more of what feeds his energy (and less of what drains it)

Why Daniel calls his practice Holistic High Performance

Connect with Daniel Christofferson

Holistic High Performance

Daniel on LinkedIn

Resources

Maureen Warren

Donna Bajelis

Donna’s Structural Medicine Training

Michael Street

Entrepreneurs on Fire with John Lee Dumas

Podcasters’ Paradise

The Tim Ferriss Show

Brendon Burchard

Bulletproof Radio with Dave Asprey

On the surface, it may seem like weightlifting and yoga have very little in common. But if you ask Wendy Spies, the practices parallel each other. In fact, she refers to weightlifting as ‘honest yoga.’

Wendy is a Certified RYT Yoga Instructor and USA Weightlifting Coach. She has been practicing yoga since 1987 and is a nationally-ranked weightlifter, setting the world record in the women’s 53kg at the 2018 Pan American Games and winning gold at the Arnold Weightlifting Championships. Wendy is also an accomplished software engineer and product designer with bachelor’s degree from Stanford and a master’s in convergent media from the University of Texas.

On this episode of Holistic High Performance, Wendy joins Daniel to explain how she discovered yoga as a girl growing up in the backwoods of Louisiana. She discusses how she was introduced weightlifting later in life, describing how she came to compete and win on the world stage and what self-care practices she uses to increase her training capacity. Listen in for Wendy’s insight around the parallels between yoga and weightlifting and find out how she is navigating the pandemic—on rollerblades!

How the experience of growing up in the backwoods of Louisiana drove Wendy to find her own power in the world

What inspired Wendy’s shift from medicine to enterprise software

How Wendy was introduced to yoga through a book at the age of 12

The false narrative that pulled Wendy away from track and field + how she overcame it in her 30’s to pursue weightlifting

Why Wendy refers to weightlifting as ‘honest yoga’

Wendy’s insight on the chess game of competing in weightlifting and how local meets differ from the world stage

Wendy’s take on how discipline and self-care impact your chances of making the podium

How Wendy leverages red light therapy and other self-care practices to recover more quickly and increase her training capacity

How Wendy got better at competing with intentional practice and the world records she has achieved

How Prince inspired Wendy to take up rollerblading as a hobby during COVID

Why Wendy took a break from weight training during the pandemic and how she is cutting herself some slack as she picks up the bar again

Wendy’s Yoga & Coaching Website

Wendy on Instagram

Wendy on Facebook

Holistic High Performance

Daniel on LinkedIn

East Coast Gold Weightlifting Team

Hassle Free BBC

Joovv Red Light Therapy

Sri K. Pattabhi Jois

Arnold Sports Festival

Questlove on Prince’s Epic Roller Skating Party

What does it look like for an athlete to go from setting high school records straight to the pro ranks? For pole vaulter Chloe Cunliffe, the transition has been a positive one, giving her the chance to focus solely on her sport. But there is a learning curve. So, how is training for and competing in high school meets different from the pros?

Chloe is a professional pole vaulter in training for the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. She holds both the indoor and outdoor national high school records, posting an indoor best of 14 feet, 9 inches and an outdoor mark of 14 feet, 8 inches in her standout career at West Seattle High School. After graduation, Chloe signed with Puma Athletics, and her outdoor mark of 4.47 meters in the 2019 pro season ranked 48th in the world.

On this episode of Holistic High Performance, Chloe joins Daniel to explain how she discovered her love for pole vaulting and why she chose a professional career over college. She shares what it’s like to be a pro athlete in training for the Olympic Trials, describing the drills she is doing to improve her technique and walking us through the training progression for her sport. Listen in for Chloe’s insight on recovering quickly from injury and find out why she is considering massage school as a complement to her career as an athlete.

What influenced Chloe’s decision to give up gymnastics and return to track

How Chloe discovered her love for pole vaulting

Chloe’s pole vault training with her dad and the track team at West Seattle High School

The records Chloe broke her junior and senior year of high school

Why Chloe chose a professional career over college

How being a pro athlete differs from Chloe’s high school experience

The recovery team Chloe left behind when she moved from Seattle to Atlanta

What Chloe’s daily routine looks like and how she is staying motivated through the pandemic

How Chloe benefitted from the postponement of the Olympics and what it will take to qualify

Why Chloe is considering massage school and a career in body work

The injuries Chloe sustained her senior year and how she was able to recover quickly

The drills Chloe is doing to improve her technique and what the training progression looks like for pole vaulters

Chloe on Instagram

Chloe on Twitter

Holistic High Performance

Daniel on LinkedIn

NW Pole Vault Club

Dr. Bruce Davis

Kangen Water Machine

Molecular Enhancer

Brad Walker

Katie Nagoette

Kristen Brown

Anatomy Trains

The Anatomy Coloring Book by Wynn Kapit and Lawrence M. Elson

Essx Poles

Where does self-care fall on your list of priorities as an athlete? Do you see it as a luxury? Or a necessary investment in your wellbeing?

Whitney Rowe is a Canadian sprinter in training to make her first Olympic team. A graduate of Colorado Mesa University, she is a two-time All-American, two-time North American, Central American and Caribbean Silver Medalist and 12-time Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Medalist. Whitney is currently training in Mount Holly, New Jersey, and she has been a professional track athlete since 2015.

On this episode of Holistic High Performance, Whitney joins Daniel to discuss what inspired her transition from dance to track at the age of 16 and share the highlights of her career as a college sprinter at Colorado Mesa. She describes the challenge of balancing a full-time job with training for the Olympics, explaining who she goes to for support and how she is staying motivated through the pandemic. Listen in for Whitney’s insight on viewing body work and other self-care strategies as a necessary investment in yourself and your career as an athlete.

What inspired Whitney’s transition from dance to track at the age of 16

How Whitney’s very busy senior year of high school taught her time management

The highlights of Whitney’s college track career at Colorado Mesa University

Whitney’s interest in sports psychology and how the discipline informs her as an athlete

The challenge of transitioning from college to professional athlete

How Whitney balances training, self-care and a full-time job

Why Whitney sees body work and other self-care strategies as a necessary investment in herself and her track career

Whitney’s advice on staying motivated and positive through COVID

How the pandemic has given Whitney a chance to consider what she might do after her track career

The support team Whitney leans on for positive reinforcement as she trains for the Olympic Trials

Whitney on LinkedIn

Whitney on Instagram

Holistic High Performance

Daniel on LinkedIn

Dr. Jacob Jones at Colorado Mesa University

Neil McCarthy and his wife Tracy are outdoor adventurers, and they taught their kids to ski, hike, climb and camp early on. And then, in July of 2018, Neil had accident. After an easy climb, he was rappelling and fell. So, what does life look like for Neil and his family today? And what modalities did he employ on the long road to healing from physical trauma?

Neil is the Organizational Development Consultant and Leadership Coach behind McCarthy Consulting Group, a Seattle firm that helps leaders, teams and organizations experience the full adventure of business and achieve their best—in performance, leadership and results. Prior to consulting, he spent 10 years as a professional mountain guide for the National Outdoor Leadership School and Alpine Ascents International, and being active in the outdoors has always been way of life for Neil and his family.

On this episode of Holistic High Performance, Neil joins Daniel to discuss what happened the day of his traumatic climbing accident and describe the serious injuries he sustained as a result. He explains the elaborate healing routine he adopted post-surgery (while he was immobile) and explains why the early days of physical therapy were such an emotional experience. Listen in for Neil’s advice on navigating the slow, incremental process of healing from trauma and find out what inspired him to do everything he could to recover and get back to being outdoors with his family.

What happened the day of Neil’s traumatic climbing accident and how long it took first responders to get him to the hospital

The injuries Neil sustained to his right leg, left foot and ankle, face and neck

The survival mindset Neil adopted through his first two surgeries

The bleak prognosis for recovery Neil received from the surgeons at Harborview

How the community rallied around Neil and his family after the accident

The elaborate healing routine Neil followed for the next three months while he was immobile

Why Neil didn’t begin to work through the emotional trauma of the fall until he started physical therapy

The painful business trip to Italy that made Neil contemplate losing his foot and how that experience led to working with Daniel

What Neil learned about advocating for yourself with the medical community and what inspired him to try everything possible to recover

How Neil was hiking and climbing again within a year of the accident and how he feels now

Neil’s advice on navigating the slow, incremental process of healing from trauma

McCarthy Consulting Group

Holistic High Performance

Daniel on LinkedIn

Dr. Daphne Beingessner

Dr. Bruce Sangeorzan

Daniel Altschuler

Tummy Temple

PEMF Devices

Craig DeMartino

Wolfgang Brolley