Listen in as I speak with Stephan Kesting—martial artist, author, and serious outdoor adventurer. In this episode, we’re diving into highlights from his incredible solo 1,000-mile canoe journey from Missinipe, Saskatchewan to Arviat, Nunavut. He paddled and portaged through some of Canada’s most remote wilderness, following the Churchill, Reindeer, Cochrane, and Thlewiaza Rivers, crossing massive lakes like Reindeer and Nueltin, and making his way down through the Barren Lands all the way to the shores of Hudson Bay.

It’s a wild story of grit, solitude, and survival.

If you want the full trip report, check it out at grapplearts.com/solo, and if this kind of adventure speaks to you, Stephan’s book Perseverance: Life and Death in the Subarctic is a must-read. https://www.amazon.ca/Perseverance-Death-Subarctic-Stephan-Kesting/dp/1639368612

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Today’s guest is Nathalie Baillon, a French ultra-distance cyclist with an inspiring story of passion and perseverance. After spending a few years working as an engineer in Munich, she took a leap—packing up her bike and heading off on a solo cycling trip through New Zealand. That journey sparked something big.

Back in Europe, she bought a new bike, strapped on some panniers, and knocked out her first 1,000-kilometre ride in under 60 hours. That was just the beginning.

Soon after, Nathalie moved to Isère, picked up her engineering work again—but also signed up for her first official ultra race: the Race Across France, a grueling 2,600-kilometre ride. And she crushed it.

From there, things took off. She entered international ultra-distance races, landed multiple women’s wins, and regularly placed in the top 10 overall—competing with the best in the field. Eventually, she left her day job to go all-in, building a life around the sport she loves.

To learn more about Nathalie, chek out her website. https://www.nathaliebaillon.com/home/en

Huge thanks to Mannmade Cycles for sponsoring the My Back 40 Podcast

Save 25% at Dynamic Cyclist when you use the promo code MB40 at checkout.

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Thanks to Lakeside Bikes in Invermere for keeping me rolling!

In this episode I bring you a conversation with British Columbia's Mike Martin. There Were a number of riders from British Columbia this year and Mike Martin stood out.

Although Mike hasn't been in the ultra endurance scene for that long he might just be a rider to watch as he continues to push his limits in the sport.

In this episode I get to know Mike a little bit. We talk about Fatherhood, his work life, Tariffs (sorry), his previous adventures, as well as some stories from the trail.

It was great to get to know Mike.

Huge thanks to Mannmade Cycles for sponsoring the My Back 40 Podcast

Save 25% at Dynamic Cyclist when you use the promo code MB40 at checkout.

Save 15% at Redshift Sports when you use the code MB40

Save 50% off your first month of coaching at Cycling 101 when you use the code MB40 at checkout.

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Thanks to Lakeside Bikes in Invermere for keeping me rolling!

I have been exchanging asynchronous text and voice messages with my coach Sebastien Rolland since October 2021. During that time, he has been a vital support person, mentor, and friend as I work on my own personal growth.

As I work toward my own career in coaching and counselling, Sebastien has challenged my thinking in many life aspects allowing me to reframe my experience. To say that I have all these lessons nailed down would be a gross overstatement; We are all works in progress.

In this conversation, we get things rolling with the question "What do you want to create?" This question can be a catalyst for any life decision you want to make, whether that's starting school or a new career. It can be the impetus of how you navigate your relationships and open up possibilities as you create the palette with which you want to colour your world.

From a mental health perspective, I hope this chat will help people feel less trapped in their day to day lives and shed some light on the amount of control we actually have with the choices we make. So, what do you want to create?

Huge thanks to Mannmade Cycles for sponsoring the My Back 40 Podcast

Save 25% at Dynamic Cyclist when you use the promo code MB40 at checkout.

Save 15% at Redshift Sports when you use the code MB40

Save 50% off your first month of coaching at Cycling 101 when you use the code MB40 at checkout.

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Thanks to Lakeside Bikes in Invermere for keeping me rolling!

This is a repost of a conversation I had with Svein Tuft last year after he crushed the BCEPIC 1000 in 2 days and 2 hours. Svein is currently in second place on the 2025 Tour Divide and is in solid contention to setting a new record.

My buddy Michael brought it to my attention that many might not know who this unassuming athlete is or his background and this podcast covers that.

I hope you enjoy this repost.

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In this episode I have a chat with Svein Tuft, winner of the BC Epic 1000. Svein shattered the record riding 1,044 km with almost 12,000 m of ascent in a time of 2 days and 2 hours.

Svein is a retired Canadian road cyclist who competed professionally from 2005 to 2019. He rode for several teams, including Symmetrics, Garmin–Transitions, SpiderTech–C10, Mitchelton–Scott, and Rally UHC Cycling. Tuft won the 2006–07 UCI America Tour and claimed thirteen titles at the Canadian Road Cycling Championships: twice in the road race and eleven times in the time trial.

We chat about his childhood, his draw to doing hard things, what is was like riding as a professional cyclist and what drew him to unsupported bikepack racing, which is quite a departure from the pro tour but something that he has fallen in love with.

Huge thanks to Mannmade Cycles for sponsoring the My Back 40 Podcast

Save 25% at Dynamic Cyclist when you use the promo code MB40 at checkout.

Save 15% at Redshift Sports when you use the code MB40

Save 50% off your first month of coaching at Cycling 101 when you use the code MB40 at checkout.

Thanks to Spandex Panda for their support.

Thanks to Lakeside Bikes in Invermere for keeping me rolling!

It’s been a long time coming, but I’m so happy to finally be bringing you a conversation with my dad, Darrel O’Shaughnessy. If you want to get to know someone, often meeting the parents is the best way to do that. Let’s just say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. You can also listen to a chat I had with my mom back in Episode 14.

Born in Bancroft, Ontario in 1946, Darrel O’Shaughnessy grew up in the post war era of opportunity, which he didn’t take for granted. He has worn many hats, from being a chef, to being an officer with the Ontario Provincial Police. He was the Director of Security at Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. where something like 80% of the worlds isotopes were derived, and later, branched out on his own to share his security expertise as a consultant. My Dad was always a hard working dude, travelling often to seek out new challenges and opportunities to make a better life for our family.

Darrel never fully retired. Later in life, he and my mom built a Dragon Boating community in Kelowna, B.C. Later, when they moved back to Arnprior, Ontario, they founded the Arnprior Dragon Boating Club, dedicated to inspiring health and fitness, for all ages through the sport of dragon boat racing. Dad became an active board member with the Senior’s Active Living Center in Arnprior, which led to him developing “Men’s Sheds”, non profit entities that support senior men by providing a place of camaraderie, purpose and meaning. Members of Men’s Sheds are active in the community and work hard on projects such as building toys for fairs and markets, picnic tables and benches for parks and were active in building screens for various public facing services during the Pandemic.

Being in service to others has been an extremely meaningful path for my dad and he has been recognized for his efforts. He was recently named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International “in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world.” Humbly, he accepts this award on behalf of the team of hard working people he surrounds himself with.

Dad was always an active guy and considered being active and staying fit very important. He played and coached hockey and was an avid tennis player, classic cross country and downhill skier and, if I’m not mistaken, did pretty well in the Silver Spoon Ski Fest that the Deep River Cross Country Club has been hosting for the last 50 years.

I couldn’t be more proud of my dad and am so happy to be sharing this conversation with you. Despite it not being cycling centric, this chat still reverberates with the importance of being in service to others, finding meaning and purpose in one’s life and the importance of living an active and stimulating life.

Envoy.

Driving Home for Christmas
K-Lite
Light & Motion

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In this episode, by popular demand, I connect with Alex Burk. This was one of those cold call episodes where we connect and just shoot the shit about... well, about a ton of things!

Topics include; Cycling, bikepacking, her journey to becoming a Veterinarian, the "why" of doing hard things, the inclusiveness and safety of bikepacking events, her Lost Elephant experience as well as her recent ride of Caves and Coves.

I had a blast connecting with Alex and I hope you enjoy getting to know her as much as I did.

Save 25% at Dynamic Cyclist when you use the promo code MB40 at checkout.

Save 15% at Redshift Sports when you use the code MB40

Save 50% off your first month of coaching at Cycling 101 when you use the code MB40 at checkout.

Thanks to Spandex Panda for their support.

Thanks to Lakeside Bikes in Invermere for keeping me rolling!

In this episode I bring you another great conversation with  Dr. John Ogrodniczuk. This is the third time he’s been on the podcast and it’s always an honour to speak with him.

John is a Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the UBC Psychotherapy Program, one of North America’s largest medically based psychotherapy training programs.  His research program focuses on a variety of psychotherapies and patient populations, with a particular focus on personality disorders and men’s mental health. Dr. Ogrodniczuk has held several grants to support his research, which has led to over 300 scientific publications. John is also the Founder of HeadsUpGuys, a leading global resource for supporting men with depression. This episode marks a special occasion as his organization, HeadsUpGuys, is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

In addition to his research, Dr. Ogrodniczuk is involved with teaching medical students and psychiatry residents, serves as a mental health consultant for various organizations, and maintains a psychotherapy practice.

We had a lot to talk about in this episode, including a Heads Up Guys campaign called Step up for Him a campaign taking action in support of the millions of men across the globe – our brothers, fathers, partners, sons, friends, colleagues – who struggle with their mental health, often in silence. Clink the link to learn more about how you can get involved.

HeadsUpGuys is the world’s leading online resource for men’s mental health. Over 10,000 people use it every week—but they have so many more men that we need to reach.

STEP UP FOR HIM

Hey there! Want a simple way to support men’s mental health while also taking care of your own? Heads Up Guys has something for you — it’s called Step Up For Him, and it’s all about moving with purpose.

Here’s how it works:

First — get moving.

Walk, run, hike, bike — whatever feels good. You can join in anytime between June 1st and 15th. Do it once, every day, or just when you can. Totally your call.

This two-week stretch includes Men’s Health Week and wraps up on Father’s Day, so it’s a meaningful way to show up — for yourself, and for the men in your life.

Next — bring a buddy.

Grab a friend, coworker, partner, whoever. Movement is always better with someone else, and sharing the experience does wonders for mental health. It’s a simple way to build connection and have some fun along the way.

Then — share it.

Take a photo or video of your movement, add some of our custom “HeadsUpGuys” stickers (just search us up), and post it using the hashtag #StepUpForHim. Tag some friends to join in, and help spread the word.

Head’s up guys will be on the lookout for your posts to share on our socials — so yeah, you might get a shoutout!

And finally — if you’re able, consider donating.

Every dollar goes directly toward programs that help men heal, cope, and thrive. Just $1 helps us get self-check tools to 8 guys. $5? That can help one man connect with a qualified therapist. That’s a real impact.

So, however you choose to Step Up — by moving, sharing, donating, or just talking about it — you’re helping change the conversation around men’s mental health.

Let’s do this together. Let’s Step Up For Him.

Huge thanks to Mannmade Cycles for sponsoring the My Back 40 Podcast

Save 25% at Dynamic Cyclist when you use the promo code MB40 at checkout.

Save 15% at Redshift Sports when you use the code MB40

Save 50% off your first month of coaching at Cycling 101 when you use the code MB40 at checkout.

Thanks to Spandex Panda for their support.

Thanks to Lakeside Bikes in Invermere for keeping me rolling!

Just a short solo podcast to express my gratitude to the My Back 40 community for their support as I wait for some chassis repairs.

I often encourage people to reach out and open up when things are difficult. We all go through difficult times and it’s okay to share those struggles. Being temporarily disabled has been difficult for me and when I reached out to share, you all stepped up to give me hope and encouragement.

This is just to say thank you.

Huge thanks to Mannmade Cycles for sponsoring the My Back 40 Podcast

Save 25% at Dynamic Cyclist when you use the promo code MB40 at checkout.

Save 15% at Redshift Sports when you use the code MB40

Save 50% off your first month of coaching at Cycling 101 when you use the code MB40 at checkout.

Thanks to Spandex Panda for their support.

Thanks to Lakeside Bikes in Invermere for keeping me rolling!

In this episode I chat (finally) with Mikey Coulter, ultra endurance athlete and the filmmaker behind Yeti Adventure Films.

Mike started bikepack racing only a couple of years ago but is known for his grit and tenacity as a competitive cyclist. At the same time, he is able to film his adventures, demonstrating the rollercoaster that accompanies this type of racing.

Mike and I cover a ton of topics in this conversation but the common thread are the stories. It's not surprising that, as a filmmaker, he's also a fantastic story teller sharing tales from his adventures.

I really enjoyed this chat - I say that a lot, don't I. I think you will too.

Huge thanks to Mannmade Cycles for sponsoring the My Back 40 Podcast

Save 25% at Dynamic Cyclist when you use the promo code MB40 at checkout.

Save 15% at Redshift Sports when you use the code MB40

Save 50% off your first month of coaching at Cycling 101 when you use the code MB40 at checkout.

Thanks to Spandex Panda for their support.

Thanks to Lakeside Bikes in Invermere for keeping me rolling!