Competing at the highest level of your sport takes more than just talent and skill. It takes guts, determination, drive, and the ability to combine all of these things together on a consistent basis in the pursuit of your goals. This is no easy feat, and it takes a special person to be able to do this. Ryan and Sean McAnuff are perfect examples of this combination, in that they have been able to achieve competing at the highest level in Short Track Speed Skating, while also working to spearhead the continued development of skating sports in Ireland, and continuing to develop and grow their Elite Performance Training (EPT) brand, with very little outside support. They have done so much to date, and the future looks very bright for them, and for the future of ice sports in Ireland as well, and we will be following their progress closely.

Documentary filmmaking is an amazing art form, in that it has the ability to perform so many different functions, but none more so than its ability to tell stories and teach the audience things it never knew before. To be able to do this in a fashion that is both engaging, informative, and beautiful is something that takes talent and a fantastic eye for your craft. And Darcy Turenne is one of those filmmakers who can do this. From her visually appealing pieces she has completed for companies like Patagonia, to her feature films including "Jackieland" and the recently debuted "The Moment" which has already seen great success in both their live showings and online engagement. Her unique ability to dive into a story that many would never have thought about, and tell it in such an engrossing way has helped her create these memorable films, and we cannot wait for what she will do next.

For some people, their sport or activity of choice is just a natural fit. Some are able to figure this out early in life, but others find their way to it using a different path. But in the end, they find their way to where they were meant to be, and we get to see that natural fit in action everytime that these people ply their trade in their chosen field. This is the journey that Stacia "The Natural" Suttles took in finding her way to Boxing. What first started out as an activity to stay in shape during university turned into a passion that she devotes everyday of her life to now, both in training and competition as she aims for Tokyo 2020, but also in spreading knowledge about the sport through her YouTube channel.

It has been said that there's no business like show business, and there is a lot of truth to that. To make an impact in this industry, you not only need to have a strong knowledge of self, but also amazing range, abilities, and talents. And Megan Peta Hill has shown through her various works and appearances that she all of these things and more. Her latest performance in "Cage Dive" added to what is becoming a strong film and television resume, along with becoming the voice of the latest advertising campaign by Burt's Bees.

Spearheading a movement is a difficult job. Spearheading a grassroots movement is even more difficult. Spearheading, developing, and growing a grassroots movement that has goals to send athletes to the Olympic Games...well, that takes a very special and capable person to do it. But this is what Jenn Virskus did in the development and growth of Kalnų Ereliai, the first grassroots ski club in Lithuania. She coached, nurtured and helped develop a strong generation of Lithuanian skiers, including two (Ieva Januškevičiūtė and Rokas Zaveckas) who have represented Lithuania at the Winter Olympics. But she also inspired all of her athletes to push themselves outside of their comfort zones and aim as high as they can, which many of them have done in various spheres of life.

Injuries are a part of sport that for many equals the end of their participation. For some, coming as close to your goal as humanly possible and then not being able to grab it would demoralize and stop them from going any further. Hardships like these are part of sport and what separates the good from the best are their abilities to take hardships, process them, and come back out the other side stronger and better than before. Olivier Rochon is the perfect example of taking hardships and obstacles and pushing them out of his path. From two near-qualifications for the Olympic Games and a number of injuries which would have taken a weaker person out for good, Olivier fought through every single situation, and came out stronger, better, and working hard towards his goal of competing at the Olympics, which he finally accomplished at Pyeongchang, with a 5th place finish. He's not done yet either and with his strong mental ability, success is on the path for sure.

Very few people are able to find an activity that they love. Even fewer are able to find one that they are willing to devote huge parts of their life towards. Even fewer are willing and able to juggle a full-time job and a comprehensive and demanding training schedule while competing at the highest level. But that is the daily life of Marissa Ponich, and she does it as she says to ensure that when the time comes to hang up her sword, that she will have no regrets in what she did and accomplished. She has been able to juggle all of these things, along with crowdfunding to raise funds for her training and competition expenses, and make a big impact in the sport, and with such drive and work ethic, her path will find its way to 2020 in Tokyo.

Illegal Arms Trafficking is an issue that ties directly into a number of issues we hear about on the news on a daily basis. From wars and conflicts to local violent events, someone has to provide those weapons, and little is known about such networks and actions in regards to the movements of illicit weapons like these. But people like Nicolas Florquin and his fellow researchers at the Small Arms Survey are working to shed light on these issues, and to create a knowledge base that helps policymakers and governments make sound decisions in regards to dealing with these issues. Disclaimer: All views expressed by Nicolas in this episode are his personal views, and do not necessarily express or reflect the organizational policy of the Small Arms Survey. http://www.smallarmssurvey.org (Official Website) https://www.facebook.com/SmallArmsSurvey (Facebook)

In this episode (our first one back after a bit of a hiatus), we are talking with Rio 2016 Olympian, and the first ever woman to compete for ARMENIA in Rhythmic Gymnastics, HOURY GEBESHIAN. You may have heard her story during the Olympics, as many news outlets told her story, which is a very inspiring one. From deciding to leave the sport after failing to qualify for the 2012 Olympics, to returning and training herself into competitive shape in a self-funded and directed manner; all while combining this dream of the Olympics with a full-time career in the Medical field. Houry is a shining example of what one can do with determination, drive, and very strong time-management skills. Now she is continuing her path in gymnastics in both coaching, and crowdfunding to help develop the Armenian Women's Gymnastics program. We talked about combining education and sport, about her journey and the lessons she learned along the way, and how one has to fail in order to succeed. It was a great episode to record, and Houry is so well-spoken and fascinating to listen to. You can learn more about Houry and what she is up to, and contribute to her Crowdfunding campaign over at GoFundMe for the Armenian Women's Gymnastics Team here: https://www.gofundme.com/HootingForHoury (GoFundMe Page) https://www.facebook.com/HouryGebeshian (Facebook) https://www.instagram.com/hourygebeshian (Instagram) https://twitter.com/HouryGebeshian (Twitter) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTahWIWaRTTjZE6Nwam4Jqw (YouTube)

Our first EVER episode of the No Fear of Falling Podcast featured RONALD SSEKANDI, the Founder and Executive Director of WRITING OUR WORLD and their new project, LEAD AFRICA. We talked about his journey to get where he is now, making the decision to pursue something he was passionate about, the power of Debate and Writing in today's African society, and what the concept of failure means to him. To find out more about Writing Our World and LEAD Africa, you can check them out at the following links: www.writingourworld.org (Official Site, WOW) www.facebook.com/wowuganda (Facebook Page, WOW) www.leadafricaug.com (Official Site, LEAD Africa