Emma Thompson is a former collegiate and standout swimmer from the Pacific Northwest. For the latest episode of the podcast, I sit down with Emma on the eve of her 22nd birthday to learn about her life after swim—the transition from being a full-time athlete to a full-time working professional. 

This episode is for parents, young athletes and coaches working with teenage and twenty-something athletes. Emma’s story and candor serves as inspiration and a cautionary tale. ET is the epitome of the remake—the embodiment of what it looks like to let go of one part of our identity, to pursue a new path, intentionally and thoughtfully making sure that our actions are in alignment with our priorities.

Spirited, feisty, wise beyond her years and full of heart, Emma Thompson has been a source of inspiration for my young swimmer and I’m confident that in this conversation she will provide much needed perspective (perhaps a desperately needed perspective shift) of how we can best support young athletes as they chase their watery (performance) dreams, while fostering a strong sense of identity and self outside of the pool, track, playing field, or court. 

WNbL, 

Emma’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emthompsonn/#

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠beaudacious.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Michael’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@michaelleachba⁠⁠⁠⁠

Show’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@thebounceforward⁠⁠⁠⁠

Michael's Mindset and Mental Endurance Coaching: ⁠https://beaudacious.com/coaching/⁠

We’ve brought back Mike McCormack, founder of one of the most celebrated (and kickass) mountain bike stage races in North America. The Breck Epic remains true to its roots, filled big, long backcountry rides at high elevation in Breckenridge, Colorado. In our last episode with Mike, we riffed on his diversity, equity and inclusion efforts to welcome all riders, regardless of age, race, creed, ethnicity or gender. In this conversation, we dive into what makes the Breck Epic the iconic race that it’s become. 

Tipping off on Sunday, August 10th, 2025, the Breck will be celebrating its 17th year and it just keeps getting bigger and better—while keeping the rider numbers and thus the rider experience, stable. In this fireside chat, we explore Mike’s concerted effort to promote women’s cycling through the Breck Epic Women’s Tour (they hosted 60 women in the pro field in 2024), along with his ecosystem approach to event organizing including 3-nights of sustainable fireworks (yep, fireworks at the Breck in ’25), the Women’s Cycling Summit and year two of Breck Bike Week. 

Quintessential Mike McCormack, his style is very much his own and he shows up raw, real, and willing to bare all. Affable, eccentric and honest, listening to Mike Mac flow on all things event organizing and bike racing is a trip worth taking.

WNbL, 

Breck Epic Website : https://breckepic.com/

Breck Epic Instagram: @breckepic

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠beaudacious.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Michael’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@michaelleachba⁠⁠⁠⁠

Show’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@thebounceforward⁠⁠⁠⁠

Michael's Mindset and Mental Endurance Coaching: ⁠https://beaudacious.com/coaching/⁠

For the second episode of Season 3, we’re bringing back a Bounce Forward fan favorite, Haley Smith. If you haven’t listened to Episode 1 of Season 3, with Haley, we’d highly encourage you to do so as it sets the table for this most recent conversation. 

In the days following her return from South Africa, Haley and I sat down to unpack her eight stages of racing on the Western Cape, for the legendary Absa Cape Epic. In this conversation we explore Haley’s take on resilience, how she navigated the struggle bus early on, lessons she learned about herself and her racing parter and why the teammate component of the Cape Epic makes for a truly special and eye opening experience. 

Filled with Haley insights and wisdom, we dive beyond the watts, exploring how she overcomes self-doubt, mantras, mental cues, the power of believing in potential, and why it’s easier to suffer in a pair. 

WNbL, 

Cover art photo by Trek Bikes

Haley’s Website: https://www.haleyhuntersmith.com/

Haley’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/haleyhuntersmith

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠beaudacious.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Michael’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@michaelleachba⁠⁠⁠⁠

Show’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@thebounceforward⁠⁠⁠⁠

Michael's Mindset and Mental Endurance Coaching: ⁠https://beaudacious.com/coaching/⁠

Haley Smith is one of the biggest names in the world of North American off road cycling and a Bounce Forward original. 

In today’s conversation, on International Women’s Day, we take a deep dive with one of our favorite International Women—Canadian off road racer, Haley Smith. On the eve of her trip to South Africa to race the notorious Cape Epic Stage Race, we explore the immense health challenges that Haley navigated in 2024 and how she mentally prepared to return to racing after a year of adversity. 

We’ll also discuss topics such as courage and confidence in endurance racing, how she’s diversifying her race calendar, and why Haley isn’t shying away from pursuing performance goals in her post oxygen-less Haley season.. 

Haley shares a shift in perspective and how for the first time, she’s learning the value of rest in life and training. Honest, transparent, thoughtful, Haley always inspires and impresses with her wisdom and witty sense of humor. 

From feeling like she was suffocating on the bike (and on the couch), to navigating the uncertainty of whether she’d ever race again, Haley takes us into the heart of her struggles and how she’s endured and come out the other side, stronger—mentally and physically—despite, and perhaps because of the hardship. 

Raw, real and honest, Haley shares how she’s feeling freer, lighter and more grounded than ever. 

This one’s a real treat and true to the Bounce Forward mission of how we rise from illness, loss and setback. 

WNbL, 

Haley’s Website: https://www.haleyhuntersmith.com/

Haley’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/haleyhuntersmith

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠beaudacious.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Michael’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@michaelleachba⁠⁠⁠⁠

Show’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@thebounceforward⁠⁠⁠⁠

Michael's Mindset and Mental Endurance Coaching: ⁠https://beaudacious.com/coaching/⁠

In this episode of Roll On, Cole Paton, we’ll dive into Cole’s 2024 season—exploring the highs and lows of the Lifetime Grand Prix, Marathon Nationals and Marathon Worlds.

This conversation also explores Cole’s relationship with fellow racer and Olympian Savilia Blunk, lessons learned from ‘going for it’ with friend Bradyn Lange at Chequamegon, and the insight that inspired the rest of his season after taking a more conservative approach (holding back) at Sea Otter.  We’ll revisit Cole’s frustrating end to the season in Bentonville, why he dug so deep when sick at The Rad and what’s motivating Cole most going into 2025. 

Raw, real and vulnerable, Cole shows up for Roll On as he does for race day—holding nothing back and giving listeners a look inside the mind and heart of one of the top off-road cyclists in North America. 

On a side-note, we had this episode scheduled for publication on November 20, but tragedy struck my family the evening before. There’s a multitude of reasons I chose to team up with Cole for this partnership, and all I can say, is that he’s been showing up for me and my family in a bigger way than he’ll ever know. Sincere, authentic and true—that’s the Cole I know. The straw the stirs the drink—he’s a straight up animator on race day. 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Cole Paton is the real deal—and he’s so much more than a bike racer. He’s a friend, partner, son, uncle, brother and down to earth, humble and full of grace dude, who just so happens to be one of the fastest men on two wheels. 

We hope you enjoy the listen! 

Cole’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colepaton/

Website: ⁠⁠⁠beaudacious.com⁠⁠⁠

Michael’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@michaelleachba⁠⁠⁠

Show’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@thebounceforward⁠⁠⁠

These are hard ones to write and even more challenging ones to record. My dad was such a big believer in this show and in this work. On the eve of the publication date for our next episode of Roll On, Cole Paton, we tragically and unexpectedly lost my father.

In the wake of this huge loss, we've had to pump the brakes on the show. We've got some big names and episodes in the pipeline, but the podcast has been on hold. This is my attempt to jump back in the saddle and bounce forward, much like the 'Dear Momma' episode I recorded last fall after suddenly losing my mom, this one is a tribute to my dad. It's raw, it's real and it's vulnerable. In this recording I share a letter I wrote my dad, since there was no opportunity to say 'goodbye' along with the obituary I crafted for him.

My dad was the embodiment of what it looks like to Be Audacious and to live the BA Way. He was our Eddie Aikau, a waterman that would always go and would always encourage others to 'Go for it."

If more people lived like my dad, our world would be far less messed up and far more authentic and true. He was all about what is just, right and verdant. He was unafraid, unapologetic, unabashed, always showing up for those he loved, a fighter (metaphorically and physically, truly a fighter, a street fighter and boxer who wouldn't hesitate to haul off and cold cock someone who deserved it). He was never one to get caught up worrying about what others thought of him. He stayed true to the end. And he was a man that was dealt far more than most, a stoic, resilient and courageous fighter and lover. To walk his path, you had to develop fortitude, resilience and mental endurance, so my work, as a mental endurance coach is literally a tip of the hat to my dad and all that we've been dealt.

I'm proud of this obituary I wrote for my pop's. Hope you enjoy

Stephen Michael Leach's obituary

And here's one with some additional pictures

https://everloved.com/life-of/stephen-leach/obituary/

I know this one won't be for everyone, so feel free to take a pass, as my dad would say, if you've got a problem with it, "All the way up with a red-hot-poker'. But for those who knew him, those who loved him, for me, for Kamiah and Amanda, for our family and friends, and for anyone of you wanting to live the BA Way, wanting to throw off the shackles of societal norms, this story of a street fighting man, may just give you a lift and inspiration.

Website:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠beaudacious.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Michael’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@michaelleachba⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Show’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thebounceforward⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Michael's Mindset and Mental Endurance Coaching: ⁠⁠https://beaudacious.com/coaching/⁠⁠

Cole Tininenko is a sales guru from Allied Cycle Works. He’s also a lifelong athlete who loves to go fast on two wheels.  

In this conversation we learn about Cole’s introduction to two wheeled adventures and his love for his hometown, Bentonville, Arkansas. We’ll also explore Cole’s newest adventure—fatherhood and how he’s navigating being a parent and a husband, with a full-time job that he loves and a deep desire for pedaling fast on one of Allied's latest treasures. 

A stoic at heart, we’ll discuss how Cole and his wife are moving forward after a tornado ripped through Bentonville and how this experience along with the birth of their child and the complications that followed have provided perspective and a profound shift from a bike centric drive to a family first philosophy. 

Cole’s candor, thoughtfulness and self awareness are reminders that being a Joe doesn’t mean we should be living any less intentionally than a pro. 

WNbL, 

Allied Cycle Works: https://alliedcycleworks.com/

Cole's Instagram: @coletininenko

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠beaudacious.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Michael’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@michaelleachba⁠⁠⁠⁠

Show’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@thebounceforward⁠⁠⁠⁠

Michael's Mindset and Mental Endurance Coaching: ⁠https://beaudacious.com/coaching/⁠

This episode is powered by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Bicycle Station ⁠

We’re couldn’t be more excited to announce a new partnership here at the Bounce Forward and Be Audacious. We’re teaming up with one of the fastest (and baddest) men on two wheels, Cole Paton. The Bounce Forward as you know it isn’t going anywhere, we’ll still do long form, in depth conversations with athletes and performers, but we’re going to add another layer with our new show within the show Roll On, Cole Paton. 

In this first episode of Roll On, Cole Paton, we take a deep dive into Cole’s time in Bentonville for the final event of the 2024 Life Time Grand Prix—Big Sugar. We explore the mental challenges Cole had to hurdle, unable to race the final weekend of his season. In true Roll On and Bounce Forward fashion, Cole shares how he worked through being too sick to compete in the last big throw down of 2024 and how he’s embracing the beginning of his off-season. 

With the show title, Roll On, we’re giving a nod to Cole’s path as one of the top off-road endurance cyclists in North America, staying true to what it looks like to ‘Bounce Forward,’ while representing where we grew up, the Evergreen State, and the Columbia River watershed, ‘Roll On Columbia roll on,’ if you know, you know. 

With Roll On, we’re going to bring you stories from inside the game, inside the mind and inside the season of Cole Paton. We’re going to consistently connect with Cole, checking in, unpacking things after the highs and lows of big events, like Leadville, any and all Life Time Grand Prix races and Marathon Worlds and Nationals, just to name a few. 

These conversations will be raw, real and vulnerable—and as a result, we believe, really powerful, adding value and telling some damn good stories.

We’ll also utilize this show as an opportunity for Cole to share any big announcements, or just riff, talk story and share what’s on his mind. Our goal here is to share Cole’s experiences afield with the world—with you, the listener. 

If you don’t know Cole, you’re about to, and I can tell you with 100% certainty, he’s the real deal. 

We plan to bring some fresh perspective and strong energy—while keeping it light and loose. We’re really passionate about this canvas we’re painting, this connection we’re building and this thing we’re creating. 

We hope you’ll join us on this journey. 

Cole’s Instagram: @colepaton

Website: ⁠⁠⁠beaudacious.com⁠⁠⁠

Michael’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@michaelleachba⁠⁠⁠

Show’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@thebounceforward⁠⁠⁠

Lauren De Crescenzo is a cycling icon, gravel racing protagonist, winner of the biggest off-road races on the continent, and TBI (traumatic brain injury) survivor, advocate and champion. 

In this conversation, on the first official day of her off-season, we explore how LDC became a paragon of off-road endurance cycling, her propensity to shake things up by taking flyers early and often, and how she became a poster child for grit and tenacity. Lauren shares stories from Unbound (triumph and flats), winning The Rad Dirt Fest for the 3rd time, and how she found gravel. 

We’ll also discuss her decorated collegiate career, her near fatal crash and traumatic brain injury (the before and after), her Master’s degree of Public Health in Epidemiology and her time working at the Centers for Disease Control. We’ll wrap up this deep dive exploring her latest adventure as a privateer and her advocacy work for the TBI community and the Craig Hospital. 

Lauren’s candor, courage, compassion and witty sense of humor are on full display throughout this conversation—as is her high intelligence and charismatic nature. She’s got the best laugh in the game and races with her heart. The Queen of the comeback, or better put, the epitome of the bounce forward, LDC’s maturity, wisdom and perspective will offer aspiring athletes a glimpse into the mind of one of the baddest and fastest women on two wheels. 

WNbL, 

Lauren’s Instagram: @laurenissima

LDC Merch: https://e9aece-3.myshopify.com/collections/all

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠beaudacious.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Michael’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@michaelleachba⁠⁠⁠⁠

Show’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@thebounceforward⁠⁠⁠⁠

Michael's Mindset and Mental Endurance Coaching: ⁠https://beaudacious.com/coaching/⁠

This episode was powered by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Bicycle Station ⁠

In today’s episode I sit down for a conversation with Devon Dabney from DR Performance. Devon wears a lot of hats, working for Wahoo Fitness, leading DR Fitness with her partner Robert, all while pushing the limits as a strong, bold and fearless racer, leaning into triathlons of all distances. 

From Kona to 70.3, the indoor training studio to the community and team that DR Performance is building, from navigating injury to breaking long standing swim records at LSU, we’ll dive into the deep end with Devon. 

I walked away from my conversation with Devon, inspired by her grit, grace, tenacity, dedication and unwavering drive to not only become the best version of herself, but to foster a team that provides a positive space for her athletes to do the same. 

Whether you’re  parent of a young swimmer, navigating your own swim dreams, thinking of jumping into a bold and daring endeavor, or just want to see what you can absorb from a highly successful athlete and coach, I’m confident that you’ll find something worthwhile in today’s listen. 

WNbL, 

DR Performance: https://www.instagram.com/devonandrobert_tri/

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠beaudacious.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Michael’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@michaelleachba⁠⁠⁠⁠

Show’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@thebounceforward⁠⁠⁠⁠

Michael's Mindset and Mental Endurance Coaching: ⁠https://beaudacious.com/coaching/⁠

This episode was powered by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Bicycle Station ⁠