When Women Fly

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In this end-of-the-year bonus episode, Sylvia shares why she took her first break in publishing new episodes this December. She discusses what listeners can expect in 2022, the difficulty of balancing child-rearing with aging parents, and more.

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Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
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Email – [email protected]

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In this short solo episode, host Sylvia Winter connects with listeners on the topic of perceived limitations. With a little investigation, we often find these limitations are nothing more than a figment of our imagination. But how can we see this for ourselves?

Sylvia also discusses the healing power of Yoga and invites you to join her and Nathania Stambouli for a FREE five-day Yoga workshop. The workshop will run December 27th-31st. Grab the details by clicking the link below.

Resources Mentioned:
Episode 050 with Nathania Stambouli

HANDSTANDS ON THE FLY !
Link below for the free arm balance and inversion training plus access to Yogi Flight School with Nathania Stambouli - "the ultimate wake up call". Excavate the amazing, radiant self already inside of you. Seek. Accept. Fly. Yoga is a practice of personal and social transformation. Come fly with us! 

* Free arm balance & inversion training  Dec 27-31, 2021
https://www.yogiflightschool.com/a/33446/z8cBczDF

* Enroll in Yogi Flight School for LIFETIME Access
https://www.yogiflightschool.com/a/2147489224/z8cBczDF

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Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
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Email – [email protected]

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In today’s short episode, Sylvia discusses balancing productivity and wellness. She discusses the story of the golden goose, pacing yourself on life’s journey, and the transformative power of story.

Stay tuned for our lineup of new guest episodes, coming soon! In the meantime, take a moment to revisit your old favorites and to catch up on missed episodes. Enjoy the holiday season, and don’t forget to make time for yourself.

Previous Episodes Mentioned:
004 Eliza Kerr: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1423273/6149164
010 Leigh Coates: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1423273/6927674
041 Kikkan Randall: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1423273/8939543
052 Michelle Snow: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1423273/9295231
057 Caite Zeliff: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1423273/9494083
058 Shaesta Waiz: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1423273/9540184

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Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
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Email – [email protected]

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Where is your growth edge? What action can you take today to push yourself outside of your comfort zone?

Sylvia takes questions from When Women Fly listeners in this first installment of the Ask Me Anything series. She explores finding your growth edge, stepping outside our comfort zone, and how committing to a practice that challenges us can push us towards growth.

Topics Include:

• Insights gleaned from Sylvia’s conversation with Nathania Stambouli
• How Sylvia finds guests for the podcast.
• Sylvia’s experience learning to fly.
• What the metaphor of flight means to Sylvia.
• The connection between running and flight.
• Sylvia’s favorite things about the podcast.
• And other topics…

Resources Mentioned:
Episode 50 With Nathania Stambouli: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/050-why-everyone-is-doing-handstands-and-you-can-too/id1538039673?i=1000536123539

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Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
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Email – [email protected]

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Shaesta Waiz is an American pilot, the first female certified civilian pilot born in Afghanistan and the youngest woman to fly solo around the world in a single-engine aircraft. This is a fascinating and unfolding story about rising from adversity and discovering what is possible. 

Flying is closely linked to freedom and opportunity. If you could circumnavigate the globe in an aircraft with one message, what would it be?

Shaesta has a  burning desire to help others like her – underserved as a youth - to work hard, never give up and follow their dreams.  As an Earthrounder (a unique and rare breed of pilot, setting themselves apart from the more conventional modes of air travel, possessing one unifying achievement: piloting a light aircraft around the entire world), Shaesta's story is layered with grit and determination alongside a deep desire to serve.

This is a conversation about overcoming obstacles, creating opportunities, embracing a dual identity, pursuing a big dream, and resetting in a new chapter of life.

Hear about Shaesta’s journey, her grace and commitment to serve, and how she uses her platform to inspire and encourage young women around the world to seek education in STEM and pursue their passions. 

Shaesta started Dreams Soar to share her story with girls and young women around the world, to let them know it is possible to achieve their dreams, regardless of the challenges and traditions they may face.

Topics Include: 

• Growing up as an Afghan refugee in the US
• Gender roles and what she saw possible as a young girl
• What sparked a love of flying
• Why and how she planned her trip around the world
• Highs, lows, endurance and lice
• Challenges and doubts, trusting intuition
• Mental health and aviation 
• Working towards a goal
• Importance of STEM education and access for women  
• And other topics...

Shaesta Waiz was born in Afghanistan at a refugee camp during the Soviet-Afghan War in 1987. Her family came to the United States and grew up in California. Although it wasn't until graduating high school that Sheasta dreamed of an aviation career, she accomplished a great deal in short order.  She is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the first certified civilian female pilot from Afghanistan. She earned a record for being youngest woman to fly solo around the world in a single-engine aircraft.  Shaesta is the founder of Dreams Soar, a woman’s ambassador program where young women interested in an education in aviation and engineering are mentored and supported.

Resources Mentioned:
Chicago Tribune Article:  https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1987-07-05-8702190664-story.html
Dreams Soar: http://dreamssoar.org/
Shaesta’s Podcast, “Aviate”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aviate-with-shaesta/id1577977608

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Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
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Email – [email protected]

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This is the story of an athletic prodigy. It’s also the story of how setbacks become catalysts for change, how determination fuels a dream, and how a drive for adventure can evolve. And it is a story of risk-taking, mountain life,  and personal reflection that characterize what it takes to ski and fly in the backcountry. 

For pro-skier Caite Zeliff, the derailing of her career as a ski racer was an opportunity to reconnect with herself and become the athlete she was always meant to be.  At 12, Caite Zeliff has started a ski racing career that brought her all over the world. She ascended, she earned a scholarship to a boarding school, she won titles, she received an invitation to the US Ski Team – and she also was rejected, blew out her knee, and burned out – all by age 20. 

When the U.S. Ski Team invitation didn’t come, and she blew out her knee while racing for the University of New Hampshire, she left college and headed westward in search of big mountains and powder. It was in Jackson Hole, WY, where Caite found her true calling – freeskiing.

Paragliding. Thanks to COVID and an idea inspired by a soaring raven, Caite decided to learn to paraglide. She continually pushes herself to the edge of her comfort zone. Paragliding is a wild sport, one that challenges Caite in all kinds of ways. It requires slowing down and a constant awareness of the situation. Caite is constantly looking for challenge and currently obsessed with understanding how to strengthen the relationship with the wing, moving air and gravity. 

This risk-taking mentality has built her a career as a professional freeskier. Beyond winning Jackson Hole’s Kings and Queens of Corbet’s twice, Caite has starred in films like Warren Miller’s Timeless (2019) and Teton Gravity Research's Make Believe (2020), and Stoke the Fire (2021).  

Topics Include:

• Caite’s journey from ski racer to professional freeskier
• Viewing “failure” as an opportunity
• Wrestling with an inner obsession for achievement
• Shifting focus from the outcome to the process
• Processing childhood
• Taking risks and stepping out of comfort zones
• Finding your voice as a female in a male-dominated industry
• The transformational power of women supporting women
• Learning to fly and a shifted mindset
• And other topics...

Caite Zeliff grew up skiing in North Conway, New Hampshire. She now lives in Jackson Hole where her career as a professional freeskier began.

Resources Mentioned:
Caite’s Website: https://www.caitezeliff.com
Caite’s IG: @caitezeliff
Timeless, Warren Miller (2019): https://warrenmiller.com/film-archive/timeless-2019
Make Believe, Teton Gravity Research (2020): https://www.tetongravity.com/films/make-believe
Stoke the Fire, Teton Gravity Research (2021): https://www.tetongravity.com/films/stoke-the-fire 
Powder Magazine: https://www.powder.com/stories/pro-deal-caite-zeliff/
Freeskier Magazine: https://freeskier.com/stories/jackson-royalty

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Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
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A heartfelt and honest conversation with Ashleigh Thompson -  a Red Lake Ojibwe tribal member, avid trail runner, rock climber, snowboarder, scholar and archaeologist  - about aligning values and advocating. Ashleigh shares her stories about the problematic myths of the land and Indigenous people, intergenerational trauma, and systemic mindsets connected with the term “public land”. We dive into how the current discourse on land can directly work against creating inclusive and respectful spaces. 

This conversation is about connecting with the past to understand identity, how a connection to the outdoors has deep therapeutic benefits, how running and flying can feel identical, why reckoning with our past and understanding the impact of intergenerational trauma is critical, what role challenging  fear has in climbing, and the benefits of awareness and courage that go way beyond the rock wall.

Understanding contemporary Indigenous identity and the value of Indigenous sacred sites is fundamental to developing a holistic respect for Indigenous culture. Ashleigh is passionate about shifting a narrative about what respect for Indigenous people looks like and opening a conversation that is more complex than just the protection of a physical space with cultural significance. 

As a Native woman, Ashleigh’s commitment to bringing justice for people and the environment is woven into her being. Stay curious, friends, and I hope this gives you reason and resources to acknowledge and honor the land in new and deeper ways.

Topics Include: 

• Intergenerational trauma
• The connection between exercise and emotional health
• Building self-confidence through rock climbing
• Indigenous archaeology
• Traditional foodways
• Being a respectful visitor to indigenous lands
• Acknowledging indigenous environmental movements
• Offensive and racist attitudes
• Storytelling and connection
• And other topics...

Ashleigh Thompson is a Ph.D. candidate in anthropology at the University of Arizona where she studies traditional foodways and food sovereignty. She is a member of the Red Lake Ojibwe Nation. As an avid runner and rock climber, she is passionate about being a respectful visitor and acknowledging indigenous environmental movements while enjoying the land and sport.

Resources Mentioned:
Instagram: @ashanishinaabe
Twitter: @ashanishinaabe
LinkedIn: Ashleigh Thompson
A Guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgment: https://nativegov.org/news/a-guide-to-indigenous-land-acknowledgment/
Book: In My Own Moccasins: A Memoir of Resilience by Helen Knott (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZS2NGP4/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1)

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Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
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Email – [email protected]

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What happens when you have two very big but different dreams vying for your focus? Do you choose one? Or do you risk pursuing both and in doing so commit to a bigger conversation?

This was the dilemma faced by today’s guest—a woman who knows a thing or two about what it takes to face the odds, execute physical comebacks and establish herself as a legend in the world of snowboarding.

Meet Kimmy Fasani — Snowboarder. Voice for female athletes. Mother. Mountain Baker. Author. Director of Storytelling @andmother_org. And so much more.

Kimmy Fasani has been a pioneer in women’s snowboarding since she became the first female snowboarder to land a double backflip in the park and the powder in 2011. In this episode, Sylvia and Kimmy discuss balancing family life with a busy career. Kimmy shares how she discovered the truth about happiness after having her first child, living life without limits, and how women can show up as their authentic selves in all areas of life.

This is a conversation about the ongoing journey of finding our way through incredible highs and the inevitable lows in career and personal lives. Kimmy is a trailblazer and voice for women walking that tightrope between career and family. We get a candid unfiltered version of what the journey is like connecting with both the desire to have a family and the desire to get deep into adventures. This conversation allows us to not only look at progression and motherhood in a new way but also offers powerful insights into mindset and fear. 

Topics Include:

• Balancing motherhood and a career
• Pressure and managing it as a professional athlete
• Finding connection in the physical world
• Experiencing loss and processing it
• Asking for help as a woman
• Owning your authenticity and being transparent
• Mentoring the younger generation of pro athletes
• Mindfulness and the importance of presence in the context of fear
• And other topics...

Kimmy Fasani is a legend in the world of snowboarding,  and an incredible athlete both on and off the slopes.  In 2016, Kimmy earned the women’s Rider of the Year and Video Part of the Year honors. Her cookbook, The Mountain Baker, launched in 2020. Kimmy’s resume also includes a strong social media following and a stack of published photos. She is a vocal ambassador for Boarding For Breast Cancer, Protect Our Winters, LIV Bicycles, and luluemon. Kimmy and her husband, Chris Benchetler- a professional skier married in 2011, are also Co-Owners in Dessert’D Organic Bake Shop, an organic/all natural bakery with a storefront in Mammoth Lakes, CA. They are also co-owners in Juneshine Hard Kombucha, and Marea Coffee.

Resources Mentioned:
Website: http://kimmyfasani.com/
Instagram: @KimmyFasani
&Mother: https://andmother.org/
Cookbook: The Mountain Baker – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085RDDM9Y/
Dessert’D Organic Bake Shop – https://www.dessertd.com/
Juneshine Hard Kombucha – https://juneshine.com/
Marea Coffee – https://mareacoffee.com/
The Five Love Languages – https://www.5lovelanguages.com/

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Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest –

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Mandy Hoffman seems to do it all. Balancing being a flight attendant, business owner, and mother of two children may seem like an impossible task. Her secret? Put your oxygen mask on first!

In this episode, Sylvia and Mandy discuss finding the courage to stand up for what you believe in and pursue your dreams. They discuss the complicated balance of wellness, how Mandy’s online fitness program Strong Flight is helping people meet their fitness goals, body positivity and body shaming, why fitness needs to end its obsession with skinny, and much more.

Topics Include:
- Making career pivots after becoming a mother
- Turning a dream into a business
- Risk mitigation in aviation, and how we can use it in our lives
- How contingency planning can nurture resilience
- How to perform an emergency landing in your life
- Living a life of service
- Catalyzing change for others
- Goal setting
- How to use the “Five Whys” exercise to form a new habi.
- Mindfulness and the power of intention setting
- Navigating social media as a business owner
- And other topics ...

Mandy Hoffman is the owner of Strong Flight, an online home fitness service without sacrifice. Her passion is celebrating movement with people, whether through exercise classes or one-on-one personal training. She is also a part-time flight attendant and manages to balance these two occupations with the busy job of being a mother. Through her work in fitness and aviation, Mandy discovered that many of aviation's unique approaches to repetitive actions and system management could be applied and interwoven into other areas of life. She holds a degree in exercise science from Salem State University.

Resources Mentioned:
Instagram: @mandystrongflight
TikTok: @mandystrongflight
Website: https://www.strongflight.com/

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Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
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Email – [email protected]

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In this episode, we talk to Olga Custodio about  finding success in a male-dominated profession, balancing family and professional life when pursuing career goals, why accessibility is the key to mentorship, and much more.

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Olga Custodio didn’t give up on her dream of serving her country when she was repeatedly blocked from enlisting in the military. Ten years after her first attempted she was finally accepted into the US Air Force, becoming the first Latina to complete graining in the U.S. Air Force as a military pilot. She also became the first Hispanic female pilot at American Airlines flying domestic and international routes retiring as a Captain after 20 years with American Airlines. She reflects on instructing and flying the supersonic T-38. 

While breaking barriers and overcoming challenges as a woman in a male-dominated profession throughout her career, Olga has gained valuable insights that she shares in this conversation and to her wider audiences. Olga is a consummate mentor. A mentor for mentors. She is a generous and supportive advocate for girls, inspiring and empowering students - especially those from underserved communities and middle-schoolers - to pursue careers in STEM generally and aviation / aerospace specifically.

Topics Include:

• Being born into a military family in San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Growing up abroad
• The influence of Olga’s mother and grandmother
• Voicing your dreams and ambitions
• Flying and training supersonic jet in the military
• Becoming the first female T-38 flight instructor at Laughlin Air Force Base.
• Inspiring and empowering women and young girls
• Women in STEM
• Olga’s love for Hispanic arts and cultural heritage
• Ballet Folklorico Borikèn, trans. The Puerto Rican Folk Ballet
• The “where there is a will, there is power” mantra
• And other topics…

Olga Custodio is a former United States Air Force officer who became the first female Hispanic U.S. military pilot. Upon retiring from the military, she became the first female Hispanic commercial airline captain of American Airlines. Olga is a Trustee of the Order of Daedalians Foundation, a Board Member and Treasurer for the Women in Aviation Alamo City Chapter, and a Board Member for the Dee Howard Foundation. Custodio also serves as vice president of the Hispanic Association of Aviation and Aerospace Professionals (HAAAP). These organizations inspire young students in the San Antonio and surrounding areas to seek civilian and military aviation careers.

Resources Mentioned:
http://www.purflygirl.com/

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Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
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Email – [email protected]