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Artwork for The Discomfort Zone

The Discomfort Zone

Anna Levesque
Whitewater Kayaking
Mental Agility
Kayaking
Personal Growth
Discomfort Zone
Freestyle Kayaking
Mental Health
Fear
Resilience
Fear Management
Mental Agility Mastery
Grief
Community Support
Self-Improvement
Hurricane Helene
Yoga
Adventure Sports
Mindset
Community
Stand-Up Paddleboarding

Do you feel called toward something bigger — a dream, adventure, or purpose — but fear keeps holding you back? Welcome to The Discomfort Zone — the outdoor, mindset, and leadership podcast where courage meets the edge. Every Tuesday, host Anna Levesque — world-class whitewater kayaker, World Championship medalist, author, and mental agility coach — dives into raw, real conversations with paddlers,... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes134Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
WildernessEducationSelf-ImprovementSports

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Artwork for The Discomfort Zone

Latest Episodes

Have you ever wondered how the legendary Brown Claw got started?

Dave Fusilli runs West Coast sales and marketing for Pyranha Kayaks, is a longtime IR athlete, and is one of the founders of Demshitz and the Brown Claw. In this replay of one of the ... more

YouTube

On her birthday, Amy Bowers Cordalis was handed a detonator wired to a dam on the Klamath River and told to stomp on it as hard as she could.

In this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Anna Levesque, former professional whitewater kayaker and ... more

YouTube

Sommerville Johnston brought a rubber band to this recording. Stretched, it is the discomfort zone. Pulled further, it snaps. How much stress resilience do you have before you snap?

Sommerville Johnston is a licensed professional counselor, somatic... more

YouTube

She told everyone in the eddy she was only going to ferry. When she peeled out, she was shocked by what happened next.

The whitewater decision making strategy that Anna Levesque, former professional whitewater kayaker and founder of Mind Body Paddl... more

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Recent Guests

Bryan Kirk
Whitewater kayaker, freestyle specialist, former Wavesport Team Manager
Independent athlete
Episode: Ep #121 Kayaking Is 95% Mental: Bryan Kirk on Nerves and Flow
Juliet Jacobsen Kastorff
Co-founder of Endless River Adventures; owner of Rio Quijos Ecolodge; founder/executive director of Need More Adventures
Endless River Adventures; Rio Quijos Ecolodge; Need More Adventures
Episode: Ep #120 Juliet Jacobson Kastorff on Confidence vs Control
Sara Hunter
Licensed clinical mental health counselor, certified emotionally focused couples therapist
Private practice / Outdoor therapy practice
Episode: Ep #119 How to Break Big Fears into Small Steps with Sara Hunter
Keeya Wiki
17-year-old Indigenous kayaker from Ashland, Oregon
Yurok tribe; Paddle Tribal Waters
Episode: Replay: The Power of Joy with Keeya Wiki on the Klamath
Anna Wagner
Paddler, occupational therapist, founder of Columbia Gorge Junior Kayak Club
Columbia Gorge Junior Kayak Club / Columbia Gorge
Episode: Replay: Train Your Brain for Courage with Anna Wagner
Chris Baer
Adventurer and river guide who travels in a school bus and pursues first descents
whereisbaer.com
Episode: Ep #117 Where Is Baer: A Life Built on Showing Up and Figuring It Out
Casey Bryant Jones
Kayak instructor and guide discussed in-depth during the episode
Ottawa Kayak School / Nantahala area paddling community
Episode: Ep #115 Why Your Flip Isn't a Failure with Casey Bryant Jones
James Byrd
Organizer of the North Fork Championship; registered nurse
North Fork Championship
Episode: Ep #114 James Byrd: The Passion Behind the North Fork Championship
Naina Adhikari
Paddler and founder of Ganga Girls
Ganga Girls (Pravahini Foundation)
Episode: Ep #113 Naina Adhikari: The Woman Changing What's Possible on the Ganga

Host

Anna Levesque
Host of The Discomfort Zone

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 154 ratings
  • Love this podcast!

    I thoroughly enjoy Anna’s interviews, particularly the emphasis on remarkable paddlers as genuine individuals grappling with genuine fears. Anna skillfully facilitates the conversations, highlighting how we can apply these valuable life lessons to our own paddling challenges. Thank you for sharing these insightful discussions, Anna!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    mmount1
    United States5 months ago
  • Awesome!

    I love Anna’s soothing voice! It reminds me of the voice in my head when I work on my forward stroke form on the flat water. Because I was lucky enough to get a kayaking class for Anna and she made my form so much better! Mental game is the hardest thing to teach and I love how she is teaching it and also getting into the heads of the best in whitewater to show us how they prepare their mental game!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Dave redhead
    United Statesa year ago
  • The 360 on Life as a Paddler and Athlete

    Injury recovery, doubting yourself, dealing with outside (and inside) pressure to take risks, walking the edge of fear and giving up… Anna talks about ALL of it!

    Anna offers the highs and lows of life on the white water (and as a life-long athlete). She doesn’t sugar coat the challenges of both the physical and mental aspect of paddling exhilarating and dangerous waters… and yet always leaves you feeling empowered to take on the challenges while caring for yourself.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Baboa Girl
    Canadaa year ago
  • Invaluable Information!

    I absolutely LOVE Anna’s podcast!

    Her information, and the free webinar, made all the difference in helping me to “get out of my own head”, and learn how to roll.

    Not only this, but she and the people she interviews, have a wonderful way of using practical kayaking situations as illustrations to teach other life skills and mental agility.

    I always look forward to hearing the new podcasts when they download. And a few of them I have listened to more than just once.

    Thank you so much, Anna ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Uh oh!!
    United Statesa year ago
  • So insightful

    One of my favorite podcast. Anna shares her insights about how the discomfort zone helps us growth. Love the river analogies. She brings amazing guests and is a skillful interviewer. Her last episode (#72) is so powerful about the courage to share her own experience of dealing with unexpected injury.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Susana Schwarz
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Fans appreciate the blend of high-level paddle insights with mental-growth strategies and relatable storytelling.
Reviews highlight the show's consistency, fresh perspectives from diverse guests, and the empowering, non-sugarcoated approach to fear and growth.
Listeners praise the host's thoughtful interviewing and ability to pull practical life- and river-based lessons from guests.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

REPLAY: How Benny Marr Uses Ego in Kayaking
Q: What does it mean to choose confidence in practice?
Choosing confidence means actively shaping your physical state (posture, breath, gaze) to support a courageous yet controlled approach, and recognizing that confidence can be trained and summoned even when fear is present.
REPLAY: How Benny Marr Uses Ego in Kayaking
Q: What have you learned about yourself by stepping into your Discomfort Zone?
Stepping into discomfort helped Benny become more self‑aware than self‑conscious, cultivate confidence through practiced body language and breathing, and rely on relationships and preparation to stay grounded on challenging rivers.
REPLAY: Grow Your Stress Resilience with Sommerville Johnston
Q: A morning ritual that sets you up for success?
Journaling with a daily animal card as inspiration, followed by a structured start to the day.
Replay: Abby Holcombe on Facing Fear and Staying True to Yourself
Q: What was the Grand Canyon decision like at 12, and what did you learn about waiting and choosing?
She spent hours evaluating Lava Falls, realized fear was irrational given her skills, and decided with her dad's support to paddle through, learning that taking time to decide and having the right readiness matters.
Replay: Abby Holcombe on Facing Fear and Staying True to Yourself
Q: How do you break down a big challenge to prevent it from feeling overwhelming?
She breaks tasks into small pieces, evaluates rational versus irrational fear for each part, and relies on preparation and crew support to make progress.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Discomfort Zone

What is The Discomfort Zone about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show centers on growth through challenging experiences, blending outdoor adventure with mindset, leadership, and resilience. Episodes feature high-level paddlers, guides, and outdoor leaders who share how fear, nerves, and setbacks become catalysts for performance and personal transformation. Listeners can expect pragmatic mental-skills tactics, stories from extreme rivers and expeditions, and leadership lessons applicable on and off the water. Notable strengths include a consistently strong interview style that draws out practical takeaways, a clear focus on community and mentorship, and a willingness to tackle both athletic and life-performance topics in a relatable way.

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How many listeners does The Discomfort Zone get?

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How many subscribers and views does The Discomfort Zone have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Discomfort Zone has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Discomfort Zone?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Discomfort Zone:

1. B-Flow Sessions: The Whitewater Kayaking Podcast. With Brad Burden. Presented by Pucon Kayak Retreat
2. Wild Ideas Worth Living
3. The Rich Roll Podcast
4. We Can Do Hard Things
5. Outside Podcast

How many episodes of The Discomfort Zone are there?

The Discomfort Zone launched 3 years ago and published 134 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Discomfort Zone?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Discomfort Zone?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Discomfort Zone from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on The Discomfort Zone?

Recent guests on The Discomfort Zone include:

1. Bryan Kirk
2. Juliet Jacobsen Kastorff
3. Sara Hunter
4. Keeya Wiki
5. Anna Wagner
6. Chris Baer
7. Casey Bryant Jones
8. James Byrd

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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