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Artwork for The Discomfort Zone

The Discomfort Zone

Anna Levesque
Mental Agility
Whitewater Kayaking
Kayaking
Growth Mindset
Parenting
Financial Security
Confidence
Resilience
Grand Canyon
Community
Fear
Personal Growth
Skiing
Mount Kilimanjaro
Female Empowerment
Vulnerability
Aviation
Courage
Firefighting
Discomfort Zones

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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes107Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
WildernessSelf-ImprovementSportsEducation

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Artwork for The Discomfort Zone

Latest Episodes

Whitewater kayaking naturally pulls us into the present moment. When you're paddling a rapid, your senses sharpen, your mind clears, and you're fully focused on the line ahead.

But what if you didn't have to wait for a rapid to access that state?

more

You've felt that edge before — the moment between staying in the eddy and peeling out into the current.

In this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, I sit down with world-class kayaker, coach, and avalanche specialist Tyler Curtis to explore wha... more

YouTube

What do you do when the pressure is on, and you don't have the answer?

In this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, I sit down with longtime paddler, freestyle competitor, and squirt boater Matt Hamilton to explore what real composure looks like... more

What do polar expeditions have to teach you about conserving energy, building resilience, and showing up with real confidence?

In this episode of The Discomfort Zone, Anna sits down with endurance performance coach Jon Fearne, who has trained recor... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Tyler Curtis
Ottawa River Local, multiple national and international freestyle champion, instructor and youth coach
Ottawa River freestyle kayaking community
Episode: Ep #103 Tyler Curtis on Modeling Courage and Why Passion Matters
Matt Hamilton
Ottawa Valley local, paramedic, Sierra team member, elite freestyle kayaker
Sierra Ski Patrol, National Canadian Freestyle Team
Episode: Ep #102 Confidence Under Pressure with Matt Hamilton
Jon Fearne
Adventure performance coach with extensive experience in endurance sports.
E3C
Episode: Ep #101 Polar Expeditions, Resilience & Real Confidence with Jon Fearne
Lauren Byrd
Veteran whitewater kayaker and creator of paddlecalendar.com, passionate about river culture and making paddle sports accessible.
paddlecalendar.com
Episode: Ep #99 From Survival to Choice with Lauren Byrd
Jule Harle
A licensed professional counselor and Ayurvedic health counselor with a passion for paddling and exploring wild places.
Alaska Packraft School
Episode: Ep #98 Imposter Syndrome, Purpose, and Packrafting with Jule Harle
Darcy Gaechter
Adventurer, first woman to kayak the Amazon River from source to sea, and author.
Small World Adventures
Episode: Ep #97 Redefining Strong: Courage, Ego, and Longevity on the River with Darcy Gaechter
Heidi Walsh
Ex-freestyle kayaker now focusing on whitewater kayaking
Kayak Session Magazine
Episode: ENCORE: Heidi Walsh (2025 Female Paddler of the Year Finalist) on Learning from Beatdowns and Sending with Style - Replay
Sophie Gilfillan
Young paddler, Silver Medalist in Junior Women K1 at the 2023 World Freestyle Championships
Canadian National Freestyle Team
Episode: ENCORE: Sophie Gilfillan (KS U21 Paddler of the Year) on Mindset and Letting Go of Perfectionism on the Water- Replay
Michelle Tennant Nicholson
Co-owner and chief creative officer of Wasabi Publicity, an award-winning author, and speaker
Wasabi Publicity
Episode: ENCORE: Michelle Tennant on Creating a Year and Life You Love - Replay

Host

Anna Levesque
Host of The Discomfort Zone

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 146 ratings
  • 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 States5 months 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
    Canada7 months 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 States8 months 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 States9 months ago
  • Thinking and Feeling

    I’ve been reading Anna’s blog and listening to her podcast for years. She and her guests are sharing the conversations you have with friends on long car rides, during long hikes, and on long phone chats. Their experiences mirror our own and their insights build emotional muscle. For me, they build more comfort during periods of feeling uncomfortable.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Susan Donkers
    United States10 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Guests are described as authentic, diverse, and high-skill, offering real-world growth lessons.
Listeners praise the host's calm, insightful interviewing style and practical takeaways on mindset.
Audience notes the show blends adventure with life skills, helping makers and athletes grow personally and professionally.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#203
Canada/Sports/Wilderness
Apple Podcasts
#220
Australia/Sports/Wilderness
Apple Podcasts
#6
Taiwan/Sports/Wilderness
Apple Podcasts
#129
Norway/Sports/Wilderness
Apple Podcasts
#141
Ireland/Sports/Wilderness
Apple Podcasts
#249
Taiwan/Sports

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Ep #101 Polar Expeditions, Resilience & Real Confidence with Jon Fearne
Q: What have you learned about yourself from putting yourself in the discomfort zone over and over?
It reinforces what I love and what I value—having space and time to be in the mountains.
Ep #101 Polar Expeditions, Resilience & Real Confidence with Jon Fearne
Q: What does failure mean to you? And how do you approach it?
Failure initially sucks, and it's important to allow yourself to feel that before moving forward and learning from the experience.
Ep #99 From Survival to Choice with Lauren Byrd
Q: What is the biggest lesson you've learned about coaching people beyond teaching skills?
The majority of my clients are not afraid of drowning, but afraid of being the weakest link.
ENCORE: Heidi Walsh (2025 Female Paddler of the Year Finalist) on Learning from Beatdowns and Sending with Style - Replay
Q: Why do you want to run big waterfalls?
I really like the challenge. I like that they're scary and I love the feeling of progression.
ENCORE: Heidi Walsh (2025 Female Paddler of the Year Finalist) on Learning from Beatdowns and Sending with Style - Replay
Q: What have you learned about yourself through all of this discomfort, whether it's been creaking or competing?
I've learned that I really like kayaking. I've learned to back myself and trust my abilities.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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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?

A thought-provoking show that blends outdoor adventure with mindset and leadership discussions. Episodes typically feature high-performance paddlers, guides, coaches, and leaders who share how embracing discomfort fuels growth, resilience, and purpose. Across conversations, listeners gain practical mental-skills, leadership tactics, and real-world stories from expeditions, competition, and personal transformation. Notable throughlines include risk management, mentoring, and balance between high-adrenaline pursuits and everyday life, making it valuable for athletes, outdoor enthusiasts, and professionals seeking courage and clarity under pressure.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Discomfort Zone?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Discomfort Zone. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Discomfort Zone and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Discomfort Zone get?

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What are the audience demographics for The Discomfort Zone?

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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. Presented by Pucon Kayak Retreat
2. Tales from the Cripps
3. Following Waters
4. The River Radius Podcast
5. The Whitewater Line

How many episodes of The Discomfort Zone are there?

The Discomfort Zone launched 2 years ago and published 107 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. Tyler Curtis
2. Matt Hamilton
3. Jon Fearne
4. Lauren Byrd
5. Jule Harle
6. Darcy Gaechter
7. Heidi Walsh
8. Sophie Gilfillan

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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