
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
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 134 | Founded | 3 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | WildernessEducationSelf-ImprovementSports | |||

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
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
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
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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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!
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!
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.
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
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.
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
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Apple Podcasts | #35 | |
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Apple Podcasts | #61 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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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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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
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.
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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
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