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The Discomfort Zone

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

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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes98Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Self-ImprovementEducationSportsWilderness

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Artwork for The Discomfort Zone

Latest Episodes

In this encore episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, I sit down with Heidi Walsh, one of the most dynamic all-around female kayakers in the world and a 2025 Female Paddler of the Year finalist, for a raw conversation about mindset, resilience, and ... more

In this encore episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, I'm joined by Sophie Gilfillan, recently named U21 Female Paddler of the Year, for a powerful conversation about mindset training for kayaking, managing fear, and letting go of perfectionism—with... more

What if you didn't set another resolution… and instead chose a theme you could actually live into?

In this bonus re-release, I'm joined by my longtime friend and entrepreneur Michelle Tennant Nicholson for a grounded, energizing conversation about ... more

In this inspiring episode of The Discomfort Zone, I sit down with Makinley Kate Hargrove, two-time Junior World Champion, World Cup gold medalist, and six-time U.S. Junior National Champion, to explore how she leans into discomfort and finds her flow... more

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Recent Guests

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
Makinley Kate Hargrove
Professional whitewater athlete and two-time junior world champion
Team USA
Episode: Ep #95 How World Champion Freestyle Kayaker Makinley Kate Hargrove Turns Discomfort Into Growth
Laura Zulliger
ACA certified L5 Advanced Open Water Coastal Kayak instructor and L4 whitewater kayaking instructor with over 15 years of coaching experience.
California Watersports Collective
Episode: Ep #92 The Only Way Out Is Through: Laura Zulliger on Surrender, Play & Paddling
Anna Alsobrook
French Broad Riverkeeper at MountainTrue, she facilitates water quality monitoring and citizen science efforts in the French Broad River watershed.
MountainTrue
Episode: Ep #91 Hurricane Helene Recovery: Lessons in Rapid Response, Collective Resilience, and Caring for Our Rivers
Jon Stamper
River Cleanup Operations Manager for MountainTrue and a veteran raft guide and swift water rescue instructor.
MountainTrue
Episode: Ep #91 Hurricane Helene Recovery: Lessons in Rapid Response, Collective Resilience, and Caring for Our Rivers
Melissa DeMarie
Certified whitewater kayak coach, international guide, and founder of California Watersports Collective
California Watersports Collective
Episode: Ep #89 Flowcharts, Fear, and Silverback Courage with Melissa DeMarie
Sofia Reinoso
A highly accomplished whitewater kayaker from Veracruz, Mexico, the first Mexican to achieve the Olympics in Canoe Slalom.
Episode: Ep #88 Say Yes Anyway: How Olympian Sofia Reinoso Turns Discomfort into Confidence
Keeya Wiki
A 17-year-old indigenous kayaker dedicated to community organizing and advocating for her peoples.
Klamath River, Yurok peoples
Episode: Ep #87 The Power of Joy with Keeya Wiki: Indigenous Youth on the Klamath River
Ruby Williams
A Quartz Valley tribal member and Kuduk person who has embraced her culture through kayaking.
Episode: Ep #79 Reclaiming the Current: Ruby Williams on Indigenous Youth, Paddling, and Resilience on the Klamath

Host

Anna Levesque
Host and mental agility coach with expertise in whitewater kayaking and personal growth. She brings her experience as a world-class athlete to inspire audiences through discussions on courage and resilience.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 143 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 States3 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
    Canada5 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 States6 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 States6 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 States8 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Many enjoy the blend of sports stories with life lessons, finding it relatable and uplifting.
There is a strong focus on personal growth and mental challenges, which resonates well with the audience.
Listeners value the skillful interviewing style and the authenticity of the discussions.
The podcast is praised for its engaging and insightful conversations that invoke personal reflections.
Listeners appreciate the motivational content and the inspiring stories shared by the host and guests.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#169
Canada/Sports/Wilderness
Apple Podcasts
#233
United Kingdom/Sports/Wilderness
Apple Podcasts
#216
France/Sports/Wilderness
Apple Podcasts
#228
Germany/Sports/Wilderness
Apple Podcasts
#102
Norway/Sports/Wilderness
Apple Podcasts
#152
Ireland/Sports/Wilderness

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

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.
ENCORE: Heidi Walsh (2025 Female Paddler of the Year Finalist) on Learning from Beatdowns and Sending with Style - Replay
Q: What do you think is more discomforting; competing in a freestyle competition or going off waterfalls?
I think competition and creaking are two very different types of discomfort, one with very real dangers, and the other more psychological pressure.
ENCORE: Sophie Gilfillan (KS U21 Paddler of the Year) on Mindset and Letting Go of Perfectionism on the Water- Replay
Q: What advice do you have for someone who is facing fear and challenges in their own life?
To do what you love and to love doing it; if you're not loving it anymore, it's okay to explore other passions.
ENCORE: Sophie Gilfillan (KS U21 Paddler of the Year) on Mindset and Letting Go of Perfectionism on the Water- Replay
Q: How do you prepare yourself for when you're challenging yourself and you're not sure what the outcome is going to be?
I reassure myself that I have trained for this, and I focus on enjoying the moment, regardless of the outcome.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
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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 content focuses on the interplay between personal growth and facing discomfort through the lens of outdoor adventure and sports. Episodes often feature interviews with a wide range of guests, including paddlers, athletes, and leaders, who share their personal stories of overcoming fear and adversity in both their athletic pursuits and life transitions. Key themes include resilience, mental agility, and personal development, making it a valuable resource for individuals seeking inspiration and practical tools for their own journeys. The unique aspect is the blend of high-level athletic experiences with broader life lessons, appealing to outdoor enthusiasts and anyone interested in personal transformation.

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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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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. Outside Podcast
4. Wild Ideas Worth Living
5. The Dirtbag Diaries

How many episodes of The Discomfort Zone are there?

The Discomfort Zone launched 2 years ago and published 98 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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Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Discomfort Zone. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Discomfort Zone?

Recent guests on The Discomfort Zone include:

1. Michelle Tennant Nicholson
2. Makinley Kate Hargrove
3. Laura Zulliger
4. Anna Alsobrook
5. Jon Stamper
6. Melissa DeMarie
7. Sofia Reinoso
8. Keeya Wiki

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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