This interview with mental health champion Chad Guenter begins with a light-hearted discussion of standup paddle boarding on rivers and rapids and includes his takeaways from many years as a whitewater guide. Being most at home on the water, Chad is not afraid to go deep, and we soon descend into the abyss of mental illness. Chad is not just standing up for those close to him; he incessantly fights for the well-being of anyone facing mental health challenges.

This interview with Duff Gibson is a unique listener opportunity to go inside the head and heart of a former world class athlete and coach who is passionate about sport, competition, and fun. In 2006 Duff did the nearly impossible in the last race of his career by winning gold in the Torino Olympics in the sport of skeleton, a high velocity, headfirst, adrenaline rush down an ice track on top of a tiny sled.

Kenneth Cohen is a legendary Qigong Grandmaster, Chinese scholar, and world-renowned health educator. In this interview he delivers powerful, insightful, and inspirational narrative that spans cultures and millennia and regularly reminds listeners of our interconnectivity, not just to each other, but to all that is.

Welcome to part 2 of my unforgettable interview with Taoist Abbot Lao Zhi Chang. Lao was raised by Buddhist monk that bestowed upon him many extraordinary gifts for internal reflection and spiritual development. Lao’s life wisdom is nothing short of staggering, and his ability to deliver a message is incomparable.

This interview with Taoist (Daoist) Abbot Lao Zhi Chang is so rich and profound, I have decided to separate it into 2 episodes. Lao was orphaned at the age of 6 and ran feral for 2 years before meeting the Buddhist monk that would raise him. This benevolent monk became Lao’s first teacher, and eventually Lao would travel through more than 50 countries acquiring many more teachers of myriad philosophies.  

More than two decades ago, The Tao of Health, Sex, and Longevity by Daniel Reid became a pivotal book in guiding my life journey toward natural medicine and healing philosophies. His prolific writings on Chinese Medicine, Martial Arts, Taoism, Nutrition, and Tea have likely shaped countless other personal journeys.

Having an intimate, first-time conversation with someone can be as unpredictable as an open ocean paddle. Fortunately, I chose well as this conversation is with the person who makes the best paddles in the world. David Smart is perhaps not the typical dude you would expect to find carving a niche in surf culture.

Michael Cobb is not your average real estate developer. He creates communities and lifestyle opportunities, and he does both with complete presence in the now and reverence for mother nature. His deep connection to spirit has helped him align with his greater purpose in life.

Barefoot Ted McDonald sprinted into the spotlight with the publication of the bestselling book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. Barefoot Ted is one of the crazy, larger-than-life characters that springs off the pages of McDougall’s recount of their epic adventure to run a 50-mile race in the deadly Copper Canyons of Mexico with the legendary Tarahumara Indians.

Jon Turk has lived an incredible life filled with enough adventures to incapacitate most, and enough hardship to extinguish the wildest passion. But Jon is no ordinary individual; he is an extraordinary human that even today, at 75-years-old, continues to live life on his terms and at the edge that only he defines.

In this episode, drug policy researcher Alan Cassels and I take a deep look into some less than desirable tactics of the pharmaceutical and health care industries. Alan has been investigating and reporting on nefarious industry strategies for more than 2 decades, and his books Selling Sickness and Seeking Sickness expose the dirty underbelly that some corporations and leaders would rather you did not know about.

Michael Schiesser has been a powerful force in my life, helping me to grow in ways where I was not looking for growth. This in part is due to the curriculum he has created through the Inner Journey Institute that operates trainings in both the USA and Canada, and to his passion for serving others on their journeys.

Joan Morris is an elder of the Songhees Nation of the Lekwungen People on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. As with many of her people, she has suffered greatly in the name of colonialization, and now she advocates for survivors of the draconian system that included residential schools and Indian hospitals.

My guest in this episode is crazy, and that is just one of his many strengths. Bruce Kirkby does not take life sitting down, unless he is exploring remote coasts and waterways in a canoe or kayak. His idea of a hike is not a loop in a nearby forest but instead a trek across jungles and deserts and entire landmasses. He plans 6-month rustic, transcontinental excursions with less stress than most people plan a plush weekend getaway.

It is always a pleasure connecting with Janne Robinson, a personal development coach, writer, surfer, mentor, and much more. This is Janne’s second time on Salish Wolf, and in her raw, vulnerable style, she again delivers a powerful message of truth and connection. Janne takes us inside her mega project of the year, a yearlong immersive program called “Your Truth is Your Medicine”, which is comprised of her life’s learnings and includes more than 20 Teachers of Truth who have served as Janne’s mentors, teachers, and inspirations.

I first heard Wil’s music around 2003 in a nightclub in Victoria, BC. With that show, I became an instant fan of this crazy bearded man who could make more noise with a guitar than anyone I had ever encountered before. With crazy guitar riffs, guitar drumming, his trademark broken strings, and his mesmerizing voice, Wil became my live act of choice. Over the years I have seen him up and down Vancouver Island in pubs, jazz clubs, theatres, parks, and even in a living room. Wil delivered in every single show.

Joshua Hathaway is a profound communicator with the capacity to change lives – to change your life. He changes mine with every conversation, as each shows me subtle or significant shifts that I can make to better show up in this world. Joshua is a leader among men, with 20 years of experience in men’s work. With his extensive background in nonviolent communication and Master’s degree in Somatic and Transpersonal Psychotherapy, he helps men dismantle their bullshit and claim radical responsibility and sovereignty. Basically, he helps us be the best men we can be – no BS.

My guest in this episode, Ray Zahab, is such an accomplished explorer and ultra distance runner that just listing the bulleted highlights of his accomplishments would fill an entire podcast. He has won numerous awards and honours, was featured in the documentary film “Running the Sahara” produced by Matt Damon, and risks his life each time he goes out on an expedition. But Ray does not set out on seemingly impossible journeys for accolades or social media likes. Instead, he does it to inspire others. In 2008 Ray founded the organization impossible2Possible (i2P) that aims to inspire and educate youth through adventure learning, inclusion, and participation in expeditions.

I first met Christa Black Gifford and her husband Luke at a fearless intimacy workshop in Colorado only a few weeks after they resurrected their marriage. It was also around this time when they led their first marriage intensive to much approbation from attendees. This is one of Christa’s many gifts to the world: turning her weaknesses and pain into strengths and offerings. Christa now leads several hundred women in her online teaching (currently iteration known as The Woman’s Circle), and many more in her in-person workshops.

Jen Segger has traveled the globe competing as a world-class adventure racing athlete. She has, for year after year, for nearly 2 decades, pushed her body to the extremes of what the human body is capable of enduring. And now, on the brink of 40, she is showing little sign of slowing down or becoming sedentary. I interviewed her in my recording studio shortly after she and Norm paddled 250 km in 6 days from near their home north of Vancouver to my hometown of Victoria.