The Trail Ahead

Dec 14 2023 49 ep. 58 mins 33
The Trail Ahead Podcast artwork

Join athletes and environmental advocates Faith E. Briggs and Addie Thompson as they dig into conversations at the intersection of race, environment, history and culture. They talk to thought-leaders, athletes, activists, artists, scientists, comedians — folks from all walks of life. Together, they aim to galvanize a dialogue in the outdoors that is authentic, sustained and leads to tangible change. Presented by Merrell and Patagonia.

  Society & Culture  Science  Health & Fitness
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Faith and Addie - Season 3 Finale

Dec 14 2023 38 mins  
In the last episode of Season 3, Faith and Addie recap the season, share their reflections and discuss the tension of holding both hope and motivation to continue to make change. The hosts recount past guest conversations, learnings they’ve taken away from these discussions and questions they get asked most as they continue to tackle the dialogue on The Trail Ahead. Plus, we wel

Mauricio Díaz on Vulnerability in Running, The Power of the Invitation and Building “La Familia”

Oct 11 2023 68 mins  
Mauricio (Mau) Díaz is the CEO and co-founder of Aire Libre Running. Aire Libre designs and operates running and hiking experiences around the world that connect participants to new places and cultures through sustainable tourism. Mau is from Mexico City, Mexico and enjoys exploring the mountains around the city by foot (often accompanied by his dog). He is an ultrarunner and lu

Kayla Jeter on The Power of Community, Going FURTHER and Aspiring to Be Ourselves

Sep 20 2023 64 mins  
Kayla Jeter is a Cleveland Ohio native, former professional volleyball player, mindset coach, personal trainer, stress-management coach and wellness entrepreneur. She is the founder of #100MilesofSummer, a global running community and founder of Soho House Chicago Run Club. Kayla is a global Lululemon ambassador and a member of the Lululemon FURTHER initiative. On this episode,

Ambreen Tariq on Finding YOUR Outdoors, Empathy and Reclaiming Patriotism

Sep 06 2023 75 mins  
Ambreen Tariq is a Muslim, an immigrant, an activist, and an outdoor enthusiast. She describes herself as a proud feminist and an advocate for social justice in American society. She’s the founder of @BrownPeopleCamping, a social media initiative that uses digital storytelling to celebrate people of color in the outdoor community. Ambreen is also the author of Fatima’s Great Ou

Chelsea Murphy on Raising Children in Nature, Co-creating a Welcoming Space for BIPOC Folks Outside, and Using Social Platforms for Deeper Community Engagement

Aug 23 2023 50 mins  
Chelsea Murphy is an outdoor advocate, enthusiast, creative, and inspirer. She is the mother of three, and is on a mission to create a better, more inclusive outdoor culture for her mixed children. Born in San Diego, CA and raised in Tacoma, WA she has always had a connection with nature and the outdoors. After moving to the mountains, she immediately recognized the lack of diver

The Trail Ahead Presents: Immigrantly "Are Humans and Nature Separate?" featuring Vanessa Chavarriaga Posada

Aug 09 2023 38 mins  
This week the Trail Ahead brings you an episode by Immigrantly, "a boundary-pushing, border-crossing podcast that gives diverse voices and stories home." Their guest, Vanessa Chavarriaga Posada, is a Colombian-American athlete, activist, and environmental sociologist who is always on the move. From the freezing valleys of Alaska to the cloud forests of Colombia, Vanessa spends he

38. Yatika Starr Fields on Healing through Running, Artmaking, and Grieving the Changes that Need to be Made and Making Them

Jul 26 2023 82 mins  
Yatika Starr Fields, is a Painter and Muralist who lives and works in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Yatika Fields is part of the Cherokee, Creek and Osage Tribes. He is also a Bear clan member. While attending the Art Institute of Boston from 2000 to 2004, he became interested in Graffiti aesthetics, which has been integral to his knowledge and process along with Landscape painting- and continu

Brittany Leavitt on Joy-filled Affinity Spaces, Active Rest, and Co-founding Brown Girls Climb

Jul 12 2023 64 mins  
Brittany Leavitt is the co-founder of Brown Girls Climb, a lifelong educator and someone who loves the outdoors. We talk with her about what it means to be shifting careers to be the full-tome CEO of Brown Girls Climb and how she first came to the outdoors. Hint: Her career day outfit in Elementary School says a lot! Brittany has always connected to the outdoors, from the mountai

Stef Flippin on a Human-First Approach, Avoiding a pattern of Injury, and Showing up at Each Start Line for more than just Yourself (with a debrief featuring Victoria Lo of Chinatown Runners)

Jun 28 2023 83 mins  
Stefanie is an ultra trail and road runner located in the Front Range of Colorado. She is the 2021 USATF 100-mile road champion and course record holder (6th fastest all-time American woman for the distance). She is also a foot and ankle surgeon alongside her husband, with a passion for treating athletes. Stefanie is passionate about increasing BIPOC representation in distance runn

Ahmad Hijazi on Thru-hiking, Feeling at Home in Nature, and Arab Representation in the Outdoors (featuring a debrief with Maytha Alhassen, PhD!)

Jun 14 2023 82 mins  
Ahmad is a first-generation Lebanese-American thru-hiker and mountaineer who speaks about his experience of realizing while buying an ice-axe and hearing an Egyptian accent that he has never spoken to anyone in Arabic about the outdoors. This prompted him to hike the Lebanese Mountain Trail, which goes through parts of the country he hiked as a child with his father. He talks about