Episode 28: Growing Through Challenge in the Tour Divide with Whitewater CEO Jeff Wise
“Everything that has happened to me is a product of two things: perseverance and luck. That’s all life is. If you don’t push and if you don’t drive, you’re not going anywhere. ”
In this episode, Jeff Wise - Outdoor enthusiast and President and CEO of the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, NC, joins us to share his story of completing the Tour Divide Bike Race along the Continental Divide Trail, a 3,100-mile trail between Mexico and Canada. Jeff also discusses:
2:10 - The Triple Crown in Bike Packing
3:30 - Overview of the Continental Divide Trail
5:25 - The first leg of the trip
6:20 - The trail from Montana to Mexico
9:00 - The balance between focusing on the race and taking in the awe experiences
11:00 - Why do we seek out the suck
13:20 - Why he chose this particular challenge
16:20 - Favorite moments on the trip
24:00 - Fears and doubts he experienced on the trip
29:30 - Artificial challenges
31:05 - How this race changed him
33:40 - The voice that calls him to adventure
35:40 - How the call to adventure played into his transition to the US National Whitewater Center
40:25 - The latest at the US National Whitewater Center
43:50 - Advice to others looking to answer the call and do a similar adventure
46:25 - Closing remarks
You can learn more about Jeff and the US National Whitewater Center on Instagram @usnwc or on Facebook @usnwc.
See below for photos Jeff shared from his adventure.
Watch the Full Behind The Scenes Episode
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