Daily Catholic Mass - 05/03/2015 - Fr. Mark Mary -

Welcome to the Short Blast Monologues here on the No Fear of Falling Podcast. In this feature, we take an uncensored look into the issues and news of sport, and take a deeper look and see what's there.  This is an opinion piece; you may agree, you may not, but the hope is that a discussion will be created, which can lead to further learning, understanding, and maybe if we're lucky...possible answers. And in this first episode, we are tackling WADA (the World Anti-Doping Agency) after the latest news concerning their strategy concerning Russia and the results from the latest audits on the revamping of RUSADA (Russian Anti-Doping Agency).  Let us know what you think! Comment, or drop us a message to continue the conversation!

In this episode, we "drive" into the world of Auto Racing, and more specifically Stock Car Racing. It's a sport that puts its athletes at the edge of their limits every time they step behind the wheel and one where that line between success and failure can be razor-thin. But it is also a sport where there is a family dynamic present that many sports could learn a thing or two from, where from the grassroots level to the top, there is a strong valuing of family and the fans.  Our guest this week, Matt Perry, epitomizes the journey that many top-level Stock Car drivers have taken. Starting at the lower levels, he is building his way towards the highest levels of the sport, using his desire and determination to push him forwards. But even within the increased attention and exposure, he has gained, he has never forgotten what keeps him passionate about the sport, the people who have helped him get to where he is, and that he wants to create an impact both on and off the track, which keeps him humble and hungry.  We sat down and spoke to him about his journey into the sport, experiences, and stories from along the way, the concept of success and failure in the sport, and how no matter what the result on the track may be, that he is always striving to give the fans an experience they will never forget. Instagram (@livefreeracing)

This episode takes us into the world of figure skating, and to Slovenia, where we talked with multiple time National Champion Daša Grm. She’s been competing on the ISU circuit for a number of years, including multiple appearances at the European and World Championships; and has spearheaded the development and interest in the sport in her country. We spoke about her journey, what she's learned along the way, and about her quest not for results and placings, but for personal growth and to push herself so she will have no regrets.  Ta epizoda nas vodi v svet drsanja in v Slovenijo, kjer smo se pogovarjali z ve?kratnim državnim prvakom Daša Grm. Že vrsto let tekmuje na vezju ISU, vklju?no z ve?kratnimi nastopi na evropskem in svetovnem prvenstvu; in je vodila razvoj in zanimanje za šport v svoji državi. Govorili smo o njenem potovanju, o tem, kar se je nau?ila na poti, in o njenem prizadevanju za rezultate in placanja, ampak za osebno rast in se potisnila, da ne bo obžalovala. Instagram Personal Blog

In this episode, we sat down with Farnaz Esmaeilzadeh, a champion speed climber, who, inspired by growing up in the beautiful mountains of Iran, aimed to become of the best in the world; while also inspiring women like herself to push towards their goals, and show through her actions, successes, and failures, that if you work hard, you will achieve your goals and dreams.  ?? ??? ????? ?? ?? ????? ??????? ????? ?? ???? ????? ??????? ??????? ?? ?? ????? ????? ?? ??? ??? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ? ??????? ?? ???? ?? ??? ???. ?? ???? ?? ???? ????? ??? ??? ?? ?? ??? ????? ??? ????? ?? ???? ? ?? ???? ???????? ?????? ?? ? ???? ??? ??? ???? ?? ???? ?? ??? ?? ???? ??? ????? ?? ????? ? ??????? ??? ?????. Instagram Website  

In this episode, we sat down with Canadian singer and songwriter Charlie PS to talk about her journey in music. We talked about the process of balancing life and music, the challenges of building and creating an EP (she just released her first one, called "Little Miss Dysfunctional" in 2018), and about how keeping true to your beliefs on success and failure keep you grounded and focused on your goals and the path towards them.  You can check out "Little Miss Dysfunctional" over on Spotify, iTunes, and most places you listen to music. It's an awesome EP with a fantastic sound that I think you will enjoy.  Charlie PS on Instagram Charlie PS Official Website SPOTIFY Link to "Little Miss Dysfunctional"

To become good at something, you can use talent and skill. To become great at something, you need to upgrade these traits. To become amazing, you have to add self-understanding, and the ability to push yourself outside your comfort zone.  STEPHEN SCACCIA is an example of this. He's amazingly talented and skilled, shown through his amazing music, and the people who he has shared the stage with (Michael Buble). He's also taken the hard journey of self-understanding and stepping far outside his comfort zone. But through being honest with himself, and continuing to hone his skills for reasons other than mainstream success, he continues to become better and better. 

One of the toughest things in the music industry is separating yourself from the crowd; standing out from everyone else, and creating a sound that is distinctly yours and no one else. It is a tough task and one that many people struggle to do, either on purpose to fit in, or they just never figure it out. But one musical duo that has figured it out is Rumour Mill. Anna Katarina and Aline Daigle have created a sound that is distinct, made from years of musical training and coming to the realization that they should create something that they love and which feels authentic and real to them. Their first singles epitomize this, especially their latest one, "Daylight's Free", and we can't wait to see what comes next for them.

Competing at the highest level of your sport takes more than just talent and skill. It takes guts, determination, drive, and the ability to combine all of these things together on a consistent basis in the pursuit of your goals. This is no easy feat, and it takes a special person to be able to do this. Ryan and Sean McAnuff are perfect examples of this combination, in that they have been able to achieve competing at the highest level in Short Track Speed Skating, while also working to spearhead the continued development of skating sports in Ireland, and continuing to develop and grow their Elite Performance Training (EPT) brand, with very little outside support. They have done so much to date, and the future looks very bright for them, and for the future of ice sports in Ireland as well, and we will be following their progress closely.

Documentary filmmaking is an amazing art form, in that it has the ability to perform so many different functions, but none more so than its ability to tell stories and teach the audience things it never knew before. To be able to do this in a fashion that is both engaging, informative, and beautiful is something that takes talent and a fantastic eye for your craft. And Darcy Turenne is one of those filmmakers who can do this. From her visually appealing pieces she has completed for companies like Patagonia, to her feature films including "Jackieland" and the recently debuted "The Moment" which has already seen great success in both their live showings and online engagement. Her unique ability to dive into a story that many would never have thought about, and tell it in such an engrossing way has helped her create these memorable films, and we cannot wait for what she will do next.

For some people, their sport or activity of choice is just a natural fit. Some are able to figure this out early in life, but others find their way to it using a different path. But in the end, they find their way to where they were meant to be, and we get to see that natural fit in action everytime that these people ply their trade in their chosen field. This is the journey that Stacia "The Natural" Suttles took in finding her way to Boxing. What first started out as an activity to stay in shape during university turned into a passion that she devotes everyday of her life to now, both in training and competition as she aims for Tokyo 2020, but also in spreading knowledge about the sport through her YouTube channel.

Spearheading a movement is a difficult job. Spearheading a grassroots movement is even more difficult. Spearheading, developing, and growing a grassroots movement that has goals to send athletes to the Olympic Games...well, that takes a very special and capable person to do it. But this is what Jenn Virskus did in the development and growth of Kaln? Ereliai, the first grassroots ski club in Lithuania. She coached, nurtured and helped develop a strong generation of Lithuanian skiers, including two (Ieva Januškevi?i?t? and Rokas Zaveckas) who have represented Lithuania at the Winter Olympics. But she also inspired all of her athletes to push themselves outside of their comfort zones and aim as high as they can, which many of them have done in various spheres of life.

It has been said that there's no business like show business, and there is a lot of truth to that. To make an impact in this industry, you not only need to have a strong knowledge of self, but also amazing range, abilities, and talents. And Megan Peta Hill has shown through her various works and appearances that she all of these things and more. Her latest performance in "Cage Dive" added to what is becoming a strong film and television resume, along with becoming the voice of the latest advertising campaign by Burt's Bees.

In this episode, we flew in the air and did a number of flips and twists along the way to land safely on the ground (OK, "we" didn't do that, but out guest certainly does) as we talked with Olivier Rochon, a member of the Canadian Aerial Skiing Team with Freestyle Ski Canada, and recently selected to represent Canada at the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Olivier's story is one of perseverance and gaining an understanding of one's self; in that, he has experienced every emotion imaginable during his career to date. From near qualifications, injuries of varying severity, and taking time to discover what drives and motivates him as he flies down that ramp and flies into the air. He has gone through so much, learned so much, and has come out the other side one of the strongest athletes that you could compete against.  We talked about his journey within his sport, discovering your drive, the mindset of an aerial skier, and the idea that perfection may actually be the taboo instead of failure.  You can find out more about Olivier, and follow his news and updates on the following links: Facebook Instagram

Happy New Year from No Fear of Falling! In this new episode of Thursday Thoughts, Adam Yurko builds upon the last episode, digging deeper into the idea of perfection, and how our quest to be perfect is detrimental in the long term, and how the practice of promoting success needs to be modified.    Music Credits: "Winter Walk", "Storm Passing", "Bittersweet" and "Box Canyon" by Podington Bear

This is the first episode of a new weekly feature here on the No Fear of Falling Podcast called "Thursday Thoughts". It will be a collection of monologues, reflections, rants, and recordings of our host Adam Yurko diving deeper into the themes that this Podcast is based upon; success and failure.  In this episode, Adam reflects on the question: Why can't we talk about failure? What stops us from doing so? And why is it so hard to come to terms with failure in our lives?  Music Credits: "Low Light Switch", "The Back Lot" and "Two in the Back" by the Blue Dot Sessions.

In this episode, we dived into the world of fencing (not sword first though, as that would be dangerous) with Marissa Ponich, a member of the Canadian National Fencing Team, the current #33 rank in the world in the Sabre, and a crowdfunded athlete through the awesome donors at MAKEACHAMP. Very few people are able to find an activity that they love. Even fewer are able to find one that they are willing to devote huge parts of their life towards. Even fewer are willing and able to juggle a full-time job and a comprehensive and demanding training schedule while competing at the highest level. But that is the daily life of Marissa, and she does it as she says to ensure that when the time comes to hang up her sword, that she will have no regrets in what she did and accomplished. We talked about her journey into the sport, the lessons and qualities she has gained from competing within it, and about how pursuing your dreams can be hard, but putting in the hard work always pays off in the end in both results and personal satisfaction and knowledge. You can find out more about Marissa, and contribute to her crowdfunding campaign at the following links: https://www.facebook.com/MPonichFencer/ (Facebook) https://www.instagram.com/mponichfencer/ (Instagram) https://makeachamp.com/mponich/29226 (Current MAKEACHAMP Campaign)

In this episode, we dive into the serious topic of illegal arms-trafficking and try to learn some more about those that are out there working to try and stop it. We talk with NICOLAS FLORQUIN, a Senior Researcher at the SMALL ARMS SURVEY, an NGO based out of Geneva, Switzerland, whose aim is to be both a principal information source about the subject for the public and policy makers, but also to be an independent monitor who is out there in the field researching and documenting information that pertains to the illegal acquisition, trade, and smuggling of small arms (which can be anything from pistols to RPG’s and many in between). We talk about the challenges of working within different countries, different cultures, and differing levels of bureaucratic control. We also talked about Nicola’s personal motivations for doing what he does, his definitions of success and failure as they pertain to his line of work, and his belief to never stop learning and always be creating new things! Disclaimer: All views expressed by Nicolas in this episode are his personal views, and do not necessarily express or reflect the organizational policy of the Small Arms Survey. To learn more about Nicolas and the Small Arms Survey, you visit the following links: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org (Official Website) https://www.facebook.com/SmallArmsSurvey (Facebook) https://twitter.com/SmallArmsSurvey (Twitter) https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/626809/ (LinkedIn) https://www.youtube.com/user/SmallArmsSurvey(YouTube)

In this episode (our first one back after a bit of a hiatus), we are talking with Rio 2016 Olympian, and the first ever woman to compete for ARMENIA in Rhythmic Gymnastics, HOURY GEBESHIAN.  You may have heard her story during the Olympics, as many news outlets told her story, which is a very inspiring one. From deciding to leave the sport after failing to qualify for the 2012 Olympics, to returning and training herself into competitive shape in a self-funded and directed manner; all while combining this dream of the Olympics with a full-time career in the Medical field.  Houry is a shining example of what one can do with determination, drive, and very strong time-management skills. Now she is continuing her path in gymnastics in both coaching, and crowdfunding to help develop the Armenian Women's Gymnastics program.  We talked about combining education and sport, about her journey and the lessons she learned along the way, and how one has to fail in order to succeed. It was a great episode to record, and Houry is so well-spoken and fascinating to listen to.  You can learn more about Houry and what she is up to, and contribute to her Crowdfunding campaign over at GoFundMe for the Armenian Women's Gymnastics Team here: https://www.gofundme.com/HootingForHoury (GoFundMe Page) https://www.facebook.com/HouryGebeshian (Facebook) https://www.instagram.com/hourygebeshian (Instagram) https://twitter.com/HouryGebeshian (Twitter) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTahWIWaRTTjZE6Nwam4Jqw (YouTube)  

Our first EVER episode of the No Fear of Falling Podcast featured RONALD SSEKANDI, the Founder and Executive Director of WRITING OUR WORLD and their new project, LEAD AFRICA. We talked about his journey to get where he is now, making the decision to pursue something he was passionate about, the power of Debate and Writing in today’s African society, and what the concept of failure means to him. To find out more about Writing Our World and LEAD Africa, you can check them out at the following links: www.writingourworld.org (Official Site, WOW) www.facebook.com/wowuganda (Facebook Page, WOW) www.leadafricaug.com (Official Site, LEAD Africa

For our second episode of the No Fear of Falling Podcast, we traveled (hypothetically) to the Philippines to talk to RYAN GERSAVA, the founder of GO2 VIRTUALAHAN, a social enterprise that is training and employing men and women from varying kinds of disadvantaged situations to become virtual professionals for corporations around the world. We talked about his journey to get where he is now, including making the decision to work on his passion rather than what others felt was the safe choice. We also talk outsourcing, the continued growth of the virtual professional industry, and we talk about his methods for dealing with failure, some of which involve actually (literally) not having a “fear of falling”. To find out more about GO2 Virtualahan, you can check them out at the following links: virtualahan.com (Official Site, GO2 Virtualahan) www.facebook.com/virtualahan/ (Facebook Page, GO2 Virtualahan)