Podcast - Academy Of Lions

It's been a minute since Nat Niddam joined me on the show. It's always a fun conversation that's packed with valuable nutrition & lifestyle takeaways.  This episode starts with a procrastination confessional, an ode to imperfection and (believe it or not) a MEDITATION COMPETITION/WORKOUT using my new favourite technology... 

Chris & I dip in & out of travels, insights & relationships while riding a current of conversation that begins with Chris & I meeting in the Barber Shop he would soon be fired from. It was a low point in his life that he'd later turn into a strength and another great story.

Willie Albert is ridiculously strong.  He's a world record holder in the sport of Raw Power Lifting with a with a 715 lbs Deadlift, 621 lbs Squat & 374 lbs Bench. And he only weighs about 180 lbs!  You may be tempted label him as a "meat-head" but that's only 30% true. Under the muscles is a big heart and brain to match. 

Rachel Hill walked into the Academy a couple of years ago looking for an opportunity to live the life she wanted.  She was shy & very nervous at the time and not at all the person that most of us know today.  Amedeo Patuelli, started off his journey in a similar way almost 8 years ago and about 100lbs heavier. Today, he is the Academy Of Lions Community Manager... 

Madonna, Jay Z, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Wyclef Jean, Ludacris, Rihanna, Nelly Furtado... the list is long but only the tip of the iceberg of who this man really was. Despite working with some of the greats as an engineer & producer, Demo is most proud & passionate about people. Everyday people with the same challenges and dilemmas that he faced as a kid in mean Miami, dreaming of artists he hoped to work with one day...

Erin does not sit still. She's constantly challenging herself through her curiosities, her art and her choice of physical challenges. In this episode, we catch up with Erin fresh off her trip to Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania where she confronted not only a mountain, but her self-doubt, terrible tragedy and some difficult realities in the communities she visited...

He's a seer and a talker - taking from the sky and putting it in your ears. When Kevi goes off on one of his flying carpet tangents he covers an incredible amount of intellectual distance. But the flying machine is simple, beautiful and can be rolled tight...

There is one word to describe Rhea... MULTIDIMENSIONAL.  She holds a PhD in molecular toxicology, makes the world's best smoothies and also travels the world teaching Soca dance and getting into Psychadelic adventures...

.Chris Ritchie walked into the Academy about 8 years ago. In the years since, he has been on of our loudest and proudest voices. He has represented us in spirit and in competition.  And even though he now lives thousands of miles away in Portland...

Since strapping on her very first sweatband and spandex leotard at the ripe old age of 4 years old; Kate Evans or as I like to think of her, Kate the Great, hasn’t stopped moving. Teacher, student, competitor, amateur, yogi, runner, swimmer… and this list goes on, it’s impossible to label someone like Kate who is constantly wearing different hats, all in the name of learning and progressing...

A few months ago, I got an email from a guy from this new company that wanted Academy to promote their product. I get these emails all the time and decline about 98% of them.  Usually, it’s a pitch for an additive-filled sports drink, gimmicky energy bar or a paleo snack that’s far from paleo. But when I clicked through the link that Greg sent me, I was genuinely surprised and impressed - there was something going on here...

He cannot be described in words. You can only really talk about him in colours.  I met Mango Peeler - I don't really remember his real name - for the first time almost 5 years ago. We immediately clicked, and would jam out ideas on movement, athletics art, clothing and philosophy over the course of several coffee sessions.  In these conversations, there were no real borders between topics, as they all were part of the same continuum and just different points along the spectrum...

This was a fun episode.  Nat brought a sack of health and biofeedback gadgets to the podcast and reviewed them all. I also give you my thoughts on the Apple Watch, which I have been wearing for the last few weeks...

John's a humble, thoughtful person who speaks via his actions. Outside the Academy and his day job as an Engineer, John is the founder of Winds Of Change, an organization that is helping marginalized people learn the skills needed to improve their lives and feed their families.  We cover a lot of ground in this episode, spanning from building windmills for a few hundred dollars to Olympic weightlifting to Jean-Claude Van Damme...

At the corner of King & Spadina in Toronto, there used to be a big brownstone-y building that housed a back packer’s hostel.     Today, that building is inhabited by one of the most exciting and game-changing businesses that this country has ever produced. Meet Jason Field Field, Co-founder of Brain. Rumour has it, he got the idea for the company during a workout... 

There are people that walk into a place and immediately bring up the vibe and put smiles on the faces of those around them.  Moe Bsat is one of these people.  Before he joined Academy last year, he played competitive basketball and was winning sprint Triathlons. In 2012, he won his age group in the Canadian 100km Championships. He’s run 7 Ultra Marathons in total and he’s not done yet.  Even though he’s competed in the hardest human challenges at the highest levels, Moe is still humbled by the other challenges that face him.  In last year’s CrossFit Open, he struggled...

Kieta Demming loves CrossFit. He's done it all around the world including here at the Academy Of Lions.  It's helped him find higher states of fitness and even led to some powerful bonding moments with his dad back in his native Trinidad.  But right now, he's not sure if he can support it any more.  A few days ago, CrossFit Inc, the company that licenses all CrossFit affiliates around the world and organizes the annual CrossFit Games, announced a partnership with a gun manufacturer that provides the winners of next weekend's CrossFit Games a handgun as a prize. This decision has thrown the entire CrossFit community into upheaval...

Nina is a soft-spoken, smiley, friendly & welcoming soul. She is a triathlete bordering on elite status, runner, graduate student, run coach & a registered Kinesiologist. Oh ya… and she is a Twin; a fun fact that when mentioned, had Nina light up. Nina recently came 2nd at the Toronto Triathlon Festival and podiumed at the Rainbow Cup Triathlon in Trinidad...

This is a podcast that is long overdue.  Justin is one of my favourite people in the world. Anyone who has trained with him or has been coached by him likely feels the same way.  He's been part of the Academy for over 6 years and even though he is only 22 years old, has become a leader within this community and one of the top Olympic Weightlifting competitors in Canada.  In this podcast we talk about what drives Justin to compete in this demanding sport and how he passes on his learnings to...  

Worlds collide again as Jenny & Nat from the Raising The Bar Podcast join Dhani again for a special episode of the Podcast.   In the time since we last spoke, a lot has happened. The Academy RunCrew completed its first RunLAB and team race together - the GoodLife Marathon. Jenny & Nat completed the Cabot Trail Relay. And of course, there were lots of highlights, dark moments and laughs in between.   In this episode, we talk about what inspired us to create the teams and complete these epic challenges.  We get into the philosophy behind RunLAB and talk about the NEW SEASON of RunLAB starting up June 30th...