Inspired Soles Carolyn Coffin and Kim Sankey

Stuart Chutter is the first trail ultrarunner we’ve had on the show who is also a regenerative farmer from Melville, Saskatchewan.  We were super curious about how a person finds the time for both farming and ultrarunning, activities that each require significant commitment, time and energy for success.  So we invited Stuart to come on the show to talk about both his passions.
In this episode, Stuart tells us about how he started running and ended up in Melville as a farmer.  We discuss the “Five Principles of Soil Health” and the “Bag of C’s” that he mentally carries on a run, as well as the dual application of each to both farming and ultra running.  As we talk about his running philosophy, we move into a conversation around Stuart’s recent experience pacing his friend and recent guest Evan Birch during the 300 mile Speed Project from Santa Monica, CA to Las Vegas, NV which could be a whole podcast in and of itself.
We cover a lot of ground in this episode (how's that for a dual pun ?!) and we hope you enjoy this refreshing chat with Stuart Chutter!

Connect with Stuart:
Instagram: @stuartchutter Article written by Stuart about running/farming parallelsConnect with Carolyn & Kim:
Email us with guest ideas: inspiredsolescast@gmail.comInspired Soles InstagramKim's InstagramKim's FacebookCarolyn's InstagramCarolyn's FacebookCarolyn's websiteWe love hearing from you! Connect with us on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to inspiredsolescast@gmail.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend, subscribe or leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

**TRIGGER WARNING - This episode has references to sexual abuse. 
In this episode, Edmontonian elite ultra runner Priscilla Forgie returns to the show to discuss her contribution to the new book Run for Your Life. This book is an incredible collaboration of short stories written by 13 different runners made possible by several sponsors from Alberta, Canada including Run Calgary, Servus Edmonton Marathon and 5 Peaks. It was within the pages of this book that Priscilla chose to share parts of her personal story that had remained completely repressed for most of her life, unrevealed even to her. In a chapter that reads more like poetry, she elegantly describes her thoughts and feelings as she moves along the trail and how her relationship with running has evolved and relates to healing the trauma of her past. Her writing elicits several emotions, and although she describes moments of darkness, the reader is left feeling uplifted as she speaks about moving into the light.

Priscilla’s goal is to start more open and honest conversations about the topic of childhood sexual abuse and that is the simple goal of this episode. Over the next hour we catch up on all the awesomeness that has been happening in Priscilla’s race calendar over the last year, and move into a very thoughtful conversation on her trauma and healing experience and how one can provide a safe place on the receiver side of the conversation should someone entrust you with their trauma story.  

We thank Priscilla for her bravery and her strength as she shares her story with us.

Connect with Priscilla & buy the book:
Instagram: @prissyforgieRun For Your Life: Lessons Learned From Going the DistanceOur previous interview with Priscilla Connect with Carolyn & Kim:
Email us with guest ideas: inspiredsolescast@gmail.comInspired Soles InstagramKim's InstagramKim's FacebookCarolyn's InstagramCarolyn's FacebookCarolyn's websiteWe love hearing from you! Connect with us on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to inspiredsolescast@gmail.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend, subscribe or leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

Omena Babalola is an accomplished 55-year old masters sprinter from Winnipeg MB and an absolute force to be reckoned with. Born in Nigeria to two high achieving parents, Omena came to Canada in her early 20s and spent time on Prince Edward Island before completing her MBA at St. Mary’s University in Halifax and following her man to Winnipeg. Omena currently works as a Professional Auditor at Manitoba Hydro and is the Vice President of Athletics Manitoba.
As for her start in athletics, Omena describes what it was like to “be so slow when her mom was so fast.” Despite coming dead last in her first foot race, Omena stuck with sprinting and chose to focus most of her energy on things that would give her the biggest return on investment. It turns out this is a valuable life skill off the track as well. 
After taking some time off while having her twins in 1997, Omena was re-inspired in her late 30’s by Saskatchewan-based sprinting legend Carol LaFayette-Boyd, who is over 25 years her senior. Carol gave Omena some positive words of encouragement about her potential, she decided to re-engage with competition and, as they say, the rest is history.
Omena still holds numerous university and provincial sprinting records and has medaled on national and international stages in the 200m as well as the 4x100m relay. In 2023, Omena was awarded female masters Athlete of the Year by Athletics Manitoba.
Connect with Omena:
Instagram: @omenab7828Facebook: @omena.babsConnect with Carolyn & Kim:
Email us with guest ideas: inspiredsolescast@gmail.comInspired Soles InstagramKim's InstagramKim's FacebookCarolyn's InstagramCarolyn's FacebookCarolyn's websiteWe love hearing from you! Connect with us on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to inspiredsolescast@gmail.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend, subscribe or leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

Jean Fortier is the general director and founder of Québec Mega Trail. He joins us to talk about his running origins and dive deep into the past, present and future of this amazing event.
QMT is a legendary ultra-trail race, renowned as one of the most beautiful but also as one of the hardest in Canada. Crossing one of the most beautiful places in Québec, it takes runners all the way to Mont-Sainte-Anne, and more than 3,000 racers meet there every year. A place where high-level athletes come to compete, the organization also offers challenges for beginners with ten events ranging in distance from 1-160 km over four days. Founded in 2012 and now in its 12th year, the Québec Mega Trail actively promotes trail running while being a flagship race in terms of safety, sustainable development and constant innovations.
Since 2023, Québec Mega Trail has been part of the World Trail Majors and has been selected to host the 50 km and 80 km events of the 2025 and 2026 Canadian Mountain & Trail Running Championships.


In this episode we talk about:
Jean’s own running experiencesHow QMT came to beThe values that guide Jean’s decisions as a race directorThe highlights and the challenges the race has seen in the last 12 yearsHow QMT has chosen to remain independent in the international racing landscape in becoming a founding member of the World Trail Majors, an international group which includes some of the most iconic trail running events in Asia, Europe, Africa and North AmericaConnect with QMT:
Website: https://ultratrailcanada.com/en/Instagram: @qcmegatrailFacebook: quebecmegatrailConnect with Carolyn & Kim:
Email us with guest ideas: inspiredsolescast@gmail.comInspired Soles InstagramKim's InstagramKim's FacebookCarolyn's InstagramCarolyn's FacebookCarolyn's websiteWe love hearing from you! Connect with us on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to inspiredsolescast@gmail.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend, subscribe or leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

Nick Kershaw is a man with a mission.  A runner with a background in finance and a passion for international development, Nick joins us from the UK to tell us all about how the Impact Marathon Series came to be and why it is so special.  The Impact Marathon Series was born in 2015 from a dream that we could use the simple power of running to uplift communities and empower runners all over the world.
Throughout the Impact process, from the organizations they choose to support, to the way they engage and interact with the projects and the communities, their goal is to take the impalpable and make it real.  Nick and his crew have a goal to take their runners on a journey where they can find out what impact really means - the direct impact one can create, as well as how our lives indirectly have an impact that creates ripples across the world.
Over the last eight years, Impact Marathon has raised $1.5 million for grassroots organizations and has built a reputation for creating entirely unique events in some incredible countries.
Connect with Nick & Impact Marathon:
Website: https://www.impactmarathon.com/Instagram: @impactmarathonConnect with Carolyn & Kim:
Email us with guest ideas: inspiredsolescast@gmail.comInspired Soles InstagramKim's InstagramKim's FacebookCarolyn's InstagramCarolyn's FacebookCarolyn's websiteWe love hearing from you! Connect with us on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to inspiredsolescast@gmail.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend, subscribe or leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

Jen Shapka is a woman with a mission who seemingly can’t say no…and there are many runners who are grateful she says yes most of the time! Jen has moved a lot in her adult life, and it was the frequent moving that made this now 45-year old force herself to find a community wherever she landed. With two small kids at home, a husband away for work, and no family around, it was tough to get to the gym or join a team (both of which she’d have promptly quit anyway). One day 9 years ago she put on her shoes and went for a run. Or rather, mostly walking with a little bit of running. That eventually led to longer distances, a few races, and the most supportive and fun community. Currently living in Winnipeg - for the longest time ever in one place as an adult - she’s had time to really appreciate all that the running community, and now the triathlon community, have to offer.
In this episode we learn about Jen’s personal running journey that I’m sure many of you can relate to. Her personal journey is inextricably intertwined with her experiences race directing and volunteering for numerous events around the city. Jen talks about who has inspired her and what she has learned along the way. It is an absolute pleasure to share this conversation with you.
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Website: https://goodphyte.com/Instagram: @jointhegoodphyteOur previous episodes with GoodPhyte Founder, Amy GolumbiaFighting the GoodPhyteAccessing Your IntuitionResources we discussed in the episode:
Find a Manitoba Road Race: https://mraweb.caConnect with Carolyn & Kim:
Email us with guest ideas: inspiredsolescast@gmail.comInspired Soles InstagramKim's InstagramKim's FacebookCarolyn's InstagramCarolyn's FacebookCarolyn's websiteWe love hearing from you! Connect with us on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to inspiredsolescast@gmail.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend, subscribe or leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.