I’m On A Podcast!

Hello readers!

Some of you may have discovered this blog because of listening to this podcast episode. To you I say, welcome and thank you for checking out my blog! For those longer-term fans who don’t know what I’m talking about: Hey, I’m on a podcast! I want to share the story of how that happened, to encourage some of you to also get the courage to apply and share your stories as well. And…I hope you’ll listen to my episode too 🙂

Warmshowers

As many of you know, I’m a fan of Warmshowers; I use this cycle-touring hosting platform on all my cycling trips, have had incredible experiences, and even made friends in the process! Warmshowers has a podcast called Bike Life, which I’ve been listening to almost since its origin. And, just like on the road, I’m frustrated by the lack of diversity in the stories (not just on Bike Life, but on all the podcast series I’ve heard that share cycling stories). To be fair, Bike Life does a good job of featuring a diverse array of voices; from hosts to guests, multiple genders, ethnicities, races, etc., but the fact remains that white, cis men are still the majority of cyclists on the road and on the pod.

Long story short, after a few years, I decided that I could be the voice I was waiting to hear. For a long time I thought “But is my story good enough to be on a podcast?!” But of course it is! Bike Life accepts applications from any WS hosts or guests who have stories to share, so I put in my application, had a pre-interview Zoom call with other applicants, and then recorded an episode with host Tahverlee!

Bike Life

Without further ado, here is my story on Bike Life. I wanted to share some backstory first in the hopes that it inspires some of you – especially those who have elements of your identities that are not widely represented in cycling – to apply to Bike Life or a similar podcast (or vlog, or blogging site, or something else) to share your stories. Representation matters, and we all have worthy stories to share (and yes, your story is good enough; don’t let that little voice in your head tell you otherwise!). Special thanks to Bike Life host Tahverlee Anglen for asking great leading questions in the interview, and to Warmshowers host Ken Francis for the encouragement to apply (even if it took me another year to do it). Enjoy the show, and enjoy the ride! 🙂