Despite the beginning of more focus now on mental health, especially after the well-publicized battles that were brought forward by gymnast Simone Biles and tennis player Naomi Osaka, there is still a stigma for men to seek assistance, unless you count the omnipresent TV commercials by the affable, mustachioed Dr. Rich Mahogany for mantherapy.org Soleiman Bolour has tapped into his own journey to assist men in their personal growth to find greater clarity, confidence, and intention. Whether the individual is in addiction recovery, dealing with unresolved trauma, or just trying to identify a focused sense of purpose, Soleiman mentors men and guides their journeys by tapping into his studies in psychology, tantra, tao, NLP (neuro linguistic programming), and much more. He both does one-on-one coaching as well as leads groups, where they explore, among other things, how to balance productivity vs. mindfulness. The basic elements that they build upon include 1. Building a foundation, 2. Creating a vision, 3. Identifying what needs to change, and 4. Execution. I see some real opportunities here for men if you are dealing with being unable to set boundaries, holding yourself back because you are always trying to please other people, and those who want to improve their relationships to thus unlock the doors to personal growth. Soleiman can explain all of this a lot better than I can, so I think you’ll get a lot out of this chat, as well as checking out the blogs and other information on his website, soleimanb.com, and perhaps engaging with him either one-on-one or in his men’s groups. By the way, he limits the size of each one to 12 men, so you develop a more focused relationship with others who have a common purpose.

Soleiman Bolour
www.soleimanb.com
info@soleimanb.com
Facebook and LinkedIn Soleiman Bolour
Instagram and YouTube @soleimanbolour
Tik Tok soleimanb

Bill Stahl
silly_billy@msn.com
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
YouTube We Are Superman Podcast

I met Chaiwen Chou on the trip I took in March to the Atacama Desert of Chile that was led by Tyler Andrews of Chaski Endurance Collective. Two things immediately stood out about Chaiwen: one was her gorgeous purple hair, and the second was the boot on her foot. As you know, this was no tourist cruise, we were going to be climbing several very tall summits, the highest at almost 20,000 feet, on steep, loose terrain. You see, Chaiwen had broken her ankle a few weeks before the trip, and her doctor and physical therapist told her that the trip was out of the question. Undeterred, she came on the trip, at first thinking she would just walk around the beautiful landscape while the rest of us took on epic challenges. That thinking didn’t last long. Chaiwen not only conquered all of the climbs in her boot, but she crushed them! Despite those achievements, when she got home to NYC, those professionals still told her no running for several more weeks. Which was a problem because this veteran of epic races like the Formosa Trail 104k in Taiwan and the Tahoe 200 was registered for her dream race, the UTMB, in August. Chaiwen talks here about her long injury recovery, her crash training regimen which totally blows me away, and her experience running in the “Super Bowl” of 100-mile races. So, so impressive! She is tremendously fun, so I think you’ll get a kick out of this chat as much as I did.

Chaiwen Chou
Instagram @aehrwyn

Bill Stahl
silly_billy@msn.com
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
YouTube We Are Superman Podcast

Our guest today is a local running and coaching legend here in Colorado who is also well-known worldwide. Junko Kazukawa came late into the running world, but has been a prolific endurance athlete, while exuding tons of positive energy. This year alone she completed the Leadwoman challenge – all of the Leadville running and biking races – which included her 10th LT100 run finish, then finished the very difficult Tor des Géants 200-miler in Italy, ran rim-to-rim-to-rim in the Grand Canyon, and currently has the NYC Marathon on-deck. In 2015, she became the first person to complete Leadwoman plus the 100-miler Grand Slam – Western States, Leadville, Vermont, and Wasatch – all in the same year. She did this on the heels of a second breast cancer diagnosis. This has given her the wonderful perspective of if there is something you want to do, don’t wait, just do it, you never know what will happen tomorrow. And then her philosophy that cancer takes away a lot, but it gives you so much more. Junko also talks here about the interesting topic of how suffering through a tough ultramarathon makes her feel more alive. Her infectious positive energy has created a huge following for her both at her races and in her coaching, and Junko Mountain Training is not only the training regimen for many of her athletes, but has become an Internet sensation, too. Junko with her running and coaching has also generously supported the Susan B. Komen Foundation, the Leadville Legacy Foundation, and several individuals battling cancer themselves. I know you’ll enjoy this chat with this relentlessly energetic and positive dynamo.

Junko Kazukawa
boundless.com
kickingjk@gmail.com
Instagram @runjunkorun

Bill Stahl
silly_billy@msn.com
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
YouTube We Are Superman Podcast