Stephen Shelesky is commercial outdoors photographer who has shot for some of the biggest brands in the space and some of the world's best skiiers. He's also an ultra racer. Just one week before he was meant to race the Silk Road Mountain Race for the second time, he was asked to join the media team and photograph the race instead. This would be his first time shooting a bikepacking event.

In this conversation Stephen shares all about diving into these uncharted waters, giving us a sneak peak into life in the media car and ultimately a new perspective on how impactful these events can be on our lives.

Equal parts inspiring and entertaining, Stephen was an absolute delight to talk to.

You can check out more of his work on Instagram or on his website.

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Stoked to bring you this conversation with the winner of the 2024 Silk Road Mountain Race, Joe Nation. Hailing from Christchurch, New Zealand, Joe went on to win this year's 1939km edition of the race in 6 days 18 hours and 10 minutes. The race was exceptionally tight until the final 48 hours, where Joe made a tactical move in the Arabel Valley and a strong push over the infamous Shamsi pass to solidify his lead.

In this episode Joe shares the ins and outs of his ride — from his reccy mission before the race, to his rocky first day and how he had to readjust his plans and stay patient in order to make it through.

A massive thanks to Joe for taking the time to chat and hope you all enjoy this conversation as much as we did.

Be sure to give Joe a follow on Instagram as well as subscribe to his YouTube channel.

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Hannah Simon took the women's win at this year's Silk Road Mountain Race, in a time of 8 days 20 hours and 16 minutes. She navigated the 1939km and 30,000m+ with determination, resilience and grace. Not only was she the first woman home, but also landed 9th overall in an exceptionally deep field. In this episode we talk all about her preparation and the race itself. She shares so many great nuggets about her own personal hygiene, her kit and so much more. It was an absolute joy to get to record this episode in person together and to celebrate her achievement.

Stay up to date on Hannah's adventures by following her on Instagram.

If you loved today's episode please leave us a 5 star review wherever you listen.

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Stoked to catch up with my good friend Mateo Paez. 2022 was Mateo's first attempt at any ultra endurance bikepacking race and that experience quickly changed his life. Over the past two years he's gone head first into the world of ultracycling, writing his own story and tackling these rides with his unique approach, fondly referring to this niche sport as "Competitive Exploration". He raced this year's Tour Divide and finished the route from Banff to Antelope Wells in 17 days 22 hours 17 minutes.

Today we chat through his experience as a rookie on the Tour Divide and more on his approach to racing. He shares many fantastic tails from the trail, as well as some particularly vulnerable person reflections that happened along the way and just how much these rides have the power to transform your life.

To keep up with Mateo's adventures check him out on Instagram @whatswrongwithpaez_

He also does a fantastic job of sharing post race write ups on his website https://ultrapaez.com/, where he also shared his Tour Divide Kit List

If you loved this episode subscribe to the show wherever you listen and leave us a five star review. It goes a long way in supporting what we do!

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It's so much fun to have two people in an interview, so I'm stoked to share that you'll be hearing more of Quinda's voice on the show, as she'll be joining as a guest co-host on some upcoming episodes. There will still be plenty of episodes where I'm (Mel) the host, but it's such a joy to have another conversation partner and to collaborate with another woman in the space.

Today we catch up on Highland Trail 550, prepping for Silk Road and all the things in between since it's been a while the two of us chatted. Quinda puts on the hat of interviewer and asked me some questions which was super fun. Tune in for some good banter, and Quinda's hot tips on mastering the art of the resupply.

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Thrilled to bring you this conversation with your 2024 women's winner of the Tour Divide, Meaghan Hackinen. Meg won this year's women's race in a time of 15 days 23 hours, setting the fastest women's time on a grand depart and the second fastest women's time in history. If you were following this year's race you'll know that the conditions were gnarly, with snow storms in the early stages and electrical storms further south. In this episode Meg gives us the full run down on her ride and what it took to reach Antelope Wells as the first woman.

Meaghan is also the author of two books, South Away and Shifting Gears, which just came out as an audiobook. Be sure to check them out and consider purchasing as that's a great way to support Meaghan's adventures.

Follow Meaghan on Instagram

If you loved this episode please subscribe wherever you're listening, leave a rating and consider buying me a coffee to help keep producing the show.

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At 9:25AM on June 27th, Justinas' Leveika arrived at the USA/Mexico border in Antelope Wells after 13 days 2 hours and 16 minutes, winning this years edition of the Tour Divide and setting a new record in the process. In this episode we dive into his historic record breaking ride, and how he managed to "fix his mistakes from last year" and just what this ride means to him. He's fondly known as the nicest guy in bikepacking, and I think you'll understand why after listening to this episode. We had so many great laughs and there's no shortage of inspiration served up in this conversation.

Follow Justinas' on Instagram @justin.and.bikes to keep up with his racing and see what he gets up to next.

If you loved today's episode, please leave us a five star review and consider buying me a coffee to help keep the show going.

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At the end of May 2024, Austin Killips set a blisteringly rapid overall fastest known time on the Arizona Trail. She bested the previous record held by Alex Schulz of 9 days 5 hours and 43 minutes, reaching the Arizona/Utah border in a time of 8 days 23 hours 27 minutes. And while completing the route in the first place is an incredible feat, this was Austin's first ever bikepacking race. Today on the show she shares more about her foray into the world of ultra endurance bikepack racing from navigating all of the gear, to planning her effort and where she hopes to go in the sport.

If you want to support her endeavours, please consider subscribing to her Patreon and you can keep up with her adventures on Instagram.

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The Tour Divide is currently in full swing and Detours alum Meaghan Hackinen is currently leading the women's race and hovering at record pace. Be sure to check out her episode on Detours wherever you get your podcasts.

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