Anna Levesque
My guest today, Simone Adams, is a lifelong adventurer who, I’m gonna start that over. My guest today, Simone Adams, is a lifelong adventurer whose love for the outdoors began as a kid splashing in creeks and camping under the stars. She’s hiked southern trails, road tripped the Pacific Northwest for three months with a dog and a cat in tow, and taught herself how to kayak.

paddling solo just two months later to celebrate her 44th birthday. Recently certified as a Level 2 kayak instructor, continues to push her own boundaries on the water while leading others to find their place outdoors. She is the founding executive director of Color My Outdoors, a nonprofit changing the outdoor narrative to celebrate people of color. Through this work, she’s building a future where families, leaders, and communities of color feel welcome, confident,

and connected in nature. Thank you for being here, Simone.

Simone Adams
Thank you.

Anna Levesque
So when I say discomfort zone, what does that mean to you or bring up for you? Yeah, we’ll get started there.

Simone Adams
Yeah, interesting because when I saw that was the title of your podcast, I had to think about this and what is my discomfort zone? Because there comes a point in life where you, when you live in discomfort, it’s less uncomfortable. But I think for me, what still exists as a discomfort zone is that murky place where

you become a little too comfortable in one place, but you’re still a little hesitant to step into the place that you want to be. That’s my discomfort zone. The place where I want to be, as scary as it may be, that’s not the discomfort zone. It’s that murky place where I know I’ve outgrown this moment or this place or whatever it is, I’ve outgrown it. It’s time to be somewhere new. And there’s that moment like, okay, I gotta do it. That’s my discomfort.

Anna Levesque
Hmm. Hmm.

Anna Levesque
Yeah, thanks for sharing that. I love that framing of it. What strategies do you use to help you kind of move, I don’t know if it’s move past or move through that murky place.

Simone Adams
move through definitely because sometimes it takes a while and

Anna Levesque
Mm-hmm.

Simone Adams
A little bit of visualization, manifesting, like knowing what I want for myself in this new space. And then from there, I think part of the power of manifesting is actually like creating the plan. Some people think that it’s just wishing that you got to create the plan and work the plan. So for me, creating a plan actually often looks like putting something on paper, whether it’s I’m writing it in my journal and just working through the emotion of it, or it’s something more concrete that I need to

detail out the steps and write down how I get from point A to point B. But I am that person who, as much as I love doing things sort of free flow, there is a type A part of me that has to write it down.

Anna Levesque
Yeah, yeah, think, do you journal on a daily basis? hold on, just for the wind, hold on just a second. Yeah, you’re good.

Simone Adams
yeah, saw that.

Anna Levesque
Yeah, do you journal on a daily basis? Is that a consistent practice for you?

Simone Adams
It is consistent, mostly daily, but not all the time. And sometimes it’s, I don’t know, maybe seasonal. Like I will go through a period of time where I don’t journal. Usually when I’m not wanting to confront something, maybe I know that I’ve been in my comfort zone too long and I don’t want it to show up on the page. So yeah, when I’m hiding things from myself, I don’t journal, but I do consistently journal. I’ve been doing it for a long time. It was a practice I actually developed.

Anna Levesque
Mm.

Yeah.

Anna Levesque
Sure.

Simone Adams
to help deal with anxiety. And then now it’s a practice that helps me get where I want to go and still process. I think part of the reason for anxiety was not having an outlet to process things that I was experiencing or thinking. And journaling is like downloading stuff off of your hard drive. So I do do it often.

Anna Levesque
Hmm.

Anna Levesque
Hmm.

Anna Levesque
Right. Yeah. It sounds like you have built a lot of self-awareness. You when you say, you know, exactly when you’re not journaling is because you’re hiding something from yourself. And so then when you, how did you build your self-awareness around that? And when you notice that, do you challenge yourself to journal? Do you just kind of wait until

you’re drawn back towards it. What’s your, can you say more about that?

Simone Adams
Yeah, and good questions. And now I have to like, my secrets. So I actually don’t, I think that the self-awareness has been like a slow evolution. And so I can’t pick the moment that I realized I am very self-aware in a way that like therapy is hard for me because the therapist is like, great idea. Like the therapist wants to learn from me.

Anna Levesque
You

Simone Adams
But it’s still a way to process, It’s still like, sometimes I just need to talk it out. And it’s the same for journaling. And so I don’t know when it happened, but it has been a slow process because I remember younger versions of myself that really didn’t know how to cope with, for example, I’m an introvert, but I didn’t know this until I was well into my thirties because all of my friends were extroverts, my family extroverts. And so I thought that was the way I was supposed to function.

and didn’t honor that, I actually need time by myself to recharge. So yeah, there was a younger version of me not self-aware. And then there’s that process of evolution. And when I find myself going through a period where, say I’m not journaling and I know that for a minute I’m not aware of it, and then I’ll realize, I’m not journaling and this is what I don’t wanna deal with. And I make a decision.

Do I need to deal with it right now and I need to like really sit down and journal or is it okay if I just give myself some space and some grace and wait until the moment hits me when I’m ready to confront it. So it varies.

Anna Levesque
Good.

Anna Levesque
Yeah, I think that’s, I love that you shared that. And there is something, I think, well, I can only speak for myself, but as a type A personality also, there’s been times where I’ve pushed myself, you know, to your example of you thought being an extrovert was how you’re supposed to function. Sometimes I could put pressure on myself like,

to paddle certain rivers because I should, because I was a pro kayaker. And I remember I got really scared for, I’ve been kayaking for 30 years. So there’s been a lot of time, different time periods. At one point I had been paddling really hard stuff, like class five, and then I got scared and I just wanted to paddle class three. And I did that for, I don’t know, like maybe a couple of years. And I remember the moment when

I was on a class three run and I was, it just hit me like, actually want to be scared again. Like I want that challenge. And it was so actually wonderful to want that rather than to be hard on myself, pushing myself like you need to be paddling class four. And then when I got on class four, I paddled that for a while and then it hit me again, like, I could get back on this class five run that I really enjoyed at the time.

And that was just so much more fun, joyful, pleasant than, you know, forcing myself to do something that I wasn’t ready for. And I love to your point of manifestation because, you know, sometimes in the, that world, which, you know, that I get a lot out of the world, yoga, all of that, is sometimes there’s this idea of, of, it’s just bliss, light and love, and I don’t have to do anything, you know, and then you,

walk out of the yoga studio and you can be an a-hole or what, don’t know. That’s an extreme example. So there’s the idea of one of, you don’t wanna sit around wishing and hoping that things will happen because that’s not how reality works. And at the same time on the other side of it, to your point is like, do…

Simone Adams
Yes.

Simone Adams
Mm-mm.

Anna Levesque
Sometimes pushing too hard is not the answer either. Finding that sweet spot where you’re paying attention and taking action when, I don’t know, you get, I don’t know, not get a sign, but you feel like it, I guess, or you’re getting the message.

Simone Adams
Yeah.

Simone Adams
Yeah, that sweet spot where you don’t pull, because the not pushing yourself is something I had to learn too. I like I said, I pushed myself to be an extrovert because I thought this was normal. And then I realized normal is overrated. But sometimes too, we don’t know and we do push ourselves because it seems like it aligns. Even your

Anna Levesque
Right.

Simone Adams
like the idea of being scared and like, you doing the class five and where I sit in loving all things outdoors. Sometimes I think I’m supposed to do the adrenaline thing and I’m supposed to do the challenge thing because like, isn’t that what you do in this space? And then very recently, I realized that I had some things that were on my bucket list that no longer made sense for me. I’m like, I don’t think I’m that person anymore.

if you can see jumbo but I’m gonna share this is this is my adventure cat this is jumbo- so he camps and hikes with me now too- but yeah. I said camps and hikes but he has been in a kayak he had he does have his own PFD so. There he right because he has to have a PFD- yeah he’s he is kayaks with me he’s not a- he’s not a fan of it but-

Anna Levesque
hehe

Cute jumbo. Wait, did say he kayaks with you?

Camped okay, like what? Of course yes

Anna Levesque
Right? So cute. That’s awesome. Sorry I interrupted you with Jumbo, but you were saying that.

Simone Adams
He’s actually really calm on the water. It’s the getting in and out of the boat he hates.

Yeah.

Simone Adams
That’s okay. had to like Jumbo’s important here. He’s my I know in my bio you said that I I Road tripped with a cat and a dog and that was in 20 now that was in 29th. That was in 2018 goodness So I was in 2018 and neither of those the that was Bella and Josie and they’re no longer with me and Jumbo’s been in my life for about three years now and he is my adventure buddy. So

Anna Levesque
I hear you.

Anna Levesque
sweet i love it yay i love it furry furry adventure buddies yeah i have a small dog she’s a schnoodle and she has been and she’s almost 14 and she’s so spry she still will come on my paddleboard with me yeah same thing she doesn’t she doesn’t love it but she also doesn’t hate it so

Simone Adams
Yeah.

Simone Adams
Simone Adams
I love that.

Simone Adams
We just make them do the things we want to do.

Anna Levesque
I know, I know.

Yeah, and you were saying that you were talking about that, you know, there can be, I don’t know, pressure or you put, there are things on your bucket list that are no longer on there that because maybe you don’t need to do all the adrenaline stuff.

Simone Adams
Yeah.

Simone Adams
I don’t. know, age has played a little bit of a role in what I want to challenge myself with. But I was thinking. So when I first met you, I was like, well, I need to learn how to whitewater kayak and go off of waterfalls. And now I’m OK with not going off of a waterfall. I’m happy to whitewater kayak, but I don’t think I need to go off of a waterfall.

Anna Levesque
Sure.

Anna Levesque
Sure.

Right, well, yeah. Never say never. And there’s, you know, there’s a lot to do and have fun on between class two and waterfall. You know what I mean? Like there’s… Yeah.

Simone Adams
I think so yeah let me and then ask me again in another few years when I’m like yes that’s what I want to do because now I’ve worked myself up to that yeah maybe a baby water.

Anna Levesque
Yeah, a baby waterfall with a nice soft landing. You know, that could be fun. That I just, there was, when I used to run trips in Mexico, this was several years ago, there was a river called the Acto Pan and that we, there was a, just a beautiful little slide. You never actually disconnected from the rock, but it was like pretty tall, like 15 feet or feet. And it was, so it was like a big slide in your kayak. It was pretty fun.

Simone Adams
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Anna Levesque
You know, they do exist around. Yeah. With a big flat pool at the bottom. So, you know. Yeah. Yeah. Right.

Simone Adams
Nice.

Simone Adams
That’s what, yeah, I think that’s where I need to the flat pull at the bottom. But yeah, I think that happened, especially in the outdoor world and outdoor recreation. And there’s so many things that are adrenaline-focused or not always adrenaline-focused either. Sometimes it’s just like the challenge. And I would love to hike a long section of the AT, but I don’t need to hike the whole AT.

Anna Levesque
Mm-hmm.

Simone Adams
and I want to hike it at my leisure. You know, just things that I think my version of them now looks a little bit different than they did before. So also adjusting, like, yeah, I’m still interested in this, but not the way that everybody else is. And here’s how it fits for me.

Anna Levesque
Yeah, I think that’s so important in enjoying the outdoors, the outdoor industry within kayaking as well. And I feel that way, when I was competing and I was, when I was competing at the height of my competitive career, I was really good. I was one of the top female competitors and I really…

didn’t love competition. I loved everything around competition. I loved the community, like world, know, competing at the world championships is so fun. You meet people from all over the world. You get to paddle together, you know, meet each other, have fun. I love the training because I love kayaking. That the actual act of competition was always my discomfort zone. And of course there’s things there for me to learn, right? And grow. There was all…

Simone Adams
Mm.

Anna Levesque
bless you, you’re good. There are always things there for me to learn and grow. And so, well, then when I started teaching, I was like, ooh, this is, I mean, it was really, I felt it. I love seeing others progress and sharing what I know and holding space for people.

Simone Adams
so sorry.

Anna Levesque
to actually, mean, that’s important for me to have people show up just as they are, not needing to feel like they need to run the gnar, quote unquote gnar, you know, to like have fun. so I know that’s what, I mean, and that’s from my understanding of color outdoors, you know, that’s what you’re doing for folks of color in the outdoors is show up as you are. And it doesn’t have to look a certain way.

Simone Adams
Yeah.

Simone Adams
Yeah.

Simone Adams
That’s so important and it gets lost a lot of times and even sometimes you sort of know it but acting on it still feels different. I think with Color My Outdoors, just getting people to be okay, I’ve been outside, I’ve been enjoying the outdoors all of my life. My dad introduced me to outdoor recreation, right?

But even before that, I just loved the outdoors. We had a creek that ran through our backyard and there was this exploration and curiosity that would drive me to want to be outdoors and just explore. And then as an adult or even as a young adult, camping and hiking and sharing that with other people who look like me would often be concerned. Like we don’t do that. I’m like, well, I do.

Anna Levesque
Mm-hmm.

Simone Adams
And so I tell people a lot of times, one of the things that I’ve realized in this work with Color My Outdoors, with some people who haven’t had an introduction to the outdoors, getting them to let go of the stereotypes about themselves is harder than another culture letting go of the stereotypes about us. And so that’s been interesting for me to be in a space to introduce the outdoors. It’s really a thing of like reconnecting and remembering, and that’s what I try to get them to understand.

this existed for you before you lived in this moment. your ancestors were in the outdoors. There was a connection to the land and most of us have become disconnected and so it’s reconnecting. And that helps some people get past that moment of thinking that something doesn’t belong to them. But also it is just showing up however you can and however makes sense for you.

Some things look intimidating because the only times that we see these activities, say in media, looks, you know, it is the, when I say kayaking, I think people automatically assume whitewater kayaking, because that’s what they see in media, right? And so then to explain like, no, it’s, my first trip was on a blackwater river that, my first solo trip was on a blackwater river that,

Anna Levesque
Right. Yeah.

Simone Adams
I even had to learn myself what a Blackwater River was and that there was no current and I had to do all the work of paddling. And so, learned my lesson there. But letting people know like there are stages to this and it can look however you want and you can come to this and however feels comfortable. You don’t have to go and buy all the latest gear to start out. Because trust me, once you get into it, you’re gonna spend way too much money on that gear. But just stepping into it.

Anna Levesque
I know.

Anna Levesque
All right.

Simone Adams
what’s comfortable for you and just showing up in whatever way makes sense for you. And then getting other people to understand that’s how we introduce people to this as well. And so not shaming somebody for not having the right shoes. Now, granted, don’t wear shoes that are dangerous, but you don’t have to have hiking shoes to go on a hike. can wear sneakers, tennis shoes. Yes, you still need a PFD, but it doesn’t have to be the…

Anna Levesque
Yeah.

Anna Levesque
Right.

Simone Adams
most expensive one at the store you can you know you can go to Walmart and get a PFD and so. It’s it’s it’s understanding there are different price points and finding that entry point for people is really important.

Anna Levesque
Yeah, I agree. it is something that’s, you know, the hiking shoe thing is I find fascinating because, yeah, I used to, when I first started getting more into the outdoors, in terms of like, buying gear, and I was hiking, I always thought, and I think my, maybe it’s my dad had drilled this into me, like you need

hiking boots if you’re going to go hiking. And so at first I would always buy hiking boots. now, granted, I’m not doing big backpacking trips. So, but you know, going on a day hike, I’m totally fine with my running shoes. Like me, I have trail runner or trail shoes, you know, but yeah, I always thought that was interesting. And you know what is also interesting in that I think of my father-in-law who started

Simone Adams
Yes!

Anna Levesque
kayaking in the 60s. He’s one of the, you he did a bunch of first descents for whitewater kayaking and forever, like he grew up making his own boats, like back in the day before there were like readily available. It’s like he would make it, they would make fiberglass boats. They kayaked in wool sweaters. And he did that, he did that for a long time and he’s a big sustainability guy. So he would,

Simone Adams
wow.

Simone Adams
Yes.

Anna Levesque
bee paddling in wool sweaters when everyone else had technical gear, but he was really good. You know, he’s really good. So there are folks out there who have been doing it for a long time who actually also kind of buck that whole trend of you need all this technical gear because they were doing it before all of this technical gear existed. You know what I mean? So there’s, so I just find it is interesting. And you know, you mentioned earlier, you’re, said,

Simone Adams
great.

Anna Levesque
you something about normal, like what is normal. And recently I heard something that I thought resonated with me, normal, there is no normal. The better word to use is common, like what’s common, which takes it, just because something’s common doesn’t mean that it’s the right or wrong or whatever thing. And when,

Simone Adams
Mm-hmm.

Simone Adams
Yes.

Anna Levesque
I think framing it that way, like, yes, it’s common. Some folks really love all the technical gear and that’s great. It’s kind of like when I think of fashion, which I’m not that interested in, but I can’t take it away from people that that’s their passion. They get really excited about fashion and all that, which is great. Same thing with folks who get really excited about gear and it is not the…

Simone Adams
Yeah.

Anna Levesque
Although it may be common to have technical care, it’s not what you need. You can do all of this stuff with, like you said, a PFD from Walmart. And then yes, maybe as you get more experience, maybe you’ll be like, this one isn’t as comfortable. Maybe I would like to upgrade to something else now that I have more knowledge.

Simone Adams
Right. Yeah. And I think too, when you think like, especially when people are trying something, I mean, first of all, I love gear libraries where people can or, you know, introductory programs where people don’t have to invest and they can try something to see if they like it, because who wants to invest in a $200 PFD if you don’t know that this is going to be the thing for you. So gear libraries and other ways that people can try sort of

Anna Levesque
Right.

Simone Adams
try the skill and therefore use equipment to have their introduction to skill. I think that is so, so, so important. And also one of the reasons why I think for those of us who do engage in an activity to remember the way that we introduce others is to offer up like, hey, I have an extra kayak. Do you want to come out with me? Because I think that’s one of the reasons why I

communities of color, like we’re just beginning to get in these spaces because for so long, we didn’t have the friends who did this. We didn’t have anybody to say, hey, do you want to come and try this? And now there are a lot of programs that are introducing people and, know, you can try something and get hooked, which is what happened with me in kayaking. And, and then I can now bring people along. And like we said, you know, I went from trying and, and

going through courses where I was able to use a boat from the provider to buy my first like $300 Pelican at Dick’s Sporting Goods to getting my first or origami kayak to I think I have four kayaks now. So like, yes, we get into this and and it’s it’s something I would love the outdoor industry to think about too, as we talk about

Anna Levesque
Nice.

Simone Adams
know, the economy and outdoor economy is if you give people an introduction point, this stuff is addictive. We’ll spend the money. We just need to be introduced to it to know like that this is something I feel safe in. This is something I am interested in. This is something I’m good at. Whatever it is that we need to know so that we can start doing this thing.

Anna Levesque
Hmm.

Anna Levesque
Mm-hmm.

Anna Levesque
Yeah, yeah. How is it when you are, you know, bought your first kayak? Was there any discomfort in actually going in and purchasing gear, you know, throughout your evolution?

Simone Adams
yes. So it took me a long time because there’s so, there’s, so much out there. So I, and I can go down rabbit holes on the internet and I did trying to research and, and what’s a good beginner price point kayak. Cause at the time I knew I liked it. I didn’t know how much of it I would do. And so I didn’t want to spend a lot of money, but I wanted to have more access to it.

and watching, reading articles, watching videos. And I wish I could tell you who it was, but I remember it was finally a video that I found. It was a gentleman who owned a kayak store and he took out five beginner kayaks and talked through each one. How comfortable is it? How stable is it? Does it do the thing?

And he owned a kayak shop where he didn’t sell any of these, but he explained, if I can get you into your beginner kayak, eventually you’ll make your way to my store and you’ll buy these upgraded kayaks. And he was totally right. but he gave me what I needed to feel comfortable to say, okay, this is, this is the kayak that I want. That’s going to make me feel comfortable. And I actually really did love that kayak for a long time until

where I’m at now and for the distance paddling that I’ve done, I should not probably use that word because I know there are people paddling much further distances. But for me, it became too heavy and too cumbersome. So I realized, okay, I’m past this one and I want something else, especially when I need to be able to maneuver quickly. so then I upgraded and I also struggled to get it. I have a pickup truck and

Anna Levesque
Yeah.

Simone Adams
And at the time I wasn’t putting it in the bed, I was putting it up on the roof and I didn’t have the arm strength after I’ve been paddling all day to get that kayak up there. And so I then found the Oru kayak and having being able to fold that up and just throw it in the backseat, changed things for me. so now I kayak more often. It’s not the right price point for some people and maybe others. I know a lot of people have looked at me in that thing and been afraid for me and I’m like, no, it’s.

Anna Levesque
Good day.

Simone Adams
legit kayak it works really well but it’s what works for me because of the mobility of it and I kayak more because it’s so convenient for me to take wherever I need to go.

Anna Levesque
Yeah, yeah, and you’re really pointing, you’re pointing to, again, the gear piece, you know, and finding what works for you without feeling like you need, like you should have something. Also the, it is, the discomfort of all of it, is, it is a challenge and it’s tough in the outdoor industry because the,

Simone Adams
Yeah.

Anna Levesque
boats, that because gear is expensive to make a lot of the time. There’s kayaks, there’s molds that you like for plastic kayaks, there’s molds. It’s just there’s a lot that goes into it, design, molds, materials, all the outfitting and all this is for especially whitewater kayaks. that

You know, and I don’t have any, I don’t have an answer. Like the gear libraries are one, you need folks who are really motivated to run it and have the time or the, you know, make it sustainable. There’s the cost of all the gear, you know, cause kayaking, it’s the boat, the paddle, the PFD, the car, as you just mentioned, or racks, right? Like racks are 500 bucks, you know, for a

Simone Adams
Mm-hmm.

Simone Adams
Yeah. Yep.

Yes.

Anna Levesque
And so, yeah, on the one hand, having been in the industry a long time, I know that the industry right now is struggling and it’s not, like, there’s not huge, people think there are huge margins on some of this stuff and there actually aren’t. And then on the other, so it’s like, well, how, and it’s for Whitewater, for tiny Whitewater kayaking specifically, it’s also a very niche market.

Simone Adams
Mm-hmm.

Simone Adams
Yeah.

Anna Levesque
Like you look at mountain biking, it’s like huge climbing, huge kayaking, small compared to that. So it’s, I don’t know. I don’t know what you’ve discovered in your work and your advocacy.

Simone Adams
Mm-hmm.

Simone Adams
Yeah, I think…

Simone Adams
It’s, and you’re right, kayaking is a little bit, well, even though I told you I have four kayaks now, because I think once you find the boat you like, you’re less likely to get, you can stay with it for a while. I just, so my last one that I bought was when I was getting my kayak instructor certification, my, my Wuru is 12 feet and I needed something that was 10 feet or under for the L2 and,

I also knew that I wanted to do a little bit more, but I wasn’t ready for a whitewater kayak, and nor was I ready to spend all the money on a new kayak. And so I went on Facebook Marketplace, which was again intimidating, because now I’m moving into a different type of kayak that I don’t really know very well, and what do I do? And on Facebook Marketplace, I don’t have as much choice in looking at what’s available. But I did buy a Jackson Karma.

So a hybrid sort of creek thing that works for me in where I am right now, right? This is my where I am in my journey on the water and I Love it. I’m still trying to stay straight. It definitely wants to turn me around and I’m like, no, what did I do wrong? But I was able to get my l2 in so, you know, there’s that I did good enough but that process of of trying to figure out when I was

Anna Levesque
Thanks.

Anna Levesque
Yeah.

Anna Levesque
Yeah.

Simone Adams
moving to the next thing. It was so hard. But now that I have it, so I’ve got my 12 foot that I can take on rivers and up to class twos, the Oru. And now I’ve got this creek hybrid and so I’m good for a while. And so I think that’s part of the thing that happens with the industry a little bit is once we spend a lot of money on gear, you do get to a point where you don’t have to upgrade for a while. And then…

Anna Levesque
Mm-hmm.

Simone Adams
And then, know, economy woes, you have to make decisions about what to spend money on. And this definitely becomes like one of those luxury items. And, you know, it’s not luxury price, but it’s just luxury in terms of it’s not a it’s not necessary. So, yeah, that’s sort of those economy woes. it investing in good quality stuff. That’s the other thing is when things are made really well, you don’t have to keep buying them. So if I had bought something at Wal-Mart.

Anna Levesque
Mm-hmm.

Anna Levesque
Yeah.

Simone Adams
I have had to buy more, when you buy quality, and please, industry, don’t start making poor quality stuff. That’s not what I’m saying. But they do last you.

Anna Levesque
no. Yeah. No, it’s true. That’s what’s tough about the kayaking world. I would say it’s a discomfort because in the bike world you can upgrade lighter, you can upgrade components to an existing bike. Like there’s so much in that, you know, in kayaking. Yeah. Once you have a solid plastic boat, it lasts for years, you know.

Simone Adams
Mm-hmm.

Simone Adams
Yeah, yeah.

Anna Levesque
So there’s about not going straight, which is, know, whitewater boats, anything, even a hybrid that has a whitewater hull, the bottom of the boat, you know, they’re designed to turn. I always tell my students that like, you’ve got to be okay with it because that’s you’re not doing anything wrong. They’re designed to turn. So when you’re whitewater kayaking, you’re either stopping, constantly stopping the spin or enhancing the spin.

Like when we talk about paddling forward, it’s actually like micro movements of stopping the spin, which when you get good and have experience with it, yes, it feels like paddling forward, but it’s never actually paddling forward, not like a sea kayak that’s like super long and has a displacement hole that’s more designed to displace water and like go straight. So yeah.

Yeah. Bless you. I know. Yes. No, you’re good. You’re good. So what has been a discomfort zone for you in getting more folks out on the water? You talked a little bit about kind of, these are my words.

Simone Adams
outside in these allergies. I hope you got through that last point because I like that point. So sorry with that.

Anna Levesque
know, debunking the stereotypes they have about themselves. Is there anything else that comes up for you that feels uncomfortable or where you’re faced with challenge?

Simone Adams
Yeah.

Simone Adams
Well, once you get past the debunking, debunking those stereotypes and then there’s addressing fears. And so that exists, that’s very real in, I mean, for all people and then for communities of color, there are additional fears added on to the general fears, right? And some of those fears are passed down to us, know, generational trauma.

Anna Levesque
Mm-hmm.

Simone Adams
And so some of those fears and ideologies are passed down to us. And so one of the things that I ask people, when they do have a fear of something, just of nature, right? I will ask the question, have you had an experience that gave you that fear? Because it’s something that gets people to think, like, wait, did I experience it or did somebody tell me to fear this? Did somebody give me, did I inherit this fear?

Anna Levesque
Hmm

Anna Levesque
Mm-hmm.

Simone Adams
So it’s interesting when that happens and people, you see them go through that thought process. Did I inherit the sphere or does it truly belong to me because I experienced something? And then there’s the thing, and this is for anybody, but people who experienced something when they were really young and they haven’t reprocessed it as an adult. And so I talked to somebody the other day and she, you know, it’s…

it’s ladybug season here right now and so there’s tons of ladybugs. And she told me she was afraid of ladybugs, which I thought was like, who’s afraid of ladybugs? But she had a terrible experience when she was young and she’s never reprocessed it as an adult to let go of that fear. And so there’s those things that we have to do. have to, know, letting go of fears becomes this process that we need to do and analyze where the fear comes from and how do I feel about it now. So that’s always interesting.

Anna Levesque
Good.

Simone Adams
Then there is the other part of this is giving somebody the skillset, which this is one of the things that we focus on with Color My Outdoors. So we are starting a program in the spring called No Parent, actually just next year, not spring, called No Parent Left Behind. There are a ton of organizations that will engage the youth in the outdoors. And the goal is to connect

connect youth to nature.

But that is a very limited moment in that child’s life if you haven’t given the skill set to the parents so that the parents can engage their own children in nature outside of that organization. And so we’ll be introducing these parent-based and family-based introductory skill programs so that parents can just enjoy these things that their kids may have developed a love for.

I’ve done this a couple of times as a one-off event. We worked with Nanahala Outdoor Center at their Chattahoochee Outpost in Atlanta to do a family river day. And they offered up their equipment for free. We brought out some folks who could help people. We just let them free paddle and it was paddle boards and kayaks and tandem kayaks. And we gave them lessons so they can get on the water safely and then just let them have fun and experience it.

It was really beautiful to see. Wait, can we cut that? The nose is running.

Anna Levesque
Yeah, yep. You just start over from that one. If you need to go blow your nose or something, that’s fine. Take your time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Do that. Yep.

Simone Adams
Alright, sorry.

I’m gonna go grab a tissue, yes, thank you.

Simone Adams
Okay, I’m sorry to make you have to do video editing.

Anna Levesque
Yeah, no problem. No problem at all.

Simone Adams
Okay, I’m gonna start Nana Hale Algonquist Center.

Anna Levesque
Yeah, you were saying it was, you were starting to say it was beautiful something to see.

Simone Adams
Okay, it was beautiful to see kids experiencing something they hadn’t experienced, but with their parents. And so, you know this can continue. It’s not this one moment. One, the parents now know the location that they can come back to enjoy this activity again. And that’s important because sometimes people just don’t know where to go. And two, they get to see how much they’re in that moment.

seeing how their kids enjoy it. remember one family actually held their daughter’s birthday party at this event, which was really amazing. And so all the friends came out and the parents as well. And the kids were on the water and this one girl yells to the other girls and she’s like, it feels like we’re on vacation. And I just loved that moment and to see the joy that they had, cause they’re paddle boarding. A couple were on kayaks, Mrs. and we’re on paddle boards.

Anna Levesque
Yeah.

Simone Adams
And of course they had never been on paddle boards before. And then the parents are also feeling safe. So the parents can see what their children are doing. And then the parents are learning how to paddle board because, you know, in order for a family to engage in something like that, without the parent having the skill, the options are to always let them go off with a third party to do it or…

the most parents are not gonna do to let the child go by themselves and the parents on shore. Most parents are never gonna do that. They’re not gonna send their child into a space that they couldn’t save them if they needed to. And that’s just that responsibility and that safety of the parent. And so if we don’t give the parents the skillset, the kids only get this opportunity with a third party. But in this instance, it’s a really beautiful family activity and then something that they can do and…

And then it becomes something like instead of the amusement park, it’s like, let’s go paddleboard on the Chattahoochee.

Anna Levesque
Yeah, that’s awesome. It sounds like a great event. Yeah, love that. Love the joy. And it’s true when you said that it feels like on vacation. That is the beauty of it, right? You know, it is like a space getting outside away from like, what’s normal, actually, if we bring it back to what we were talking about, you know, and just giving your mind and body a break. Yeah.

Simone Adams
Thanks.

Simone Adams
It is.

Simone Adams
Yes. Yeah. And I mean, I love being outdoors. It is for me, it’s it’s also it’s a bit of a sanctuary. Like it’s just get rid of not have to deal with all the all the things. But for, you know, for parents, it’s a great way to get their kids off the screen and yet still engage them. And, you know, it’s full body movement. mean, there’s so many benefits of being outside and just

Anna Levesque
Yeah.

Simone Adams
the norm or the common thing has become so different and we’re, like I said earlier, we’re so disconnected from the land and we’re so attached to devices and to have this moment and share this moment with somebody who has been functioning in that common space for so long, they didn’t even realize that these were available, these options were available to them. And that’s what’s really beautiful. Cause I think for most people that I’ve seen, once you introduce them to the outdoors, if you introduce them in a way that feels safe and joyful.

they will continue to do it. Yeah.

Anna Levesque
Yeah, yeah, for sure. There is something, hold on, I, that you said, what I was thinking also is, I also think introducing more folks to,

water sports also creates like water awareness, water safety, you know, that those are, that’s such good information for people to know. Because, I mean, I remember when I was younger and I was just introduced to whitewater, I was working at a local rafting company in my early, my late teens, early 20s. And I decided to take

Simone Adams
yeah.

Anna Levesque
my younger brother who was very, who was young at the time and his friends, I was like, let’s go swimming in the river. It’s super cool. And now I think back about that. And I was just really lucky that nothing like I have, we were swimming across the current in a very narrow spot. but still, I mean, I think back before I knew much about water safety and that, that whole, that whole moment, I’m like,

What was I thinking? Well, I didn’t know. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Even though I had just started working at a rafting company, I was working in the kitchen. So it was, I was not raft guiding. It was not glamorous. And so yeah, just having water because yes, people will go down by the river to fish, to like hang out, to wade. And then you think then having a knowledge of like what to do. Anyway, I think that’s really

Simone Adams
Right.

Simone Adams
Hmm.

Anna Levesque
or even reading the water, understanding current even just a little bit is such a beautiful skill. I remember when someone told me, know, oh, you’re learning as a raft guide, you’re learning to read water. It’s such a cool skill that not everyone develops. you look at a flowing water and you see something different than, you know, other people. I just thought that was really cool. It’s like a little form of magic, you know?

Simone Adams
Yes.

Simone Adams
Yeah.

Simone Adams
Yes, I loved that learning to read the water has been so

empowering I think and it is does feel magical you you know something you can you see what’s not there which is really really cool.

Anna Levesque
Yeah, exactly. And, you know, I hear all this recently, I’ve been listening to, I don’t know, books about organization, leadership, neuroplasticity. People talk a lot about pattern recognition, AI, like pattern recognition. It’s so important. Well, part of learning to read water is pattern recognition. So you’re actually strengthening or flexing that muscle of the mind to be able to recognize patterns.

and be able to navigate them, which is pretty cool. Like that came to me this year. was like, you know, reading water is pattern recognition. so maybe, I don’t know, I don’t have science to back me up here, but it could be helping in other cognitive functions in terms of pattern recognition in other areas of life.

Simone Adams
Yeah.

Simone Adams
It is.

Simone Adams
I that idea.

Anna Levesque
Yeah, me too. I have zero to back it up, but or science but love water.

Simone Adams
Yup. Yes. I like that. We’ll go with it. Alright, give me one more second. I have to do the thing. Sorry. This is what sitting outside in beautiful weather does to you.

Anna Levesque
Yep, yep, go for it. No problem.

Anna Levesque
I know. Yeah, no problem at all.

Simone Adams
Okay.

Anna Levesque
Okay, do you have a question for me, Simone?

Simone Adams
Yes, I do. So we met a few years ago at the Women’s Paddle Fest at Nana Hale Outdoor Center and that was such a powerful weekend for me. First of all, remember I’m the introvert. So me doing a large group event like that rarely ever happens. And I want to share with you, separate my question, I want to share with you that I made some friendships that weekend that I still have and that was at least three years ago.

Anna Levesque
Yeah.

Simone Adams
and so it was really beautiful for, somebody who doesn’t allow myself those opportunities for those large group events to do that and then come away. One, I was never drained that weekend. felt really just easy. And then the relationships that I’ve developed, some are simple friendships. Some are, are folks that I now get to work with and color my outdoors. And so that’s been really great.

But that was when I had first heard about your concept of, you know, the whole thing that brings you to your term of the mindfulness paddle. And I’m super big on mindfulness. And I loved that it felt like this clash of, you know, the chaos of white water, but yet the common intentionality that I think of with mindfulness. I just wanted to hear how you

came to that because it sat with me then and it sits with me still.

Anna Levesque
Hmm. Yeah, my first answer is like, I don’t know. You know, and I’m like, wow, that’s a great question. I think that mindfulness helps me to navigate the chaos of whitewater. I mean, that’s one of my strategies to be able to pull over in an eddy above a rapid or in the middle of a rapid and take a deep breath.

Simone Adams
Hahaha!

Simone Adams
Mmm.

Anna Levesque
scan my body, remind myself that I trust myself. so I think that’s, and I think I’m also an Ayurvedic health coach and I really love Ayurveda. Are you familiar with Ayurveda? Yeah. So I have a part of my, I have a strong Kapha dosha, which is earth water. It’s like Kapha Pitta. So I have that fire as well.

Simone Adams
I am.

Anna Levesque
calmness. mean, a lot of sometimes people are like, do you get excited because you’re so like, mellow in like, that’s one of my superpowers is to be able to stay calm. But it’s just I feel like part of my constitution of like, I’m not gonna, it also means that sometimes I move a little slower. But having that calm presence.

Simone Adams
Hmm.

Anna Levesque
taking time to assess and not making a huge deal out of it. Now, I say that and I’m sure my husband would have plenty of examples where I move too fast. so I don’t know, but mindfulness is a strategy for slowing things down. And also whitewater kayaking,

I think what’s one of the, what makes it special is that it brings you into the present moment. You can’t be, I mean, if you’re thinking about like later dinner or the problem you have while you’re running a rapid, you’ll probably end up flipping or being, taking the wrong line and ending up on rocks or something like, but if you’re present clearing the mind of

Simone Adams
Yeah, that’s good.

Simone Adams
Yeah.

Anna Levesque
Everything except the path that you’re taking and that pattern recognition like focusing on the pattern recognition right in front of you It helps you navigate. Yeah And I also love to like in turn so believe it or not. I do not love big events either Simone I I rarely go as a participant to big events and

Simone Adams
Yeah, reading the signs.

Simone Adams
Hahaha!

Anna Levesque
I love women’s paddle fest. So being in that leadership position is actually more comfortable for me. And I like to, I don’t know, I say the word hold space and that, you know, I think I know what that means, but like setting the tone and creating a space where folks can show up just as they are. So, you know, I feel more comfortable.

Simone Adams
Yeah.

Anna Levesque
I guess that’s control freak part of me, like setting the tone and then like showing up in a space with a ton of people. I didn’t realize I was an introvert, introvert either until later in life when I realized, maybe it’s not normal to feel so drained. And like I would get to points like in a big gathering where I wasn’t really, I was fake listening to people and I did not like that. I didn’t like to be that person. That’s not who I wanted to be.

but I didn’t have the capacity anymore. was because I was, I needed a recharge, you know.

Simone Adams
Yeah, yeah, think too, because the way that, the way that I think society understands an introvert is somebody who is shy. And shyness isn’t my issue. I mean, it can come over me at times, but shyness isn’t my issue. It’s that thing of energy and the drain that I feel from being around large groups versus the rejuvenation I feel from being by myself.

Anna Levesque
Mm-hmm

Simone Adams
You know, some people are energized by the social interactions and it’s the exact opposite for us as introverts and shyness is like another part like you can be an introvert and not be shy or you can be an introvert and be shy and not understanding that the two were not the same. It just took me a long time to understand why do I always feel this way? I also had to become that person who would

Anna Levesque
Yeah.

Anna Levesque
Yeah.

Simone Adams
back out of things at the last minute because in my body I was like, there’s no way I can do this. And so I would back out and I didn’t like that. I, you know, I gained that reputation for being flaky. And so I had to understand, this is who I am. Let me say my nose up front. So that was self-awareness.

Anna Levesque
Mmm.

Anna Levesque
Yeah.

Anna Levesque
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I’m thanks for sharing all that. No, you’re good. Yeah. Thanks for sharing all that. And I’m glad that when you found Women’s Paddle Fest to be a space where you could, you know, have fun, maybe even relax, do cool stuff and meet amazing people. Yeah. They’re amazing women show up to that event. I love it. Yeah.

Simone Adams
Sorry.

Okay, go ahead.

Simone Adams
Yeah.

They really do.

Anna Levesque
What do you have a few before I because I have one more question and then I want to go into rapid fire we get on time Okay, so what have you learned about yourself through Navigating discomfort throughout your life and through you know in the outdoors with outdoor activities Just in general and in this navigating your discomfort zone. What have you learned about yourself?

Simone Adams
Okay. Yeah.

Simone Adams
That I… That the discomfort going into that place, especially that unfamiliar place, is I need to keep doing it. When I’m too comfortable for too long, I will also become unhappy or discontented, I think might be a better word. But I realized that…

Anna Levesque
Mmm.

Simone Adams
the type of person I am, I am not the type of person who feels good being constantly comfortable. Some people need that and that’s fine. For me, I need to be able to move with the flow. So we can put that on the water too. I need to be able to move with the flow. So I don’t always want to be in the safe space and I do want to go and

be in new spaces, do things that I haven’t done, do things that I don’t know how the outcome is going to be, that is actually how I thrive and how I stay excited about life. And at the same time, there is fear before I get to each point, but I know that I have to move through that fear in order to just stay in a place where I enjoy life and I feel good about each and every day.

Anna Levesque
you

Anna Levesque
Love it. Thanks for sharing that.

Simone Adams
Mm-hmm.

Anna Levesque
Okay, are you ready for rapid fire? Okay, what’s a morning ritual that sets you up for success?

Simone Adams
Yes, yes, yes.

Simone Adams
staying in bed for a while so that I can think before I have to do.

Anna Levesque
Okay, what’s a non-negotiable self-care practice?

Simone Adams
being outside.

Anna Levesque
What motivates you these days?

Simone Adams
being outside.

Anna Levesque
Nice. What do people get wrong about you?

Simone Adams
that I’m sweet and innocent?

Anna Levesque
Okay, throughout the course of your life, have you felt like the underdog or the favorite to win?

Simone Adams
bit of both, but maybe more often favorite to win.

Anna Levesque
Okay, hard moves in easy water or flooding?

Simone Adams
prefer hard moves, but I think I find myself in the flood a lot.

Anna Levesque
Develop good skills in the floods, right? mean, yeah. So now it’s good to be in a flooding situation where you’re not sure what to do and you choose something and then it builds confidence and trust in yourself, you know?

Simone Adams
Yeah.

Simone Adams
Yeah, that’s a good one.

Anna Levesque
Okay, what’s one word that describes your comfort zone?

Simone Adams
New?

Anna Levesque
Okay. Freedom through discipline or I do what I want. Okay, and then in one word, what do you hope your legacy will be?

Simone Adams
I do what I want.

Simone Adams
Do what you want. that’s more than one word. Free.

Anna Levesque
That’s okay. Free. Love it. It’s Free. Simone, do you have anything else you want to share with our listeners?

Simone Adams
I want to invite listeners to learn more about Color My Outdoors because I think that this work, especially because we focus in the South and this is just a place where communities of color are showing up in the outdoors but still not getting the attention in mainstream media and so

to see the work that’s happening here. We do a lot of storytelling and so sharing the stories of folks who are out here doing the work and I just want to do more to promote all the folks in the South who are already out here in the outdoors and leading more folks into the outdoors and it just feels like a really beautiful thing that’s happening right now and I am honored to be able to give them a platform to share their stories.

Anna Levesque
Hmm. And what is the best way or what are some best ways to get in touch with Color My Outdoors to learn more about y’all?

Simone Adams
Thank you. We are on the web at colormyoutdoors.org and on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube as at colormyoutdoors, S on the end of outdoors. Yeah, check us out.

Anna Levesque
Awesome. Yeah, and I’ll put the links up in the show notes so folks can easily access those links. So I really appreciate you being on the show. Thanks for having this conversation with me. And I look forward to you getting out on the water with you again sometime.

Simone Adams
Yes.

Simone Adams
Yes, I am looking forward to it. Now especially that I have my creek boat and I’m ready to do a little bit more.

Anna Levesque
I know, totally. Ready for the, have you paddled the Nana Haley yet? In.

Simone Adams
Yes, a couple of times and I absolutely once in the Creek Boat once in I don’t remember what the other boat was and then I’ve done their duckies many times but yeah yeah I love it it’s a it’s a fun one I do have a very funny picture when I was in the Ducky of missing that last rapid before where they catch the picture of you yeah it yeah

Anna Levesque
so you know it yeah

Anna Levesque
Yeah.

Yeah, we all have one. think that I was rafting with a friend and my dog. I don’t actually think you’re supposed to take dogs, but anyways, we did. And I have a photo of my mouth fully open. And it was just so funny. You gotta love those. That’s the other thing, okay? Sometimes being in the outdoors,

isn’t sexy as in the common sexy, you know, I remember I, we were doing a, I was volunteering with a friend in Uganda for a nonprofit. was on malaria education and we were paddling the white Nile and there was a French videographer there who doesn’t kayak. He was filming the project and one day Sesame’s like,

kayaking is really not sexy. He’s like, wear those nose plugs, you’re all covered up, helmet, everything. And I was like, yeah, I guess that’s not really what we’re going for when you’re in the middle of a rapid. Although these, mean, anyway, that’s a whole other conversation, but yeah. So you have to embrace the…

Simone Adams
Yeah.

Anna Levesque
mouth open, water splashing in your eyes, photos, just funny.

Simone Adams
Hey.

Simone Adams
Right, you do. Yeah.

Anna Levesque
That’s part of the fun. Okay, thanks Simone.

Simone Adams
Thank you so much. This is so much fun. I appreciate it.

Anna Levesque
Yeah, it’s good to see you.