The Zen Cabin

Athletic Identity and the Injury Action Plan with Josie McKee

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0600

In this episode, seasoned big wall climber, coach, mentor and Education Director for Responder Alliance shares her journey to climbing, injury and discovery of her passion for meaning, mentoring and mindset. Josie shares insights gained through injury loss, and work with athletes of all types. In this episode we'll explore athletic identity, community and the challenges athletes face when injured. Josie goes in-depth to explore the Injury Action Plan, a tool developed by Responder Alliance to support tactical, vocational and avocational athletes facing physical or psychological stress injury.

To learn more about the Responder Alliance Foundation go to www.responderalliancefoundation.org

For more information about Responder Alliance, go to www.responderalliance.com

Responder Alliance utilizes a field based app to support the use of structural tools to deploy field based tools to support themselves and their team mates in remote settings. To learn more about the FieldResponder platform go to www.fieldresponder.com.

NPS Rescue and 'Our Worst Day' plan with Scott Guenther

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 11:00:00 -0600

In this episode, retired Jenny Lake District Ranger Scott Guenther shares his journey to a career as climbing ranger, commissioned officer and leader in on our national parks most iconic mountain ranges. Scott discusses the changes in culture over his long and storied tenure on Grand Teton National Park's short hall team, and his discovery of stress injury as a greater possibility than climbing accidents. Scott shares the story of the 'Doomsday Document,' the plan created for the unlikely but high consequence event that involves on of their own.

For more information about Responder Alliance, go to www.responderalliance.com

To learn more about the Responder Alliance Foundation go to www.responderalliancefoundation.org

For more information about Responder Alliance, go to www.responderalliance.com

Training in Compassion with David Shlim

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 21:00:00 -0600

In this episode, we journey with travel and altitude medicine doctor David Shlim as we journey through his serendipitous journey from mediocre medical student revered travel medicine guru. We'll follow his journey to Everest Base camp, founding of the CIWEC Hospital in Katmandu & physician to the Tibetan Lamas that changed the course of his life.
In this episode we'll talk about how the monks he worked with changed worldview and forever changed his practice of medicine. We'll cover the nature of suffering, the power of training in compassion, and training can alter the impact of burnout, compassion fatigue and stress injury.

To learn more about the Responder Alliance Foundation go to www.responderalliancefoundation.org

For more information about Responder Alliance, go to www.responderalliance.com

If I'd Known: Injured by Stress in Search and Rescue with Charley Shimanski

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 20:00:00 -0600

In this episode, we hear from Veteran Rescuer, Charley Shimanski, as he shares the story of his own journey to understanding stress impact in rescue.

In this episode, we'll hear the story of the 1988 'incident within an incident', when a young Charley Shimanski responded to the loss of a teammate during an extended search. Charley shares the importance of recognition, skillful support of stress impact, and the power of vulnerability and connection in rescue culture.

To learn more about the Responder Alliance Foundation go to www.responderalliancefoundation.org

For more information about Responder Alliance, go to www.responderalliance.com