In paddling and in life, nothing is wasted — every stroke counts, and every experience is money in the bank moving you toward your goal.

In this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Anna Levesque sits down with longtime paddler, coach, and storyteller Anna Bruno — a six-time member of the USA Freestyle Team and current Marketing Communications Manager at NRS.

From pre-competition nerves that literally send her running for the bushes, to redefining her relationship with ego and identity in paddling, Anna Bruno shares the raw and relatable side of navigating discomfort. Together, Anna and Anna dive into:

🤢 Anticipatory fear — why the waiting is often harder than the rapid itself

🏆 Ego and expectations — how comparison can both drive and derail us

🌊 Community over competition — why connection matters more than results

💰 Money in the bank — why every step, even failure, builds toward future success

💡 Lessons from rejection — building resilience through vulnerability

🧘‍♀️ The wisdom of yoga and self-awareness in paddling and beyond

💭 Why Listen If you’ve ever felt held back by nerves, struggled with self-doubt, or questioned your path in paddling or life, this conversation will feel like a breath of fresh river air. Anna Bruno’s down-to-earth wisdom invites you to step past fear, laugh at the ego, and discover the joy of your own path.

👉 Tune in and discover how to embrace discomfort, find your flow, and remember why you fell in love with paddling in the first place.