In this episode of ‘All Things Endurance Podcast,’ host, Rick Prince chats with Natasha Swartley, a wilderness EMT, trail race medic and ultrarunner. Rick and Natasha discuss the importance of self-autonomy as it relates to endurance athletes, and specifically athletes that are often by themselves in trail-based environments. 

Below are the specific areas that Rick and Natasha chat about during this episode: 

1. Could you tell our listeners a bit more about your background?
2. Due to the increased popularity of trail/ultrarunning, as well as gravel cycling which often takes athletes into remote sections, how important is self-autonomy and secondarily, why is no one really teaching this information to endurance athletes?
3. I’m guessing that a lot of ultra athletes assume that if you’re in a race, there will be assistance in most all areas, but this is not the case. Could you elaborate on this?
4. Should endurance athletes assume that aid station volunteers have the requisite training to handle any medical issue/emergency?
5. What are the most important things to understand and appreciate about self-autonomy as it relates to being an endurance athlete?
6. For an endurance athlete, what are some of the most important things for them to have on their person when venturing out in training or racing?
7. Getting lost is a big fear of most people. What should an athlete do if they become lost in the woods?
8. Is GPS reliable in remote areas? If not, what is a back-up?
9. How important is education as it pertains to self-autonomy and what resources are available to endurance athletes looking to learn more about this?
10. Could you tell our listeners more about your business as it relates to self-autonomy and blister care/management?

To learn more about Natasha, please check out her IG accounts: @thortrailracemedic and @wonderlostunicorn