Base Jumper & Author, Sequoia Schmidt - How Losing Father & Brother in Avalanche Inspired Her
Episode Description
Wow- where do I begin? How can you possibly give just a one paragraph intro to someone who has had such a unique and full on 33 years of life.
Let’s start with the cool stuff: After being born and raised in Napier, Sequoia set up her own publishing company in Texas at 16 and has written best-selling books. She also likes to do extreme stuff in her spare time, like base jumping, skydiving, mountain climbing, and silent retreats.
Then there’s the less glamorous stuff: A tumultuous childhood with family dynamics that can only be described as complicated which saw her end in foster care and ultimately moving to the US to the care of an incredible grandparent. Then losing her dad and brother to an avalanche on K2 in Pakistan in 2013 and going on a mission to find their remains. We discuss how these events reshaped her life and led her to explore her fears and resilience. And the lessons learned from her past.
Oh, and I forgot to mention a lifetime ban from the Warehouse in Hawkes Bay!
There is a lot to unpack with the Sequoia Schmidt story, and there is no way we could do it justice in just one podcast…but we do unpack a lot. I loved this chat and I hope you do too.
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Brief Summary
Sequoia D'Angelo Schmid discusses her childhood, family tragedies, BASE jumping, and her journey through grief and healing in this episode.
Key points
- Return to New Zealand. Discussing the emotional experience of returning to his homeland after years away.
- Fear and Adventure. Exploring the relationship with fear through extreme sports like BASE jumping.
- Parenting Style. Reflecting on his father's unconventional parenting and its impact on his life.
- A Grandfather's Influence. The speaker reflects on the stability provided by their grandfather, who became a father figure.
- Starting a Publishing Company at 16. At just 16, the speaker started their own publishing company, defying expectations.
- Navigating Grief. The speaker discusses the complexities of grief after losing loved ones in a tragic accident.
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Episode highlights
- Return to New ZealandDiscussing the emotional experience of returning to his homeland after years away.“It's super happy.”4:24Sep 18, 2024
- Fear and AdventureExploring the relationship with fear through extreme sports like BASE jumping.“It's really just an exploration of my relationship with my own fear.”8:06Sep 18, 2024
- Parenting StyleReflecting on his father's unconventional parenting and its impact on his life.“His parenting style wasn't conventional.”20:09Sep 18, 2024
- A Grandfather's InfluenceThe speaker reflects on the stability provided by their grandfather, who became a father figure.“He took on a sense of responsibility and stability that should come from a parent.”31:13Sep 18, 2024
- Starting a Publishing Company at 16At just 16, the speaker started their own publishing company, defying expectations.“I just wanted to carve my own name and my own place in this Earth.”34:15Sep 18, 2024
- Navigating GriefThe speaker discusses the complexities of grief after losing loved ones in a tragic accident.“It took a really horrific tragedy to bring me to a point where I was living a life that I was happy with again.”42:08Sep 18, 2024
- The Nature of GriefExploring how sudden loss alters the grieving process compared to a gradual one.“If it’s a sudden accident, it changes the nature of how you grieve.”50:46Sep 18, 2024
- Finding Connection on the RoadA chance encounter leads to a meaningful friendship during a difficult time.“It's funny how sometimes you find people in life when you both need each other.”1:00:05Sep 18, 2024
