Today I’m joined by Vero Sandler. Vero has had an interesting five years since she last appeared on the podcast, moving from downhill racing into the freeride mountain bike world. We chat about her move to Santa Cruz, competing in the X-Games Real MTB series and find out what it’s like to ride at Darkfest. Hear how Vero’s unusual childhood helped shape the creativity that she has today and why some of the best freeriders on the planet will be visiting her backyard next year. Vero also shares details of her recent concussion and how meditation was a key part of her recovery. So, it’s time to sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Vero Sandler. You can follow Vero on Instagram @veroniquesandler. If you’d like to watch Vero’s latest edit ‘Maes Movements’ it’s here. The book that Vero mentioned in the episode is ‘The Power of Now’ by Eckhart Toll, which is available here. Supporting Partners Misspent Summers – THE YEARBOOKS Misspent Summers awesome yearbooks for DH and Enduro are now available. Downtime listeners can get 10% off those and everything else Misspent Summers until the end of 2023 using the code ‘downtime‘ at the checkout. The perfect Christmas present for you or those special riders in your life. We Are One Composites Downtime listeners get an extra special 20% off of WeAreOne Composites’ awesome Convergence wheelsets and rims until the end of 2023 by using the code DowntimeNovember2023 at the checkout over on weareonecomposites.com. Podcast Stuff Patreon I would love it if you were able to support the podcast via a regular Patreon donation. Donations start from as little as £3 per month. That’s less than £1 per episode and less than the price of a take away coffee. Every little counts and these donations will really help me keep the podcast going and hopefully take it to the next level. To help out, head here. Merch If you want to support the podcast and represent, then my webstore is the place to head. All products are 100% organic, shipped without plastics, and made with a supply chain that’s using renewable energy. We now also have local manufacture for most products in the US as well as the UK. So check it out now over at downtimepodcast.com/shop. Newsletter If you want a bit more Downtime in your life, then you can join my newsletter where I’ll provide you with a bit of behind the scenes info on the podcast, interesting bits and pieces from around the mountain bike world, some mini-reviews of products that I’ve been using and like, partner offers and more. You can do that over at downtimepodcast.com/newsletter. Downtime EP Downtime EP issue 3 is now available here. EP takes inspiration from the guests and topics of the podcast. It expands on them, and takes them into a stunning print-only format. EP is the perfect companion for some quiet time away from the distractions of modern life. Beautiful to have and hold, and a timeless piece of mountain bike history. Just head over to downtimepodcast.com/ep to save yourself £5 off of the cover price with an annual subscription for just £25 plus postage or you can purchase EP1, EP2 or EP3 on their own too. Follow Us Give us a follow on Instagram @downtimepodcast or Facebook @downtimepodcast to keep up to date and chat in the comments. For everything video, including riding videos, bike checks and more, subscribe over at youtube.com/downtimemountainbikepodcast. Are you enjoying the podcast? If so, then don’t forget to follow it. Episodes will get delivered to your device as soon as it’s available and it’s totally free. You’ll find all the links you need at downtimepodcast.com/follow. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google and most of the podcast apps out there. Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes Photo – Sadie Aldridge