You Don't Know What Your Body Can Do, UNTIL You Do It. With Kanoa Greene

This episode went places neither of us was expecting!  Tune in to find out why.

This week we are chatting with Kanoa Greene, celebrated by Good Morning America and CNN! Kanoa is proof that athleticism and adventure come in ALL shapes and sizes.
She is an internationally renowned fitness trainer and outdoor adventurer, and
is redefining what plus-size bodies can do, how they are perceived,
and where they can go. 
Kanoa is also the founder of NAKOA Adventure; creating brave spaces for plus-size
bodies to discover and explore the great outdoors and adventure
travel.
Kanoa challenges us to break down the barriers of disbelief and
celebrate bodies of all sizes without limits; demonstrating that you
don’t know what your body can do until you do it.

Kanoa is a trailblazer.  She works with some of the world's most renowned fitness brands, helping them to be more inclusive in terms of the sizes they stock and their overall ethos. 

We talk about brand identity, and how brands like Lululemon need to step up. We chat about real weight-inclusivity in fitness, our work with Kim Stacey at Body Image Fitness, plus-size fitness wear, doing the thing you think you cannot do and navigating a fitness industry that simply isn't set up for you.

This is one of the meatiest episodes of our season so far and we know you will love Kanoa as much as we did. Enjoy!

Are you simply fed up with hating your body? Are you stuck in the 'earn and burn' cycle when it comes to exercise?
You are not alone and your body is NOT the problem

Please reach out if you would like some support. We both have limited slots for Intuitive Eating and Strength Coaching, so get in touch with Christine or with Ela.

AND if you enjoyed this episode, please share and follow the 'Find Your Strong podcast' and if you have time, write us a short review. It would honestly mean the world. Love to you all, Ela & Christine x

Transcript

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Christine Chessman: Welcome to another episode of the find your strong podcast today we have a real special guest for you. We've got Kenoa green. Now, I've been following Kenoa for quite some time, but this conversation kind of went down avenues that I wasn't expecting, and for that I'm truly grateful.

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Christine Chessman: Canoa is celebrated by Good morning, America and Cn. And no less.

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Christine Chessman: She's proof that aestheticism and adventure can come in all shapes and sizes. She is internationally renowned. She's a fitness trainer, outdoor adventurer, and is redefining what plus size bodies can do, how they are perceived and where they can go.

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Christine Chessman: She challenges us to break down the barriers of disbelief, and to celebrate bodies of all sizes without limits.

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Christine Chessman: demonstrating this is something that I believe very strongly that you don't know what your body can do until you do it.

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Christine Chessman: Now, Canoa and I sort of chatted. We got into it in terms of

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Christine Chessman: what is missing in the fitness, industry, and where where they're sadly lacking in providing equipment, that caters to the vast majority of the population

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Christine Chessman: and spaces where people just don't feel welcome if they are in plus size bodies. But we also talked about the importance of representation.

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Christine Chessman: and you know, as a

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Christine Chessman: straight size, fitness instructor, I am. We're inclusive, but sometimes there is huge value in being taught by somebody who looks like you and somebody who understands a body like yours.

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Christine Chessman: I am always learning, and I'm always very much open to learning. But I also appreciate

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Christine Chessman: that

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Christine Chessman: I don't have the lived experience of being in a plus size body, and for that reason, plus size instructors are even more important. So this conversation gets into it. I think you will love Kenoa as we truly did. As soon as she started speaking we were like, Yep, this is going to go on.

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Christine Chessman: so have a listen. Let us know what you think, and as always, we are so happy that you're here to join us.

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Christine Chessman: So welcome to another episode of the find your strong podcast. With me, Christine Chessman and me, Ella law. Today we have the most special guest ever ever we've got. Kanoa Green. Hello, Kanoa!

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Kanoa Greene: Oh!

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Christine Chessman: How are you?

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Kanoa Greene: I am very well in sunny Florida right now. Sunshine is, is my happy place.

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Christine Chessman: Oh, don't! Don't live in England. If that's the case, we've had the worst summer ever we have literally had. What is it? 50 days of rain. Yeah, it's been very wet.

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Kanoa Greene: Yes.

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Christine Chessman: Bit of sunshine the last couple of weeks. But yeah, it's really uncomfortable here, because we were talking about it earlier. We we just don't have any, Aircon. If it's hot here, it's just not pleasant, but we are just excited to have you here, and we wanted to talk to you. We just want to pick your brain and talk to you. We have so many things to talk about. But we're going to condense it for the purposes of the podcast but I'm really interested to know

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Christine Chessman: when I look at your profile and kind of connect with your profile and your kind, I see a person who is very much

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Christine Chessman: accepted their body and made peace with their body. Now is that the case? And how did you get to that point, Kenoa

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Christine Chessman: cause so many of us are still searching for that.

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Christine Chessman: That place.

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Kanoa Greene: Yes, I mean, I can say at this point, I am very comfortable with my body.

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Kanoa Greene: how it's been where it is and where it will evolve to. That was definitely not the place that I started because I grew up

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Kanoa Greene: being oversized, overweight, obese whatever we want to call it. My entire life, and I felt very much aware of that that was viewed in society and community as not necessarily a positive thing. So I was always made to feel ashamed of my body being larger, and that I had to work out and exercise in order to shrink it, so that I was beautiful, worthy, accepted all of those things.

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Kanoa Greene: and it really formulated for me a negative relationship with fitness, movement, and my body and my body in movement.

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Christine Chessman: You can think of.

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Kanoa Greene: So. So I felt ashamed. In those spaces. I tried to avoid a lot of just physical activity. In regards to recreational things like team sports. I was always kind of the singer and the choir girl, because it had nothing to do with me.

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Christine Chessman: You know.

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Kanoa Greene: Moving, running, jumping, anything. It just it really

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Kanoa Greene: made me

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Kanoa Greene: look at and treat my body in a in a specific way. But it wasn't until after I had finished grad school I'd been a corporate recruiter living in New York, and I wanted to get just physically active because the New York City is a fast moving city subways, you know, going up and down the stairs, and I was getting winded like I was just

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Kanoa Greene: struggling in my body just doing everyday things, walking up a flight of stairs. I would be out of breath.

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Kanoa Greene: and I felt like I wanted to be able to do more in my body. But I didn't want to go back into this routine and regiment of fitness, feeling ashamed and embarrassed of like I'd done that my whole life up until that point, and it was like, surely there must be

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Kanoa Greene: another way to do this like I don't know what that is, because by the time. I think 2,015 I was really in it of I wanted. I want to do more in my body. I want to gain strength and capability. I hadn't seen other people out in Instagram and in the world, certainly not in Media at that time who were doing those things. So I didn't have a roadmap. I didn't even think it was possible. It was just

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Kanoa Greene: surely there has to be ways. So that's when I started my own

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Kanoa Greene: exploration and discovery. Of what does that look like for me? How do we get there? It started with pulling away from a lot of traditional fitness spaces. So I was moving more at home. I started discovering hiking at that time, and that was just a light bulb moment of me to connect movement with the capabilities of my body and hiking, I started. It was not pretty

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Kanoa Greene: that 1st hike was really gruelsome. I didn't make it very far up the mountain. But there was a light bulb moment of me walking away from that experience, thinking, well, I can use fitness as a way to strengthen my body and endurance, to do that, to do that. Better, to do that, more to do that more comfortably. And that's when I allowed myself to lean into that thought process of

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Kanoa Greene: let me use this part of my journey to celebrate my body, and I've been on that journey since 2,015. I've not turned back. And thankfully, I've just created my own space that I needed to grow on in this way. And then, you know, create a way for me to share that with with others.

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Christine Chessman: I mean, it's it's 1. It's so heartening to hear this, but it's also a little bit sad that you didn't feel comfortable in these fitness spaces

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Christine Chessman: it, you know, I find that still really shock. We have so much work to do. You know there's just so. And do you find now that there are other providers

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Christine Chessman: who are doing similar things? Or do you still feel very much like the Lone Wolf? Right there?

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Christine Chessman: Right? I mean.

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Kanoa Greene: I will say in a lot of spaces that I may walk in today, there is still a bit of that disconnect but I would say as a whole, when I'm looking at the vast landscape of

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Kanoa Greene: different opportunities, I think it's much better, I mean, I remember, you know, stepping into a yoga studio for the 1st time, and just everyone looking at me very questionably, the instructor not knowing how to help, and I feel like now I could possibly walk in a studio where maybe the instructor doesn't know different variations or modifications. But there's like an open. There's

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Kanoa Greene: I think there's just language around it. That's more welcoming. As a whole, the class is more welcoming. I think it could also be me because I just I don't care anymore. But.

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Christine Chessman: Helps. I think, yeah.

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Kanoa Greene: Will say I mean, I will say, especially over the last, I think.

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Kanoa Greene: since the last 3 or 4 years I've noticed a lot more instructors. If they don't know that, they will ask. And they're just, I think again, the language is very different than it was.

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Kanoa Greene: you know, when I 1st started.

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Christine Chessman: And that leads me into something. A question about, you know it's it's in. It's heartening to hear that there are more people who have the right language and have the kind of skills to kind of work with any any size body and anyone and any kind of ability. But, is there anything that you feel like we should be doing more? Of what more can we do to disrupt this kind of idea? Narrative of the ideal body that does fitness.

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Christine Chessman: and the body that doesn't really do fitness. There's this narrative still going on. Do you feel like there's something that we can all do to kind of

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Christine Chessman: disrupt that.

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Kanoa Greene: I think it's this, I think it really is this, it's having the conversations of

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Kanoa Greene: leaders of fitness in different bodies. Right? I think that is a big part of it. That, I think, is one of the biggest shifts that has helped kind of move us along, because I think when we were starting to talk about inclusive movement in spaces.

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Kanoa Greene: People were only interested in inviting those bodies in to take those classes. Right? So it's okay. Now we're creating a welcoming space. But I think the reality is, our bodies are also capable of leading fitness in that space, and I.

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Christine Chessman: Thanks, Han.

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Kanoa Greene: For those of us who are the instructors, and we're in there. And we're having.

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Kanoa Greene: I think, a different perspective and a very important perspective. To share with this is how we can really create the inclusive space. And I think, having these conversations sharing these stories is.

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Kanoa Greene: I think, makes the biggest impact I talk about all the time working with large brands, and and that to me, I think, was a big shifting point, was for us to not just see plus size bodies just wearing the clothing, but literally leading movement. It changes the narrative and the mindset of so many people.

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Christine Chessman: That is such a good point actually, to kind of really make that distinction between just inviting people in to be inclusive, that's performative inclusivity absolutely.

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Kanoa Greene: Correct.

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Christine Chessman: Would you say there is anyone to? It sounds very much like your your exploration of this. Space was very much on your own shoulders. You did it. You looked at what? What works for me? What can I do? Was there anybody that was a bit of a role model for you during that process? Or was that something that you kind of noticed

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Christine Chessman: along the path that oh, there are some other people who do it because you were more in.

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Kanoa Greene: Yeah.

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Christine Chessman: That space.

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Kanoa Greene: I mean, early on there just weren't role models and.

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Christine Chessman: If we.

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Kanoa Greene: Just.

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Kanoa Greene: You know, these hashtags that we have now. Health at every size and size. Inclusivity move like those things just did not exist. And I was looking for them and I not to say that they didn't exist. I just think we were still trying to find our way, and and share our story so that we could eventually find each other. So for me, it really was in my bubble

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Kanoa Greene: creating the community, and the people who are also seeking that. But we didn't know and that's I mean, I started this journey sharing this journey. So that's if you go back on my Instagram to 2,015, like it's all there. I was living this entire thing in real time, and sharing it as I was trying to figure it out for myself.

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Kanoa Greene: But I think once

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Kanoa Greene: we I would say, probably within it took a while. Honestly, I would say, probably wasn't until 2,019 2,020, when I started to connect with other fitness professionals that were also doing this. I mean, now I there's so many. It is just mind boggling.

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Christine Chessman: Yeah, there's.

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Kanoa Greene: So many trainers and spin instructors, and

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Kanoa Greene: just amazing even in the outdoor active space. I mean seeing plus size, white water, rafting guides. I mean that to me is like I never

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Kanoa Greene: 16 year old me would never believe that this would be a thing. So it it's been an incredible thing to see. Now, I do have role models. You guys see people who are pushing the envelopes and doing bigger things that I never imagined. And so it's exciting for me in this space. Now.

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Christine Chessman: I mean ella and I both work for an app called body image fitness with Kim Stacy, and and she has got a whole diversity of of teachers, doesn't she? From all backgrounds, all body sizes, etc? And I, you know I'm very aware that I'm in a straight size, body, and I hold privilege in that way, and also that I don't have the lived experience of somebody in a larger body. So what's amazing about this community that she's created is that I'll be teaching a class.

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Christine Chessman: and on Zoom and some of the members would be like Christine. That doesn't work for my body. My tummy is in the way. Can you show me something? And it's and because I don't have the lived experience, it's just such a brilliant

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Christine Chessman: way to. I need to hear that I need that feedback so that I can learn, and so that. But I also see the absolute value in them, having instructors who look like them, who actually.

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Kanoa Greene: Way.

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Christine Chessman: Experience that they have, rather than just

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Christine Chessman: then white women, trying to, you know, squeeze their way in. And I think representation really matters, doesn't it?

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Kanoa Greene: Totally, does.

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Christine Chessman: 2%.

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Kanoa Greene: It really does. I mean a lot of the work that I do is helping instructors work with plus size athletes, whether that's in a fitness space, a Yoga space, a surfing space.

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Christine Chessman: Yeah.

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Kanoa Greene: It's helping them understand and sometimes it's even the capabilities. Because I honestly think sometimes as instructors, we can come into a space and judge people from our own biases, and assume that there might be things that they can't do. And so part of it is one proving that that? No, we have flexibility.

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Christine Chessman: Yeah.

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Kanoa Greene: Strange wiggling.

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Kanoa Greene: We. We have athleticism in our bodies.

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Kanoa Greene: but that also movement can be effective. But

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Kanoa Greene: it can also have to look a certain way. You know, I always talk about burpees. I have probably 8 different modifications for a Burpee, and that is not necessarily only for people that are larger and larger bodies.

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Christine Chessman: Yeah.

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Kanoa Greene: Have injuries, you know. Everyone's on a spectrum in their bodies. And so I think it's important to really help bridge the gap there for people to understand. It's like, Oh, no, okay, like this. And I'm constantly learning, because, yes, I'm plus size. But my body is only shaped a certain way. I carry my weight in one, in a way, and someone else might not. And so I'm constantly having to learn in these spaces. Well, it's like, Okay.

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Kanoa Greene: not all plus size. Bodies are made the same. And so I have to constantly challenge myself. Also.

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Christine Chessman: I think that is so valuable, and I think you do that beautifully. And Christine does that beautifully as well. I'm not a fitness instructor. I'm a nutritionist, intuitive eating counsel. So I I'm in awe of anyone who can adapt what they do to the people in the room and give options, and and be very aware of the fact that not everybody, whether thin or big, it doesn't matter, but not everybody, can

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Christine Chessman: form the same way. People have restrictions. People have injuries people have. And I think that is just so vital. And it's just so wonderful to hear that there's this kind of we all need to learn, and we all need to adapt. And I think that's just so helpful. One option. I is not more valid than another option. They're just absolutely.

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Kanoa Greene: Like.

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Christine Chessman: It's not no. Well, I used. Why, I used to teach was I used to show a push up, and then I would show a push up on your knees, you know.

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Kanoa Greene: Yeah.

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Christine Chessman: Couldn't quite do the push-up, whereas now I start, you know, we start on our knees, or we start elevated, and we work our way through options which and that's simply what they are. And it makes such a difference to people.

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Kanoa Greene: It makes such a

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Kanoa Greene: a safe space, an empowering space, because then it's no longer because I think that was the biggest issue for me it's

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Kanoa Greene: a as the larger person coming into a space, not being able to do something and expecting it to be that way, and that's the only way. So then I walk away from that experience of like, well, I'm not capable, and I'm not worthy cause. I can't do that thing. And now I can go into a space and movement meets my body where it's at, and I feel empowered and I enjoy doing it. I love fitness, I mean, that's something again 16 year old. Me! It would have been like what?

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Kanoa Greene: Because I just I dreaded it. I felt so ashamed in my body, and the weight of that that I was carrying. Every like I I would leave the gym, but that was still there. The weight of that shame was still with me, and now I walk into movement spaces, and I

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Kanoa Greene: celebrate the heck out of my body. I love what I can do and how I can do it, and it's so freeing. And I think it has helped me develop better mental health, because now I have that joy and movement and celebration of what my body can do.

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Christine Chessman: That's amazing. And with with your own movement practice, what do you

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Christine Chessman: prefer? Do you like to go into movement spaces? Do you like to do online? Do you like to be in person? What is your favorite way to.

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Kanoa Greene: No, I think as a woman with Adhd, I like it at all. I need variety.

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Christine Chessman: Yeah.

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Kanoa Greene: Bored easily, and so.

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Christine Chessman: I don't understand what you mean. This one. Honestly, yeah, yeah, I do. I get it. Yeah, I just started a dance class. It's really hard, but I really love it. Then next week is like I'm doing. Pole dances. She's just.

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Kanoa Greene: Absolutely.

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Christine Chessman: And.

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Kanoa Greene: I was in Costa Rica for 2 months, and there's a great reformer, Pilates, reformer, instructor there, and I was like, Oh, my goodness! Now I need to get certified in this.

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Kanoa Greene: La, I love everything. I generally tend to things that are more challenging and higher paced because again, it just helps my brain move. Yoga. It's so funny because I'm surprised. I'm a yoga instructor.

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Christine Chessman: Because.

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Kanoa Greene: Slowing down is not easy for me. But I do love leading. I mean yin. Leading in Yoga is probably one of the things that I do very well, and I love doing because it's not my nature.

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Christine Chessman: But that's that's an an interesting one, because I do. I trained to be a Pilates instructor because I'm the same very high energy, but it helped me just to slow it down. Actually, it's quite. It is quite important. Yeah, cause you can just go fast all the time. But it's actually tuning. It helped me tune in a little bit more to my body and like connect with what it needs and the pain, and how it's feeling, and all of that good stuff.

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Kanoa Greene: I think, for this flowing down. I either have to be led or teaching it. I cannot do it by myself. At home, Cardio. I can absolutely. But it's the slower things that I I need someone to rein me in.

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Christine Chessman: Well, I I was interested. I did a class the other day, and I quite liked doing a class to be a bit of a fly on the wall and just observe my other teachers work. And it was a crazy class called Run City, where people were running on the treadmill and then doing burpees and pressing weights, and then going back to the treadmill, and then and it was all about, push, push, push, push, push, and it was, I got to a point. I pushed myself to a certain point, and then I was done.

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Christine Chessman: and also the last 5 min. I just took it really easy. I was the last person off the treadmill. I I didn't keep going back and forward. I kinda and everybody kind of was looking at me, and it was really interesting because they kept pushing. They were broken. They were absolutely. And it just made me realize that it's okay to push yourselves if you challenge yourself.

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Christine Chessman: But it's then okay to say I'm actually done. I'm not.

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Kanoa Greene: Absolutely.

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Christine Chessman: That's a that's taken me a long time to get there, and I wonder it would you would you be the same in a class. Would you find that point? Actually, that's that's enough for me.

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Christine Chessman: Oh.

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Kanoa Greene: And I would have no shame, saying, I'm good.

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Christine Chessman: Yeah.

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Kanoa Greene: That's that's something that I actually express at the beginning of classes, or anything that I'm leading. It's all about, do you? Because I've been in positions where I have pushed myself. And then that's when we start incurring injuries because we're not listening to our body. I definitely have done that. And I feel like I have something to prove, and not even sometimes to myself. But it's sometimes it's.

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Kanoa Greene: you know, the voices in my head, and I've then at that point am serving my ego versus what my body actually needs.

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Christine Chessman: It's.

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Kanoa Greene: And I think it depends on also you know what is, what is the goal? What is the point of you being here, you know. Sometimes I do want to push myself because I'm conditioning to lead a hike or to lead an adventure. And there's just a certain point that I want to make sure that my body's at a certain level level of athleticism. But if it's just for me to move, and for the joy, and

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Kanoa Greene: why would I kill myself.

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Kanoa Greene: Bill, like, I'm okay. Let me find something else that I want.

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Christine Chessman: I love that.

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Kanoa Greene: And I love giving people permission to do that as well, because, again, not everyone is there to do that whole workout as you set it out to do, and I think it just doesn't allow people to honor their bodies where they need to be.

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Christine Chessman: It feels like there is way too many fitness instructors, though, that still

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Christine Chessman: feel like they have to push people. It's just so nice to hear that. You know there's there's people like you and Christine actually to give you permission to. Actually, if you if you're done, you're done, you know you're done. I I've not had that in previous

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Christine Chessman: classes or anything. It was my like. You come on, you can give a bit more. You can give a bit more. I've once faked an injury because the class was too hard. I couldn't do it, I thought, oh, my knees hurting. So I got off. And I actually, I was so in the Zone that I limped back from my car to my house. I didn't have an injury. I just limped because I was just like so in the lie. But I felt so bad for leaving because I was being pushed. Come on, you

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Christine Chessman: and I thought, no, I can't do it. There's there's something I often say at the beginning of a class. I always say you're paying for this class. Stop when you need to do what you want. It's your class. It's not my class. You know what I mean.

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Kanoa Greene: May.

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Christine Chessman: You're paying. Make it work for you. Don't laugh.

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Kanoa Greene: Absolutely.

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Christine Chessman: And I don't know your body. I am a I know mine, but I don't know yours.

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Kanoa Greene: Once.

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Christine Chessman: But it's that stuff that you learn with experience, and I think

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Christine Chessman: I don't know. I still think we have a long way to go in terms of fitness industries, gyms, especially in this country, and we don't so. And would you say, gym, spaces are still quite.

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Christine Chessman: We're biased. I mean.

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Kanoa Greene: I mean just even the way that they are, I mean the equipment themselves are not body.

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Christine Chessman: Yeah.

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Kanoa Greene: It's just

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Kanoa Greene: that in of itself. If I walk into a gym, and I I've taught at the local gym just down the Street, my local Y.M.C.A. Which I love, and part of the reason why they were really adamant about me coming on as an instructor was because they wanted to have someone who looked like the community.

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Christine Chessman: It's.

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Kanoa Greene: You know, a lot of their their moms look like me, you know, different, or people are shaped differently. But we do walk into the space, and they were like, well, these machines don't. Actually, they're comfortable like for some of them. They're uncomfortable for me to get in some of them. I don't fit in, so it's it it very much. Is that then it's difficult, because now then, we're asking. Obviously, then, manufacturers to change

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Kanoa Greene: the shape of things, and I understand that Gyms might not have the money to then invest in another piece of equipment. I understand that. But it's definitely something that needs to happen. And I think

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Kanoa Greene: we could get there's there's some smaller gyms that are investing and are doing the things to make sure that the the space itself is inclusive for larger bodies and different bodies, different capabilities, disabled bodies, which is really important.

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Christine Chessman: I I sort of find Pilates. I struggle a little bit with Pilates, because, being a teacher with the reformer, certain reformer studios, there's very little space, and the reformers are very tight. They're very.

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Kanoa Greene: Smell. They're.

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Christine Chessman: Very.

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Kanoa Greene: Yeah.

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Christine Chessman: And I do struggle with that actually. And things like the Pilates ring.

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Christine Chessman: you know. You'll go in a class. Oh, just put it over both of your legs, pull it over your thighs, and I'm like, if you have strong thighs that is going nowhere. That's not going. Never mind, too, and it's just, and then it makes you think, oh, oh, but it doesn't fit! And as if oh, I'm not quite oh, it doesn't work for now it's the equipment I really have. There's yeah. I struggle with equipment.

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Kanoa Greene: Unfortunate because I feel like reformer Pilates and Ariel are 2 spaces that actually help

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Kanoa Greene: heavier, larger bodies immensely. It helps them modify movement in an amazing way. I mean, when I did performer, I was like, this is genius. But you're you're right. It's in

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Kanoa Greene: those end up being the studio spaces that are the most exclusive and non welcoming to larger bodies. I hear horror stories all the time of people who have seen me do aerial. Then they go to their local studio, and then those people don't have variations, can't help them. We'll turn people away because they'll say you're too heavy, even though a standard silk should actually carry someone who's like 3,000 pounds. So it's just there shouldn't be a weight limit. So

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Kanoa Greene: it's interesting that I think spaces that have the capability of being the most inclusive

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Kanoa Greene: are somehow made. Not. And honestly, it's mostly the studios and the instructors that are kind of the roadblock. There.

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Christine Chessman: And can I just say, Yeah, I'm sure you sorry I don't wanna talk. I'm really interested. All the questions up. Yeah, I'm really interested on how it makes you fame to go upside down, because it's not. Everybody understands this. But for me I love inversions.

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Christine Chessman: I just love going upside down, and it's something which helps me helps my mental health weirdly. It just gives me a different perspective. And I always feel so much better if I do inversions, whether it's headstands, or you know I've got one of those feed up things which supports you.

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Kanoa Greene: Remember.

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Christine Chessman: And and I have tried aerial yoga and loved it, and I do handstands with another instructor. But what does it bring you? What? What? Specifically about inversions and aerial yoga? What does it

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Christine Chessman: bring you.

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Kanoa Greene: I mean I I don't know if it's

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Kanoa Greene: inversions in general, or if it's because, being held in the silk, I get a whole inversion and the lengthening that I get from like the hips and the spine. It is so yummy. I actually started aerial when I started training to surf for the 1st time, so I was doing so much conditioning and strengthening that I felt like I needed extreme stretching.

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Christine Chessman: And let me.

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Kanoa Greene: Ariel, yep.

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Kanoa Greene: in my mind that made sense.

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Christine Chessman: Yeah, I never put that together. The stretching and the being held.

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Kanoa Greene: Yes.

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Christine Chessman: Yeah, yeah, it really conundrugates your spine, doesn't it? When you.

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Kanoa Greene: Oh, absolutely like I really feel like I'm an inch tall like. And actually it could be. I think some of it is the silk stretching, but like there is a lot of lengthening that happens.

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Christine Chessman: So.

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Kanoa Greene: I'm doing a lot of conditioning. I make sure that I'm making time to get into the aerial studio so that I I have that that counter.

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Christine Chessman: And do. Do you ever feel scared when you're going into the.

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Kanoa Greene: Not at all.

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Kanoa Greene: 1st time, of course, because for me it's like, Am I gonna break this thing.

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Christine Chessman: Yeah.

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Kanoa Greene: I'm gonna fall out. What?

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Kanoa Greene: And there have been instances where I've done, you know, inversions usually come towards the end of a class, and by that time your arms might be feeling like jelly, and you don't have a lot of strength. So there have been times where I've had to just slip out of it coming down and not exit. And once I realize oh, there's a safe way to do it. Then I'm not scared.

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Christine Chessman: Then you're.

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Kanoa Greene: And fine like.

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Christine Chessman: Oh, wow! I'm totally inspired. You have to try it. We have any. We haven't got that much around me where we can go and do this with the hoops and all the kinds of stuff, and the salad.

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Kanoa Greene: Have not tried the lira. No, I.

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Christine Chessman: Yeah.

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Kanoa Greene: That scares me. I feel all I can see is that digging into my body, and I'm like, I don't know if I could handle that.

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Christine Chessman: I just I just.

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Kanoa Greene: I remember.

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Christine Chessman: Remember the 1st aerial class I tried. We just giggled the whole time, because there's 1 point where you're kind of flying across the room being held by oh, my! We could not stop laughing. It was like your little kids just being held.

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Kanoa Greene: Wow!

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Christine Chessman: I mean you cross the.

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Kanoa Greene: That's why I love it. It's just so playful, it's so playful, and it makes some traditional moves more comfortable for heavier bodies, you know. Sometimes when we get into warrior poses, your legs are bearing so much weight. Well, when you're adding more weight on top of it, it's hard for you to hold that pose, and so I love that the silks get to it

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Kanoa Greene: to essentially lift you up if they're under your arms and kind of bear some of that weight, so you don't feel the whole entirety of your body weight on your legs, and I think it just makes it very accessible.

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Christine Chessman: I love that. Yeah, sounds great. You're you're next. I'm I'm next. I'm next. I am really interested in your Nakoa adventures.

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Christine Chessman: adventure exploration, the the journey. Yeah, the journey, the troops that you offer, and the the the kind of things that you do to to start off with, I just wanted to know. Have you always had that adventurous streak in you, even as a little kid? Or is this something that you've explored more recently, like going hiking and exploring new countries and new

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Christine Chessman: areas and new new places. Or is that something that has always been there? But you just didn't really tap into.

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Kanoa Greene: No, it's very new. Because, like I mentioned, like early on growing up being plus size, I would say no to even going to the lake with friends, because I was just afraid to show my body in a bathing suit around other people if they wanted to go on a boat or go tubing. I I didn't know if I would fit if I would fall out, could I get back in, and so I never did anything outdoors.

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Kanoa Greene: I always said I was the city shopping girl, because that was that's where I was comfortable. Honestly, that felt like a safe space for me to be in. It was expected. I was like, Okay.

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Kanoa Greene: and it wasn't until I started this journey.

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Christine Chessman: And.

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Kanoa Greene: Of exploration to discover joy and fitness is when I started hiking. That was the very 1st thing that I did. I was in Hawaii. I was recovering from eye surgeries. I actually lost my vision. I've permanently lost my vision, my right eye and in 2,015, and so that was the place that I went back to. I'm originally from Hawaii. So I went to

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Kanoa Greene: recuperate and slow down. And that's when I was like, let me enjoy hiking a bit. Never done this. Don't know if I'm good at it. But I loved it. I loved being in nature. I loved

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Kanoa Greene: just the variation again for someone who has Adhd. And there's just different things, and you can touch and feel and see. And I'm like, Oh, my goodness, this is like delightful for my brain. I didn't even know I had Adhd at the time.

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Christine Chessman: But it makes sense.

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Kanoa Greene: Now. And once I delved into that it gave me the confidence to try other things. It's like, okay. Well, maybe.

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Kanoa Greene: Hmm. You know the question, mark, and then paddle. Boarding was the next, and I was obsessed.

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Kanoa Greene: This is incredible. Then I got certified to sail boats. Then I wanted to do surfing. Then I wanted to ski, which I did learned how to snowboard. I mean all of these things, and it's

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Kanoa Greene: it is living out the part of me that I never allowed to exist because she just didn't have the confidence, and she didn't honestly believe

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Kanoa Greene: that she could do those things. And now I have the belief, and it's just I'm willing to do anything and everything. I want to do everything and anything. And that's where

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Kanoa Greene: the adventures kind of birthed out from in 22,018 is when I learned how to surf, and I shared that journey, and a lot of people followed me on that, and when I got back the questions were, is there a place where we can learn how to surface plus things.

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Christine Chessman: Wow!

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Kanoa Greene: Absolutely. I mean, that's the 1st thing it's like, where can we go experience this? And I did a little bit of research. I thought there would be something, even though I had already been researching surf industry 2 years prior and there it wasn't very inclusive but came to find out that there wasn't anything, and so I

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Kanoa Greene: felt a sense of responsibility that I could not then go back to my community and say, Well, I'm sorry. Nothing exists. Good luck.

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Christine Chessman: With that.

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Kanoa Greene: I felt like, you know, I have thick enough skin at this point, where I can.

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Christine Chessman: Yeah, we've.

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Kanoa Greene: Try to pull something together, even if it was a small meet up, or whatever that is, I could do that. And so in 2,019 was when I developed our 1st plus size surf camp 1st one that ever existed in the world, which is wild.

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Kanoa Greene: and then that's kind of where this birthed from, you know. For me the confidence of I'm willing to go in there, and I'm willing to learn. I don't. I don't feel ashamed or embarrassed to ask the questions about. Does this have a weight limit? Am I big enough? Let me go travel and error it. Same skiing and snowboarding like going on the mountain. I don't care if people look at me crazy. Let me go ahead and figure the things out, so then

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Kanoa Greene: I can create a safe space to invite people in to it, to discover and explore this thing, that they may have always wanted to, but never thought they could do it.

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Christine Chessman: Wow! That is incredible. It's also quite a vulnerable thing to do, I would say, just being the 1st one to ask the question, to try it out. Have you ever sort of hit a wall where this this is? This is not. This is not possible.

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Kanoa Greene: Yes.

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Christine Chessman: I'll do this.

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Kanoa Greene: Yes.

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Christine Chessman: So what?

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Kanoa Greene: It. It's a reality. I mean, it's an unfortunate reality, but it is one. People have asked for a ski adventure. I hope in the future we will have one. But the way that the industry is with the lack of gear for plus size bodies, it is not possible for us to do.

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Christine Chessman: Do it.

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Kanoa Greene: Rock climbing was something that we real, I mean, that took that took a year of planning.

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Christine Chessman: Wow!

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Kanoa Greene: It's very limited in the amount of harnesses and companies that make harnesses that can fit larger bodies. Doing the paddle, boarding and aerial Yoga in Mexico almost didn't happen, because, finding a

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Kanoa Greene: less size, accessible studio aerial studio by a beach, we found the one property on the planet that could accommodate us, and they only just they. They weren't even finished building the studio when we were signing the contracts. Like it was, we had to have the discussions while they were building. So these places?

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Kanoa Greene: Some of them don't exist. Some of the gear doesn't exist, and that's something I've been working on since 2,016, when I wanted to learn how to surf initially, but there was no surf gear for me, and so it took another 2 years for there to be the world's 1st size, inclusive surf brand. And that's when I was able to go surfing in in a confidence space. Now it's you know I don't care if I have to go do these things naked. I'll do it.

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Christine Chessman: You can.

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Kanoa Greene: Super.

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Christine Chessman: I mean it is, it is, and still so surprises me. And it's still incredible that they're not making these sports accessible to kind of half the population, probably. Do you know what I mean? It's literally.

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Kanoa Greene: I'm not surprised in that, because surfing was the light bulb moment for me when I realized I can't find anything. But the reality is no one my size thinks that they can surf, so they're not out there doing it, anyway.

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Christine Chessman: Okay.

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Kanoa Greene: Brand make something. So that was another driver with Nico. Adventure was

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Kanoa Greene: the only way. I feel like I can make real tangible change, because at that point I was but 2020 I was already the 1st plus size woman in a magazine surfing like it was that only happened in 2020. But.

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Christine Chessman: That's amazing.

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Kanoa Greene: I mean, and that's 1 cause representation matters. But that's not gonna help anybody

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Kanoa Greene: do anything like that's not going to help anyone else do something. So I felt like, what is important is to create a space so that people can do these things, know they can do these things, create the market, and then simultaneously work with brands to create the need that we have. So it has been, you know, a journey of working it from both ends.

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Christine Chessman: We had some a sweaty Betty campaign recently, which was really

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Christine Chessman: interesting because they were talking about how size inclusive they were, weren't they, and then I think they only went up to a size. It.

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Kanoa Greene: So.

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Christine Chessman: Yeah, I mean, I think in a in us it's a size 22. Would it be? No, the other way?

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Kanoa Greene: Down, 16 size, 4.

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Christine Chessman: Same. So they and it was like what size? Sorry. So they were saying, oh, look at us! We're so. I'm using models who were kind of, you know, representation grit. But then, when you went to buy the clothes, they weren't available, and it was just shows how a lot of brands are just paying lip service, because, you know, it's what they seem they should do. But have you with working with these big brands? Have you encountered a lot of resistance has it been?

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Christine Chessman: Has it been a uphill battle? Has it been interesting?

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Christine Chessman: Hey?

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Kanoa Greene: It's been interesting. It's the mixed bag, you know. I've worked with sweaty buddy for a couple of years, and I think the team is fantastic people, and I think

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Kanoa Greene: the desire is there at some level. And and I don't think all levels of you know, the Comp. A brand is the same, and I think they realize it's a need. We have talked in length about that.

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Kanoa Greene: Because it isn't size inclusive to your point. And at a. There was a point in the last few years where I could fit their clothes, even though it was. It's essentially like a 14, I think some pieces kind of stretch up to it a. 16. But.

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Christine Chessman: Okay.

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Kanoa Greene: Some of the pieces had so much stretch that even for me, as an 1820, some pieces would fit. There are some pieces that absolutely did not fit.

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Kanoa Greene: and for me, like I'm not even at a larger, you know. It's for me I'm on kind of the smaller spectrum of plus size, or at least I was 2 years ago. So yeah, I think it's it's challenging because

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Kanoa Greene: it is challenging. Because I do understand. For some brands they feel like

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Kanoa Greene: it's a it's a huge investment. It is an investment. And it's not even just creating the close. But you really have to invest in having it out there in the stores in the market for a significant amount of time. You have to do the right marketing, and that all is investing, and they have to give it time to do it. You know, people who maybe have known your brand for their whole life, and they never knew you did, plus size. Then you decide to do it. You can't automatically assume that they know this.

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Christine Chessman: Okay.

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Kanoa Greene: Breakfast.

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Kanoa Greene: But sometimes brands just they feel like, Oh, we'll do one campaign, we'll have, you know. Influencers talk about it for this month.

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Kanoa Greene: and then everything should change and people are running to. That's not how that works. And we've seen that happen. Here in the Us. With brands like old navy and athleta, who really did invest in making the clothes accessible in all of the different styles, having them in store, which was huge, but the push lasted less than a year. They didn't really talk about it. The other issue is, people going into a mall. If there's only one

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Kanoa Greene: or 2 stores that have plus size. Is someone really going to make the effort to go to the Mall.

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Christine Chessman: Yeah.

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Kanoa Greene: To do the I mean, there's so many facets of it. So I understand.

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Kanoa Greene: I understand every part of it. I understand the frustration for us as consumers, but I do understand how that that works from a business perspective as well.

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Christine Chessman: That's just given a much more balanced perspective to me and to to us, hasn't it? Because I think, yeah. And there's not one side to this. And it's gonna it doesn't happen overnight. And you know, sweaty Betty, have been making moves in the the right direction, which is, you know, a really important thing.

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Christine Chessman: So and that's important to to know. Oh, yeah, absolutely. I hadn't really to be completely honest with you. I hadn't really considered the the sort of companies side of things in that sense I was. Why don't they make stuff? Why don't.

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Kanoa Greene: Right.

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Christine Chessman: You're so right. I mean, if if you, if it's a lifelong consumer, if you're a lifelong consumer of certain things, and you know that those shops don't cater for you? Why would you even trust them to to make something? Why would you know that unless there's this massive campaign, and that this, this real drive? It's.

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Kanoa Greene: Right.

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Christine Chessman: It's as Christine said, it's not an overnight thing. It will take time, but I think it's.

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Kanoa Greene: And I think a lot of brands just want the instant satisfy, you know. Right? I mean, we saw that I rarely talk bad about brands. But

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Kanoa Greene: I think Lulu 11 could be a case. Study because again, you're a brand that has was for a long time animate about not dressing larger bodies, period and larger to them, was like

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Kanoa Greene: almost straight in size.

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Christine Chessman: Yeah.

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Kanoa Greene: Very exclusive clothing, and so then to go into launching their extended sizes. But it was so limited only in black, I think it was only 8 to 12 pieces that they did only online. I mean, I think that was such a slap in the face to the community because we can read what it is for what it is a company that has so much resource

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Kanoa Greene: and not even do the bare minimum, and I think the largest size that they did in the extended sizing was a Us. 22 which honestly, for us, the bare minimum is usually 24. If you're going to say that you're somewhat size, inclusive.

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Kanoa Greene: and I think I don't think you can find any of their plus size in any store. At this point. I went to. It was so funny I was in Dubai. They're one of the largest. I don't know if it's the largest, but one of their largest flagship stores, and I saw a friend plus size athlete on the wall, as big as could be, like humongous.

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Kanoa Greene: and I asked if they had any plus sizes in the store, and they don't. And to me I'm like, how do you even have pictures of bodies like that on the walls? But you have nothing to fit that. If she walked into the store.

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Christine Chessman: Age.

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Kanoa Greene: She could not fit a single thing

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Kanoa Greene: in in here, and it's just things like that

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Kanoa Greene: irate me.

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Christine Chessman: Yes, yeah, it's again. It's performative, isn't it? Look at us, we're doing. We're so inclusive. But the reality looks very different. But thank God for you and people like you working with these brands. It's so important, isn't it? He is, it really is, and challenging.

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Kanoa Greene: Battles. Yeah.

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Christine Chessman: Yeah, yeah.

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Kanoa Greene: You have to pick your battles, and I understand how some people choose to work with certain brands. I understand that from a back end. I've gotten backlash and people questioning why I work with certain brands, and the reality is, some of us have the ability to have real conversations. Yes, with the people with designers. Who make these decisions. And I don't take that lightly like, I'm very intentional when I say yes.

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Kanoa Greene: and I do think of this? Is it performative? What really is the impact that we can have.

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Christine Chessman: Easier.

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Kanoa Greene: Through this partnership.

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Christine Chessman: That's really helpful. Actually, so thank you for clarifying that canoa. And before we wrap up because we could be here till this evening, what, 1st of all, how if I wanted to work with you, or if we wanted to work with you, how would we do? That? Is your app, would it? Is it inclusive? Is it for people? Of what demographic are you looking for, you looking for larger body people? Are you looking for all people who are interested in movement.

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Christine Chessman: Well, who does your OP. Serve? Canola.

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Kanoa Greene: So well. The fitness app no longer exists.

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Christine Chessman: Oh.

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Christine Chessman: we need to work with you. How do we work with you?

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Kanoa Greene: Well, I do. You have workouts on Youtube. Honestly, they're like they're all. And honestly, because I've worked with so many different entities that if you just put in my name, Cano Green, you'll find a variety of workouts. Whether that's chair workouts, cardio strength. There's a lot of things living in the Youtube world. That's the best way to move with me virtually and then I exclusively right now only do fitness in

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Kanoa Greene: conjunction with the adventures that I lead, which are exclusively plus size.

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Christine Chessman: Right. That's fantastic. And how do people find out about? Because we would love to share that with anyone who's listening? And also the people at body image fitness. Who and anyone who would want to go on a retreat with you? I assume it's open to international.

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Kanoa Greene: Oh, absolutely so. Even for Switzerland we have someone joining us from Canada and Netherlands.

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Kanoa Greene: There's always people from different countries at every adventure I mean, everyone's coming. I mean, it's great that we have that it's unfortunate that we're the only company that does this of its kind. So it's the only option for people. But that'll change over time. I mean, my goal is definitely more and more of this

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Kanoa Greene: happening. But everything you can find on my Instagram canoa. Green. Everything's there, Nicole. Adventure. You can also link there, but we have our own Instagram Nico adventure as well.

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Christine Chessman: And in addition to the aerial, the surfing, the yoga, the top. What is next for you? In addition to all of the above the hiking, the the skiing, the boarding.

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Kanoa Greene: I mean, that's a lot of it, right? It's the this melting of 2 things that I've found so much joy in. It's the moving in fitness and the moving in the outdoor adventure space. And that is little. I

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Kanoa Greene: it's just play. My my life is play right

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Kanoa Greene: where I get to do.

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Christine Chessman: Up, so.

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Kanoa Greene: More of those things and create more of those spaces. You know. Traditionally, we had only done focused heavily on surfing for the adventures

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Kanoa Greene: this year we were able to tap into a lot of different things through, you know, working out all of the gear and logistical things for these. So be being able to

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Kanoa Greene: provide to the world in this community a variety of different things, I mean aerial. Yoga, you know, is something. A lot of people are like. I've seen it, and I want to do it. And now that there's a space to do it, paddle boarding who knows what next year will bring I'm always

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Kanoa Greene: always trying new things, always traveling and jumping into new sports so that you know we can

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Kanoa Greene: bring some. I don't know white water raftings high on my radar.

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Christine Chessman: That's amazing. Kenoa, thank you. So so much for joining us today, we can't thank you enough. It's been absolute joy to chat with you.

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Christine Chessman: And yeah, loved loved love. The conversation. Thank you. And yeah, and we absolutely will be going out soon.

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Christine Chessman: Oh, you're welcome! Thanks again, Kanoa.