On Episode 4 of “The Cross Section Podcast” I got to hang out on a wintery evening with one of the raddest humans I know. She is pretty much the embodiment of what I like to explore on the podcast - bikes, music, and art - so there is little wonder that we hit it off immediately and became good friends over the years. She is something of a rolling stone and we discussed her journeys around the country and around the world since leaving Mississippi after high school. She joined me from Arkansas where she has settled into during the pandemic. In addition to her travels, we talked about her backstory, art, bikes and many other topics including the origin of her unique Instagram hangle: @aunicornvomited (she's a great follow, I highly recommend it). She is a professional cyclist in many disciplines - mtb, road, ‘cross, fixed gear … a true all-arounder. Our paths have crossed many times and many places around the country - from Cyclocross Nationals to Tracklocross Nationals in 2019, which she won ... and is as crazy and wild as it sounds. To get a sense of that here is a link to a video I made about this wild hybrid of a fixed-gear riding.

The longer we spent exploring the topics that we venture into on this episode, the more I came away from it even more amazed at how worldly she is and how much wisdom she has garnered as a result of her experiences.

She is currently studying art at SCAD. She is very articulate, a deep-thinker, and very kind. Above all else, it is her giggle that makes Sammi, Sammi. What a great hangout.

Today we chat with Sammi Runnels. I think you’ll like it.

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