Matt Shepard, better known as “Shep,” is a trail and ultrarunner originally from Washington State who currently lives in Cochrane, AB.  Shep is a true jack-of-all-trades - he can just as easily rebuild a carburetor as he can mend a pair of torn pants. A former medic in the US Armed Forces, volunteer firefighter, woodworker and builder of things, Shep loves to work with his hands. An entrepreneur at heart, he operates two small businesses and spends his summers working as a part of the Sinister Sports team, maintaining and marking the beautiful Canadian mountain trails.Outside of his day job, Shep can be found exploring new mountain trails or running an absurd distance on a short loop course in the Backyard Ultra format. A few of his notable running achievements include 2x Team Canada Backyard Ultra National Championships, claiming the 200km Columbia Plateau Trail FKT and logging a 6-Day Personal Best of 701 kilometers.  Most recently he was the first place male in the 48 hour event at Across the Years.In this episode we discuss:his running backgroundbackyard ultrashis 6 day Canadian record attempthis experiences pacing and crewing for Dave Proctor in his run across Canadathe inaugural Divide 200 that Sinister Sports is presenting this summer.Shep aims to approach all of life's challenges with a positive attitude and endless curiosity. In his own words "There is so much to be experienced in this world and I hope to get a glimpse of it all!" Connect with Shep:Instagram: @go_shepConnect with Carolyn & Kim:Email us with guest ideas: inspiredsolescast@gmail.comInspired Soles InstagramKim's InstagramKim's FacebookCarolyn's InstagramCarolyn's FacebookCarolyn's website (sign up for her free weekly newsletter on the homepage)We love hearing from you! Connect with us on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to inspiredsolescast@gmail.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend, subscribe or leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.