#009 - From Athlete to Mindfulness Founder: Walker’s Ascend Journey

Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Fun Spicy podcast. Have you ever felt overwhelmed in college? Like there wasn't a single moment to relax, with thoughts constantly racing through your mind? Now imagine adding the demands of being a college athlete to that experience. Today's episode features Walker, a college football athlete at Wake Forest University, who discovered mindfulness apps like Calm and Headspace to help manage his hectic student life. While these apps were helpful, he struggled to find meditation content that truly matched his current emotional state. This inspired him to create the Ascend Meditation App—an AI-driven platform that makes personalized mindfulness accessible. We discuss his journey through college football, the Ascend meditation app, finding purpose, and the bittersweet conclusion of his college experience 😕 So let’s get right into it! (01:16) Being on ESPN + Path to College Football (07:39) Path towards Mindfulness (10:57) Why has Mindfulness Blown Up in the Last Few Years? (14:33) Ascend Meditation App (16:50) Life Lessons from Football + Finding Purpose (22:26) Routine w/Ascend Meditation App (24:23) Biggest Lesson Learned from Ascend (27:57) Advice to People doing Creative Projects (29:16) Graduating College + Lessons from College