Episode Details

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In this episode of The Art of Imperfect Adulting, Amy Stone speaks with Kym Coco about the intersection of grief, transformation, and the healing power of play through golf. Joining from the serene Sierra Nevadas, north of Lake Tahoe, Kym shares her deeply personal journey of losing her husband and how embarking on an ambitious goal to play 100 new golf courses as a way to help her navigate loss and redefine her future. Listeners will come away with a richer understanding of the non-linear path of grief, the importance of intentional structure, and how embracing new experiences can foster both healing and growth.

About Kym Coco:

Kym Coco is an author, nature-loving yogi, and dog mama of two Staffies. She holds a Master’s Degree in Sports Kinesiology, and two 500-hour Yoga Teacher Training Certificates. Both topics were woven into the classes she taught at California State University, Chico, and the workshops she taught around the country with her late husband, Stephen Thompson. Coco now shares powerful tools for well-being through her latest book “Miracle on the Mountainside” and her blog, Swagtail.com. When she’s not at her residence in the Sierra Nevada mountains, she’s on the hunt for great golf courses and scenic vistas in her Sprinter Van.

Main Topics Covered:

• Innovative strategies for navigating grief, including using structure and play to process loss and rediscover joy.
• The story behind Kym’s 100 new golf courses challenge—a personal framework to honor her late husband and rebuild her sense of self.
• How emotional kinesiology shaped Kym’s partnership, her husband’s legacy, and her approach to healing.
• The importance of creating new experiences to avoid emotional landmines tied to familiar places and memories.
• Lessons learned about flexibility, letting goals evolve, and celebrating progress rather than just completion.
• The significance of allowing oneself to feel the full emotional arc of grief and the value of slowing down during major life transitions.
• Harnessing community, connection, and playfulness as tools for recovery and personal evolution.
• Turning personal projects into creative expressions—Kym’s journey from caregiving to authoring memoirs and new resources for others.

Timestamps:

[00:00:04] Show intro and Amy’s welcome; Kym’s location in the Sierra Nevadas

[00:01:09] Finding peace and connection to nature after loss

[00:02:04] Introducing the dual topics of grief and golf in Kym’s story

[00:03:33] Meeting Steve, their background in (emotional) kinesiology, and building a life together

[00:04:42] Steve’s advice: embrace structure after loss; the origins of the 100 golf course challenge

[00:05:53] Emotional kinesiology explained and setting the stage for Kym’s healing journey

[00:06:10] Steve’s motorcycle accident, lifelong health struggles, and a pivotal hospitalization

[00:07:31] Open conversations about end-of-life, illness, and preparing for grief

[00:08:22] Why 100 new golf courses? Crafting a framework for recovery

[00:09:10] Early attempts at golf after Steve’s death, emotional setbacks, and perseverance

[00:11:04] Co-authoring memoirs and the process of sorting stories for healing and legacy

[00:13:39] How play, presence, and golf became essential tools for moving through grief

[00:16:26] The challenge’s timeframe: still in progress, and why “new” courses matter

[00:19:21] Intentionally choosing novelty to avoid emotional landmines in familiar places

[00:21:22] Travel, van life, and adapting the project with life’s disruptions

[00:23:20] How intuition and community rec