Episode 10: Healing Elite Fighters and Athletes – Ayahuasca & Brain Mapping | Ian McCall & Sam Believ

For this next episode, we speak to Sam Believ, Founder of La Wayra, one of the highest-rated ayahuasca retreats in South America, and Ian McCall, a retired MMA World Champion, performance coach, and founder of Athletes Journey Home – a nonprofit that helps athletes and high performers heal from trauma and injury. 

They worked together to create an ayahuasca retreat for fighters and athletes, using brain mapping and neurofeedback to analyse how healing reshapes the brain and nervous system. They draw from their personal experiences as we explore a range of polarising topics, from ayahuasca tourism in Colombia, to the science of brain mapping, to even the history of psychedelics in UFC fighting, and more. 

Instagram: 

Sam: https://www.instagram.com/sambeliev/ 

Ian: https://www.instagram.com/ianmccall/?hl=en 

Ayahuasca Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3l0nacwTcCCzvtyXowA9t7 

Athletes Journey Home nonprofit: https://athletesjourneyhome.com/ 

La Wayra Ayahuasca Retreat: https://ayahuascaincolombia.com/ 

Heroic Hearts Project - https://heroicheartsproject.org/ 

Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:14) Why Ayahuasca for Athletes
(03:15) Rock Bottom After Fighting
(05:19) Science Path and Psychedelics
(08:16) Meeting Sam and La Wayra
(09:40) Sam’s Vision About UFC Fighters + Ayahuasca Retreat for Fighters 
(12:49) Heroic Hearts Project + Building a Nonprofit
(15:13) Ceremony Stories and Integration
(17:08) Measuring Healing With Data & Brain Mapping 
(25:05) Taita’s Reaction to Integrating the tech
(31:43) Next Athletes Retreat in September, Colombia
(34:09) Lowering Barriers to Retreat Entry
(36:02) Psilocybin Retreats 
(37:01) Brain Mapping and Healing Markers
(38:37) Policy Shifts and Industry Momentum
(40:35) Psychedelics Enter the UFC
(43:21) Athlete Healing 
(48:14) Building Bridges in Colombia
(55:59) Ayahuasca Docuseries
(01:00:30) Conclusion