About Boots Knighton
Boots Knighton is a visionary, connector, seer, and educator.
She is the host of The Heart Chamber Podcast, a TEDx speaker, and holds a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction as well as a B.S. in Biological Sciences. A believer of doing the next right thing and leaving no heart unhugged, she has a knack for validating and meeting each person with grace.
A resident of Victor, Idaho, Boots has been an educator since the late 1990s in all facets of education. She has taught high school science, middle school mathematics, elementary reading, college level ecology, ski instruction, backpacking, and experiential education.
Her greatest teacher has been her heart thanks to a surprise diagnosis in 2020 (during the pandemic) of three different congenital heart defects. She is now thriving after her open-heart surgery on January 15, 2021. She is on a mission to raise awareness through her podcast that heart surgery can be an incredible opportunity to begin again in life and live life wide open.
Origin of Boots’ Name
Boots Knighton got her legal middle name, Boots, from an incredible woman nicknamed Boots. This woman was named after her grandfather who was nicknamed Boots because he always wore Boots. Therefore, down the line, Boots is named after footwear.
Boots is frequently texted pictures of flowers, birds, or clouds by her friends asking her to name whatever they are observing. She is also known for her weather forecasting skills. Boots has studied phenology for the last 23 years living in the Teton Range of Wyoming/Idaho. She has made it her mission to be able to name every single plant, bush, tree, bird and flower that graces her path. She finds it offensive to each soul and plant if she can’t name who they are.
Boots is also deeply passionate about skiing and believes that all able-bodied humans have the right to study and slide on snow and is convinced that the world would have peace if every human learned to ski.
Additionally, I’ve been a teacher since 1999 with a few short breaks. Boots has taught Pre-K through College level classes. I have also spoken at our local Valley Voices who seeks to foster community. Creating spaces of understanding and empathy in Teton Valley through storytelling to as large as 60 people. It feels natural for her to be on stage. She has taught 100s of people to ski in both groups and in private lessons. In her early 20s, she was on the local radio station for two years during the 4-6pm weekday hour and a fill in for the prime morning hour slots.
The Podcast
She launched her podcast, The Heart Chamber on January 31, 2023. I have also been interviewed on three other podcasts.
