Episodes
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It’s time for our annual tradition started by David of Sober F*cking Christmas. As you may know, in his book Out There, David describes how on one Christmas Eve, on one of his usual stumbling drunk days before he got sober, he was attempting to wrap his kids’ Christmas gifts, but was so hammered that all he could do was crumple newspaper around them and bind it up with duct tape before passing out. Christmas morning, the kids opened the embarrassing messes while he nursed his hangover. That would be the proverbial rock-bottom that caused him to finally pull out of the abyss of addiction he had been in to eventually become the motivational wonder that he became. So this episode has become a staple that always rates among the most-downloaded episodes year-in and year-out.
As we wind down 2024, thanks again to all of you for listening to the WASP. Please make sure you subscribe so you can load all new episodes onto your phone. If you enjoyed the podcast, the best thing you can do is share it with your friends or on social media, and please do me a favor and take 60 seconds and give us a five-star rating on whatever platform on which you listen to us. I would also be humbly honored if you would write a review as well. These five-star ratings and reviews really do help! Again, Happy Holidays and Sober F*cking Christmas to you. Until next time, always be positive!
Gary Stotler
garystotler.com
Facebook Gary Stotler
Instagram @_garystotler_
Find his latest book, "Success is Spelled Action" on Amazon
Chad Prichard
Instagram @rn_leadman_chad
Ed Barnette
Facebook Ed Barnette
Instagram @ed.barnette
Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
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Meghan Hunter was an eight-time state track champion in Utah at Provo High School, including 2018 when she swept titles in the 100, 200, 400, and 800 meters, an almost-unheard-of spread of talent. Her impressive times included a blazing state record of 52.59 seconds in the 400. She earned herself a berth on the U.S. Youth Olympics team and got to compete in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her natural progression took her to her dream of competing collegiately at BYU. Then on July 4, 2019, she and her brother Morgan were on the way to volunteer at a race when Morgan swerved to avoid hitting a deer on the road, and rolled their car five times. Meghan broke the C3, C4, and C5 vertebrae in her neck and doctors told her that she would probably never again run at the same level she had. Naturally, Meghan wasn’t satisfied with that answer, and began the arduous process to get back to running and competing at a high level. Nineteen months later, Meghan was back with her BYU teammates, but still had to confront another nemesis caused by the crash, PTSD. It’s something she still continuously has to work through, but by this year, the results have been coming around. She was third in the 800 meters in the NCAA indoor championships, got her time down to 2:00.75 at the Portland Track Festival, and got to compete at the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon. She was named a finalist for the Honda Inspiration Award, and has just signed an NIL deal with Nike. Quite the whirlwind of a year! What I love about Meghan and her story is her relentless positivity in the face of these struggles. Even in her neck brace in the hospital with her family, she was sporting a huge smile. At the same time, she graduated from BYU with a degree in communications disorders, and is aiming to work in the field of speech, language, and pathology. How cool is that? I hope you enjoy this chat with this delightful young woman with an inspiring story and become a fan of hers like I am as she ascends a very promising ladder in the track world.
Meghan Hunter
Instagram @meghan_annne
Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
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Episodes manquant?
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I have one more great guest with an awesome story who ran the American Heroes Run this year. James Gaa completed 36 laps, or about 37 miles, of the 9 hour and 11 minute run. Pretty darn good for a guy who only began running a little more than a year prior. James had been primarily spending his time in the weight room before deciding to start to run in 2023, and has done so every day since. It’s launched him on a journey to help him overcome the traumas of an abusive childhood and the drug-related death of his mother. His first goal was to run a marathon. Check. Then an ultramarathon. Check. Both of which almost didn’t happen after a heavy table base fell on his head in a warehouse at his job. James has a very well-developed perspective on how all of these events have shaped his life as well as on his journey to discover how far he can test himself, so I think you’ll gain a lot listening to this chat. I really enjoyed learning a bit about his story at the AHR, and a lot of it more here. I’m excited to see how far James will venture on this personal adventure.
James Gaa
@jamesgaa
MapMyRun James Gaa
Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
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Just in time for Thanksgiving and the holidays, I am very excited to bring you this chat with Leah Garcés, the CEO of Mercy for Animals, which is promoting a campaign to Pardon a Turkey. The idea is to celebrate the holidays in a kinder way by sparing the life of a beautiful, intelligent animal, and instead substituting other delicious and healthy dishes. Tens of millions of turkeys are artificially gorged to an insane weight and then killed each year for Thanksgiving alone. To help the meal preparers in your family, Mercy for Animals has created an impressive downloadable cookbook that has easy-to-follow directions and videos for a dozen very tasty-sounding recipes for vegan apple-cranberry stuffing, vegan mashed potatoes, vegan sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, and a crispy vegan turkey roast. Yum! The cookbook is totally free on their website, mercyforanimals.com Mercy for Animals has been at the forefront of trying to create a more humane world that ensures the health of everyone on the planet by specifically trying to move us away from factory farming, which not only perpetuates shocking, cruel methods, but endangers our health in many ways, whether through the pollution it causes to deadly outbreaks of e.coli, salmonella, etc. It is also an enormously inefficient use of the Earth’s rapidly shrinking arable land that needs to feed an ever-growing population. One particularly innovative program is called Transfarmation, that is helping chicken farmers that are caught up in the grind of subservience to massive conglomerates to convert their farms to growing plants and thus achieving a better balance in their lives, and get this, more profitability. Don’t be turned away from this episode if you are a dedicated meat eater, which is fine. Leah does a fantastic job of educating and making it easy to make a small difference in the world. Did you know that Americans on average eat 30 animals a year? Even one meatless day a week can spare several animals from the torture of factory farming, and you know what? You will be healthier, too, which is a nice benefit. So enjoy this lively chat, and Pardon a Turkey this holidays!
Leah Garcés
MercyForAnimals.org
[email protected]
Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn Mercy For Animals
Threads and YouTube @mercyforanimals
TikTok mercyforanimals_usBill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
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Despite the beginning of more focus now on mental health, especially after the well-publicized battles that were brought forward by gymnast Simone Biles and tennis player Naomi Osaka, there is still a stigma for men to seek assistance, unless you count the omnipresent TV commercials by the affable, mustachioed Dr. Rich Mahogany for mantherapy.org Soleiman Bolour has tapped into his own journey to assist men in their personal growth to find greater clarity, confidence, and intention. Whether the individual is in addiction recovery, dealing with unresolved trauma, or just trying to identify a focused sense of purpose, Soleiman mentors men and guides their journeys by tapping into his studies in psychology, tantra, tao, NLP (neuro linguistic programming), and much more. He both does one-on-one coaching as well as leads groups, where they explore, among other things, how to balance productivity vs. mindfulness. The basic elements that they build upon include 1. Building a foundation, 2. Creating a vision, 3. Identifying what needs to change, and 4. Execution. I see some real opportunities here for men if you are dealing with being unable to set boundaries, holding yourself back because you are always trying to please other people, and those who want to improve their relationships to thus unlock the doors to personal growth. Soleiman can explain all of this a lot better than I can, so I think you’ll get a lot out of this chat, as well as checking out the blogs and other information on his website, soleimanb.com, and perhaps engaging with him either one-on-one or in his men’s groups. By the way, he limits the size of each one to 12 men, so you develop a more focused relationship with others who have a common purpose.
Soleiman Bolour
www.soleimanb.com
[email protected]
Facebook and LinkedIn Soleiman Bolour
Instagram and YouTube @soleimanbolour
Tik Tok soleimanb
Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
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I met Chaiwen Chou on the trip I took in March to the Atacama Desert of Chile that was led by Tyler Andrews of Chaski Endurance Collective. Two things immediately stood out about Chaiwen: one was her gorgeous purple hair, and the second was the boot on her foot. As you know, this was no tourist cruise, we were going to be climbing several very tall summits, the highest at almost 20,000 feet, on steep, loose terrain. You see, Chaiwen had broken her ankle a few weeks before the trip, and her doctor and physical therapist told her that the trip was out of the question. Undeterred, she came on the trip, at first thinking she would just walk around the beautiful landscape while the rest of us took on epic challenges. That thinking didn’t last long. Chaiwen not only conquered all of the climbs in her boot, but she crushed them! Despite those achievements, when she got home to NYC, those professionals still told her no running for several more weeks. Which was a problem because this veteran of epic races like the Formosa Trail 104k in Taiwan and the Tahoe 200 was registered for her dream race, the UTMB, in August. Chaiwen talks here about her long injury recovery, her crash training regimen which totally blows me away, and her experience running in the “Super Bowl” of 100-mile races. So, so impressive! She is tremendously fun, so I think you’ll get a kick out of this chat as much as I did.
Chaiwen Chou
Instagram @aehrwyn
Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
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Our guest today is a local running and coaching legend here in Colorado who is also well-known worldwide. Junko Kazukawa came late into the running world, but has been a prolific endurance athlete, while exuding tons of positive energy. This year alone she completed the Leadwoman challenge – all of the Leadville running and biking races – which included her 10th LT100 run finish, then finished the very difficult Tor des Géants 200-miler in Italy, ran rim-to-rim-to-rim in the Grand Canyon, and currently has the NYC Marathon on-deck. In 2015, she became the first person to complete Leadwoman plus the 100-miler Grand Slam – Western States, Leadville, Vermont, and Wasatch – all in the same year. She did this on the heels of a second breast cancer diagnosis. This has given her the wonderful perspective of if there is something you want to do, don’t wait, just do it, you never know what will happen tomorrow. And then her philosophy that cancer takes away a lot, but it gives you so much more. Junko also talks here about the interesting topic of how suffering through a tough ultramarathon makes her feel more alive. Her infectious positive energy has created a huge following for her both at her races and in her coaching, and Junko Mountain Training is not only the training regimen for many of her athletes, but has become an Internet sensation, too. Junko with her running and coaching has also generously supported the Susan B. Komen Foundation, the Leadville Legacy Foundation, and several individuals battling cancer themselves. I know you’ll enjoy this chat with this relentlessly energetic and positive dynamo.
Junko Kazukawa
boundless.com
[email protected]
Instagram @runjunkorun
Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
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We have had some uplifting performances by young runners in American Heroes Run. Last year, we had the formerly overweight high school freshman who completed the marathon. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago a freshman cross country runner named Bobby, who normally runs 5K, who completed 50K. And then we have 19-year-old Steven Sampson, who completed 35.7 miles in the 9 hour & 11 minute run. One thing that sets Steven apart is that he considers himself a hybrid athlete because he devotes probably more of his time to weightlifting and bodybuilding than he does running. Some of his inspiration comes from the likes of David Goggins and many notable competitive bodybuilders. So like the young marathoner last year, it was cool to see a guy with a jacked body hammering out long distance miles. One of his drivers, too, has been overcoming surgery to remove a brain tumor, which has left him with screws in his skull and he also hopes doesn’t prevent him from someday becoming a Navy Seal. He’s a super nice young man who is passionate about his athletic pursuits, and is just getting started in finding where these will take him, so I think you’ll enjoy our chat.
Steven Sampson
Instagram @camopants_steve
Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
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Another great American Heroes Run performer was Lindsay Rahill, who attempted to complete her first 100-miler. While she bowed out at mile 72, Lindsay far exceeded her previous limits, and in the process continues to put behind her abuse and an eating disorder. She was supported by her awesome husband Chris, who had a fantastic spread of fueling items out for her the entire race except when he had to run home to pickup the kids from school. Lindsay is a lot of fun and she exudes enthusiasm for running and life in general. I greatly appreciate the help she gave me to help promote the AHR this year, which likely directly contributed to our having the highest numbers ever since I began directing the race.
Lindsay Rahill
Instagram @lindsay.rahill
Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
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As I mentioned in my American Heroes Run episode, there were numerous impressive performances and I’m going to bring you chats with some of these while I’m traveling. First is Lisa Kabat, who not only improved her distance in the 9 hour & 11 minute race from 48 miles in 2023 to 62 miles this year, but also smashed the race record… the men’s record, too. Given the unusual time length, perhaps that’s a world record? Lisa lives near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, but she prefers to run loops around her neighborhood, to the tune of 25 miles every day. Yes, that’s right. Thus, the loop format of the American Heroes Run suits her very well. What was cool was that Lisa generally had a big smile as she completed every lap. This might distract you from gawking at her unusual running form. She runs on her toes with a short, machine-like stride, with arms wildly swinging. I coached high school basketball for many years, and my first instinct would be to fix bad shooting form. But if the player was making his shots, you just shrugged and let it go. The same thing applies to Lisa – it seems to work for her. It’s funny but just last week some people I was with talked about this woman with the funky form who they would see over and over and over running past their house near where Lisa lives. I’ve got a strong hunch I know who they were talking about! Lisa’s next goal is Tunnel Hill, which, while it’s out-and-back, is relatively flat. As she says, with her style it’s likely she should stay off of rocky trails. But in our fun chat, you’ll be impressed hearing how she fits huge miles into her schedule, and her enthusiasm for cranking out repetitive miles.
Lisa Kabat
Facebook Lisa Kabat
Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
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In addition to the We Are Superman Podcast, it is my humble privilege to honor David Clark's legacy to direct the American Heroes Run that he began in 2010. This year, we had the largest number of runners since I began hosting it, and quite a few had outstanding performances. We will be highlighting some of these stories in episodes over the new few weeks, but here is a recap of the entire two days of racing from 5K to 100 miles, from 15 to 85 years old, in Longmont, Colorado.
Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
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Adam Popp was one of the most impressive previous WASP guests, appearing on episode #209 in May, 2022. Adam, a 12-year combat veteran, had his right leg blown off by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in December, 2007 while serving in the Air Force as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team leader. After a long, arduous rehabilitation process, Adam found his purpose again in advocacy work and sports, where he has always gone big and crammed a lot into a short amount of time. He won the 2021 and 2022 Americas Triathlon Championships, and completed a full Ironman in 11:03:06 in 2023. He became the first above-the-knee amputee to complete a 100-mile running race in less than 30 hours, and this year set the 100-mile world record of 16:13:43. He won the 2024 Boston Marathon Para Elite division (T61/63) and set a T63 world best of 3:08:52 at the London Marathon just six days later. For good measure, he ran another marathon in New Zealand a couple of weeks after that. Adam, who already holds seven Guinness World Records, is on a current quest to set 17 records this year to mark 17 years since losing his leg. His next major attempt will be to run 24 hours straight on a treadmill, which he’ll do on Oct. 15 inside the Hoka flagship store in NYC. He aims to support the many organizations that aided him and other wounded soldiers. He is also doing a trial run on Wednesday morning, Sept. 25 in Arvada, Colo., so please reach out to him if you are a local listener who’d like to help witness it for him. His Instagram to contact him is @eodpopp He’s a super humble guy who valiantly served his country on the battlefield, so please support him if you can either in Arvada or in New York.
Adam Popp
adampopp.com
Instagram @eodpopp
Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
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Some wise person said that necessity is the mother of invention. It’s also sometimes the mother of entrepreneurship. Meet Rice University runner Tyler Strothman. When he experienced years of frustrating foot pain, he tried many different brands of shoes, but nothing seemed to help solve his issues. So boldly, Tyler decided to start his own shoe brand, Veloci. The first models should arrive in January, but many runners who have tried his demo models have raved about them. The differentiators include a toebox that conforms to the natural shape of the foot AND they have a typical running shoe heel drop. Unlike some other brands on the market that have wider toeboxes, Velocis truly match the foot’s shape and they are not zero-drop shoes. In a crowded field, Tyler has been using his youthful enthusiasm and energy to crack into running shoe stores with his innovative brand. In this chat, it is interesting to hear the approach used by a 21-year-old to introduce Velocis to the running community, as well as learning how he has taken his shoes and the company from the drawing board, through financing and relationship-building, to actual production. After my bunion surgery last year, my foot still feels pretty beat up after runs, so I’m looking forward to receiving the pair of Velocis I’ve ordered myself.
Tyler Strothman
velocirunning.com
Instagram @velocirunning and @tylerstrothman
LinkedIn and TikTok Veloci Running
Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
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As I mentioned in my American Heroes Run episode, there were numerous impressive performances and I’m going to bring you chats with some of these while I’m traveling. First is Lisa Kabat, who not only improved her distance in the 9 hour & 11 minute race from 48 miles in 2023 to 62 miles this year, but also smashed the race record… the men’s record, too. Given the unusual time length, perhaps that’s a world record? Lisa lives near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, but she prefers to run loops around her neighborhood, to the tune of 25 miles every day. Yes, that’s right. Thus, the loop format of the American Heroes Run suits her very well. What was cool was that Lisa generally had a big smile as she completed every lap. This might distract you from gawking at her unusual running form. She runs on her toes with a short, machine-like stride, with arms wildly swinging. I coached high school basketball for many years, and my first instinct would be to fix bad shooting form. But if the player was making his shots, you just shrugged and let it go. The same thing applies to Lisa – it seems to work for her. It’s funny but just last week some people I was with talked about this woman with the funky form who they would see over and over and over running past their house near where Lisa lives. I’ve got a strong hunch I know who they were talking about! Lisa’s next goal is Tunnel Hill, which, while it’s out-and-back, is relatively flat. As she says, with her style it’s likely she should stay off of rocky trails. But in our fun chat, you’ll be impressed hearing how she fits huge miles into her schedule, and her enthusiasm for cranking out repetitive miles.
Lisa Kabat
Facebook Lisa Kabat
Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
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It’s a shame that two of the nicest people you can meet at the Leadville Trail 100 also happen to be the ones you want the least to meet. You see, Sandy and Mike Monahan are the race’s cutoff queen and king. If you are pushing the time cutoffs at each aid station, they will do their best to move you through and on to the next one. But if you are too late getting there, they will kindly and gently deliver the news that your raceday has ended. You couldn’t ask for better people to handle this difficult job, and that is what makes them an integral part of the Leadville Family. I’ve been there several times on both sides of the cutoff ledger, which may be why in the years I have volunteered, Sandy has sometimes recruited me to assist her. I got to know them particularly well in 2015, when I was the so-called Last Ass Up the Pass, the DFL, or dead f*@king last finisher. Due to coming back from surgery for a ruptured quad that prior fall and some other unique circumstances, from the time I arrived at Twin Lakes inbound, I was within four minutes of the cutoff at every aid station the rest of the way. A very stressful position to be in, but the Monahans kept me moving along so that I did make it to the finish with only two minutes to spare, in 29:58! Once again this year, at Outward Bound and Half Pipe, there were Mike and Sandy pushing me along as I teetered ahead of those cutoffs. But the couple has meant a lot more to the race, going all the way back to the early days when Mike was a racer, and Sandy helped race co-founder Merilee computerize the records from the old handwritten ones prior to then. Cole Chlouber devoted an entire chapter to them in his new book, Grit, Guts, and Determination. Mike and Sandy share some great stories that I am sure you will enjoy in this episode, recorded on the eve of this year’s race, which they generously agreed to do, get this, on their 50th wedding anniversary!
Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
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I recap the Leadville Trail 100, including my experiences, training, fueling, the race itself, the Leadville people and the race's highly-charged atmosphere, and what my takeaways from it are. The chief one of those is to continue to think big and take chances on epic challenges. In fact, I'm asking all of you listeners to suggest other ones I can undertake. I'm ready. Please contact me and let me know your ideas for me!
Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
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With the Olympics having just ended, I’m presenting a chat I had with someone who might be a good bet to run in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Parker Wolfe had a terrific high school career at Cherry Creek H.S. in suburban Denver, where in his senior year he was the Gatorade Player of the Year after having an undefeated cross country season, and ran 4:06.17 in the 1600 to set the Colorado state record, which hadn’t been broken in 41 years. He also set the still-standing state record in the 3200, 8:55.94. From there, he has had a stellar career at the Univ. of North Carolina. He won the ACC cross country title this year, but things really began to accelerate after he was runner-up this winter at the NCAA indoor championships in both the 3000 and 5000 meters. The highlights of his spring track season included winning ACC titles in the 5K and 10K, and then winning the NCAA 5000-meter crown. Three weeks later, at only 20 years old, Parker ran in the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon. In an incredibly gutsy race, Parker crossed the line in 13:10.75 in third-place. Despite the top-three finish, Parker had not run the Olympic qualifying standard, and after computation of complex world rankings formulas, Parker was unfortunately the first guy out. It was a bit of a tough pill to swallow, but as you’ll hear, Parker has mentally moved on and is focused on his upcoming season at North Carolina. He’s a great example of resilience, overcoming setbacks, and continuing to follow the process. This conversation will also be enlightening if you are a high school or college runner as you hear about how he progressed through the stages of his recruitment, training, and competing.
Parker Wolfe
Instagram and Threads @parkerw19
Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
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We often feature comebacks on the WASP. This is a comeback by one old guy, me. I'll be toeing the starting line at the Leadville Trail 100 this weekend for the 10th time, hoping to become the first runner to finish the race in four different 10-year age groups. Leadville has been a special place to me since I first ran there in 1992. I have had many memorable races there, including finishing as the Last Ass Up the Pass in 2015. Between finishes, I have had almost too many surgeries to count. My latest one a year ago kept me out of action most of 2023. However, I have made training for it this year almost a full-time job and have pulled out all the stops to get to the finish. Thank you for following along with my journey, and definitely reach out if you happen to be in Leadville this weekend!
Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
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Anthony Lee is a young, rising star in the ultrarunning world who has a backstory that is as atypical you will hear for someone who has won very challenging major races like the Ouray 100 and Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountain Wild and Scenic 100. If you see him at a starting line, you’ll notice his long, brightly-dyed hair, tattoos, painted fingernails, and that he’s Asian, all telling you that he has a story. What a story it is. It includes being a difficult teenager who got into trouble with the law. After he moved to Colorado, he spent a couple of years couch surfing or living under a bridge, and working in the restaurant industry, obviously none of which is very conducive to ultramarathon training. On many days, he would stash his belongings under some bushes in the pre-dawn dark, go for a run, then shower at the rec center and show up for work. This is where Anthony learned a lot about self-reliance, toughness, and perseverance and began his rise in ultrarunning. Despite those hardships, he is one of the most positive and affable athletes in the sport. What’s super cool is Anthony wants to be an advocate for people to try to discover trail and ultrarunning who may look differently than the stereotypical old, white, male. You’ve heard athletes who were former addicts like David, Gary Stotler, and others who have been on the WASP who perhaps gained their amazing wisdom and worldly perspectives due to their struggles. You’ll quickly hear with Anthony the immense gratitude and generosity he radiates that perhaps were gleaned from his hardscabble times. I mean he is just one friendly, giving, upbeat guy and I hope you really enjoy our lively chat.
Anthony Lee
Instagram @anthonyclee
Strava and Facebook Anthony Lee
Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
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We’ve featured a lot of people who have taken on epic challenges, but this guest, Ray Zahab of Quebec, Canada, has done dozens and dozens of them. When we recorded this, Ray had just completed a couple of weeks before a crossing of Death Valley from north to south. I’m very familiar with the Badwater 135, which just completed, but that is run on roads. I didn’t even know it was a thing there to run the shortest route between two points, completely off-road. The terrain is seriously rugged, and it’s pretty hot, and Ray ran it with limited re-supplies in 53:35:21. In case you’re wondering, he drank 75 liters of water. He’s also run across the widest park of Death Valley west to east, crossing two mountain ranges, in 35 hours. He’s run 7500 km across the Sahara Desert in 111 days, 1850 km across the Namib Desert in Africa, 1200 km across the Atacama Desert in Chile, and 2000 km across the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. That’s the hot, dry stuff. He’s crossed Baffin Island in northern Canada nine times in winter and trekked from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole on snowshoes pulling his supply sled. And I’m just scratching the surface. Here’s the WASP comeback story angle: Ray did this last Death Valley project a little more than a year after completing six months of debilitating chemotherapy for a rare form of lymphoma. What’s very cool about Ray is how he shares his projects with schoolchildren with live links, and he has been running his foundation, impossible2Possible, to introduce kids to the kind of adventuring he does and reach beyond their perceived limits. The foundation takes kids to wild places so they can challenge themselves, and it doesn’t even charge them to be there! Yes, they’re free! Ray and his wife have been raising two daughters who get to experience the outdoors unlike the way Ray was when he was younger and was an out-of-shape, pack-a-day smoker. So there’s another comeback. His brother inspired him to get outdoors and Ray now encourages everyone to also do so, including with his expedition company, KapiK1, which leads trips to remote and beautiful places like Baffin Island, the Atacama Desert, and the Gobi Desert. Even though we had a fairly short conversation, you might still find yourself listening in amazement to all that Ray does and get pumped up by his incredible level of energy and excitement.
Ray Zahab
rayzahab.com
impossible2possible.com
kapik1.com
[email protected]
Facebook and LinkedIn Ray Zahab
Instagram and X @rayzahab
YouTube @rayzahab1944
Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @coachstahl
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