I Could Never Do That

This week’s interview subject is just as endearing, whimsical and unique as the adventure she’s on. Most of us have heard of “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego” or “Where in the world is Matt Lauer,” right? A lot of us are also familiar with the Flat Stanley cartoon that elementary aged kids send around the world to learn about travel and geography. Well, my friend Kusko has taken these two concepts of travel and discovery to the next level...for charity...with her Happy Tiger Tales Adventure! I first started seeing these crazy social media pics about a year ago. Here was my adult friend dressed in a furry tiger costume in front of the Eiffel Tower, on a real African safari, in Barcelona, and so many other places.   Getting these often humorous and playful shots is Kusko’s way of, as she says, “Connecting humanity through happiness.” People laugh, they hug the tiger, they take photos with the tiger and they take photos of the tiger. Bottom line - it connects people and it brings defenses down. She calls

 This week, it's my long-awaited conversation with Austin's Cycling Golden Girls, Carolyn Defoore and Christie Tracy. They both represented in a big way at this year's USA Cycling Masters National Championships, bringing home a slew of medals including: Christie Tracy (ATC Racing): Gold in the Time Trial Race, Silver in Road Race Carolyn Defoore (Athlete Architecture): Gold in Road Race, Silver in Crit Race In the conversation, which is an article in the September issue of Austin Fit Magazine, we talk about the differences between the different cycling disciplines, what it takes to be good at any or all of these specialties, the arduous physical and mental preparation, what it means to be a mentor for up-an-comers, and, most importantly, how to get over fears of failure and crashing.  Our Golden Girls spill it all and we celebrate their victories!  Photo credit: Jamie Tracy Theme Music: ”Aitech" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/li

  We've got a party, a celebration, in this episode of "I Could Never Do That," which I'm affectionately changing to "I Could Never Do That (Yet!)" for this show. Two-and-a-half years ago, a freak fall rendered Laurie Allen, a nine-time Ironman, a quadriplegic.  The accident may have broken her neck, but it didn't break her spirit or will to return to the sport she loves. On August 6th, 2017, Laurie did return to triathlon at Jack's Generic Tri in Austin with the help of her tribe, "Team Yet!" In this show, we talk to members of her team and how this journey has transformed their lives. Of course, we also dive deep with Laurie and talk about some of the good, the bad, and the ugly of the last two years.  We don't mince words or emotions.  You'll laugh, cry, and come to know this woman who is made of grit, heart, and, of course, Iron.   Theme Music: ”Aitech" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  Adam Sud has certainly lived a lifetime in his 32 short years. This podcast is called "I Could Never Do That" and it's appropriate to get to know Adam because: 1) I'm not sure how many of us could comeback from the depths of despair in which he found himself as a clinically depressed, morbidly obese, young adult addicted to fast food and pills. 2) How many of us could then build the new life that he has built in the last five years; a life that is full of inspiration, conviction, and purpose?   Ironically, it took a life-threatening overdose to save him. His journey to recovery led to a 37-Day stint in rehab where, to his surprise, he was also told that he had heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes. Determined not to medicate himself for the rest of his life, Adam made his recovery an inside job by adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet. The results were rapid and astounding. In 10 months, he lost 100 pounds and was able to toss every one of his meds.  Now, in 2017, Adam is a featured world-wide speaker, reliv

  My guest this week is Chuy Amaya from Austin, Texas. By all standards, Chuy is a normal guy. He's 32-years-old, works a full-time job, has his Masters Degree, etc.  What sets him apart? It isn't just the fact that Chuy is an ultra-endurance fanatic. His favorite event? Well, he's currently training for the Deca Ironman in Mexico taking place this October.  Yep. That's right. A full Iron-distance race (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run) for 10 days in a row.  What possesses someone to do this? How does he train? What advice does he share for others who want to dip their toe in the Ultra Distance world?  All this and more on this episode of the "I Could Never Do That" podcast. Deca Ultra Tri USA Ultra Series International Ultra Triathlon Association Wayne Kurtz Ultraman Live Ironman Running on the Sun Barkley Marathons   Theme Music: ”Aitech" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

My guest today is Katy Dooley Baxter, one of only a small handful of people in the world to have completed the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming. This includes swimming the 21-Mile Catalina Channel, the 20.2 Mile English Channel and the 28.5 Mile Manhattan Island Marathon Swim.   Anyone who knows Katy can attest that she's actually quite the dichotomy of human beings. She's one of those rare combinations of being both tough and stubborn on one end of the spectrum and then completely tender and compassionate on the other end of the scale. Put it this way, her two favorite things in life (besides her new husband) are dropping the F-Bomb and Hello Kitty of all things!  She loves to tell the story of how she hitchhiked to her very first swim practice...at age 5! Things happen on her timeline when she's darn good and ready. Thankfully for us and thankfully for Katy, she did love swimming and that swimming career lasted throughout her childhood into college at the University of Texas.  It wasn't until well into h