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Ageless Athlete - Longevity Insights From Adventure Sports Legends
Uncensored and deep conversations with extraordinary rock climbers, runners, surfers, alpinists, kayakers and skiers et al. Tap into their journey to peak performance, revealing stories, hidden strategies, and the mindset that defies aging and other limits.
Get educated and inspired to chase your own dreams. Come for the stories, leave with tools, tips, and motivation! Hosted by Kush Khandelwal.
Episodes
76 episodes
#76 Four Times Across the English Channel: What One Impossible Swim Can Teach You About Identity, Grit, and Starting Over
At midnight, Sarah Thomas stepped off the coast of England into darkness—swimming into history as the first person to complete a four-way crossing of the English Channel, nonstop. That alone would be astonishing. But what makes her story unforg...
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Season 1
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Episode 76
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1:49:15
#75 The Thinking Climber: What a Philosopher’s Double Life Reveals About Curiosity, Reinvention, and the Long Arc of Mastery
What if your best climbing wasn’t behind you—even at 65?This episode is a masterclass in longevity, discipline, and duality. Our guest is a rare figure who has spent decades pushing hard at the edge of two very different worlds: as a ten...
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Season 1
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Episode 75
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1:43:36
#74 Ketones, Fasting, and Flexibility: The Science of Optimizing Your Energy Systems for Endurance and Longevity with Dr Brianna Stubbs
In this episode of Ageless Athlete, we dive into the metabolic engine room with Dr. Brianna Stubbs—world-class endurance athlete and leading researcher at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. Brianna bridges the worlds of elite pe...
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Season 1
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Episode 74
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1:46:45
#73 Unstoppable: The 80-Year-Old Who Runs 100+ Mile Ultramarathons—and Reminds Us Why Showing Up Still Matters
Bob Becker didn’t start running until his 50s.Today, at 80, he’s tackling some of the most brutal ultramarathons on the planet—100+ mile races across deserts, through mountains, and far beyond what most of us think is possible.But...
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Season 1
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Episode 73
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1:37:54
#72 Bianca Valenti’s Second Act: How She Won Equal Pay, Redefined Her Sport, and Trains Her Body and Nerves for Big Waves — and for Life
What does it take to paddle into 50-foot waves — and to paddle back out again after life knocks you down?In this wide-ranging conversation, professional big wave surfer Bianca Valenti joins the Ageless Athlete podc...
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Season 1
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Episode 72
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1:57:57
#71 When the Body Breaks Through: From Cold Oceans to Chemo Miles — Best of Q1 2025
In this special highlight reel, we revisit the most unforgettable moments from the past few months of Ageless Athlete. These are stories that stuck with me—narratives that challenged how I think about fear, recovery, aging, and what th...
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Season 1
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Episode 71
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1:40:16
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#70 Dean Karnazes: Fighting Fit in His 60s, Running Ultras on Weekends, and Tracing the Marathon’s Roots in Greece
Dean Karnazes has been called one of the fittest humans on the planet — and he’s not slowing down. In his 60s, he’s still running ultramarathons on the weekends, living part-time in Greece, and exploring the historical roots of endurance...
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Season 1
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Episode 70
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1:05:07
#68 Aging Joints & Grateful Bodies: Elbows, Fingers, Sleep, and the Stories We Tell Ourselves
Physiotherapist and coach Andy McVittie returns to the podcast for a deeper dive into the aging body — what breaks down, why it happens, and how to keep moving through it all.In this episode, we move from big-picture thinking to the spec...
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Season 1
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Episode 69
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1:13:36
#67 Jerry Moffatt’s Revelations: Dangerous Free Soloing Before It Was Cool, The Power of Obsession, Letting Go at Your Peak, and His Surprising Key to Success
Dangerous Free Soloing Before It Was Cool, The Power of Obsession, and Letting Go at Your PeakIn this episode of Ageless Athlete, host Kush Khandelwal sits down with one of climbing’s most iconic and introspective ...
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Season 1
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Episode 67
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1:38:39
#66 Mastering Momentum: How Ned Overend Still Wins at 70, Avoids Injury, and Trains Like a Student of the Sport
What does it take to stay at the top of your sport for over four decades—and still be competitive at 70?In this episode, we sit down with Ned Overend, the first-ever UCI Mountain Bike World Champion and six-time national champion,...
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Season 1
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Episode 67
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1:52:06
#65 The Movement Optimist: Knees, Shoulders, Elbows, Hips, Bulletproof Yourself! Never Late to Get Strong!
Physiotherapist, coach, and lifelong climber Andy McVittie challenge the myths about aging and physical decline. Andy brings decades of hands-on experience, working with outdoor athletes and everyday movers who want to stay active, resil...
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Season 1
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Episode 65
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1:44:36
#64 The Ultimate Comeback: At 46, Tara Tulley Transformed Her Life, Lost 130 lbs, Overcame Illness, and, Conquered a 140 Mile Ultra Run
Tara Tulley’s story is an ode to the power of resilience, determination, and self-belief. At 45 years old, she stood at the start line of a grueling 140-mile ultra-marathon—not as a runner, but as a spectator. Weighing over 250 pounds, battling...
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Season 1
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Episode 64
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1:53:09
#63 Beyond Two Guinness Surfing Records: How Shawn Dollar Overcame Traumatic Brain Injury—and Why You Must Advocate for Your Own Health
“Fear doesn’t have to destroy you—it can become rocket fuel if you learn to harness it. That mindset carried me through big waves and even bigger challenges on land.”In this episode, we dive deep with Shawn Dollar, a big-wa...
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Season 1
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Episode 63
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1:14:45
#62 One Mile at a Time: The Healing Power of Movement and How You Can Fight Mental Decline
“Get people outside. Let them walk, let them move. And if they can’t, do it in a wheelchair. Fresh air and movement—at any level—still have the power to bring joy, connection, and even a little bit of who they once were.”In thi...
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Season 1
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Episode 62
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1:48:17
#61 Chris Bertish Is All In: Paddling the Atlantic Solo, and Fear, Failure & Finding Strength in the Unknown
At 50, Chris Bertish has built his life on pushing the boundaries of human endurance. From conquering Mavericks with no sleep and borrowed gear to paddling 4,600 miles across the Atlantic solo, his story is proof that commitment, ...
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Season 1
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Episode 61
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1:18:02
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#60 Lisa Smith-Batchen, The Peaceful Warrior: How to Break Through Self-Imposed Limits, Use Aging to Your Advantage, and How Purpose Will Transform You
"We can be younger by tomorrow—it’s not about reversing time, but about how we choose to move, think, and approach life with intention. Every day is an opportunity to grow stronger, more resilient, and more connected to what truly matters." 🙌🏾<...
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Season 1
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Episode 60
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1:28:00
#59 Best of 2024 Part II
🎙️ Ageless Athlete Podcast is back with Part 2 of our Best of 2024 series! In this special episode, we revisit some of the most powerful, thought-provoking, and inspiring conversations from the past year.If Part 1 was a...
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Season 1
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Episode 59
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1:57:58
#58 Beyond Limits: Steve McClure’s Unorthodox Methods, Peak Performance at 54, What Causes Decline, (and, the Best Fixes for Long-Term Success)
Steve McClure is one of Britain’s most accomplished rock climbers, and at 54, still continuing to climb at an elite level, defying the notion that performance inevitably drops with age. We dive into his unconventional training philosophy...
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Season 1
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Episode 58
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1:48:34
#57 Best Of 2024 - Part I
Excited for this special look back at the most inspiring moments of 2024! Host Kush Khandelwal revisits powerful conversations with athletes and adventurers who’ve challenged limits, overcome adversity, and redefined resilience.This epis...
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Season 1
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Episode 57
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1:51:51
#56 The $101M Global Race to Redefine Aging: Jamie Justice on the Science of Longevity, and Why Aging Is an Opportunity, Not a Decline
What if aging didn’t have to mean decline? What if the years ahead could be just as vibrant as your youth—if not more so? In this week’s episode of Ageless Athlete, Jamie Justice, Executive Vice President of Health at XPRIZE, reveals h...
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Season 1
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Episode 56
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1:37:03
#55 Impossible To Possible: How Ray Zahab’s Adventure Mindset Helped Him Overcome Cancer and Redefine Resilience
“During chemo, I could have stayed on the couch binge-watching Netflix. Instead, I chose to walk 500 meters, then build from there. Every step reminded me that I could still fight and get stronger.”In this episode of The A...
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Season 1
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Episode 55
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1:12:03
#54 Discovering Longevity: How I Applied These 10 Surprising Lessons From Top Athletes
In this episode, I reflect on 10 surprising and powerful lessons I’ve learned from some of the world’s top adventure athletes. From reframing fear to finding joy, embracing awe to chasing big dreams, these lessons have reshaped my own journey—a...
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Season 1
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Episode 54
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35:59
#53: Caroline Paul Revisited - Why Embracing Small Risks Leads to Big Growth, Finding Awe in the Everyday, And Reframing Fear as a Tool For Growth
As we step into a new year, there’s no better time to revisit this transformative conversation with Caroline Paul—firefighter, adventurer, and NYT best-selling author. In this episode, Caroline shares practical strategies to reframe fear, build...
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Season 1
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Episode 53
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1:22:23
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#52 Endless Summer: Behind The Scenes from a Surfing Classic, and Wingnut's Proven Formula for Staying Active, Balanced, and Stoked at Any Age
Robert "Wingnut" Weaver, is the star of Endless Summer II and one of surfing’s most iconic longboarders. Wingnut takes us behind the scenes of the movie that shaped surf culture and shares timeless lessons on living a balanced, joyful,...
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Season 1
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Episode 52
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1:41:40
#51 Into The Depths: No Wetsuit, 43 Degree Water, And 17 Hours Non-Stop, To Make History With The First Swim To Shark Island 🦈
""Swimming in 43-degree water with no wetsuit, knowing sharks could be nearby, pushes every cell in your body to scream for warmth and safety. But that’s where mental toughness comes in. You break it down—30 minutes at a time—pushing past the p...
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Season 1
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Episode 51
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1:54:43
