Humans of Triathlon (H.o.T) Podcast

For as much as we love Triathlon, there are some things that we might not particularly like about it. For some, it may be the logistics, for others, it may be the alpha/competitive nature of the sport. But I think we can agree that for a majority it’s the high cost of the sport. Today’s guest, Katie Godec, is on a personal quest to start a conversation on this topic. She believes Triathlon should be for everyone because it is first and foremost a representation of the blood, sweat and tears of humans. Live from California, the land of the unicorns of Silicon Valley, the glam and glitz of Hollywood, and the land of breakfast burrito; we are excited to have this USAT coach and the Managing Director of Destination TriLife on the show.

This week we have the first short-course pro to come on the show - Kristian Blummenfelt from Norway. Tune in as we chat about how Kristian got into the sport; the Norway Triathlon scene; life as a professional triathlete; his 2019 season which included the first WTS win of his career (at the Grand Final in Lausanne) and a 4th place at the 2019 Ironman 70.3 World Champs in Nice, France; and his prep for the upcoming Super League Triathlon and next year's Olympic Games in Tokyo.

This week we have our first guest from South Africa - Tasneem Patel. She's a fully covered athlete who has been called as "The Covered One". Tasneem was never the athletic type, but a vicious cycle of mental illness began her journey to be active. In 2016, she ran her first Comrades Ultra; a 89km run within SA. By late-2017, she did her first Olympic-distance. 2018 was the year to achieve a 70.3, but life had unexpected turns. With the loss of her dad, she lost her way in training. However, in late 2018, her love, mindset & passion returned - and she's determined to complete an Ironman.

Tune in as we talk about all things South Africa and how Tasneem's story is yet another example that anyone can be a triathlete, regardless of religious beliefs...or anything else.

There are moments in our life that stimulate us to make changes to our current situation. It might be an illness, the birth of a new baby, a new career, etc. Our guest today, Alfredo Allende decided to quit smoking and start Triathlon-ing with the birth of his first daughter. It all started with running - to help aid his depression & anxiety from nicotine withdrawal.  But he was always getting injured as his bones couldn’t handle the workload. Something was off. So, he started cross-training with swimming and biking. After dealing with pain, fatigue, etc. for a number of months, Alfredo was recently diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease with no cure - where your body pretty much attacks itself, destroying your joints & organs. But that hasn't stopped him from pursuing this sport and everything it means to him. He doesn’t know what the future has in store or how long he will be able to continue Triathlon, but he’s okay with it because he's living every day as if there’s no tomorrow - crossing each finish line as a celebration of life.

This week's Human of Triathlon started her endurance journey with running back in 1998, But when standing along the finishing chute during her husband's first IM at Lake Placid - cheering and crying for all the finishers she saw - Phaedra Kennedy had an incredibly emotional experience & one she knew she wanted to experience herself. 4yrs later, she did her first IM at LP with her husband. She now describes it as the 2nd best day of her life, second only to their wedding day. After racing together for 4yrs, they decided it was time to start a family. They tried for a long time with no luck & were later told that Phaedra had stage 4 endometriosis & would not be able to conceive without medical assistance. She felt like she had failed as a woman & hated her body for what it couldn’t do. But after 2years of riding an emotional roller coaster, she knew she had to hop off - to do so she went back to the community she had left behind and started tri'ing again - allowing her to shift her focus from what she couldn't do to what she can do instead.

After getting into the world of 3D art and developing video games, Ryan Lastimosa was a very heavy drinker & smoker suffering from Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) & was in the red zone for a heart attack at 30 years old. He was tired of being tired. He was done with being unhealthy. The right combination of life-changing events drove him to Triathlon. He started training & it turned it all around.

One of Ryan's uncle's, Uncle Rudy had always been a father figure to him, and he was wheelchair-bound from Parkinson's disease. One day, while watching the IM World Champs on TV with his uncle, Ryan gained his inspiration to want to race at the Big Island for both him and his uncle. Uncle Rudy passed away due to complications with Parkinson's Disease. Sadly, with his passing, he won't be able to see Ryan compete. But now with Ironman number 11 done, Ryan knows, through the Ironman Legacy Program, he will eventually get to Kona. And Uncle Rudy might not be there with him physically, but his spirit lives on with Ryan.

Born in Ohio & based in South Korea our Human of Triathlon this week, Lynn was addicted to attention as a teenager. Maybe not all that abnormal for someone that age, but it often brought drama & consequences. When she was 16, she found out that she was pregnant. After a whirlwind of a few months, Lynn gave birth to a perfect little girl and placed her for open adoption. In the last few years, they have reconnected with each other. Although the story is of love & redemption, there are still wounds that needed to heal. That's where Triathlon came into Lynn's life. It gave her an outlet for the emotion that she didn't know she needed - allowing her to sort through feelings of self-doubt and the need for over-achieving to make up for past mistakes. Channeling her addictive tendencies into Triathlon & taking her love for the sport, she recently created an organization to help grow the participation of women in Triathlon - Fund Her Tri, Inc.

Being smaller than his peers, Allan Espina was the object of bullying growing up in the Philippines. He got heckled, called "limp-wristed", & vividly remembers seeing the word “Faggot” scribbled by his cousin on a wall. At 7y.o, this was torture. He excelled intellectually to make up for what he lacked physically. At 38, he immigrated to the US having just completed his 2nd Master's degree & working a great job. After a spark from a co-worker, Allan completed his first Sprint after 4 months of prep, not having competed in any sport before. The high from the event gave him a new goal - he wanted to hold a doctorate degree & be an Ironman before 50. He chose to pursue the IM goal first and achieved it before turning 43. He says that he wanted to show that he may have been “limp-wristed” growing up, but now, he's done something his bullies have only dreamt of. That maybe this was a way for him to prove that he was a man after all & an Ironman at that. Although he knows that sounds kinda shallow if he could travel back in time to tell his 7y.o. self that it gets better - he would in a heartbeat.

Robin started in Triathlon, back in 1987, when the sport was still in its infancy stage. Being a lover of the water, she had been swimming in college when her swim coach, an instrumental figure in her life, made the college swim team do a Triathlon. Running was her weak spot, and she wasn't sure she could even make the terrifying distance of 5k, but her coach took her out for a run one day and showed her that most of the barriers were only in her own mind and that she could accomplish far more than she believed she could.

Now, 30+ years later, even after going through various life-events, Triathlon still remains a constant in Robin's life. The solitude and serenity of the long miles of training and racing along with the companionship of Triathlon where people support all of their fellow athletes is what keeps her coming back for more. Being in her fifties now she also appreciates that being a triathlete has kept her making healthy choices for many years. She hopes to follow her role models in the sport, like Sister Madonna Buder, and still be racing strong in her 80s and beyond!

Rachel Wall came into this world with a rare genetic disease called Hereditary Angioedema that causes episodes of mass swelling which are intensely painful and interfere with kind of necessary stuff like breathing and digesting/absorbing food. She spends every day battling the body she was born into. Because of which she was told all throughout her life that she couldn't or shouldn't do things. Six years ago, with the support of her Mom, Rachel did a local Sprint Triathlon. Through the sport she found a new community where she was instead told “You can give it a try. We believe in you. We are proud of you.”

Rachel has now done multiple short distance races, 4 70.3s, and a full marathon. Her next goal being the 140.6. In this conversation, we talk about ice-cream, hairstyles, bunnies, and how Rachel has grown to become comfortable in her own skin, not letting anyone else tell her what she can or can't do.

This episode marks 1-year since we started the Humans of Triathlon (H.o.T) Podcast. The co-hosts have a casual chat about the show, Humans of Triathlon, and what's been happening with them lately.

It's been a blast hosting the show and being able to hear and share the stories of such incredible humans from the world of Triathlon. We've had stories of failures, of triumphs, and everything in between - from Athletes to Race Photographers & Announcers, from Newbies to Ironman World Champs, from Young-guns to Seasoned Veterans, from around 15 different countries/nationalities - all of whom are different in so many regards but united by the sport and the way it has helped them become better people and lead better lives.

Thank you to all the guests who have taken the time to come on the show and share their journey's with us and have made the show what it is. And obviously, a big thank you to everyone for tuning in. You all are the big reason we do the show so we appreciate you tuning in.

We look forward to continuing the show and making it bigger and better. If you have enjoyed listening, it would mean a lot to us if you could leave the show a positive review on iTunes/Apple Podcasts or even just share it on social media or with your friends/family - to help the show reach more people and get these incredible stories out for more to hear.

Until next week - Keep Tri'ing, everyone!

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To those familiar with Ironman Triathlon, this man doesn't need much of an introduction. Mike Reilly, the "Voice of IRONMAN" worldwide, the only person to have been inducted into the 3 Hall of Fames of Ironman, USA Triathlon, and Running USA. He's called over 180 IRONMAN races around the world and his iconic call of "You are an IRONMAN!" has been heard by over 350,000 finishers.

Growing up as a country boy along the coastal mountains of Oregon, it only seems natural that this week's guest gravitated towards the sport of mountain biking. Honing his bike-handling skills by watching and then trying all the stunts in the New World Disorders videos, at the age of 19, he started his career as an elite mountain-bike and cyclocross athlete - a career where he didn't live up to his full potential. One day, as a last minute decision, he entered the Duathlon National Champs, without training for the run - performing alright. After moving overseas with his wife (who's active-duty), he decided to leave behind the burnout of the past and pursue a new passion and face the challenges of Off-Road Triathlon. With each success or failure in Triathlon - he learns and discovers new things about himself; he shares these learnings and his passion for sport with the kids he volunteer coaches, helping them fuel their own growth and passion. He's a Pro Xterra Triathlete, a husband, volunteer, he works, and is a brand new dad - Barret Fishner [@bfish_83].

Following the theme of Valentines Day, we've got a "Trinamic" duo on the show this week - Danielle & Ray Gogarty. @danigogs & @ray_j_gogs grew up in Long Island, NY. They crossed paths with each other at University and became inseparable besties. After studying, they both went onto different career paths - Dani in higher education, and Ray in civil services. But they always stayed close & made time for each other; eventually supporting each other through first marriages & eventual divorces. Before their separations, they did their first Triathlon together and were hooked. They've now completed multiple races together from super-sprints to Ironmans. And ended up getting married in 2017; their second chance at love & life. A life in which they have not only collected some pretty nice hardware but also made lifelong friends while spreading positivity & having fun!

Our guest this week, Greg McDermott [@gregmcdermottcoach] puts the endure in endurance. He's tackled some of the longest and toughest challenges in his home country, Australia - including a 14,000km bike ride and the infamous Ultraman Australia (a 3-day event with a 10km swim, 420km bike ride & a double marathon of 84.4kms). But he wasn't always this endurance monster that we see today. His journey started only about 6 years ago in a time where he used food and alcohol to battle unhappiness and depression. It's been a rather fast journey from his start to where he is now. But, as you will hear in the podcast, he's learned a lot along the way and shares his experiences profoundly in this episode - filled with tons of messages. Now, as a coach, he believes anyone can have the kind of transformation he's had as long as you have a solid plan, the right goals, the desire, the accountability, and a strong team of people around you.

Tune in this week to not 1, not  2 - but 4 guests! This episode shares the special bond of 4 girls from Slovakia; the 4 Bajkerky (@4bajkerky) - Sasa, Veri, Kika, & Tami: all of whom are quite different appearance/work/study/personality wise but their love for Sport and the enthusiasm for Triathlon brought them together. In this lighthearted conversation, this Slovak Girl Gang really demonstrates the power of Triathlon to forge friendships and build camaraderie and support in all areas of life.

Born and raised in Corsica, a beautiful mountainous Mediterranean island southeast of France, Melodie was an active child who's single-mom supported and taught her to be a better person and stay active and healthy. Unfortunately, at the age of 7, Melodie was diagnosed with a serious kidney disease which, after a long search for answers, took multiple surgeries and months of recovery to overcome. But Melodie came out of that phase with a lot of ambition and positivity. -

At the age of 18, she decided to take a big step and leave home and her mom to move to New York for her education. At the time, she didn't even know a word of English. However, this step into the unknown led her to be introduced to Triathlon in June of 2017. And she's already taken on multiple Olympic distances, some 70.3s and even a 140.6 - with her eyes on a couple more for 2019. In the process, she has also partnered and raised funds for the National Kidney Foundation to represent and inspire people in difficult situations to keep pushing on. -

The first episode of 2019, and we couldn't think of anyone better to kick-start the new year with than Taren Gesell (aka 'Triathlon Taren') and his wife, Kim Gesell (aka 'No Triathlon Kim') (who's actually the first non-triathlete to come on the show)!

Taren went from being 215lbs (98kg), drunk and unhappy as an investment adviser to 150lbs (68kg), an All-World Ironman triathlete, a coach, an inspiration to many, and living a life he never would've dreamed of - as one of the top Triathlon influencers in the world, right now - with nearly 100,000 followers across social media!