Get ready for a super-exciting and motivational episode with legends of ultraendurance racing, Mark Macy, known to many as Mace, and his son Travis. Mace is an adventure athlete extraordinaire, including competing in every one of the Eco-Challenges during its original iteration from 1995 to 2002. I would take up an entire podcast if I were to read off all of Travis’ racing honors. He set the record for the Leadman, which comprises the Leadville Marathon, 10K, 50-mile bike, 50-mile run, 100-mile bike, and 100-mile run. Podiumed the Adventure Running World Championships spread out over 5 to 8 days including running, mountain biking, skiing, winter mountaineering, orienteering, ocean sailing, canyoneering, and spelunking. The Wulong Mountain Quest and Ordos Adventure Challenge: 5-day stage races in China through ancient villages, rice paddies, limestone canyons, caves, cities, deserts, and mountains. Two podium finishes at Primal Quest, America’s top adventure race. He completed the 24 Hours of Moab and 24 Hours of Leadville, non-stop mountain bike races on difficult terrain. The Rock and Ice Ultra, a week-long, self-supported winter journey through the Canadian Arctic on foot and on snowshoe. If that’s not exhausting enough, Travis is involved in so many areas it’s mind-boggling. He penned a book called, “The Ultra Mindset: An Endurance Champion's 8 Core Principles for Success in Business, Sports, and Life,” and produces a monthly newsletter to supplement the lessons he teaches in it. He runs Macy Endurance Coaching to help athletes achieve their goals, works with Team U, an intercollegiate fundraising endurance team dedicated to improving global health and alleviating poverty.  He hosts the Travis Macy Show podcast, which I highly recommend you find and listen to.  And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that he’s also gotten into Colorado’s official outdoor sport of pack burro racing. We are far from done here. Travis is now helping Mace battle early-onset Alzheimer’s. As you might guess, that doesn’t mean either one of them is slowing down. When first diagnosed, Mace wrote into a spiral notebook, “My name is Mark Macy, I am 56 years old and today I was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. My doctor told me to get my affairs in order and not spend time worrying about this diagnosis. He urged me to take vacations instead, maybe go on a cruise with my wife Pammy. I told him the diagnosis was bull.” Macy subsequently wrote: “Then my wife reminded me that I am 65 not 56, so maybe the diagnosis isn't completely bull.”  Later he added, “I finished day one of my Alzheimer's diagnosis with a significant decision: I didn't cause this disease. I'm not embarrassed to be one of many who has it. Instead of hiding from it, I'm going to share my story with anyone who wants to listen. My family and I are dedicated to fighting this horrible disease that kills people all over the world.” Not surprisingly, Mace and Travis competed on the same team in the re-boot of the Eco-Challenge in the compelling World’s Toughest Race Fiji broadcast on Prime Video hosted by Bear Grylls. Why stop there? The Macys have a new book chronicling this journey titled, “A Mile at a Time: A father and son’s inspiring Alzheimer’s journey of love, adventure, and hope." They are also just super-nice and engaging people. But when you hear Mace say that he’s going to beat Alzheimer’s, it’s not a stretch at all to believe him.

Next book, "A Mile at a Time: A father and son’s inspiring Alzheimer’s journey of love, adventure, and hope” is now available for pre-order on Amazon

Mark Macy
Instagram @mmacy146

Travis Macy
travismacy.com
[email protected]
Facebook Travis Macy
Instagram and Twitter @travismacy
LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/travis-macy-92607633

Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram @stahlor