South African native Dr. Sharon McDowell-Larsen is an exercise physiologist, leadership expert, and elite endurance athlete who has spent more than 25 years at the Center for Creative Leadership helping senior leaders improve performance, health, and cognitive function through lifestyle medicine. She earned her PhD from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, worked with athletes in the U.S. Olympic Training Center, and has taught graduate exercise physiology courses at the University of Colorado.

Sharon is also a decorated multi-sport endurance athlete, winning national championships in mountain biking, Nordic skiing, XTERRA, and Ironman competition, including a first-place finish for her age group at the Ironman World Championship in 2025. She recently co-authored “Staying in the Game,” an evidence-based guide to performance longevity, and Sharon now lives in Grand Junction, Colorado with her husband, Matthew, and their cat, Bailey.

To learn more about the book, visit stayinginthegame.org .

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