I’m not even sure how to set up this episode with Tommy Rivers Puzey so I’ll just tell you that it’s a long, winding, and at times heavy conversation with someone I deeply respect and admire about life, death, cancer, identity, hope, potential, love, gratitude, and more that I feel privileged to have had in person and that I am honored to share here with all of you. 

We recorded this episode the day after this year’s Boston Marathon, which Tommy finished in 6:31:54. For those of you who don’t know, Tommy wears a lot of hats: he’s a husband and a father, a philosopher and physical therapist, and mentor and inspiration to so many, myself included. He’s also an incredible endurance athlete with a resume that’s too long to list here but, for context, in 2017 Tommy finished 16th at Boston in 2:18:20. Fast forward to the summer of 2020, and Tommy was fighting for his life in an Arizona hospital after being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of lymphoma. He spent weeks in a medically induced coma, endured multiple surgeries and numerous treatments, and lost 75 pounds over the course of several months, but he survived. Not only that, he’s now in remission, regaining strength every day, and living a very full life, all of which we talk about in this episode. 

Note from Mario: Please check out the Team Rivs collection from Tommy's sponsor, Craft. All proceeds from this collection go to support Tommy, his wife Steph, and their two daughters. I bought a hat and a t-shirt a while ago, both of which I wear with pride. 

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Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford.

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