Intrinsic Drive®

Sara Slattery  learned the importance of hard work from her father, watching him wake up at 4am while running his sign business.  She began her athletic career as a swimmer, training twice daily for several hours before and after school.  She joined her high school track team, merely as a way to stay in shape for swimming. As a freshman, she was state runner up in both the 800 and 3200 meters. This rising star realized she needed to focus her energy on running, training alongside her high school coach, Sabina Robinson—then 42 years old—a masters champion and Olympic trials marathon qualifier. Sara’s work ethic and talent yielded twelve state high school championships and one national junior championship.

 Sara tells us of the challenges she faced after she sustained a serious injury during her senior year at the University of Colorado.  Once again, her work ethic - specifically her swimming background and ability to cross-train paid dividends; with very little running base she capped her outstanding, 11-time All-American collegiate running career with a victory in the 2005 NCAA 10k. 

Today Sara is the men’s and women’s head distance coach at Grand Canyon University in her hometown of Phoenix, Arizona.  She wanted to create a similar environment of excellence she experienced under Coach Wetmore at CU.  She recently collaborated with fellow elite runner and Olympian Molly Huddle on their new book How She Did It - just released this month, March 2022. Sara’s book is an essential guide for female athletes navigating the world of competitive running. 

During her post-collegiate professional running career, Sara posted personal bests of 4:32 in the mile, 15:08 in the 5,000meters, and 31:57 in the 10k. This inspirational athlete was the 2007 Pan American Games 10k Champion,  2008 USA 8k Champion, and an alternate for the 2008 Olympic team. 

It was a pleasure to spend a moment in Sara’s busy life, she is the mother of Steve, Cali, and married to former world-class Steeplechaser Steve Slattery. We are honored to welcome Sara to this episode of Intrinsic Drive  ®.


Intrinsic Drive ®   is produced by Ellen Strickler and Phil Wharton. Special thanks to Andrew Hollingworth, our sound engineer and technical editor.  For more information on this and other episodes visit us at www.whartonhealth.com/intrinsicdrive   

The challenges continue, they keep coming, sometimes seemingly without end.  Conversations with the remarkable guests from Season Two elevated my spirit and provided me with tangible insights. I hope you glean inspiration from them as I did; the goal in life should be to lift each other up.  Here are my reflections and takeaways from our guests on Season Two:

Marten Bostrom rebuilt his body, focusing on the technical aspects of his sport,  enabling him to win the World Orienteering Championship. Clarion Johnson shares a family legacy of courage, providing the fortitude to embrace medicines' most difficult specialties, and becoming global medical director of Exxon Mobil.  2004 Olympian Carrie Tollefson reminds us to ease back on the throttle, believing in ourselves and the process.

Chuck Garcia, master storyteller and Columbia University leadership communications professor, teaches us the power of momentum and positive action. Chuck beautifully illustrates these strategies in, A Climb to the Top,  his book and podcast. The Ripleys show us the benefits of falling short of initial goals, rallying our resolve, and strengthening our faith. Terri Trespicio calls us to action. Terri gives us permission to unsubscribe from untruths in her new book, Unfollow Your Passion, where she guides us to sharpen our skills, unlock our creative genius, calling us to show up and trust.

Life transitions can be difficult. World-class marathoner Brett Gotcher encourages us to leverage the power of perspective, focusing on positive memories instead of negative departures.  Loretta Claiborne, the most decorated Special Olympian of all time, calls us - regardless of our circumstances -  to give from the heart to those in need. Conservation giant and CEO of Trout Unlimited, Chris Wood emphasizes a willingness to learn and demonstrates that the humility to embrace the role of student translates to fulfilling one's purpose.

ParaTriathlon champion and former Marine Corps Sargent Zach Stinson moved beyond anger after a bomb resulted in the loss of both legs above the knee and numerous other injuries. After thirty-five surgeries and grueling rehabilitation, Zach transcended bitterness, opening providence and provisions for his family, and new possibilities for him to harness his athletic talents. 


Closing Thoughts...
I’m grateful to the guests who shared their stories with me. I’ve taken away tangible strategies, real-time approaches, and new ways of understanding—messages I’ll continue to employ when the road gets tougher.  Continued thanks to Andrew Hollingworth—master editor and sound engineer. Thanks to all those who have listened, cheered, and championed this project; we are grateful for your encouragement and support.

Which stories move you forward?  How have these stories impacted you? What would you like to hear next? Let us know. Until then I look forward to being with you on the next season of Intrinsic Drive ® .

Intrinsic Drive ® is produced by Ellen Strickler and Phil Wharton.  For more information on this and other episodes visit us at https://www.whartonhealth.com/intrinsicdrive

Stepping on a bomb was the last thing Sargent Zach Stinson remembered after insisting on leading his Marine Battalion while serving in Afghanistan. Six days later, Zach woke up at the Bethesda Navy Hospital - both legs were amputated above the knee, his right thumb, and parts of other fingers were also severed.   Zach stopped counting surgeries after the thirty-fifth.  He then came to realize his attitude and mindset were the only things in his control, the rest was in God’s hands. After two grueling years of rehabilitation, he returned home. 

An eighth-place finish in his first Marine Corps Marathon without serious training showed Zach’s tremendous talent. Fast forward to a birthday challenge where he won his first Ironman in Lake Placid in 2019. This Chambersburg Pennsylvania native began to devour Marathons, and Paratriathlons—leaving the competition in his wake.  Zach is the 2021 Paratriathlon National Champion; 2021 World Cup Triathlon Para Cup Champion contested in Alhandra, Portugal; and the 2021 Boston Marathon Handcycling Champion. It was an honor to host this fearless competitor on this episode of Intrinsic Drive ® .

We encourage those who would like to support Zach in his quest to represent team USA at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris to visit his website. This inspirational athlete is grateful for the continued support of the Semper Fi & America’s Fund.

Intrinsic Drive ®  is produced by Ellen Strickler and Phil Wharton. Special thanks to Andrew Hollingworth, our sound engineer and technical editor.  For more information on this and other episodes visit us at www.whartonhealth.com/intrinsicdrive. 

A trip to Alaska to follow the Salmon run changed the course of Chris Wood’s life; upon returning home he resigned from his job working for an ice cream company. Choosing a new path, Chris resolved to dedicate his life to saving endangered fish and waterways. He began his career as a temporary employee with the US Forest Service in Idaho where he quickly realized the power of learning from mentors and teachers in the conservation field.  They - in turn - saw his passion, tireless work ethic, and optimism. He went on to become the senior policy and communications advisor to the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, where he assisted in protecting 58.5 million acres of publicly owned land. He began to realize his potential to have a significant impact on the environment and our natural resources.

In 2009 Chris began his leadership as President and CEO of Trout Unlimited.  Today TU is an internationally respected conservation powerhouse with close to an $80 million-dollar annual budget and national staff of 260 employees. TU has become the science delivery system for state and national agencies who have sustained large budget cuts. 

 Trout Unlimited, in partnership with their three hundred eighty-seven local chapters across the country, is protecting, reconnecting, restoring, and sustaining our cold-water resources. TU invests tens of millions of dollars annually for river and stream recovery, protecting head-water streams, thus reducing downstream drinking water filtration costs. This evangelist of fishing and fisheries conservation was recently inducted into the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame. Chris has authored Watershed Restoration: Principles and Practices (AFS, 1997), From Conquest to Conservation: Our Public Land Legacy (Island Press, 2003), and My Heathy Stream: A handbook for Streamside Owners (Trout Unlimited and The Aldo Leopold Foundation, 2013). 

We are honored to welcome this giant of conservation to this episode of Intrinsic Drive  ®  For those who would like to learn more about the conservation efforts of Chris and his team, become members, or donate please visit Trout Unlimited.

Intrinsic Drive ®  is produced by Ellen Strickler and Phil Wharton. Special thanks to Andrew Hollingworth, our sound engineer and technical editor.  For more information on this and other episodes visit us at www.whartonhealth.com/intrinsicdrive

Loretta Claiborne is the most accomplished Special Olympics athlete of all time. Loretta was raised by a single mother, born partially blind, with an intellectual disability, and clubbed feet.  This future marathon champion was unable to walk until the age of four and learned to talk at seven. Loretta’s strong mother had the courage, strength, and fortitude to refuse institutionalization for her daughter. 

We learn of early teachers, an uncle teaching her to read the paper and count money. Janet Mc Farland, an early mentor who introduced Loretta to the newly formed Special Olympics, setting her on a path to become the most celebrated Special Olympics athlete in history with ten medals over six Special Olympics World Games. She has run 26 marathons, placing in the top 100 in the Boston Marathon twice, and finished in the top 25 women overall in the Pittsburgh Marathon. 

This global speaker was awarded the Arthur Ashe ESPY Courage Award in 1996, presented to her by Denzel Washington. This tireless warrior for the intellectually challenged was the first Special Olympics athlete elected to the Special Olympics Board of Directors. Loretta’s life was the subject of an ABC-TV made-for-Disney movie,  The Loretta Claiborne Story. Loretta is represented in the historic portrait at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, of her friend and Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver. 

As a result of this change agent’s advocacy, those with intellectual disabilities are living longer,  more rewarding, and productive lives. The Special Olympics is now in 200 countries, with five million participating athletes, providing resources for those once removed from society and marginalized.

It was a gift to spend time with Loretta, Chief Inspirational Officer of the Special Olympics. We welcome her to this episode of Intrinsic Drive ® .

Intrinsic Drive ®  is produced by Ellen Strickler and Phil Wharton. Special thanks to Andrew Hollingworth, our sound engineer and technical editor.  For more information on this and other episodes visit us at www.whartonhealth.com/intrinsicdrive. Follow us on socials (links below) including Instagram  @intrinsicdrivelive

As an eighth grader, Brett Gotcher viewed running as a tool to improve his conditioning for basketball. Under the tutelage of Aptos High School coach Dan Gruber, he began to improve, seeing the possibility of cross country and track becoming his new focus. Brett became a dominant force, eying the potential of a way to pay for college. This Watsonville, California native enjoyed a stellar high school career, winning four consecutive SCCAL championships in the 3200m, three in the 1600m, and posting the 12th fastest high school 10,000 meters in US history. 

After a self-described lack luster college career at Stanford, Brett was inspired to continue running post collegiately.  After graduation he was encouraged by a former teammate to accept an invitation from coach Greg McMillan, who was starting an elite distance running club in Flagstaff, Arizona. Under Greg’s guidance, support from his training partners, and the Flagstaff community, Brett enjoyed training and rekindled his competitive fire. 

He shares his low moment of not finishing the 2016 US Olympic Marathon Trails. Subsequently, a meeting with Brian DeDiego, a friend and coach at a rival high school encouraged him to begin a new career as a real estate agent. Brett has converted his ability to connect with people, hard work, and attention to detail in his real estate business as co-founder of the Santa Cruz Real Estate Team.  

Brett was a member of the 2008 US World Championship Half Marathon Team; 2009 US World Championship Cross Country Team; and  USA 20k National Champion. In the 2010 Houston Marathon he ran the 4th fastest debut in US history, finishing in 2:10:36. He was also an alternate for the 2012 London Olympic Marathon, finishing 5th in the Olympic Trials posting 2:11:09. I had so much fun catching up with this humble champion. We warmly welcome Brett to this episode of Intrinsic Drive  ® .

Intrinsic Drive ®  is produced by Ellen Strickler and Phil Wharton. Special thanks to Andrew Hollingworth, our sound engineer and technical editor.  For more information on this and other episodes visit us at www.whartonhealth.com/intrinsicdrive. Follow us on socials (links below) including Instagram  @intrinsicdrivelive

Editor's Note: "Gentleman's pace" credit Peter Gilmore 

How did a self-described nervous kid from New Jersey become a colossal force as a speaker, and author of the new groundbreaking book Unfollow Your Passion: How to Create a Life That Matters to You ( Altra Books/Simon & Schuster).  Terri Trespicio is a writer, speaker, and brand advisor who works with individuals and groups to change the way they think about, talk about, and position what they do. She teaches her clients a masterclass in the alchemy of words.  In this interview, she shares her journey - from her first job writing press releases for a publisher in the back of his home office to her current work helping corporations and business owners write the words that matter to their missions. 

Terri earned her BA in English from Boston College and an MFA in Creative Writing in 2002 from Emerson College, where her thesis, a collection of poetry, won the Graduate Dean Award. A finalist for the Iowa Award and Glimmer Train, her literary work has appeared in The Greensboro Review, New Millennium Writings, and The Baltimore Review, where she won first place in their 2016 creative nonfiction contest.

A former magazine editor and radio host at Martha Stewart, she has appeared on the Today Show, Dr. Oz, The Early Show, The Martha Stewart Show and The Anderson Cooper Show. Her work has been featured in Oprah Magazine, Marie Claire, Prevention, Business Insider, Forbes.com, and Inc.com. Certified in the Gateless Method for capturing creative genius, she leads workshops and retreats all over the country to help professionals of all stripes take their stories and ideas from page to stage and beyond. An in-demand speaker who presents at conferences across the country, she was rated the #1 speaker at Barron’s Top Independent Women Advisors Summit and How Design Live. On the heels of her first TEDx talk, she was invited to give a second, “It’s About Time We Rethink Happily Ever After.” 

Terri is also a stand-up comic and has performed at famous Manhattan venues including Caroline’s, Dangerfield’s, Gotham, and New York Comedy Club, and was a quarter-finalist in the She Devil Comedy Competition. We warmly welcome Terri to this episode of Intrinsic Drive ®.

Intrinsic Drive ®    is produced by Ellen Strickler and Phil Wharton. Special thanks to Andrew Hollingworth, our sound engineer and technical editor.  For more information on this and other episodes visit us at www.whartonhealth.com/intrinsicdrive

Zach and Andi Ripley were recruited as student athletes to the same university, where they met, became teammates, and married. In this in-depth conversation we traverse the inception of their competitive drives, race anxieties, and Zach's desire to separate his running identity from the person who just “loved to run” and move in alignment with his faith.  We also learn how Andi  overcame her fear of failure and expectations by transitioning to running as a meditation, resulting in a  drop in marathon times. 

The Ripleys share their low moments  - Zach missing the Olympic Trials steeplechase standard and the marathon by the narrowest of margins and  Andi almost losing her training partner and former teammate after a devastating car accident left her with brain trauma, sustained while on a training run. 

We discover their pivots as they find purpose, learn to find joy in the process, turn their injuries and experiences into opportunities for growth, and connect with their community on their A to Z running podcast and coaching resources. I so enjoyed my time with Andi and Zach. We welcome the Ripleys to this episode of Intrinsic Drive ® . 

Intrinsic Drive®  is produced by Ellen Strickler and Phil Wharton. Special thanks to Andrew Hollingworth, our sound engineer and technical editor.  For more information on this and other episodes visit us at www.whartonhealth.com/intrinsicdrive. Follow us on socials (links below) including Instagram  @intrinsicdrivelive

 Chuck Garcia was scheduled to give a keynote address at the world trade center on the morning of September 11, 2001, when he was asked to switch presentation times with a colleague.  That colleague never made it out of the building when the terrorist planes struck the twin towers on that horrific day.  One year later, while on the summit of Mount Rainier, he made a pact to honor his fallen coworkers devoting his life to the service, success, and happiness of others. 

After a twenty-five-year career on Wall Street, Chuck experienced a realization after a fourteen-day summit of Mount Bona in Alaska; he founded The Climb Leadership Institute to assist leaders develop into powerful and compelling communicators. This master storyteller teaches us the science and practical application of public speaking in his best-selling book, A Climb to the Top—Communication and Leadership Tactics to Take Your Career to New Heights. 

Chuck Garcia is the founder of Climb Leadership International and coaches executives on leadership development, public speaking, and emotional intelligence. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University where he teaches Leadership Communication in the Graduate School of Engineering. A 25-year veteran of Wall Street, he spent 14 years in sales and marketing at Bloomberg in a variety of leadership positions and held senior managerial positions in top worldwide investment management companies. Tune in for stories of transformation on his weekly A Climb to the Top Podcast on C-Suite Radio.

Chuck is also an accomplished mountaineer who has climbed some of the world’s tallest peaks, including Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Elbrus, the Matterhorn, as well as mountains in Alaska and the Andes. We are honored, inspired, and thrilled to share Chuck’s impactful life and message on this episode of Intrinsic Drive ®.

Intrinsic Drive ®  is produced by Ellen Strickler and Phil Wharton. Special thanks to Andrew Hollingworth, our sound engineer and technical editor.  For more information on this and other episodes visit us at www.whartonhealth.com/intrinsicdrive

 2004 Olympian Carrie Tollefson,  was born and raised in the small tightly knit community of Dawson, Minnesota, where she won thirteen state championships - eight in track and five consecutive cross country titles, a national record that still stands today.   

Carrie won her first national collegiate title at the 1997 NCAA Cross Country Championships, overcoming stress fractures in her metatarsal and a heel tumor that would need a bone donor and surgery. This Villanova student-athlete superstar was on crutches for two months post-surgery,  setting her sights on proving the doubters wrong, as she returned to lead the Wildcats to win the NCAA Cross Country team title the following year. 

After college Carrie won three USATF National Championships, including an Olympic Trials victory in the 1500 meters in 2004.  She represented Team USA at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, earning a number one USA ranking by Track and Field News in the 1500 meters.

This running standout has put her broadcast journalism and communications degree to work as an analyst and commentator for ESPN2, NBC, and USATF.TV  with regular media appearances at the NYC Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Boston Marathon, and events worldwide.  In 2010 she began her online video show, C Tolle Run, now a podcast—which can be enjoyed on your favorite podcast platform. Carrie has graced covers of Track and Field News, Running Times, with five cover appearances on Runner’s World. This Minnesota sports luminary was inducted into the Minnesota High School Hall of Fame in 2015 and The National High School Hall of Fame in 2018. 

Join me in catching up with this gracious champion, who lives and trains in her home state of Minnesota with her husband Charlie and their three children, Ruby, Everett, and Greer.  What a treat to host Carrie on this episode of Intrinsic Drive ®.

Intrinsic Drive®  is produced by Ellen Strickler and Phil Wharton. Special thanks to Andrew Hollingworth, our sound engineer and technical editor.  For more information on this and other episodes visit us at www.whartonhealth.com/intrinsicdrive. Follow us on socials (links below) including Instagram  @intrinsicdrivelive

Photo: James Nichols