What does courage look like when you’re 58, out of school for 40+ years, and searching for purpose?

In this week’s episode of the Spake Up Podcast, Shannon Spake sits down with Tom Cillo, whose inspiring decision to go back to college and join the football team has become a global sensation. From battling addiction, to surviving the physical demands of training camp, to forming life-changing bonds with teammates young enough to be his sons, Tom’s journey is one of grit, humility, and hope.

Listeners will hear:
• Tom’s emotional story of overcoming drugs and alcohol and rebuilding his life
• Why he walked away from a stable career to chase a lifelong dream
• The powerful interactions with teammates — including one whose incarcerated father found hope in Tom’s journey
• Messages he’s received from people all over the world who were inspired to take action in their own lives
• How he balances classes, training, injuries, studying, and being a full-time student at nearly 60
• His belief that “the only thing in life that has real value is time”

This episode is for anyone who has ever felt stuck, scared to start over, or afraid they waited too long. Tom reminds us that the window never closes — unless you close it yourself.

👉 Follow, rate, and share this episode to help more people find stories like Tom’s.
👉 Screenshot the episode and tag @ShannonSpake to continue the conversation.

American triathlete and Ironman legend Timothy O’Donnell joins Shannon Spake for one of the most powerful and emotional conversations ever on the Spake Up Podcast.

In 2021, during the middle of a race, Tim suffered a Widowmaker heart attack — a cardiac event with only a 12% survival rate. Somehow, he kept going. Somehow, he survived. And today, he shares the full story.

This episode dives deep into Tim’s elite racing career, his Naval Academy roots, his mindset, his training, fatherhood, recovery, and how surviving that day changed everything about how he sees life, sport, and health.

Whether you’re a triathlete, a runner, a parent, or someone who loves stories of resilience, this episode will stay with you long after it ends.

🔴 Tim’s journey from the U.S. Naval Academy to Ironman World Championship podiums
🔴 What it takes to train, race, and think like an elite endurance athlete
🔴 How he survived a Widowmaker heart attack mid-race
🔴 The difference between fitness and true health
🔴 Stress, training load & warning signs athletes need to know
🔴 Mind games and strategy at the highest level of the sport
🔴 Life, marriage, and raising kids with 3-time world champion Mirinda Carfrae
🔴 What his comeback taught him about meaning and purpose

One of the most accomplished triathletes of all time:

• 9× Ironman 70.3 Champion

• 2× Ironman Champion

• Kona podium finisher (2nd, 3rd, 5th)

• ITU Long Distance World Champion

• Navy veteran

• Husband to Mirinda Carfrae

• Survivor of a 12%-survival-rate heart attack

New episodes every week featuring athletes, storytellers, and inspiring voices across sports and life.

🔴 In This Episode:🏊‍♂️🚴‍♂️🏃‍♂️ About Tim O’Donnell🎧 Follow & Subscribe

Former Florida basketball star Patric Young sits down with Shannon Spake for an honest, emotional conversation about his journey from college basketball success to overcoming a life-changing spinal cord injury.

Patric reflects on his time under Billy Donovan, the lessons of leadership and sacrifice, his 2022 accident, and how gratitude reshaped his life.

This is one of the most inspiring conversations you’ll hear — about faith, resilience, and finding purpose when everything changes.

🎧 Follow Spake Up Podcast for more stories from the world of sports, leadership, and life beyond the headlines.

In this week’s episode of The Spake Up Podcast, Shannon Spake sits down with Coach John Calipari for one of his most revealing and heartfelt interviews yet.

They talk about his decades of leadership, the quotes that defined his players, and what keeps him inspired after national titles and Hall of Fame success. Cal shares stories from his time at Kentucky, his transition to Arkansas, his family life with Ellen, and lessons learned from Larry Brown and beyond.

🎧 Hear why Shannon calls it “The Calipari Effect.”

In this powerful Spake Up Podcast episode, Shannon Spake reconnects with her high-school friend Deborah Anne Shannon, who courageously shares her story of surviving domestic violence.
Together, they discuss the realities of recovery, motherhood, and finding light after unimaginable darkness.
Recorded during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, this conversation is raw, emotional, and deeply inspiring.

💜 If you or someone you know needs support, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-SAFE | thehotline.org).

🎙️ Host: Shannon Spake💬 Guest: Deborah Anne Shannon

He went viral as “The Singing Surgeon.”
Now, Dr. Elvis Francois joins Shannon Spake to share his journey from a young Haitian-American kid in Miami to orthopedic spine surgeon, performer, and global inspiration.

He opens up about the hymn that shaped his life, the moment his father faced eviction singing through the storm, and how Imagine became a global anthem of hope.

This is a conversation about compassion, faith, and the art of healing — inside and out.

🎶 “Medicine heals the body, music heals the soul.”
Follow Dr. Elvis: @doctor.elvis.francois

In this moving episode, Shannon Spake talks with Mary Jo von Tillow, a survivor of the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting in Las Vegas. Mary Jo opens up about losing her husband Kurt, the painful yet inspiring journey of grief, and how she’s working to honor his memory through her new book and the fight for a permanent memorial in Las Vegas.

This is a story of resilience, love, and the power of community in the face of unimaginable tragedy.

On this week’s Spake Up Podcast, Shannon Spake welcomes Dr. Jay Calvert, a world-renowned plastic, cosmetic, and reconstructive surgeon.

Shannon opens up about her personal plastic surgery experiences, while Dr. Calvert shares expert insight on everything from Botox and facelifts to implants, rhinoplasty, and patient safety. They discuss how younger generations are reshaping beauty standards, why board certification is critical, and the balance between artistry and medicine in modern plastic surgery.

Whether you’re curious about cosmetic procedures or simply want a raw and informative conversation — this episode delivers.

Shannon Spake sits down with NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart and his wife, NHRA star Leah Pruett, for an unforgettable conversation.

🔴 Tony opens up about his transition from NASCAR to drag racing—and how Leah became both his coach and biggest cheerleader.
🔴 Leah shares her journey as a trailblazing woman in motorsports, from childhood racing dreams to breaking barriers in Top Fuel drag racing.
🔴 Together, they discuss balancing competition, marriage, and parenthood while reshaping the future of racing.
🔴 Powerful insights on teamwork, patience, and resilience both on and off the track.

Whether you’re a die-hard racing fan or love inspirational stories of grit and growth, this episode delivers energy, laughs, and raw honesty.

👉 Follow Spake Up Podcast for more deep conversations with athletes, broadcasters, and cultural icons.

🎧 Shannon Spake welcomes the legendary voice of college sports, Brad Nessler, to the Spake Up Podcast! 🏈🏀 From buzzer-beaters in March Madness to unforgettable SEC Saturdays, Brad takes us behind the mic with stories from his incredible career.

✨ Hear how he built his iconic voice, the challenges of researching before the internet, and the moments he’ll never forget on the biggest stages in sports. Shannon and Brad also reminisce about their ESPN days together, laugh over on-air bloopers 🤭, and dive into how broadcasting has changed in today’s media world.

If you love college football, basketball, or just great sports stories, this episode is full of golden memories, insider insight, and plenty of laughs 🍷🎙️.