Mat Hotho sits down with Julia Halberstam, who competes in the Upper Two Point division and placed second at the 2025 CrossFit Adaptive Games. Their conversation starts with the hilarious story of how they met at the 2024 Sea Dog competition—when Mat walked up to Julia's tent holding Chick-fil-A and she thought he was going to talk to her about Jesus. 

Julia was born with cupped hands, a condition where her fingers were fused together, and shares how doctors created functional hands for her through multiple surgeries. 

Beyond CrossFit, Julia's in nursing school working toward becoming a forensic nurse, and she volunteers on a sexual assault victims hotline. She talks about the power of finding community, the beauty of being different, and why adaptive athletes see the world in a way that makes them more human. 

It's a conversation that moves from belly laughs about cow tails and sorority hand signs to deep reflections on standing out instead of fitting in—and why the people who see you for who you really are are the only ones worth keeping around.

Content Warning: This episode briefly discusses Julia's work supporting sexual assault survivors. We don't go into graphic detail, but if you need to skip that section, it starts around the 33-minute mark.

Follow Julia on Instagram: @stayadaptive

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Mat Hotho sits down with Luke Reeson, a former British Army sniper who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he was shot three times across two deployments—including twice in the legs during his final tour. What followed was a journey from a wheelchair through para swimming with the GB National Team to becoming the 2025 CrossFit Games champion in the Lower Below Knee division.

Luke shares how military charities and sport gave him purpose during recovery, how competing at the Invictus Games led him to para swimming at an international level, and why he eventually traded the pool for the barbell. 

He talks about that wild moment at the 2022 CrossFit Games when his swim workout placed him ahead of Jason Hopper and other able-bodied competitors—and what it meant to finally prove himself on their turf. 

Luke also opens up about the invisible daily challenges of training with nerve damage and titanium-reinforced bones, what it's like coaching from a body that doesn't always cooperate, and why coming first at the Games wasn't really the point.

Follow Luke on Instagram: @luke2522

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In this episode, Mat Hotho sits down with Sarah Tucker, founder of Uncharted Adaptive Fitness Virginia, to explore the transformative power of Adaptive CrossFit. 

Sarah shares her journey from childhood experiences helping a blind child at T-ball practice to opening her own gym dedicated to adaptive fitness. With a background in physical therapy and a deep understanding of motor development, Sarah brings a unique perspective to coaching athletes with autism, spinal cord injuries, and stroke recovery. 

The conversation dives into specific coaching techniques, like teaching a client with dyspraxia to jump by grounding him at the rig and using visual cues, and how she's preparing a stroke survivor to carry his soon-to-be-born baby. Sarah discusses the intersection of mental health and strength training, her approach to adapting CrossFit Open workouts for her athletes, and the importance of building community in the adaptive fitness world. 

For coaches and gym owners interested in starting or expanding adaptive fitness programs, the Adaptive Training Academy offers grant funding and guidance to support the creation and operation of adaptive programs. Learn more about their veteran support programs.

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In this episode, Mat Hotho sits down with Brandon Mantz, a seated athlete who secured a third-place podium finish at the CrossFit Games for four consecutive years. Brandon shares the story of his "pivot point" in December 2018, when a skiing accident in Breckenridge resulted in a T6 spinal cord injury and three liters of internal bleeding. Following his recovery at Craig Hospital, Brandon discovered CrossFit Watchtower through the influence of Kevin Ogar, where he regained his independence by mastering essential skills like the floor transfer.

The conversation also covers Brandon's recent invitation to a US Para Track and Field talent identification camp, where he explored competitive throwing and learned about the complexities of para-sport classification. Beyond elite competition, Brandon discusses his passion for accessible adventure sports, such as handcycle mountain biking and Nordic skiing, which allow him to remain active alongside his wife and friends. Finally, he explains the personal mantra that guides his life: Love, Generosity, Adventure, and Joy.

Follow Brandon on Instagram: @brandon.mantz

Watch Roderick (@memesfortime) run Brandon through a crowd of confused CrossFitters.

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Candice Arnone joins Mat Hotho for a practical conversation about fundraising and sponsorships for adaptive CrossFit athletes without the awkwardness, guilt, or “I’m asking for a handout” mentality.

Candice is a Neuromuscular Major adaptive athlete with right-side hemiplegic cerebral palsy, and she works professionally as a grant officer for a major nonprofit, managing large foundation and corporate funds on the grant management side. She brings a simple nonprofit framework into the athlete-sponsorship world: link, interest, ability—create a real connection, build shared interest in the mission, and then make an ask that matches someone’s ability to give.

They talk about why relationship-building matters more than assumptions, how corporate sponsorship differs from asking an individual, how to avoid the comparison trap, and why telling your story is only step one. Candice also shares tactical advice: build a real budget, start early, don’t spam your campaign daily, and consider a simple (and attainable) challenge to create momentum.

Read more about the L.I.A. method.

Prior fundraiser Candice mentions in the episode: NEHP Adaptive Athlete Scholarship Program Kickoff

Connect with Candice on Instagram: @sky7285.

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In this bonus episode of The Adaptive Athlete Podcast, Mat Hotho is joined by adaptive athletes Amy Bream and Brett Palser for a wide-ranging conversation on competition, community, and the evolving landscape of adaptive fitness.

Amy reflects on her final season competing, and what it meant to return to the floor one last time. The discussion then turns to Amy’s role with the World Fitness Project, where she is a commentator. She explains the Project’s Pro and Challenger structure, its season-long approach to competition, and why adaptive inclusion must be built deliberately rather than rushed. Together, the group wrestles honestly with fairness, visibility, and the tension between competing to win and competing to grow the sport.

Throughout the episode, Amy offers a grounded perspective on what it means to show up when things are imperfect, why adaptive athletes benefit from being seen first as athletes, and how community (more than podiums) has shaped her journey. 

Follow Amy: @oneleggedstallion

Follow the World Fitness Project: @worldfitnessproject

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In this bonus episode of the Adaptive Athlete Podcast, I sit down with wheelchair athlete, coach, and new dad Mike Egan to unpack his 24-hour Guinness World Record attempt at Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio. Mike wheeled 152.36 miles on the same loop used for Event 1 of the 2024 Adaptive CrossFit Games, navigating more than 2,800 turns, a brutal overnight cold snap, and the mental strain of pushing through 24 hours with no sleep.

Mike walks through the “NASCAR-style” logistics behind the record: a dedicated pit crew tightening casters, managing equipment, and handling Guinness documentation; his coach George on headset guiding pacing and fueling; fellow athletes Tom Miazga and Andrea Wilson logging miles behind him as a relentless force keeping him moving; friend and athlete Brett Palser handling logistics; a massive community running with him.

Beyond the numbers, Mike reflects on a decade of living with disability, finding purpose through coaching and the adaptive community, and what it meant to finish the record surrounded by athletes, friends, and families. He shares the core message behind his effort—that pain is only a chapter, not the whole story—and hints at an even bigger, still-secret endurance goal on the horizon. 

Follow Mike on Instagram: @mj_egan

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South African adaptive athlete Letchen du Plessis joins the show to talk about her journey from a scholarship netball player to an adaptive CrossFit champion. After a hip injury led to CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) with dystonia, she spent months chasing answers before a spinal cord stimulator helped quiet the pain signals enough to train again. 

Letchen explains how exposure therapy looked in real life (including hot-water “retraining”), starting CrossFit training over again, and the progression toward a single box jump. 

We talk about her mindset and work ethic which all leads into why she signed up for the hilly, windy Ironman 70.3 in Mossel Bay on Sunday, November 16.

Follow Letchen's Ironman progress: Leaderboard

Follow Letchen on Instagram @letchen_dp

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In this episode, Mat Hotho and Brett Palser sit down with David “Cowboy Dave” Needham and Kevin “Cowboy Carl” Carlson, two of the key figures who make the Adaptive CrossFit Games possible. 

They pull back the curtain on what it takes to build the Games from an empty room to a world-class competition, sharing behind-the-scenes stories about forklifts, floor plans, and the volunteers who keep everything running. 

From a mistaken-identity fan encounter to the origin story of the cowboy hats, we talk about the humor, grit, and camaraderie that define the adaptive community. 

Dave and Carl also talk about the importance of media visibility, the logistics of working with Rogue, and how anyone, adaptive or not, can get involved and make a difference.

Follow David: @coachcowboydave

Follow Kevin: @kevincarlson27

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In this bonus episode, Mat Hotho sits down with Kym Dekeyrel, a completely blind CrossFit athlete and the founder of Finding the Light—a fundraising workout that supports Fighting Blindness, an organization advancing treatment and research for vision impairments.

Kym shares the emotional origin of Finding the Light, how it grew from a simple idea into a global community movement, and the powerful ways it’s inspiring kids, families, and athletes living with blindness. You’ll also hear about how adaptive athletes can join the effort through a special partnership with Equip Products, including a giveaway designed just for adaptive participants.

Finding the Light Workout

3 Rounds for Time

20 Double Dumbbell Thrusters (50/35)

20 Double Unders

20 Burpee Box Jump Overs (20")

20 Pull-ups

Join Finding The Light

Adaptive Athletes - Under "Team" type in "Equip Products" to be entered in the drawing!

Follow Kym on Instagram: @kympossiblexoxo

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