Sophie Grace Holmes is a coach and ultra-endurance athlete based in the UK. Having been born with the life-threatening condition of Cystic Fibrosis, daily life has been very different from the average person. The condition if not cared for would have ultimately shortened Sophies' life with the average life expectancy being just 28! However through years of hospital visits, treatment, and perseverance she now leads a healthy life to the point of taking on and completing Ultra-Endurance challenges - stemming from the conscious decision NOT to let Cystic Fibrosis hold her back from fulfilling her ambitions.

• Recent challenges include becoming the second person in history with Cystic Fibrosis to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, completing a 100km ultra marathon: Race The Stones and is now in training for IronMan Austria in 2021.

Sophies' message is clear: Even with a life-threatening disease, you can live a limitless life by finding out what sets you on fire.

Rene Borg is one of Ireland's leading endurance running coaches   Rene entered the sport of running through mountain running and swiftly progressed through almost all branches of the sport - both as a competitor, coach, journalist, and race director. This provided him with a unique 360 view of everything running related. He possessed very limited talents when he entered the sport and so sought the advice of the most successful coaches - dead or alive (through books or in-person) - including the philosophies of Arthur Lydiard and Percy Cerutty as his base.    He has coached hundreds of runners for thousands of hours. His favorite example being Jason Kehoe, who started as a mid-pack runner with him in 2008 and went on to win several mountain running races and two Irish championships in the decade that they worked together exemplifying what can be achieved with a good coach/athlete partnership.  

• The BIGGEST mistakes people make when training for their first Ultra Marathon.

 

• How to successfully train for and complete your first ultramarathon?

David O Connor is an Irish ultra-endurance athlete.   The events he has been involved in have included running 10 marathons in 10 days on an athletics track (260 miles/1055 laps), running 247km in one weekend around Dublin, cycling 200km from Cork to Wicklow on a child’s BMX and climbing Lugnaquilla (the highest peak in Leinster) with 55lbs on his back. Many of these challenges symbolize mental health struggles — the heavy load accompanying him on the mountain climb, for instance, represented “the burdens we carry on our minds and the pressure we put ourselves under every day”.

• 10 Marathon in 10 days.
• 247KM in one weekend around Dublin.
• 200km Cork to Wicklow on a BMX.
• Recently 100km In 1 day around a park?

Follow David: @performance_doc

Marcus is an entrepreneur, extreme athlete, and coach on a mission to make people's lives better through health. He is the founder of InnerFight.com - a human performance organization and Smith St Paleo a local food provider.   Some of the challenges Marcus has embarked on in recent years include the Marathon Des Sables in 2015, 230km self-supported across Kenya, and crossing Corsica on foot with 13,000m of elevation.   However in 2018, while training for an Ultra Cycling world record - he was hit by a truck at 65kmph resulting in his biggest challenge to data - fighting for his life.    Having since made a full recovery Marcus recently ran over 200km around a 400m track in 24 hours - continuing to demonstrate the power of the human mind.    We talked about:

• The Ultra Mindset
• How to overcome self-doubt if considering taking on an extreme challenge
• Recovering from being hit by a truck while attempting an ultra-cycling world record

Marcus Social Channels:

• Instagram: @mjd_smith
• Website: www.innerfight.com

Rory Coleman is best known for completing the Marathon Des Sables 15 times, Setting 9 Guinness world records, and finishing over 255 Ultra Marathon finishes.   Prior to ultra running Rory was an avid drinker and 40 a day smoker, however since 1994 has committed to living nicotine and alcohol-free, ever since.   Life hasn’t been plain sailing since leading a healthier life as Unexpectedly, in April 2016 when I was left paralyzed after being struck down by Guillain-Barré Syndrome, where he was left wheelchair-bound unclear whether he would ever walk, let alone run again.  Here are some of the things we talked about in today’s episode:

• Rory’s first ultra
• Running from London to Lisbon
• Setting Guinness World Records
• First time doing MDS
• Nearly paralyzed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome

  Rory's Social Channels   

• Website: http://www.colemancoaching.co.uk/

Shane Finn is an Irish Endurance Athlete based in Kerry, best known for running 24 marathons in 24 days and raising over €142,000 for Spina bifida Ireland in the process.   More recently in 2019, Shane cycled and ran from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco to Brooklyn bridge in New York —  A grueling, 5,000km coast to coast trek to continue challenging himself and raising much-needed funds and awareness for Spina bifida Ireland.    Here are some of the things we talked about in today’s episode:

• Staying injury-free when attempting the impossible
• Shanes training prep for endurance challenges
• The Power of Visualisation
• Shooting in San Antonio
• The journey of completing the American Ultra.

  Shanes Social Channels   

• Instagram: @shanefinn
• Website: www.shanefinn.com

Mentions

• Tom Creane - An Unsung Hero

James Power is Irelands Youngest Professional Boxer in history, holding a professional record of 5-0, 4 of which were Knock-Outs.    After signing with Sheer Sports earlier this year, he is due to relocate to Los Angeles to commence training full time as a professional fighter.   Here are some of the things we talked about in today’s episode:  

• Crossing the Mexican border to turn pro
• The Fighters Mindset
• The contrast of fighting amateur to professionally 
• Deciding to finish the leaving certificate 
• Self talk when up against the ropes

  Show Notes  

• Follow James: Instagram: @Power131_ 

 

• Mentions: David Goggins Can't Hurt Me

Shadz is the founder of Flatline Uninterrupted Resilience; a platform and network designed to explore, discuss, identify, and ignite the ability to truly and deeply live life to its fullest. It was brought about by his own life-changing journey, undergoing 2 open heart surgeries and being pronounced clinically dead twice on the operating table.   He has defied the odds of recovery and is now taking on the extreme challenges of business life and endurance where he will attempt an Everest Base Camp record later this year.   Here are some of the things we talked about in today’s episode:

• The pain associated with open-heart surgery.
• Road to recovery 
• 4 Step process to becoming resilient.
• Everest Base Camp World Record Attempt

  Shadz Social Channels:  

• Instagram: @shadzzz
• Website: http://www.uninterruptedresilience.com/

Conor O’Keefe is an Irish Ultrarunner, best known for winning the 200 mile, Enduroman, ultra marathon and becoming the first finisher since 2012.    More recently he has taken on the mammoth challenge that is Project 32 32 32 - attempting to become the first man in history to run 32 marathons in 32 days in each of the 32 counties in Ireland - all while wearing a 32lbs vest where he will shed one 1lb per day all in aid of raising €100,000 for mental health in association with Pieta House. Here are some of the things we talked about in today’s episode:

• Journey to winning Enduroman 200 miler.
• Self-talk when sh*t hits the fan in endurance and life.
• Project 32

Conor's Social Channels:

• Instagram: cokeeffe
• Website: http://conorokeeffe.com/

Support Project 32:

• https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/11381935_tfs-32-32-32.html

Today I’m joined today with, Extreme, Irish Endurance Athlete and Saturation Diver: Mr. Gavan Hennigan.   Gavan has worked worldwide as a deep-sea saturation diver for over 10 years, diving to depths of up to 200 m to perform heavy construction on oil rigs, spending up to 28 days at a time living in a metal tube.   During his time off, he has completed some of the world's most extreme endurance challenges. Including 3 of the longest and toughest Winter Ultras in the world - The Likeys Arctic Ultra, a 566km Winter Ultra Marathon inside the Arctic Circle, The Yukon Arctic Ultra 500km where he placed 2nd with the 3rd fastest time recorded since it's induction in 2003.    And most recently just a few weeks ago became the Men's Champion at the Idititaord TrailInvitational. A 350-mile self-sufficient foot race across Alaska.    Gavan is most prominently known for his record-breaking Atlantic crossing in 49 days where he not only Won his category but he beat all the other 3-man and pair boats, finishing in 3rd overall behind the 4-man boats, recording one of the fastest times for a solo crossing.   However, his life hasn't always been about extreme adventures. As a youth, Gavan suffered badly at the hands of alcohol and drug addiction and went into rehab at 21 years old. He managed to turn his life around and has stayed clean and sober since then.    Through his personal adversity, career, and expeditions, he has built incredible mental fortitude and resilience which he strives to test.   We talked about:  

• Gavin battle with drugs, alcohol and ultimately rehab.
• Life as a Saturation Diver
• The Iditarod Invitational
• Split Boarding 

Show Notes   Gavan's Social Channels   

• Instagram: @soulogav
• Website: www.gavanhennigan.com 

  Recommended Resources  

• An Unsung Hero, Tom Crean - Antarctic Survivor: