Ep. 11 - Patrice Jones by Infinite Courage Coaching

Ep. 12 - Sean Lemoine by Infinite Courage Coaching

Ep. 13 - Owen Enright by Infinite Courage Coaching

Ep. 9 - Kelsey Abbott - Team USA Triathlete by Infinite Courage Coaching

Jose San Gabriel is an Ultra, Human who races ultramarathons. Since he started when he was in his late thirties, to now, at age 50, he has completed 49 and raced 53 ultras.

We speak specifically about his second appearance at the famous Western States race, a 100-mile trail race. In 2011, he missed the cutoff time at mile 48 of 100. and in 2012, he races it again. We talk about being in last place, and an unexpected finish. I won’t spoil the story.

Jose’s racing attitude is so different from a lot of the ultra endurance athletes I know. He’s more about interpersonal relationships than intensity, he’s committed but not competitive, he’s a striver but he never gives a sense that he’s striving.

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did, and are inspired that being an “Ultra, Human” doesn’t always mean intensity and extremeness - as Jose shows us, it also can mean steady, faithful, and full of wonder and appreciation for the world.

It’s a two-for-one today on the Ultra, Human podcast! Two ultra-humans, Jen Ziegner and Jamin Heppel, who are also lovers and business partners, are on and talking about their journey in fitness and using it as an avenue to increase leadership potential in leaders across the world.

Jamin had 6 knee surgeries before his 25th birthday. Jen grew up a self-described overweight and unsporty child, without much drive to move at all. Now, the pair lead people all over the world to run marathons and summit mountains through their program Mountains & Marathons.

Aside from the fact that Mountains & Marathons is simply a crazy cool business idea, which really speaks to the beliefs of the Ultra, HUman podcast, this episode is about how sport shapes us. I loved talking to Jamin and Jen about what inspired them to choose this business and lifestyle, and what they’ve learned along the way about human empowerment and what it really takes for someone to step out of their comfort zone-- and what’s possible on the other side of it. You can connect with Jamin and Jen through the Mountains and Marathons page on Facebook.

West Hansen is a modern-day explorer.

West is from Austin, Texas, and he was 46 before he’d even left the USA. His first time out of the country was in 2008 when he travelled to Peru to race in the Great River Amazon Raft Race. This is a race where teams actually build the rafts they will paddle on- his team, Easy Living (made up of West, David Kelly, Carter Johnson, and Mike Scales) set a new speed record for the 87-mile raft race, which still holds in 2019.

And after that, at this prime age of 46, on the plane ride back home, he was inspired to do more. Soon after, he was preparing for a 2012 Amazon journey from Source to Sea, which we discuss in the podcast. National Geographic covered this journey, the furthest route down the world’s longest river- through whitewater, unexpected injuries, face-to-face with guns in drug traffic country, and more.

West is passionate about getting all of us to quit it with plastic to-go cups and straws. His next expedition, the world’s first water-only crossing of the NorthWest Passage- will raise awareness and assist research on global climate change.

You can connect with West at West Hansen Expeditions on Facebook or order his new book From Source to Sea on amazon or at www.westhansen.com

Cameron Hollis is the type of strong we’d all love to be. He has a huge heart, a serious knack as a servant-leader, and I’ve been inspired by him since day one of knowing him. He completed the Marine Corps’ Reconnaissance Selection and Indoctrination, pre-BRC and BRC, and served in combat missions in Iraq. Let’s put that in perspective. Becoming a marine involved 25 ft tower jumps into water in full combat gear, deep water rifle retrievals, psychological testing, running obstacle courses while carrying full ruck sacks, and literally choosing to enter into hostile environments.

Basically, it takes a tough, tough person to do what Cameron has done. He’ll tell you that another tough part of all of this was readjusting to civilian life. Now, he continues to be passionate about performance optimization and lives a really robust life- he runs ultra trail running races all while taking care of his family of five, being a leader in his church, and expanding McKenzie Scaffolding, the company he co-founded and leads, into new markets across the US.

Cameron is Ultra, Human due to his remarkable mental fortitude. While many of us like to skirt challenges, Cameron jumps in whenever he gets the slightest sense of not wanting to do something- which he practiced even by being a guest here on the Ultra, Human podcast. He bravely opens up publicly about what fuels him, why he decided to join the military in the first place, and what his mental game is now in his ultra races- he shares stories of who he was and who he is becoming.

Correction: Cameron played university and collegiate level rugby, football, and track & field.

Boris Batine is seriously ambitious and seems to live life with no limits. He lives as if anything is possible and his track record shows the results of that belief-- he went from a career in Investment Banking to starting his own company, now the CEO of a finanical organization with offices in 4 countries. He has a PhD in economics but the real numbers we talk about in this episode reflect the diversity of sport he has excelled at. He’s won the Gent regatta with a college rowing team, raced the MDS run, the Coast to Coast race in NZ, numerous running, swimming marathons, and he’s a competitive wakeboarder! He’s done the Race across America, summitted Mont Blanc, competed in the Ironman, Comrades Ultramarathon, and I met him because was part of the first Russian team in the the Yukon River quest.

Boris is an Ultra, Human not only for these amazing feats but specifically for the range and breadth of what he’s been able to be successful at. No challenge is too big- except, maybe, singing karaoke in public.

You can find Boris Batine on Facebook.

Esther is reflective, sharp, and has a great sense of humor. She’s the person you’d want around in a crisis- she’d be casually problem solving, drawing on Encyclopedia knowledge and keeping calm. Esther shared thoughtful and specific insights about her personal journey from “trying paddling” because she was afraid of water, to, in 2017, becoming the first woman to solo-canoe the 444 mile Yukon River Quest- a race which took over 61 hours from Whitehorse to Dawson City Yukon. Every year, only around 70% of racers who begin finish the race. Esther went from a fear of water, to this accomplishment, to a growing role as a coach and ambassador of padding.

Esther is Ultra, Human because she’s a smart risk-taker and she breaks stereotypes about what it means to be a respectable endurance athlete. It’s not in her nature to turn down a sweet- she comments on not having a typical “athletic body”-- yet she hasn’t let her fear of water OR her size keep her from keeping up with and inspiring paddlers all over the world. You’ll hear the most courageous thing she’s done as a noteworthy part of this episode-- but it’s not the solo hours through rapids and nights in the wilderness she mentions. Esther is Ultra, Human because she’s doing what all of us must do- she’s growing into herself, and in her case, seeing herself as the athlete that she is.

You can find Esther on Instagram at @wheelerest and read her article “The Surprised Racer” in Intrepid Magazine.