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Chris Fisher and Erin Ton are very down-to-Earth people, but they are also way-up-in-the-air. As in, they are almost constantly on a mountain, very high mountains.  And when I say constantly, I mean they are pretty much always climbing, running on, and exploring mountains, as well as challenging themselves in the wildest wildernesses. Erin is known for setting hordes of FKTs, speeding through the gauntlet of Colorado 14ers in record time, as well as climbing 14ers in high heels. Yep, you heard that right. She and Chris, who owns the current record for the least time to climb all of the 14ers in winter, spent all of last summer bagging Colorado 13ers – of which there are 100s – several of them each day. They explored Patagonia for several weeks earlier this year, taking like they always do, heaps of absolutely jaw-dropping photos of their climbs and the scenery. Chris then took on the now-infamous Barkley Marathons, so definitely listen closely to learn more about this insane, unique race. Erin and Chris describe his battle against the course, that was made even tougher this year because of the unprecedented number of finishers last year – five – the heat the runners faced, the camaraderie with some legendary Barkley participants, and of course, enigmatic race director Laz. Later on, Erin also nailed a couple of FKTs on the gnarly course herself. They are now headed to the Himalayas, where in addition to their own projects and FKT attempts that you’ll hear about here, they will be supporting our mutual friend Tyler Andrews in his unfathomable attempt to set the record for running up and down Mt. Everest without supplemental oxygen. There really isn’t a dull moment in this very fun chat with this power duo of the mountains, who will absolutely inspire you to find adventure in the outdoors yourself, so I’m sure you’ll enjoy this chat.

Chris Fisher

Instagram @chrisjfish

Strava Christopher Fisher

Check out Chris' film Nine Hours on Manaslu on LaSportiva's YouTube channel

Erin Ton

Instagram @erin_ton7

Strava Erin Ton

Tyler Andrews' podcast: Ty's Training: Talking with my Dad

Bill Stahl
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Melissa Davey took the adage about it’s never too late to try something new quite seriously. This wasn’t about jumping out of an airplane kind of stuff. In her sixties, she retired from a lengthy corporate career to pursue her second act and dream of becoming a filmmaker. I always tell teens I coach or meet who are stressed about picking a college major and choosing a career path, that the average American changes careers, not just jobs, seven times in their lifetimes. You never know when circumstances allow you to drop the grind and forge a new direction, like you heard Australian Maddy Reynolds do in a WASP episode a few weeks ago when she dumped the corporate world to become a pro trail runner. Melissa was the Vice President of Social Security and Managed Disability at GENEX for 22 years, sat on the company’s executive team, and worked throughout the United States to create and deliver services to the disability insurance marketplace. But after a day on the set with famed screenwriter and filmmaker M Night Shyamalan, she decided to take a risk and left her career to jump into the unknown. Pursuing her dream of becoming a filmmaker became a reality in late 2018 when Melissa completed her first feature film, Beyond Sixty, which highlights stories of women making similar jumps, including the woman behind the original voice of Siri, the Madam CJ Walker biographer, and the sculptor of Lady Gaga’s Fame perfume carriage. During 2019, Melissa’s film was accepted by and screened at eight film festivals throughout the United States and Canada, winning awards and confirming that it is never too late to learn something new. Picked up by a distributor and released in 2021, the film is currently available on most streaming platforms. Melissa’s second film, Climbing into Life, details the inspiring life story of Dierdre Wolownick, the oldest woman to ascend El Capitan, who also happens to be the mother of famed free solo climber Alex Honnold. The film is currently making the film festival rounds. Melissa is a champion to show that it isn’t too late for people over 60, particularly women to explore new pathways and make a profound impact on the world. It’s such a great message to share, and she does it with an infectious energy as you’ll find out in this episode.

Melissa Davey

melissadavey.com

beyondsixty.com

[email protected]

Facebook Beyond Sixty Documentary

Instagram @beyond60project and @climbing_into_life

Bill Stahl
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The WASP has had a long history of inspiring stories about people overcoming alcoholism and addictions, but I really like the story and approach presented here by Tom Barnum. He is a former college and NFL player, who was on two teams that won the Super Bowl, including the 1972 Dolphins who is still the only team to complete an undefeated season – although in each case he only made it to the taxi squad. It was a culture that encouraged drinking, steroid use, and gambling. After engaging in these destructive behaviors for many years, as well as going through recovery, AA meetings, and learning about Buddhist principles, Tom developed a deep understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of many of these paths that can take one from ruin to sobriety. He sees even more perils in today’s society where younger and younger kids have access to drugs and to phone app gambling, and where the justice system is an ineffective deterrent. Tom shares his insights in his book Sobriety Is A Team Sport, where he emphasizes the power of enlisting support networks—family, friends, healthcare professionals, and spiritual guidance—in overcoming addiction. He writes candidly about the evolving landscape of addiction, the necessity of surrender, and the limitations of punitive legal approaches in addressing substance use disorders. His teachings integrate elements of mindfulness and Buddhism, offering a holistic perspective on sustainable sobriety. The culture of discipline, resilience, and mental toughness—while important for success—can also create a dangerous stigma around seeking help, making it difficult for individuals to admit they are struggling. As a former athlete, Tom shares his personal experience with addiction and how the fear of appearing weak kept him from seeking support for years. He challenges the misconception that surrender is failure, explaining instead how true strength lies in acknowledging the need for help and embracing recovery as a team effort. Tom also explores how shifting from a hyper-competitive mindset to one of community and support can make all the difference in sustaining long-term sobriety, helping high performers reframe their approach to both success and healing. Of the many WASP guests discussing their sobriety, I find Tom’s down-to-Earth approach makes an awful amount of sense.

Tom Barnum

www.stilltom.com

Facebook Sobriety Is A Team Sport

Instagram @stilltom462206

Bill Stahl
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This is the type of adventure story you don’t get to hear about very often. You very likely know something about Alaska’s Iditarod Trail dog-sledding race, a grueling, multiday wilderness endurance test from Anchorage to Nome. Did you know that there is also a race where humans bike, ski, and run on the course? Leadville’s own Mitch Dulleck trained for months in the high Rockies and then attended a camp in Alaska to prepare to run the Iditarod Trail Invitational 150-mile race. There was no designated route as he pulled a sled with all of his gear, the only rule being that he had to pass through several checkpoints. The entrants truly have to be self-sufficient in that sometimes-harsh environment. For instance, the race organizers don’t promise any rescue should some misfortune befall racers. Competitors need to problem-solve for themselves while enduring possible issues with weather, terrain, injuries, wildlife, and more. Few of us will ever get to breathe the air in such beautiful and serene wilderness, much less race there, so I don’t have to tell you that Mitch will be describing a very unique outdoor endurance experience that will have you fascinated as much as it did me, including discussing his training, food, equipment, and seeing the aurora borealis, all of which has stoked Mitch’s fire to go back and try the Iditarod Trail’s even more challenging 350-mile race.

Mitch Dulleck

Facebook Mitch Dulleck

Instagram @1mtnrnr1

Bill Stahl
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Listing 285-pound defensive lineman or being the fifth-ranked high schooler in the nation in the discus on your resume aren’t typical prerequisites for running across America. But former big guy Mason Wright, who at 17 years old could bench press 450 pounds and squat 685 pounds will be doing exactly that, and not that “short” way, either. He won’t just run from one coast to the other, but from corner to corner, Seattle to Miami. But first this April he will run across Utah from north to south in eight days, averaging about 55 miles a day. He will be doing all of this to raise funds for the Single Parent Project, after having witnessed his mom’s struggles following Mason’s dad’s imprisonment and then the sudden death of her second husband. The family’s struggles also led Mason to some very dark, even suicidal, places. With the very strong support of his wife and her family, they introduced Mason to Spartan racing, which then led him to shed triple-digits weight and eventually enter his first trail ultramarathons and a top-20 finish in the Spartan World Championship just two years later. Along the way, he has developed a large following among those who know him as the Buff Runner. He inspires them to join the Buff Runner Army and take the small steps to challenge themselves every day. His fitness journey has guided him to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the health and nutrition field, and to open a nutrition practice and a rehab gym facility. His fundraising goal for his run across Utah is $15K, and he hopes to raise a total of $100K with his Project 3434 run across America, the 3434 miles he will cover to support the Single Parent Project, which assists families that don’t have resources get back on their feet, whether they need help with rent, groceries, transportation, schooling, getting kids into activities, etc. The links to contribute are below, which are also on his web site, buffrunner.com, where you can also find information about joining him in any of his events leading up to the run across America. Buckle up to listen to this fun journey.

Mason Wright

Buffrunner.com

Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok @buffrunner

Bill Stahl
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I want you to explore the world! With a little creativity and ingenuity--and a willingness to get out of your comfort zone--you can have experiences that will open your eyes to people and places that will enhance your life in ways you can't imagine. In this episode, I describe my trip in October to places many people don't often visit. It began with a cruise with my family--including my parents who are in their 90s--beginning in Lisbon and stopping in Madeira, the Canary Islands, Morocco, and Spain. Following debarkation in Barcelona, without any plans at all, I rented a car and drove to Carcassonne, France, the tiny, wealthy, Pyrenees Mountains country of Andorra, then through the Spanish cities of Pamplona, San Sebastián, Bilbao, Laguardia, Logroño, Zaragoza, and Barcelona. It was quite the adventure navigating roads in foreign countries and figuring out accommodations and food. There were plenty of challenges and surprises, and I think you'll enjoy riding along on these adventures!

Bill Stahl
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I first met Max Madorsky when the kids on my cross country team at Littleton H.S. invited me to join them at an all-you-can-eat sushi joint in the southern suburbs of Denver. They had invited along this guy who had this amazing capacity to shovel in food. This restaurant couldn’t have been too pleased seeing Max down eight plates of sushi all by himself. I happen to have a remarkable ability to consume large amounts of pizza, so right away I knew Max was my guy to win a challenge from a local parlor in which if two people would win $100 if they could eat a 28”, two-topping pie in an hour. Max and I crushed this prize in only 45 minutes. Because 28” is not just double 14” (think pi-r-squared), that’s something like 14 pounds of pizza. And then Max weaseled a couple of those oversized chocolate-chip cookies out of them, and later went out and ate a handful of doughnuts! What I didn’t know at the time is that Max was relatively svelte at the time, having weighed close to 300 pounds a few years prior as an eighth-grader! Max got bullied for his size and resorted to using drugs to mask his feelings. Some great mentors introduced Max to martial arts like jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, and kickboxing. It was scary for a young Max when one of these mentors got deployed to Iraq, so this soldier promised Max he would return home alive if Max would turn around his life. With that kind of motivation, Max did indeed. He eventually became a professional mixed-martial arts fighter, and has lived in Thailand and Mexico both perfecting his craft and teaching others. During a time in Thailand in which he was injured, Max even opened up a bagel shop/marijuana dispensary! Now Max is additionally pursuing a standup comedy career. It’s a great comeback story from someone who got bullied when he was as young as 8 for his weight. With these and other twists and turns, I’m sure you’ll enjoy hearing Max’s compelling story.

Max Madorsky

Instagram @maxmadorsky @muaythaijew @toebra

Bill Stahl
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Even though Maddy Reynolds was not a runner, COVID-19 spurred her and her homebound friends to start running around the limited area they were allowed to in their neighborhood in Sydney, Australia. On a lark, they decided to run their own marathon. Once racing resumed, Maddy ran an actual marathon. Then she was encouraged to try trail running and next racing. You can see where this is going. Maddy eventually took the risky leap, quitting her secure job as an investment banker to become a full-time runner. By 2023, successes started to accrue. After a runner-up finish in the Six Foot Track Marathon, one of Australia’s most prestigious races, Maddy was chosen to represent her country at the World Mountain and Trail Championships in Austria. Her crowning result for the year was winning the UTMB Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko 50K. She followed up that ascendent year with a string of top-10 trail race finishes in 2024, including a win at the Trail de Lac d’Oô in the Pyrenees. Like any upward trajectory, there were bumps in the road. Maddy suffered a stress fracture in her calcaneus, or heel bone, following Kosciuszko. The most serious, though, was after she sustained a serious bacterial eye infection due to a contact lens mistake. Doctors considered removing her eye, but were able to save it, although her vision was severely fogged over. Amazingly, Maddy continued to progress despite very limited depth perception, certainly a huge impediment for a trail runner, leading to numerous falls, including a cracked kneecap. Just last week came a double-dose of positives. First, Maddy’s doctors got her a new kind of contact lens that has restored her sight. A truly “Holy Crap, I can see” moment. Ironically, it’s the same kind of lens that has also salvaged my vision. Using her new visual acuity, Maddy finished second in New Zealand’s UTMB Tarawera Ultra-Trail 52K. Although the race buildup did not go without some crazy, maybe even hilarious, hiccups, as you’ll hear. None of these incidents can deter Maddy, who explains the big chance she took on herself, and led her to move to France with her boyfriend to advance her career. She is a font of positivity, and feeds upon the community that is running. She has some huge days ahead of her, and we had a very fun and engaging chat, so I hope you’ll enjoy this and follow her as she establishes herself as a force in the trail running world.

Maddy Reynolds

Instagram @maddyreynolds98

Bill Stahl
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I love when people don’t accept the status quo from the medical field. One disease where there is no known cure, and not much is known about its cause or treatments for it, is Parkinson’s an uncurable neurological disease. So Scott Hanley of Belfast, Northern Ireland chose a different path to dealing with getting diagnosed with it, and as a result believes he has reduced his symptoms by 95%! Repeat, 95%! That’s simply unheard of. He didn’t do anything magic, take any banned substances, or sell his soul to the Devil. Parkinson’s patients are usually instructed to engage their minds more. Scott added to this advice with some very commonsense approaches, including tweaking his nutrition and moving his body. But Scott reasoned that just doing cardio would actually be more mind-numbing, so this former Royal Army soldier engaged in short-burst exercises, which he could easily do during the lockdown of the pandemic. This eventually led him to a CrossFit gym in Belfast, where he found a community to engage with and where he has become an inspirational participant.  Scott has found the CrossFit workouts have continued to keep his mind and body strong and moving, so much so that for a couple of years, many in the gym weren’t even aware of his Parkinson’s. Scott’s experiences have given him a unique perspective into resilience, and he shares his story, which might motivate anyone to also find their own solutions when facing a tough medical diagnosis.

Scott Hanley

Instagram @thrive_happens

Bill Stahl
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As the world’s population ages, more and more of us are affected by diseases, truly horrible diseases, like Alzheimer’s. The latest studies show that 1/3 of seniors will have some level of dementia by the time they pass away. That’s staggering. Alzheimer’s now afflicts more Americans than breast and prostate cancers combined. Seven million people living in this country have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, plus 11 million more are caregivers for these patients. There’s not much that’s tougher than watching a loved one’s mental faculties decline to the point that they are almost-unrecognizable. In this episode, I chat with Brian Tatum of the Alzheimer’s Association, which is doing amazing things in funding research into Alzheimer’s causes and treatment, as well as providing critical support for caregivers, for whom tending to a loved one’s decline can be another full-time job. The Association also hosts the Ride 2 End ALZ, an opportunity for anyone to hop on their bike to help raise money to aid them to fund more research and support services like a 24/7 hotline that is staffed by Master’s-level experts. The ride is a super cool and supportive event, as described in this episode also by Steve Mollen, who I randomly met at a Colfax Marathon committee meeting where we’d initially connected talking about New York sports. Steve enthusiastically describes the community created at this ride, one of six in the country, by the Alzheimer’s Association. He has participated in the ride in Fort Collins, Colo., which has distances ranging from 23 to 75 miles and this year will be on June 8. It’s a very significant event that is geared for anyone to do, or you can ride virtually and/or support riders like Steve by donating on their fundraising pages. It’s very likely you and a loved one have been impacted by Alzheimer’s, so please consider getting involved with the Ride 2 End ALZ and fighting this terrible disease. If you choose to support Steve in particular, his fundraising page info is below.

Alzheimer's Association Ride 2 End ALZ
alz.com/ride

Steve's personal ride page: https://act.alz.org/site/TR/Ride2025/Ride?px=22795655&pg=personal&fr_id=18284

Alzheimer's Association
alz.com
24/7 Helpline: 800-272-3900
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Bill Stahl
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