What does it take to bet everything on a dream? To live out of a van before it was fashionable, to commit to hard lines with no guarantee of success, and to walk away from risk when the stakes are too high?

For Canadian climber Sonnie Trotter, it has always come down to conviction. From iconic ascents like Cobra Crack and The Path to bold multi-pitch routes on El Capitan, Sonnie has built a career — and a life — around the power of desire and the art of going all in.

In this episode, Sonnie opens up about:

• The moment on Mount Stephen with Tommy Caldwell when he chose family over risk — and why that decision shaped his climbing life.
• What it means to reverse-engineer objectives, breaking down the impossible into repeatable steps that anyone can apply to sport, career, or life.
• The reality of van life with young kids — the chaos, the beauty, and the lessons in resilience.
• Why desire matters more than talent in chasing audacious goals.
• How sleep, recovery, and health now stand as his most important climbing priorities.

This is not just a climbing story. It’s a conversation about awe, identity, and how to keep your fire alive — whether you’re chasing 5.14 cracks or simply trying to stay true to your path in midlife.

Stay to the end: Sonnie shares his philosophy on legacy, why life is shorter than we think (in the most liberating sense), and how to pursue what matters with urgency and love.

Sonnie's Instagram

Sonnie's book - Uplifted!

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What does it take to come back after a body-breaker of an injury—not once, but sixteen times?

Chris Anthony is a legendary ski athlete, filmmaker, and adventurer who has stared down more than his fair share of wipeouts, surgeries, and life-altering setbacks. But instead of fading quietly from the spotlight, Chris rebuilt. Physically. Mentally. Spiritually.

In this episode, we explore what it really means to recover—not just to return to sport, but to reinvent yourself in the process.

You’ll hear Chris talk about:

• The gruesome reality and mental toll of having 16 knee surgeries
• How he kept skiing—and pushing limits—long after most would have quit
• His unforgettable days shooting for Warren Miller ski films (before GoPros and drones)
• His time skiing across Mongolia with the local military—and the cultural surprises that came with it (hint: fermented horse milk)
• What he’s building now with the Chris Anthony Youth Initiative Project (CYIP) to help underserved youth through outdoor education

Chris’s story is a powerful reminder that aging doesn’t have to mean slowing down. It means getting smarter, tougher—and more intentional with how we heal, move, and lead.

⚠️ Host's Note on Nutrition

While this episode features honest discussions about diet—including red meat consumption—it’s important to note that these views don’t reflect the host’s personal values or dietary choices. As a mostly plant-based athlete, I believe we can fuel high performance without animal products. But I also believe in sharing real stories with integrity—even when our philosophies differ.

🔗 Links & Resources

• Learn more about Chris Anthony Youth Initiative Project (CYIP) → chrisanthony.com
  
  
• Follow Chris on Instagram → @chrisanthonyski
  
  
• Watch the Warren Miller ski films → warrenmiller.com
  
  

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Last week in Part I, we began our journey with legendary alpinist Jim Donini — exploring his surprise cancer diagnosis, his early days in Yosemite, and the philosophy that has defined his career: “Getting to the top is optional. Getting back down is mandatory.”

In this second part of our conversation, we turn from the mountains themselves to the human side of Jim’s story. At 82, Jim reflects on:

• The partnerships that shaped his greatest climbs — and what makes someone a great partner in the mountains and in life
• The sacrifices and personal costs of chasing bold objectives, and the double-edged gift of being able to block out hardship
• Lessons from living and climbing in places like Pakistan and Patagonia, and how those cultures shaped his worldview
• What it means to slow down, face illness with honesty, and still look ahead with optimism
• The legacy he hopes to leave, and what “ageless” means to him today

Jim speaks with the same candor and optimism that have marked his five decades in the world’s hardest ranges. His reflections on life, loss, and resilience remind us that survival is never guaranteed — but meaning can be found in how we choose our lines, both on the mountain and off.

If you haven’t yet, go back and listen to Part I — it lays the foundation for everything we cover here.

📌 References & Related Links

• Survival Is Not Assured: The Life of Climber Jim Donini by Geoff Powter — Winner of the 2024 National Outdoor Book Award (NOBA)

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For more than five decades, Jim Donini has defined what it means to be an alpinist. Not by chasing the tallest mountains or summit glory, but by seeking out the hardest lines in the world’s most remote ranges — places where storms, hunger, and survival itself are never guaranteed.

Now at 82, Jim is still climbing, still dreaming, and still teaching us what resilience looks like. In this first of a two-part conversation, he opens up about receiving a surprise cancer diagnosis, how he approaches adversity with the same directness he once brought to multi-week storms in the Karakoram, and why he has never lost his motivation to keep moving forward.

We cover:

• Why the highest peaks never interested him — and why difficulty mattered more than altitude
• The philosophy of retreat: “Getting to the top is optional. Getting back down is mandatory”
• His early days in Yosemite and how confidence and boldness shaped his path
• Stories from Torre Egger, Latok I, and the Karakoram — some of the most consequential climbs in modern alpinism
• How he keeps looking ahead despite health challenges and the odds of age

Jim’s story is one of awe, resilience, and optimism. It’s a reminder that survival is never guaranteed — but meaning can be found in the way we choose our lines, on the mountain and off.

📌 References & Related Links

• Survival Is Not Assured: The Life of Climber Jim Donini by Geoff Powter — Winner of the 2024 National Outdoor Book Award (NOBA)

👉 Next week: Part II, where Jim reflects on partnerships, sacrifices, cultural lessons from years abroad, and what it means to live agelessly in the face of mortality.

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At age 49, Susan Marie Conrad paddled 1,200 miles—alone—through the remote, storm-swept waters of the Alaskan Inside Passage.
Twelve years later, at 61, she went back and did it again.

In this powerful conversation, Susan shares what it means to return—not just to the same wild coastline, but as a different person. We unpack what changes when you chase something bold later in life, how nature reshapes your mindset, and what happens when you open yourself up to synchronicity, generosity, and the unexpected.

We also talk about the stark environmental changes she witnessed: the plastic where it didn’t belong, the shrinking glaciers, and the fragility of ecosystems many of us will never see.

This episode is a meditation on endurance, improvisation, awe, and the will to keep growing—even (especially) as we age.

🧭 What We Talk About

• What exactly is the Inside Passage—and what makes it so wild and magical
• The brutal logistics of a solo sea kayak expedition (and what people get wrong)
• Fear, failure, and what to do when a grizzly bear shows up 30 feet away
• How aging changed her approach to adventure—and made the second journey even deeper
• What climate change looks like from a tiny boat in a vast and fragile ecosystem
• Why she mentors younger women to take on big expeditions of their own
• Finding purpose through challenge, stillness, and storytelling

🔗 Links & Resources

📸 Susan's Instagram

🌊 Susan’s Website

📷 Susan's Books:

📚 Inside: One Woman’s Journey Through the Inside Passage
📷 Wildly Inside: A Visual Journey Through the Inside Passage

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🚀 Love the show? Here’s how to support it

If something you’ve heard here has stayed with you, made you smile, or helped you keep going, I’d be honored if you’d consider supporting the show. 👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

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At 65, Judi Oyama is still lining up at the start gate — not in a “Masters” category, but shoulder-to-shoulder with athletes half, or even a quarter her age. She’s a World Champion slalom skateboarder, a Guiness record holder, a Hall of Fame inductee, and a pioneer who’s been breaking barriers since she first picked up a board in Santa Cruz in the early 1970s.

Back then, women’s divisions barely existed. Prize money was unequal. Media crews left during women’s finals. Judi skated anyway — pushing through invisibility, injury, and a sport that wasn’t built to include her. Five decades later, she’s still competing, still winning, and mentoring the next generation of racers who may one day take the sport to the Olympics.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What slalom skateboarding actually is — and why it’s so addictive
• How Judi fought for gender and racial equality in skateboarding
• The longevity toolkit she’s built: CrossFit, heavy lifting, recovery, and smart nutrition
• Why representation matters, and how she’s mentoring young women in the sport
• How to stay competitive, joyful, and relevant in your sport for decades
• Her motto: “Be badass every day” — and what it means in practice

Whether you’ve ever stepped on a skateboard or not, Judi’s story is about rewriting the limits others put on you, and replacing them with your own.

- Follow Judi on Instagram

- Judi in the Guiness Book of Records

Cover pic 📸 Dave Re

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Personalized health data can help us age better and feel stronger. Track your glucose 24/7 and work 1:1 with a certified dietitian to build habits that last. 👉 Get 33% off your first month at https://nutrisense.io/agelessathlete

🚀 Love the show? Here’s how to support it

If something you’ve heard here has stayed with you, made you smile, or helped you keep going, I’d be honored if you’d consider supporting the show. 👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

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1-2x a month, no spam. We share behind-the-scenes reflections, longevity tips, and athlete wisdom you won’t find anywhere else. You can sign up at https://www.agelessathlete.co/newsletter/ 📩

Support the show

Physiotherapist, coach, and lifelong climber Andy McVittie is back for the final chapter of our three-part deep dive into aging well, moving well, and living without fear of injury.

If you haven’t listened to Part I (The Movement Optimist: Knees, Shoulders, Elbows, Hips, Bulletproof Yourself! Never Late to Get Strong!) or Part II (Aging Joints & Grateful Bodies: Elbows, Fingers, Sleep, and the Stories We Tell Ourselves), I highly recommend going back. In those episodes, we tackled the myths about aging, explored upper body resilience, and broke down joint-by-joint strategies for staying strong.

In Part III, we turn our attention to the often-overlooked foundation: hips, ankles, and feet.

We cover:

• Why hips, ankles, and feet are often neglected—and why that’s a mistake
• Early warning signs your hips or ankles need attention
• Simple self-tests for hip mobility and ankle strength
• What to do if you’ve been living with old injuries or imbalances
• Strategies for preventing long-term issues and keeping your lower body strong for decades
• How to return to activity after injury or time off
• Andy’s take on recovery tools—what’s worth your time and what’s just marketing noise
• How to structure a realistic, sustainable weekly maintenance plan
• The mindset shift that keeps you moving confidently for life

This is practical, encouraging, and packed with the kind of wisdom that comes from decades of helping real people—not just athletes—move better, heal better, and age with optimism.

Resources & References

Andy McVittie

• Andy's Website
• Andy's Instagram
• The Self-Rehabbed Climber
• Level Edges Pulley Splints: leveledges.co.uk

Relevant Past Episodes (look for these titles in your podcast app)

• #65 The Movement Optimist: Knees, Shoulders, Elbows, Hips, Bulletproof Yourself! Never Late to Get Strong!
• #68 Aging Joints & Grateful Bodies: Elbows, Fingers, Sleep, and the Stories We Tell Ourselves

Tools & Resources Mentioned

• Calf Raise App on iOS – for testing ankle strength and endurance

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🎯 Support this podcast and try Nutrisense

Personalized health data can help us age better and feel stronger. Track your glucose 24/7 and work 1:1 with a certified dietitian to build habits that last. 👉 Get 33% off your first month at https://nutrisense.io/agelessathlete

🚀 Love the show? Here’s how to support it

If something you’ve heard here has stayed with you, made you smile, or helped you keep going, I’d be honored if you’d consider supporting the show. 👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

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1-2x a month, no spam. We share behind-the-scenes reflections, longevity tips, and athlete wisdom you won’t find anywhere else. You can sign up at https://www.agelessathlete.co/newsletter/ 📩

Support the show

Every few months, I pause to reflect on the conversations that left a mark—ones I keep thinking about long after the recording stops. This episode is a curated collection of those moments from Spring 2025.

You’ll hear stories that go beyond performance. These are reflections on resilience, identity, aging, and the human drive to keep exploring what’s possible—physically and emotionally.

In this episode:

• Sarah Thomas reflects on childhood, potential, and joy after record-breaking swims and cancer survival.
  🎧 [#76 Four Times Across the English Channel: What One Impossible Swim Can Teach You About Identity, Grit, and Starting Over]
• Bob Becker, 80, shares what he’s learned from DNFs and brutal finishes in 100+ mile races.
  🎧 [#73 Unstoppable: The 80-Year-Old Who Runs 100+ Mile Ultramarathons—and Reminds Us Why Showing Up Still Matters]
• Bill Ramsey introduces the “Pain Box” and how meaning comes from effort, not ease.
  🎧 [#75 The Thinking Climber: What a Philosopher’s Double Life Reveals About Curiosity, Reinvention, and the Long Arc of Mastery]
• Bob Babbitt takes us back to the wild early days of Ironman—where athletes taped bananas to bikes and finished races on Big Macs and pure guts.
  🎧 [#77 Still Racing at 73: Triathlon’s Wild Origins, Daily Rituals For Recovery, Energy, Clarity, and Why Sport Is the Real Fountain of Youth]
• Bianca Valenti recounts a terrifying moment that launched her into big wave surfing—and a fight for equal pay.
  🎧 [#72 Bianca Valenti’s Second Act: How She Won Equal Pay, Redefined Her Sport, and Trains Her Body and Nerves for Big Waves — and for Life]
• Rob Matheson, age 74, recounts his bold climb of an E7 sea cliff route—and what came after.
  🎧 [#78 When the Gear Might Not Hold: Cutting-Edge Rock Climbing at 74, Mentorship Across Generations, and Why Boldness and Growth Don’t Have an Age Limit]
• Dean Karnazes on laying it all on the line for the world’s first marathon at the South Pole.
  🎧 [#70 Dean Karnazes: Fighting Fit in His 60s, Running Ultras on Weekends, and Tracing the Marathon’s Roots in Greece]
• Andy McVittie, climbing physio, shares how to assess your shoulder health and why tendon care is everything.
  🎧 [#65 The Movement Optimist: Knees, Shoulders, Elbows, Hips, Bulletproof Yourself! Never Late to Get Strong!]
• Jerry Moffatt narrates one of his proudest moments: the visionary onsight of Equinox.
  🎧 [#67 Jerry Moffatt’s Revelations: Dangerous Free Soloing Before It Was Cool, The Power of Obsession, Letting Go at Your Peak, and His Surprising Key to Success]
• Neil Gresham, climbing coach, explains why Rob Matheson wasn’t treated any differently—and what that tells us about aging, mindset, and training.
  🎧 [#80 Lexicon, Boldness

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🎯 Support this podcast and try Nutrisense

Personalized health data can help us age better and feel stronger. Track your glucose 24/7 and work 1:1 with a certified dietitian to build habits that last. 👉 Get 33% off your first month at https://nutrisense.io/agelessathlete

🚀 Love the show? Here’s how to support it

If something you’ve heard here has stayed with you, made you smile, or helped you keep going, I’d be honored if you’d consider supporting the show. 👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

📰 Subscribe to the Ageless Athlete newsletter !

1-2x a month, no spam. We share behind-the-scenes reflections, longevity tips, and athlete wisdom you won’t find anywhere else. You can sign up at https://www.agelessathlete.co/newsletter/ 📩

Support the show