Tim Kaufman fell victim to all of the classic American poor lifestyle choices. He ate primarily processed food – and large quantities of it. After surgery related to a crippling disease called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, doctors prescribed painkillers and soon he was hooked on them. Like most addicts, he connived ways to get more of them and even more powerful narcotics, like fentanyl. He smoked, he chewed, and he drank staggering amounts of vodka. Tim was raised in a strait-laced Christian family in a quiet, rural town, demonstrating how his pitfalls don’t discriminate based on social standing. Realizing he would soon be in a coffin, 400-pound Tim decided it was time to get bariatric surgery, only for his doctor to tell him that his body’s catastrophically poor health wouldn’t allow for him to have it, which sunk him into further despair. Four simple words from his terminally-ill mother-in-law shook Tim into deciding that he needed to find a way to live. Tim knew David and like the latter’s book, Out There, Tim has just released his book, Escape: Breaking Free From a Self-Made Prison, in which he similarly has a remarkable transformation. Tim also adopts a plant-based diet and becomes a clean and sober Ironman triathlete who discovers that gratitude could change his outlook in life and help him become the husband and father his family deserves, and an inspirational and motivational human. Like many in his shoes, Tim’s tribulations have helped him learn some fantastic perspectives, which he shares in his book, which is now available on Amazon. Please enjoy this entertaining chat with an amazing man.

Tim Kaufman
Escape: Breaking Free From a Self-Made Prison available on Amazon
Watch his story on www.hope-theproject.com/#plant-power-stories
www.fatmanrants.com
Facebook Tim Kaufman
Instagram and Threads @fatmanrants

Bill Stahl
silly_billy@msn.com
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram @stahlor and @coachstahl
Threads @stahlor
YouTube We Are Superman Podcast

Jack Rubalcave, my 24-year old traveling companion, with whom I’ve previously traveled to Portugal, the Azores, and Ecuador, took an amazing 3½-week long trip to Asia this fall, and we want to share with you some of our adventures and inspire you to seek your own. We carried nothing but a backpack, took 13 flights, visited seven incredibly interesting countries, and probably spent less than $1000 each for the entire trip. We have been sharing some of our formula as well as the exotic sights, food, and fun we had. In the previous two episodes we covered Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and in this one we talk about the crazy times we had in Thailand and Bali, Indonesia, including a surprise encounter with really big, venomous water monitor lizards in a Bangkok park, an enchanting elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and attempting to rent and drive scooters on the very chaotic streets of Bali. I think these travels have given me a much deeper understanding about other people and cultures, which we in the U.S. are often insulated from. In the next episode, we’ll chat about beautiful Singapore and our tips for pulling off such a trip yourself, as well as where we hope to head next.

Jack Rubalcave
Instagram @jubalcave
Snapchat jackrubalcave

Bill Stahl
silly_billy@msn.com
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram @stahlor and @coachstahl
YouTube We Are Superman Podcast

If you think you can’t accomplish a lot of change and challenge yourself to achieve new goals in a short amount of time, then you’ll benefit from listening to this chat with Diarra Cropper. I’ve gotten to know the ever-enthusiastic Diarra through the Black Men Run community. Black Men Run is a dynamic nationwide organization that is a movement that encourages Black men to be active to reverse health risks like hypertension, diabetes, stroke, and mental depression that disproportionally affect this population. The organization conducts meetups to bring local chapters together and organizes to connect at races throughout the country. I began running with the Denver chapter three years ago and have developed many great friendships. With awesome leadership, the Denver chapter has been one of the fastest-growing in the country. Diarra, like many African-American male track athletes, gravitated toward the power events like sprints. And why not? If you turned on a marathon on TV, the only Black runners you saw were Kenyans and Ethiopians, almost no Americans. Black runners were virtually absent from ultramarathons. When Diarra moved to Colorado Springs, it opened up a whole new world of trail running to him. Within a couple of short years, Diarra is now crushing trail ultras and through an almost-random encounter at the Leadville Trail 100, has recently gotten sponsored by Speedland. He's become a leader as well of the BMR sub-chapter in Colorado Springs. What’s been super cool is that there are others in Black Men Run running ultras, and during our group runs it’s exciting hearing the chatter about ultrarunning. The tide is definitely turning, too, as you see more Black runners at marathons and ultramarathons, and you are beginning to see lots more women and runners of other colors out there as well. I have no doubt that Diarra, with his passion and drive, is headed toward becoming a major force in the ultrarunning scene. Before we jump in, I’d encourage you to go to blackmenrun.com to find a local chapter. I got involved after the insane killing of Ahmaud Arberry, which woke me up to the fact that it is markedly less safe for a Black man to simply go for a run anywhere he wants unlike a white guy like me can. I’ve never regretted finding this really positive group to run with.

Diarra Cropper
Instagram and Threads @co_trilete25

Bill Stahl
silly_billy@msn.com
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram @stahlor and @coachstahl
YouTube We Are Superman Podcast