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77 - Craig Towler - Life Can Change in a Flash

Meet Craig Towler - a man with strength, resilience and gratitude well beyond what most of us will ever imagine in this lifetime. In July 2016, Craig was struck by an impaired driver while unloading supplies from his car in front of his home in Boulder. Both of his legs were disconnected from his body in the impact. He survived – barely – and today he faces the world as a double amputee, a title he is working hard to embrace as he continues to pursue the life that he dreams about.
I reached out to Craig after following his story for a year, and asked if he would meet me to decide if he wanted to be a guest on my podcast. The minute I met Craig, I knew I was in the presence of someone who was put here to cast a light on this world and everyone he touches. Yes, the accident changed him and in some ways, opened his eyes, but I truly believe that he would be leaving his mark of positivity no matter what direction his life took and what direction it continues to take.
I know that some of you will wonder about the accident and specifically, the driver who hit Craig. I know I did. You can feel free to google it and you’ll find some information, but the truth is, Craig doesn’t want to focus on that part of his story. It doesn’t help him move his life forward, so we don’t discuss it. Today we have a long discussion about so many different aspects of life from relationships with others, to our relationship with our own bodies, the technical details of having amputated limbs, including a great cameo from his prosthetist Angela. We also have a few fun interruptions and another on-the-spot cameo from Craig’s girlfriend Amanda. It's a lively one for sure!
Craig is a mix between the guy-next-door who you want to hang out with everyday and one of the most inspirational and enlightened people who walk this earth. And when I say walk, you’ll see what I mean when you follow Craig on Instagram. Actually I mention this in the interview – our goal is to get Craig up to 10k followers on Instagram. So make sure you follow craig.a.towler – it will help him get the word out about his new business Amputee Concierge – a free service he wants to provide to help other people who are going through limb loss. Because that’s what Craig does – when faced with a setback that meant he had to push pause on his progress with his prosthetic legs and spend months back in a chair, Craig started a business – a business to help others on that note!
Today we talk about:
Adapting to life as a double amputee
Relationships with people around you through the good and tough times (including a cameo by his girlfriend Amanda)
Relationships with our own bodies: embracing who we are regardless of how we look
July 4, 2016: The accident
Craig's ongoing recovery
Accepting reality and staying in the moment when things are out of our control
Physiological changes (Craig "runs hot" now!) & dietary changes
The importance of sharing things that are difficult - how it can help you grow
Getting back up on legs - Craig's prosthetist Angela explains the process
Amputee Concierge: Craig's new business with a mission to help people who are dealing with limb loss
No Bull: How a pair of shoes gave Craig motivation
After listening to this episode, you may want to support Craig - you can donate to him and his cause. Your money will help Craig get Amputee Concierge off the ground, as well as continue to assist with the ongoing costs of life as a double amputee.  There is no reason not to follow and support this amazing human being!
I love every guest I interview and I truly believe that they are put on this planet for a purpose. I believe in my heart that Craig is meant to do incredible things. He already is. Just by putting himself out there to share the moments that he said are hardest for him. Those are the moments that help the most people.

76 - Katarina Samardzija Says You Either Can or You Can't - and You're Right

When something is new in your life, it generally symbolizes a start. Think about any starting line – the emotions, expectations, uncertainty that come with it. Some people are made for the starting line. They thrive in this nervous energy, they bubble with excitement, they know that the finish line is out there, but they just love the first few steps. I’m not sure if people are born this way, if it’s genetically wired into them or if this ability to embrace and THRIVE in the starting line is a result of our upbringing. Either way, there are people in this world who were made to start things. People who were made to nurture and maintain. And people who were made to help finish and move along. Some magical people can do it all.
Meet the incredibly talented young entrepreneur, Katarina Samardzija. Kat is a 20-year-old junior in college who had an idea and decided to hit Start. Her business is called Locker Lifestyle - she is solving a problem that she and her friends encountered when they would go to the gym. All they really needed was a way to carry their essentials without lugging bulky bags or bringing purses that could be stolen. So she created what she calls the Wrist Locker to tote around her ID, keys and even a phone without ever leaving her arm.
When I was introduced to Kat, I knew immediately that she is a very special person who will not only find her own happiness and success, but I believe she will help many others find theirs too. I share something in common with her. We are both fantastic starters. When you create a business out of nothing, you enter the startup phase. It’s a phase full of intense clarity, the kind of energy that keeps you awake at night, not because you’re worried but because you are so excited. Your adrenals are pumping like crazy. Every small win feels like you won the Ironman. Everything you learn on a daily basis gives you a literal buzz. Until your brain and your body and your energy just can’t take in much more!
Kat Samardzija is a starter. You will hear it in her voice. You will feel it through the airwaves. But she is also incredibly mature, incredibly disciplined and incredibly smart. Much more mature and disciplined at 20 than I was when I started Skirt Sports at 32. I think we just may find that Kat is one of those rare magical beings who can start, nurture, and finish, all with grace, compassion and panache.
Today we talk about:
Kat's upbringing: Watching her mom work hard taught her the power of the "hustle"
How being an athlete formed the foundation for success as an entrepreneur
Millennial generation: Why they get a bad rap
Locker Lifestyle: How she started her business and where she wants to go
Discipline and other keys to success
The importance of connecting: Never stop making friends.
I’m sure you’re feeling the same emotion I am: Impressed. Who is this 20 year old future business phenom? Who is this woman who is clearly showing such beyond-her-years leadership ability? Don’t forget this name: Katarina Samardzija. She is going places! So much of this interview contains such valuable advice for any of us. My favorite, because remember I’m a starter AND a connector is her final nugget: Never stop making friends. And on that note, get over to the Skirt Sports Facebook page for the Dec 2 post about this episode for a chance to win a Head Locker headband that can store your necessities by Kat’s company, Locker Lifestyle. All you have to do is answer this question, "What is your greatest strength?"
All right everyone, let’s call it a day. I hope you enjoyed this episode. Please share it with friends and don’t forget to write a review on iTunes – it helps the show gain exposure and we all know we can use a little more inspiration in our lives. Okay then, you know what time it is. It’s time to get out and Run This World. Have a great workout and I’ll see you next week!

75 - Olympic Medalist Lorraine Moller Believes the Only Secret is that There is No Secret

Meet Lorraine Moller - Champion athlete, Olympic medalist, Boston Marathon winner, Coach, Wife, Mom and more. Lorraine grew up in New Zealand and struggled with various physical and emotional issues that affected her self-esteem at a young age. Fortunately she was blessed with a gift – the gift of running – a gift that she discovered when she was still a child. Lorraine pursued the sport of running, eventually becoming one of the best distance runners in the world. She won countless marathons including Boston in 1984, competed in four Olympic Games, winning a bronze medal in 1992 at age 37, and was generally a pioneering woman in sport in all ways. Through her journey, Lorraine ultimately made peace with the things that held her back both personally and athletically.
Lorraine is a bright, positive light in this world. It’s fun to interview people who have written tell-all memoirs because they have already found peace with all the tough things they’ve faced. The simple act of writing them down is very liberating. It also allows them to talk freely about things that can often be uncomfortable, like failed relationships, physical hardships and more.
Today we talk about:
The symbolism and power of Lorraine's guiding force - Mercury
Becoming a runner: Discovering her running talent and pursuing it to the top level
Childhood trauma that shaped who she is today
How we compensate when things are tough or uncomfortable
Coaching: the importance of surrounding yourself with the right coaching influence
Coaching today: Lorraine coaches coaches! She co-founded the Lydiard Foundation - Upcoming events here for more info
Relationships and self-esteem: What are we actually seeking?
Chasing a dream & discovering what's really most important on the other side
Having a baby at 45
The power of Believing in Yourself
Lorraine has about 50 copies of her book, so let’s make it our mission to sell them out! It’s called "On the Wings of Mercury" and I found it to be one of the most well-written athlete memoirs I’ve ever read. It’s so much more than a book about winning races. Head over to Amazon and nab one of the last copies. Lorraine said she’d sign it for you – just leave her a note.
I feel like I’ve known Lorraine my entire life, possibly because we run in the same circles or because she was at her peak when I was entering the world of endurance sports. Either way, I think she has that effect on people. When you have gone through incredible highs and lows in your life, you come out the other side with less judgment, more compassion and emanating self-love and confidence. As Lorraine says, Life is not meant to break us. Once we stop seeking the things to fill the gaps, we can get down to the most important part. Believing in Ourselves.
All right everyone! Please take a moment to share this episode with someone who needs to hear this message. If nothing else, it helps us feel less alone in this world, to know that other people have fought through the tough stuff and come out stronger! On that note, you know what time it is! It's time to get out there and Run This World. Have a great workout and I'll see you next week!

74 - Sex Therapist Jenni Skyler Gives You Permission for Pleasure

Note: If you are not comfortable listening to a conversation about sex and sexuality in front of other people (kids, your boss, etc), then please be sure to listen to this one when you’re in a place to do so.
Meet Jenni Skyler - an AASECT certified sex therapist, board certified sexologist, and a licensed marriage and family therapist. Jenni helps people get in tune with their own sexuality and fully embrace themselves as healthy sexual beings. Her mission is to help people give themselves permission for pleasure. Jenni is one of those amazing people who tackles a topic - one that is often shrouded in secrecy, shame and confusion - without judgment in a way that helps people feel comfortable. 
Jenni’s background is both difficult and empowering. Her mother became addicted to drugs and left when Jenni was very young, so she was raised by her father who was a very positive, strong influence in her life. She learned about sex when she was very young as her father addressed it in a somewhat clinical way as a fact of life. There was never any shame or secrecy around the topic. As Jenny got older, she became the de facto Dr Ruth of her friends. Eventually she found her way into the profession and decided to become a licensed therapist. Today, Jenni is the founder of the Intimacy Institute in Boulder. If you’re local, come to Skirt Sports Women Run the World event on Tue, Nov 14. Jenni will be leading the strength workout and she’ll be one of our featured speakers.
I’ll be honest. I was so excited to have Jenni on the show, but I felt like I kept stumbling over my questions. It was not as easy for me to ask direct questions as I thought it would be!
Today we talk about:
What it means to be a sex therapist
Jenni's path to the trade: discovering her own sexuality and embracing it as she became an adult
Jenni's parents: the dad who raised her and the mother who left
Sex and kids: how and when do we talk to them about sexuality in a safe and open way
Sex and marriage: is it possible to maintain the "butterflies" through a lifelong relationship
Sex and sports: is there a correlation?
Sex and aging: what can we expect
The keys to a healthy relationship: Respect, Transparency, "Desire Deposits"
In the end, as Jenni says, it’s all about optimizing your own life. Ask yourself where and how you want to shine. When you give yourself permission for pleasure you open yourself up to a life of positivity and that’s what we are all striving for in the end.
Thanks for tuning in today. If you want to reach Jenni, check out the Intimacy Institute website – she has lots of content on this subject! 
All right everyone, you know what time it is. It’s time to get out there and Run This World. Have a great workout and I’ll see you next week.

73 - Ultrarunner Dave Mackey Survived a 400 Pound Rock but his Leg Didn't

Meet Dave Mackey - endurance athlete, father, husband, physician assistant, and ultrarunning legend. Dave is an extraordinary person who has been through an extraordinary event that changed his life but it didn’t change who he is. Many years ago he discovered the soul-freeing nature of trail running and he became really REALLY good at it. Dave has set course records at many ultra-distance trail running races, including wins at the Montrail Cup, USATF national trail running titles at 50k, 50mile and 100k as well as being a former record-holder of the Rim to Rim to Rim among other incredible accolades.
Dave's life as an elite ultrarunner all changed on May 23, 2015 when he stepped on a loose rock during a training run he had done countless times before on Bear Peak in Boulder. As he fell, he landed on his back and literally watched a massive rock tumble down and crush his leg. One year later and after many failed surgeries, Dave made the decision to have his lower leg amputated. Today he is exploring the same hiking trails near his fall on a cold, sleety day in October, almost exactly one year from the day of his amputation - with a prosthetic leg.
Dave is also my neighbor. I housesit their creatures. Our kids run in similar circles. So I see Dave and his family all the time and I have to reiterate that Dave is a really normal guy – or as normal as our crazy ultrarunning friends can be! This accident hasn’t changed him in any obvious ways except that he carries a little less skin and bone. Dave has been through an extraordinary event and been faced with making decisions at a level that most of us will not, and he has come out swinging. We did this episode in two parts because we both place an emphasis on picking our kids up from school on time!
Since it’s a longer episode, we are including his sponsor, Hoka One One, the innovative running shoe brand, for a giveaway. Here’s the ask: Go to the Skirt Sports FB page. There is a post about this episode on Friday, Nov 3, Tell us the following, “What would you write on your leg if you knew you were going to lose it?”

72 - Leslie Battle Athena Champion - Don't Count Her out

Leslie Battle is an advocate for women in sport, specifically Athena triathletes - women triathlon competitors who weigh no less than 165 pounds. Why? Because she is one of them. A decade ago, Leslie tipped the scale at somewhere near 300 pounds. A few events occurred that triggered her to change her life. Because she doesn’t do things partway, she decided to sign up for a half marathon with a week of training – her goal was to make the 3.5 hour cutoff. She went 3:28 and this little thing called momentum had begun. Today Leslie is one of the most accomplished Athena triathletes ever. Not only does she own seven Athena age group or overall national titles, she has been the overall female winner of many races including the East Bay 5k where she even beat all the men to win it outright! I will tell you right now that I have never won a race outright! Leslie is intense, passionate and committed to helping other women find the strength, courage and confidence she has discovered through sport.
By day, Leslie has been a corporate attorney since 1995. Type-A all the way, Leslie figured out how to change her life's trajectory, race at the top level of amateurism and attract big time sponsors, all while maintaining her high-powered legal career. She is truly a champion of women who seek support while making their own changes. Leslie is the epitome of authentic. She celebrates her successes and doesn't hide her failures. This magic combination makes her an inspirational yet approachable heroine for so many others.

71 - Keysha Lleras Broke Free of Domestic Violence & Found Her Strength

Keysha Lleras is a victim of domestic violence. That's the tough part of her journey The beautiful part is that she is no longer a victim. She was able to break the cycle and now wakes up feeling safe, for herself and her daughter, with an attitude of gratitude. Keysha grew up in the Bronx and was married young. The signs of an abuse didn’t start for many years, and when they did, they were in the form of a controlling nature until they became physical. Keysha is such a giving person. The reason she decided to become public with her story is to help others, as you can imagine sharing something this personal can be both difficult and dangerous. This interview will resonate with those of you who feel stuck, trapped or unable to make tough decisions to move your lives forward. And if you do suffer from domestic abuse, please reach out and we’ll direct you to some resources that may be able to help.

70 - Mark Mikel on Loss, Grief and Becoming Whole Again

Meet Mark Mikel - a man who 13 years ago dealt with the unimaginable loss of his daughter, Kelsey, and has found a way to move forward through the grief. We have all gone through loss in our lives – it really doesn’t matter what kind of loss it is – all loss is extremely difficult. You feel like a part of you is gone and you wonder if you will ever feel complete again. Mark’s background as a pastor and youth addictions counselor almost adds a layer of pressure to his recovery process – at least that’s my opinion.
Mark is currently the executive director of the Family Christian Development Center and the girls cross country coach at NorthWood High School in Nappanee, IN, who is helping kids find their true potential as athletes and young adults.
One of the most special things he does is to honor Kelsey’s life through support of organ donation and also through the Thankful Four events on Thanksgiving every year (in IN, CO, HI or VIRTUALLY). You see Kelsey’s life may have ended but approximately 50 people were helped or in some cases saved through the gifts of her organs.
This is a really deep, heavy, and ultimately uplifting episode. Mark’s final nugget best sums up the message from this entire episode. No matter what you are dealing with or going through, at the end of the day, find a way to make somebody else better. Give of yourself to help somebody else become a better version of themselves. If we take it one step further, my opinion is that sometimes you can most effectively help others around you by simply being the best version of yourself.

69 - Mirna Valerio is Not a Liar and a Fraud

Meet Mirna Valerio - the Mirnavator. Mirna stepped from relative obscurity into the national spotlight when she so brazenly announced as a 200 pound black woman that she was going to do an ultramarathon. This shouldn't be a big deal, but it was. Mirna stoked emotions within all of the different movements that are currently growing, most of which are in support of her efforts and tout her as an inspiration to people everywhere who don't think they can change their lives.
In the past year, Mirna has written her first book called "A Beautiful Work in Progress," appeared in numerous national media outlets and campaigns including Skirt Sports, Women's Running Magazine, Buzzfeed, Lane Bryant's recent campaign, REI's Forces of Nature series, and more.
This is an episode that features someone who many people will look to for inspiration with the thought that, "If she can do it, so can I." Instead of taking offense, Mirna opens her arms and acknowledges that we all need to start somewhere. The key is to start. As she says, "Remain open to failure. Be prepared for adventure." I personally love this outlook. I also want all of us to be able to say "I'm in the prime of my life right now. The world is my oyster." We can all have some of what Mirna's having. We just need to accept that we are all beautiful works in progress!

68 - Thirteen Years Ago Erika McDonald had Two Months to Live

Meet Erika McDonald - wife, mom, entrepreneur, athlete manager, survivor, survivor, survivor. In this episode, Erika mentions that she has had to face her own mortality. That is an understatement. Erika was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer at age 21 and told she had two months to live. What unfolded has been over a decade of loss, grief, mourning and every time, resurrection stronger than before.
This is a very deep, intense, emotional interview. I had trouble holding it together myself. If you plan to listen during a short run or high intensity intervals, you may want to think again as it's difficult not to get swept up in Erika's story and feel her journey yourself.