95 - Clare Gallagher - How One of the Best Ultrarunners on the Planet Plans to Save the Planet

Meet Clare Gallagher - renowned ultrarunner with several major wins including the 2nd fastest female time ever at the 2016 Leadville 100 mile race, first American to win the CC Ultra Marathon in the Alps in 2017, and more. The truly amazing thing is that she did all of this in the few short years after she graduated from Princeton in 2014! Yes – she is one of the fastest-rising athletes I’ve ever known. Think about it. It took me 10 years to win an Ironman! The really amazing thing about Clare is her depth. She is so much more than an athlete. She has a passion for doing the right thing by our planet and she has crafted a career to include sponsors and events that allow her to focus on this platform. It’s funny, I interviewed Clare just an hour after my daughter Wilder’s Kindergarten graduation. I was of course totally emotional as the little 6 year olds sang songs about their wide open futures. And I was thinking about what kind of girl I hope wilder will be. Then Clare walked up. Literally walked up. We didn’t realize that she lives about 8 houses away from me! I looked at her and thought – her parents must be so proud. She is so strong and clear minded. I hope I can craft a future for Wilder that allows her to find strength and clarity of mind too. Today we talk about: Growing up as an "adventurer" in her own backyard Ballet, yes, ballet :) Injuries: how they stop when you stop depriving your body Celiac disease Overcoming self-doubt Earthraging Ultrarunning & saving the planet: How they go hand in hand Valuing health over everything Bucket lists There are lots of gems in this one that we can take away as people, as parents, and as humans who walk this precious earth. I love the basic truth that Clare explains so simply, “Value your health over everything.” That’s the key folks. Our health is our ticket to happiness. Yes age happens, bodies change, things happen outside of our control, but if we prioritize the things we can control to prioritize our health, we have a better chance of happiness. I also love Clare’s passion for our planet. Her final nugget is so cool. I’m working on it right now for myself and Wilder: Make a list of the places you want to go this summer and start ticking them off. You will discover beauty you didn’t realize was there. So let’s get on it and make our bucket lists! Check out the post on Skirt Sports facebook page about this episode. Post your bucket list and we’ll give away a $25 gift cert to one of you!