Ageless Athlete - Longevity Insights From Adventure Sports Legends

• 16 Knee Surgeries to Warren Miller Stardom: The Real Secrets to Healing, Purpose, and "Never Giving Up"

  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 surgeriesHow he kept skiing—and pushing limits—long after most would have quitHis 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 educationChris’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 NutritionIn this episode, Chris shares candid reflections on his recovery journey—including the role diet played for him, which includes red meat. While I personally follow a mostly plant-based lifestyle and believe it's possible to fuel performance without animal products, I also deeply respect the importance of honoring each guest’s lived experience.We don’t have to agree on everything to learn from one another. And I’m proud to share real, nuanced conversations—even when they reflect different paths.🔗 Links & ResourcesLearn more about Chris Anthony Youth Initiative Project (CYIP) → chrisanthony.comFollow Chris on Instagram → @chrisanthonyskiWatch the Warren Miller ski films → warrenmiller.com--- 🚀 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

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• #90 Survival Is Not Assured (Part II): Partnerships, Loss, and the Human Cost of Bold Alpinism

  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 lifeThe sacrifices and personal costs of chasing bold objectives, and the double-edged gift of being able to block out hardshipLessons from living and climbing in places like Pakistan and Patagonia, and how those cultures shaped his worldviewWhat it means to slow down, face illness with honesty, and still look ahead with optimismThe legacy he hopes to leave, and what “ageless” means to him todayJim 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 LinksSurvival Is Not Assured: The Life of Climber Jim Donini by Geoff Powter — Winner of the 2024 National Outdoor Book Award (NOBA)--- 🚀 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

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• #89 Survival Is Not Assured: An 82-Year-Old Alpinist on Choosing the Hardest Lines, Why Summits Are Optional, and Why You Must Look Ahead Despite All Odds

  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 altitudeThe 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 pathStories from Torre Egger, Latok I, and the Karakoram — some of the most consequential climbs in modern alpinismHow he keeps looking ahead despite health challenges and the odds of ageJim’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 LinksSurvival 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.--- 🚀 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

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• #88 Whales, Bears, and the Will to Return: What Two Solo Voyages Through Alaska Taught Her About Risk, Resilience, and a Fragile Wild

  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 AboutWhat exactly is the Inside Passage—and what makes it so wild and magicalThe 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 awayHow aging changed her approach to adventure—and made the second journey even deeperWhat climate change looks like from a tiny boat in a vast and fragile ecosystemWhy she mentors younger women to take on big expeditions of their ownFinding 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--- 🚀 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

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• #87 Be Badass Every Day: From 1970s Skate Rebel to World Champion at 65 — How Judi Oyama Outlasts Everybody

  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 addictiveHow Judi fought for gender and racial equality in skateboardingThe longevity toolkit she’s built: CrossFit, heavy lifting, recovery, and smart nutritionWhy representation matters, and how she’s mentoring young women in the sportHow to stay competitive, joyful, and relevant in your sport for decadesHer motto: “Be badass every day” — and what it means in practiceWhether 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 RecordsCover pic 📸 Dave Re--- 🚀 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

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