Ageless Athlete - Longevity Insights From Adventure Sports Legends

What do world-class athletes actually eat — not in theory, not on Instagram, but in real life, day after day?After more than 100 conversations with elite climbers, ultrarunners, surfers, and endurance athletes, I started noticing a pattern I didn’t expect.It wasn’t about optimization. It wasn’t about trends. And it definitely wasn’t about eating something new every day.It started with breakfast.On nearly every episode of Ageless Athlete, I ask a simple question:“Where are you right now — and what did you have for breakfast?”Over time, a clear through-line emerged across sports, ages, and disciplines: the athletes who last tend to build simple, repeatable defaults, especially around food.This isn’t a nutrition lecture. I’m not a scientist. And this isn’t about macros or perfection.It’s a human, experience-based conversation about how consistency, environment, and intention durably shape performance — especially as we age.In this episode, we explore:Why many elite athletes eat the same breakfast most daysWhat breakfast reveals about routine, discipline, and decision fatigueWhy consistency often matters more than noveltyHow environment matters more than willpower when it comes to eating wellWhat I had to relearn about protein, micronutrients, and recoveryHow my own diet evolved from gym culture to outdoor sports to a mostly plant-forward approachReferenced conversationsLionel Conacher — big-wave surfer, first surfed Mavericks at 59Jerry Moffatt — one of the most influential climbers in historyLynn Hill — first to free climb The Nose on El CapitanSteve McClure — elite climber still performing into his 50sHarvey Lewis — one of the most accomplished ultrarunners aliveGary Linden — big-wave surf pioneer with six decades in the ocean, now surfing in his 70sKitty Calhoun — legendary alpinist climbing strongly into her 60sAlso referenced: my conversation with EC Synkowski on practical, evidence-based nutrition for active people.Key takeaway: The nutrition that lasts isn’t exciting. It’s repeatable.--- 🚀 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 Support the show

“When I tell people I started sailing at sixty, they’re shocked. We don’t see our sixties as a place to begin — which is tragic, especially if you’ve invested in your health. What’s the point, if not to do something fantastic?”In this New Year’s Eve episode of Ageless Athlete, I sit down with Deborah Hammett, a former school principal who did something most people never consider — she learned to sail at 60, moved onto a boat, and now lives and travels solo by sea.Deborah’s story isn’t really about sailing. It’s about what happens when identity loosens. When long-held roles fall away. When you choose to become a beginner again — not because you have to, but because you want to feel alive.We talk about fear and solitude. About real consequences — like fixing an overheating engine thirty miles offshore with no help coming. About competence earned slowly, and confidence that comes not from comfort, but from adaptation.This conversation explores aging not as decline, but as a long arc of learning. It’s about reinvention without theater. About staying open to awe. About asking a better question as we move into a new year: what would you do if the next chapter didn’t need to look like the last one?Deborah shares the lived reality of life aboard a sailboat — the beauty, the friction, the quiet moments, and the hard-earned lessons — with honesty, humor, and humility.If this episode resonates, I highly recommend her book Young Salt at 60, where she tells the full story of learning to sail late, making plenty of mistakes, and choosing a bigger, more meaningful life after retirement. You can also follow Deborah on Instagram for real, unfiltered glimpses into life at sea: 📸 @youngsaltat60And to you, the listener — thank you. For being here. For your curiosity. For supporting the show by listening, sharing, or buying me a coffee. These conversations exist because people are willing to show up honestly — and because you choose to listen.Happy New Year!--- 🚀 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

What does it really take to stay strong into your 70s — physically, mentally, and emotionally?In this episode, I sit down with Steve Swenson, one of America’s most respected alpinists, to talk about endurance, aging, and the habits that have kept him moving for decades.Steve has climbed Everest and K2, completed first ascents in the Karakoram, and summited Everest without supplemental oxygen — an experience that strips away ego and rewards preparation, judgment, and restraint. But this conversation isn’t about chasing summits.It’s about what Steve has learned over a lifetime of extreme environments: why endurance matters more than talent as you age, why strength training becomes non-negotiable in your later years, and why staying uninjured is often the biggest win of all.We talk about:What climbing Everest without oxygen actually feels likeHow Steve trains to stay strong and capable into his 70sWhy consistency beats intensity over the long runStrength training, sarcopenia, and aging wellPartnership, judgment, and making smart decisions under stressThis is a grounded, experience-driven conversation for anyone thinking seriously about longevity — not just in sport, but in life.--- 🚀 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

What really keeps the brain sharp as we age — and what quietly puts it at risk?In this episode of the Ageless Athlete Podcast, host Kush Khandelwal speaks with Dr. Tommy Wood, neuroscientist, physician, and strength athlete, about the science of cognitive reserve and why long-term brain health depends on challenge, learning, and effort — not comfort or flow.Flow states feel rewarding, but as Dr. Wood explains, they don’t create the kind of stimulus the brain needs to adapt over decades. Instead, the brain thrives when it’s pushed to learn new skills, navigate uncertainty, and stay engaged through physical movement, mental effort, and diversified identity.This conversation connects neuroscience, exercise science, and psychology in a practical, accessible way — especially for adults who care about aging well, staying mentally sharp, and maintaining performance into midlife and beyond.🧠 Topics Covered in This EpisodeWhat cognitive reserve is and why it matters for healthy agingWhy flow states don’t build long-term brain resilienceHow struggle, learning, and novelty stimulate neuroplasticityExercise as brain insurance — what that actually means biologicallyIdentity diversification and why tying yourself to one role is risky as you ageHow comfort and over-specialization can accelerate cognitive declinePractical ways to invest now for cognitive returns later📚 Featured Resource — Upcoming BookDr. Wood’s upcoming book expands on the ideas explored in this conversation:📖 The Stimulated Mind: A Breakthrough Plan to Future-Proof Your Brain from Dementia and Stay Sharp at Any Age🗓️ Release Date: March 24, 2026The book explores how stimulus, challenge, learning, and environment shape brain health across the lifespan — and why cognitive decline is not inevitable.🔗 Learn more and pre-order:https://thestimulatedmind.com(Pre-orders meaningfully support this work.)🔗 Where to Find Dr. Tommy WoodWebsite: https://drtommywood.comPodcast: Better Brain Fitness (with Dr. Josh Turknett)Book: The Stimulated Mind (2026)Speaking & Writing: https://drtommywood.comResearch & Teaching: University of Washington School of Medicine--- 🚀 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

This week’s episode is a little different. Instead of interviewing a legendary athlete or coach, I was invited onto the Adventure Sports Podcast to talk about the questions that many of us — everyday athletes, weekend warriors, late bloomers, and lifelong learners — wrestle with as we get older.If you come to Ageless Athlete for honest conversations about aging, movement, and staying curious in a changing body, this episode is very much in that spirit. We recorded this conversation back in May, but the themes feel even more relevant now: How do we keep doing the outdoor sports we love? How do we adapt with age? And how do we stay connected to joy when progress shifts shape?In this episode, we explore:what aging actually feels like for an an everyday athletewhy our relationship with our sport changes over timehow to stay motivated when improvement slowsthe role of curiosity in lifelong performancehow community shapes longevity in outdoor sportswhy reinvention is normal — and sometimes necessaryThese aren’t lessons from the mountaintop — they’re observations from someone who’s simply been asking these questions alongside you, year after year, conversation after conversation.If you’ve ever wondered:How do I keep climbing, running, biking, surfing as I age?What do I do when my body surprises me — in good or difficult ways?How do “regular people” stay active for decades?This episode offers perspective that’s honest, relatable, and grounded in real experience — mine, and the many people I’ve learned from.⭐ THANK YOU & CREDITSA big thank-you to the Adventure Sports Podcast for the invitation and for allowing us to share this conversation here. You can find their show at: https://adventuresportspodcast.comAnd thank you — truly — for sticking with Ageless Athlete through 103 episodes. This community means more than I can say.--- 🚀 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