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© 2025 The Adaptive Athlete Podcast
Description
The Adaptive Athlete Podcast is dedicated to sharing the stories of athletes in the Crossfit space and beyond who have pushed past the limits doctors or others gave them.
In these conversations, you'll hear stories of resiliency, adaptation, grit, and determination. You'll also hear about the ways the adaptive space is growing.
Whether you are an adaptive athlete, a coach, or you know someone who would benefit from adaptive athletics and adaptive fitness, this podcast is the place to hear stories and build connections.
New episodes drop every Monday.
44 Episodes
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South African adaptive athlete Letchen du Plessis joins the show to talk about her journey from a scholarship netball player to an adaptive CrossFit champion. After a hip injury led to CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) with dystonia, she spent months chasing answers before a spinal cord stimulator helped quiet the pain signals enough to train again. Letchen explains how exposure therapy looked in real life (including hot-water “retraining”), starting CrossFit training over again, an...
In this episode, Mat Hotho and Brett Palser sit down with David “Cowboy Dave” Needham and Kevin “Cowboy Carl” Carlson, two of the key figures who make the Adaptive CrossFit Games possible. They pull back the curtain on what it takes to build the Games from an empty room to a world-class competition, sharing behind-the-scenes stories about forklifts, floor plans, and the volunteers who keep everything running. From a mistaken-identity fan encounter to the origin story of the cowboy...
In this bonus episode, Mat Hotho sits down with Kym Dekeyrel, a completely blind CrossFit athlete and the founder of Finding the Light—a fundraising workout that supports Fighting Blindness, an organization advancing treatment and research for vision impairments. Kym shares the emotional origin of Finding the Light, how it grew from a simple idea into a global community movement, and the powerful ways it’s inspiring kids, families, and athletes living with blindness. You’ll also hear about ho...
We wrap up Season One of The Adaptive Athlete Podcast by flipping the script. Host Mat Hotho sits down with past guest Sean Eberle, but this time Mat is the one answering the questions. He shares his journey of growing up with right-side hemiplegic cerebral palsy, facing bullying and negative self-talk, and discovering CrossFit as a way to reclaim strength, confidence, and balance in his life. The conversation digs into counseling, mantras, and mindset work—tools that helped Mat handle stress...
CrossFit Games rookie, Kyle Harper joins the podcast to talk training with hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy, the long road from strict pull-ups to bar and ring muscle-ups, and why impeccable timing and technique, not brute force, unlock complex skills. Kyle shares how coach Rick Smith at CrossFit Kyalami broke movements into simple, scalable drills, how he manages fatigue and overcompensation between his dominant and affected sides, and what finally clicked for butterfly pull-ups and muscle-up...
Head Judge of the Adaptive CrossFit Games, Shannon Ogar, joins the podcast to talk about her path from University of Alabama athletic trainer to adaptive athlete and leader in the sport. She shares how a stroke-like medical event changed her right-side vestibular function and facial mobility, what that’s meant for balance, vision, fatigue, and training, and why recovery strategy is non-negotiable for athletes with CNS impairments. Shannon previews this year’s briefing flow (athlete-led Q&...
Florian Gruhlke joins from Germany to talk about training with two little kids at home, a new 2-hour daily commute, and squeezing sessions in from 9–11 p.m. He opens up about living and competing with multi-joint osteoarthritis—how it changes bar work, lifting numbers, and even what he chooses to post online. We talk about the sponsorship grind, representing “invisible” disabilities on social media, and why he adapts Mayhem programming for the Standing Diagnosed division. Follow F...
WheelWOD’s Kevin Ogar joins the podcast from Las Vegas a week before the Adaptive CrossFit Games. We trace his path from Missouri “country problem solver” to 2007-era CrossFitter and regional athlete, and then the life-altering OC Throwdown accident that left him paralyzed. Kevin opens up about faith, family, and the data-driven grind behind building fair tests for 16 adaptive divisions. We talk programming trade-offs, logistics few spectators ever see, and what he wants ath...
Amy Johnson joins The Adaptive Athlete Podcast to share her journey from living with a brachial plexus injury to finding CrossFit as a lifeline. She talks about the challenges of growing up with limited use of her right arm, how discovering CrossFit transformed her pain management, and what it means to compete on the CrossFit Games stage. Amy also reflects on coaching as an adaptive athlete, protecting her “good” arm, and dedicating her training to the students she works with as a...
WheelWOD's Director of Marketing and Technology, Lisa Gaal joins the podcast to unpack what it takes to grow adaptive CrossFit from the inside out. We talk about her path from running a full-time marketing firm to building systems, branding, and tech for events—plus the “why” that keeps a small, all-volunteer team moving. Lisa shares candid stories about professionalizing the sport (consistent branding, sponsor visibility, athlete profiles), what the new WheelWOD website will unlo...
From San José, Costa Rica, adaptive athlete Amalia Ortuño shares her path from dance and triathlon to adaptive CrossFit after a series of surgeries led to progressive neurological damage and a different life than she imagined. She talks candidly about the early frustration of trying CrossFit before she even knew adaptive divisions existed, and how that turned into five WheelWOD Games titles—with a sixth in her sights. Beyond the gym, Amalia runs an interior design company and give...
In this episode, Mat Hotho sits down with Debbie O’Connell, a British Army veteran turned adaptive athlete. After a life-changing injury in 2015, Debbie found her way back into sport through sprinting and eventually CrossFit—where she finished second in her division at the 2024 Adaptive CrossFit Games. We talk about her transition from the military to athletics, the challenges of adapting movements with one arm, the nerves and highs of her first Games, and how trust in her coach shapes ...
In this episode, Sean Eberle shares his journey as an adaptive CrossFit athlete living with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, a rare form of dwarfism. Sean talks about raising service dogs, leading a prison program for Canine Companions, and serving on mission trips to Panama. He opens up about his CrossFit journey—from walking into his first gym to competing at major events—and offers practical advice for coaches and adaptive athletes alike. Follow Sean on Instagram: @sreberle Send u...
In this episode of the Adaptive Athlete Podcast, Mat Hotho sits down with Josh Robinson. Josh competes in the neuro minor category and lives with multiple sclerosis. Diagnosed at 23, Josh shares how his initial experience—marked by a dark prognosis and heavy depression—transformed into a disciplined, purpose-driven life rooted in faith, movement, and community. We talk about his competitive CrossFit journey, his coaching relationship, and the hard-earned lessons he's picked up alo...
In this episode, Mat Hotho sits down with Dan Long, an adaptive CrossFit athlete living with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Dan shares his journey from a rugby player and a member of the British Army Royal Engineers to navigating life with chronic pain following an injury. He explains what it’s like to live with an “invisible” disability, the daily realities of CRPS, and the tough choices he faces—including considering amputation to improve quality of life. Dan and Mat dis...
In this episode of the Adaptive Athlete Podcast, Mat Hotho sits down with Sarah Perry, a competitive CrossFit athlete and coach living with significant vision loss from childhood brain cancer. Sarah shares what it’s like to navigate daily life and elite competition with 75% vision loss, describing both her adaptations in and out of the gym. She talks candidly about being “in-between” in sports classification, her journey from rowing to CrossFit, and how becoming a coach has deepen...
In this episode we sit down with Emily Cairns, an elite adaptive CrossFit athlete known for her incredible determination, joyful spirit, and innovative adaptations. Emily shares her journey from a dream-crushing moment in her dance career to finding empowerment and community through adaptive CrossFit. Emily offers advice for newcomers to adaptive sports, highlights the importance of supportive coaching, and reflects on the transformative power of being a role model to others. Foll...
Lysbeth Shirley is an adaptive CrossFit athlete who trains in a wheelchair due to paralysis from a stroke at birth and is also deaf. Despite these challenges, Lysbeth trains at home using Street Parking and CrossFit.com programming. We explore her experiences navigating school, learning sign language, and discovering CrossFit to build strength for everyday tasks and independence. Lysbeth emphasizes that adaptive athletes are regular people with everyday responsibilities and ...
Lauren Sall was an active college athlete who experienced a significant stroke at age 21. In this conversation, Lauren discusses the details of her stroke, her recovery process, and the gradual return to training and CrossFit, eventually participating in the 2023 and 2024 Adaptive CrossFit Games. She shares reflections on resilience, adapting to new physical realities, and the mindset shifts that shaped her post-stroke outlook. Lauren provides practical insights into overcoming challeng...
In this episode of the Adaptive Athlete Podcast, Mat Hotho talks with Anthony “Curly” Monaco, a competitive adaptive CrossFit athlete living with Friedreich’s Ataxia, a rare genetic disorder that affects coordination, balance, and muscle control. Anthony shares how his diagnosis shaped his early life, his entry into CrossFit after a moment of friendly arm-wrestling competition, and how adaptive fitness has helped him regain physical agency. He recounts his journey through the Open and S...
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