Fitness
**Ageless Athlete — Healthy Aging for a Strong, Capable Life**

**Ageless Athlete is a podcast about staying strong and capable for people who refuse to decline quietly.**

Conversations with top athletes, scientists, coaches, and thinkers about staying strong, active, and capable as we age. We explore strength, endurance, mobility, recovery, VO2 max, muscle and bone health—and what actually helps us keep doing the things we love for decades.

Hosted by Kush Khandelwal — rock climber, athlete, and entrepreneur, a lifelong student of performance, and someone figuring this out in real tim

Latest Episodes:

Long Game: Why Most People Get Food Wrong — What Top Athletes Do Differently Jan 07, 2026

Show notes

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 days
What breakfast reveals about routine, discipline, and decision fatigue
Why consistency often matters more than novelty
How environment matters more than willpower when it comes to eating well
What I had to relearn about protein, micronutrients, and recovery
How my own diet evolved from gym culture to outdoor sports to a mostly plant-forward approach

Referenced conversations

Lionel Conacher — big-wave surfer, first surfed Mavericks at 59
Jerry Moffatt — one of the most influential climbers in history
Lynn Hill — first to free climb The Nose on El Capitan
Steve McClure — elite climber still performing into his 50s
Harvey Lewis — one of the most accomplished ultrarunners alive
Gary Linden — big-wave surf pioneer with six decades in the ocean, now surfing in his 70s
Kitty Calhoun — legendary alpinist climbing strongly into her 60s

Also 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.

Marek Health: Deeper look at your health with comprehensive bloodwork and personalized guidance. 10% off with code AGELESS at https://agelessathlete.short.gy/marek

Support The Show Love the show? Here’s how to support it https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

Ageless Athlete is a podcast about healthy aging for people who want to stay strong, active and capable for life. Conversations explore strength, endurance, mobility, recovery, VO2 max, muscle and bone health, and what it takes to keep doing the things you love as you get older.

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.

The Skill of Starting Over — How Deborah Hammett Built a New Life at 60 Dec 31, 2025

Show notes

“When I tell people I started sailing at sixty, they’re shocked.”

We don’t often think of our sixties as a time to begin something new—which is part of the problem.

In this New Year’s Eve episode, I sit down with Deborah Hammett, a former school principal who learned to sail at 60, moved onto a boat, and now travels solo by sea.

But this story isn’t really about sailing.

It’s about what happens when identity loosens—when long-held roles fall away, and 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
fixing an overheating engine miles offshore with no help coming
building competence slowly
and the kind of confidence that comes from adaptation, not comfort
This conversation explores aging not as decline, but as a long arc of learning—and asks a simple question:
👉 What would you do if the next chapter didn’t have to look like the last one?
Deborah shares life aboard a sailboat with honesty, humor, and humility—the beauty, the friction, and the lessons that come with starting over.

You can also follow Deborah on Instagram for real, unfiltered glimpses into life at sea:
📸 @youngsaltat60

Marek Health: Deeper look at your health with comprehensive bloodwork and personalized guidance. 10% off with code AGELESS at https://agelessathlete.short.gy/marek

Timeline: Support cellular renewal and mitochondrial function with Mitopure, featuring Urolithin A. Up to 20% off at timeline.com/AGELESSATHLETE

Support The Show Love the show? Here’s how to support it https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

INFORMEDISH: Real life. Artificial cohost.
Movies, parenting and life's absurdities. Jason and his AI cohost Heather take sides.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.

Stay Strong Into Your 70s — Lessons From Five Decades on the World’s Highest Mountains | Steve Swenson, 73 Dec 24, 2025

Show notes

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 like
How Steve trains to stay strong and capable into his 70s
Why consistency beats intensity over the long run
Strength training, sarcopenia, and aging well
Partnership, judgment, and making smart decisions under stress

This is a grounded, experience-driven conversation for anyone thinking seriously about longevity — not just in sport, but in life.

Marek Health: Deeper look at your health with comprehensive bloodwork and personalized guidance. 10% off with code AGELESS at https://agelessathlete.short.gy/marek

Timeline: Support cellular renewal and mitochondrial function with Mitopure, featuring Urolithin A. Up to 20% off at timeline.com/AGELESSATHLETE

Support The Show Love the show? Here’s how to support it https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

INFORMEDISH: Real life. Artificial cohost.
Movies, parenting and life's absurdities. Jason and his AI cohost Heather take sides.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.

Your Brain Changes With Age — What Actually Keeps It Sharp | Dr. Tommy Wood Dec 17, 2025

Show notes

Why do some people stay mentally sharp as they age while others experience a much steeper decline?

Dr. Tommy Wood studies brain health, cognitive performance, and the factors that help the brain remain adaptable throughout life. His message is surprisingly hopeful: the aging brain can continue to respond—but only if we keep giving it reasons to.

In this conversation, we explore what actually helps preserve cognitive function as we get older, including:

Why the brain needs stimulation and challenge at every age
How exercise supports brain health
Why learning new skills and entering unfamiliar environments matter
The role of social connection in cognitive aging
Why the brain lets go of abilities we stop using
How strength, movement, sleep, and nutrition contribute to long-term brain health
Why avoiding all difficulty may be exactly the wrong strategy as we age

Tommy’s larger idea is simple: if you want your brain to remain capable decades from now, keep asking it to adapt today.

Marek Health: Deeper look at your health with comprehensive bloodwork and personalized guidance. 10% off with code AGELESS at https://agelessathlete.short.gy/marek

Timeline: Support cellular renewal and mitochondrial function with Mitopure, featuring Urolithin A. Up to 20% off at timeline.com/AGELESSATHLETE

Support The Show Love the show? Here’s how to support it https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

INFORMEDISH: Real life. Artificial cohost.
Movies, parenting and life's absurdities. Jason and his AI cohost Heather take sides.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.

Getting Stronger in My 40s Isn’t What You Think — Here’s What Changed | Kush Khandelwal Dec 10, 2025

Show notes

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 athlete
why our relationship with our sport changes over time
how to stay motivated when improvement slows
the role of curiosity in lifelong performance
how community shapes longevity in outdoor sports
why reinvention is normal — and sometimes necessary

These 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.

⭐ THANK YOU & CREDITS

A 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.com

And thank you — truly — for sticking with Ageless Athlete through 103 episodes.
This community means more than I can say.

Marek Health: Deeper look at your health with comprehensive bloodwork and personalized guidance. 10% off with code AGELESS at https://agelessathlete.short.gy/marek

Timeline: Support cellular renewal and mitochondrial function with Mitopure, featuring Urolithin A. Up to 20% off at timeline.com/AGELESSATHLETE

Support The Show Love the show? Here’s how to support it https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

INFORMEDISH: Real life. Artificial cohost.
Movies, parenting and life's absurdities. Jason and his AI cohost Heather take sides.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.

Still Climbing at 66 — What Russ Clune Changed to Keep Performing Dec 03, 2025

Show notes

What happens when a life in climbing spans five decades, multiple eras, and some of the most surprising moments in outdoor history?

In this episode, legendary climber Russ Clune takes us inside the world that shaped him: the Shawangunks (“the Gunks”) of the 1970s and 80s — an unlikely counterculture just two hours from Manhattan where artists, dirtbags, misfits, and pioneers built the early soul of American climbing.

Russ shares rare, behind-the-scenes stories from his incredible career, including:

• Competing in a government-run climbing event in Cold War Russia
Painted red lines on limestone cliffs, leather-gloved belayers, Soviet stadium crowds, and a Wyoming cowboy becoming a national hero overnight.
It’s a chapter of climbing history almost no one has heard.

• The quiet era of “competitive free soloing” in the Gunks
Russ recounts the friendly, unspoken one-upmanship among friends that culminated in his iconic solo of Supercrack.
A moment that revealed both the power and limits of the mind — and marked the end of his soloing career.

• What longevity really looks like at 66
Not superhuman strength — but consistency, humility, curiosity, and the ability to redefine performance as the decades unfold.

• How to stay connected to your sport when your body changes
Russ talks openly about becoming the belay anchor instead of the rope gun, and why aging in climbing can feel meaningful in its own way.

📘 Russ’s Book: The Lifer

We talk about his excellent memoir, The Lifer, which chronicles his adventures across the Gunks, Yosemite, Europe, South America, and beyond.
It’s full of laughter, history, and insight — a must-read for anyone who loves climbing or stories of a life lived with passion.

👉 Highly recommended: search “Russ Clune The Lifer” wherever you buy books.

Marek Health: Deeper look at your health with comprehensive bloodwork and personalized guidance. 10% off with code AGELESS at https://agelessathlete.short.gy/marek

Timeline: Support cellular renewal and mitochondrial function with Mitopure, featuring Urolithin A. Up to 20% off at timeline.com/AGELESSATHLETE

Support The Show Love the show? Here’s how to support it https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

INFORMEDISH: Real life. Artificial cohost.
Movies, parenting and life's absurdities. Jason and his AI cohost Heather take sides.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.

How Harvey Lewis Recovers After 5 Days of Nonstop Running — Injury, Sleep, and What Breaks First Nov 27, 2025

Show notes

What happens after you run for five straight days — 466 miles, 111 hours, two broken ribs, a torn hamstring… and then go right back to teaching high-school civics on Monday?

In this rare, intimate conversation, ultrarunner Harvey Lewis shares a front-row look into his healing journey after Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra — widely considered one of the toughest and strangest endurance races in the world.

This is not just a running episode.
It’s about recovery, identity, and the small, consistent choices that help everyday people rebuild and age with strength.

Harvey opens up about:

How he cracked his ribs and tore his hamstring on Day 5
Why he kept going for 12 more hours after the injury
The exact recovery tools he used (sleep, sauna, red light, ART therapy, movement)
How he distinguishes “trying harder” from “trying smarter”
Why purpose (his Haiti fundraiser) kept him moving
The mindset shifts that matter more at 49 than mileage ever did
How a human-powered commute — even on crutches — became part of his rehab
The real meaning of resilience, especially after setbacks

This episode is shorter than usual as Harvey had to get back to class — but we hope to bring him back for Part Two.

And a personal note:
We just crossed 100 consecutive weekly episodes of Ageless Athlete. Thank you for being here, for listening, and for making this community possible.

Timestamps

00:00 — Breakfast, the run commute, and showing up to school
03:00 — How the injuries happened during Big’s
07:00 — The surprising pace of his healing
10:00 — What “trying harder” actually means in recovery
13:00 — The role of sauna, red light, ART therapy, and sleep
17:00 — Why nutrition matters more than protein myths
22:00 — Motion as medicine: walking, cycling, gentle running
26:00 — The Backyard Ultra: explained in simple terms
33:00 — Mindset in hour 80–100: hallucinations, purpose, micro-rest
40:00 — Running for David in Haiti
45:00 — Veganism, misinformation, and fueling as an ageless athlete
51:00 — Harvey signs off to rush back to class

References & Links

Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra — Race format & rules
https://backyardultra.com
Harvey Lewis Instagram
https://instagram.com/harveylewisultrarunner

Marek Health: Deeper look at your health with comprehensive bloodwork and personalized guidance. 10% off with code AGELESS at https://agelessathlete.short.gy/marek

Timeline: Support cellular renewal and mitochondrial function with Mitopure, featuring Urolithin A. Up to 20% off at timeline.com/AGELESSATHLETE

Support The Show Love the show? Here’s how to support it https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

INFORMEDISH: Real life. Artificial cohost.
Movies, parenting and life's absurdities. Jason and his AI cohost Heather take sides.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.

“You’ll Never Run Again.” At 70, Loree Bolin Reversed Her Arthritis, And Finished Her 11th Ironman Nov 20, 2025

Show notes

When Loree Bolin was told she’d never run again, she didn’t just defy expectations — she redefined them.

At 70, Loree completed her 11th Ironman triathlon after years of battling knee osteoarthritis. But this isn’t just a story about sport. It’s about service.

A retired dentist and lifelong endurance athlete, Loree sold her practice at 60 to launch a nonprofit bringing medical and dental care to underserved communities across Tanzania. Her work now includes safehouses for girls fleeing forced marriage, business programs for widows, and a school for over 200 kids — all in regions where access to care and education was once nonexistent.

In this episode, Loree shares how sport fuels her purpose, how she rebuilt her knees without surgery, and why your most impactful years might be the ones still ahead.

🙌 Support Loree’s Work

Want to get involved with Health & Hope Foundation — or help fund their next school, clinic, or safehouse?
Visit healthandhopefoundation.org
to donate or volunteer.

🎧 Love the Ageless Athlete Podcast?

If this episode moved you, share it with a friend — and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your support helps us keep telling stories like Loree’s.

🧭 Topics & Timestamps

[00:02:00] Why she left dentistry to pursue humanitarian work full time
[00:08:00] Her first volunteer trips — and the moment that changed everything
[00:14:00] Grandmothers breaking rocks, and the birth of a business program
[00:21:00] Starting a school in rural Tanzania for 200+ kids
[00:30:00] How she manages teams and funding from Seattle
[00:39:00] What most people misunderstand about volunteering
[00:43:00] Training for Ironman while traveling overseas
[00:56:00] Cultural barriers, custom inspections, and resilience
[01:06:00] Reversing osteoarthritis and getting back to racing
[01:13:00] What Ironman feels like at 70
[01:22:00] Strength, recovery, and mindset for long-term health
[01:33:00] Her vision for the next decade — and advice for those wondering what’s next

Marek Health: Deeper look at your health with comprehensive bloodwork and personalized guidance. 10% off with code AGELESS at https://agelessathlete.short.gy/marek

Timeline: Support cellular renewal and mitochondrial function with Mitopure, featuring Urolithin A. Up to 20% off at timeline.com/AGELESSATHLETE

Support The Show Love the show? Here’s how to support it https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

INFORMEDISH: Real life. Artificial cohost.
Movies, parenting and life's absurdities. Jason and his AI cohost Heather take sides.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.

Aging, Injury, and the Comeback Mindset — Best of Q3 2025 Nov 14, 2025

Show notes

This quarter on Ageless Athlete brought together some of the most surprising and meaningful stories of the year — from record-setting endurance swimmers to rebel skateboarders, alpinists, paddlers, big-wall climbers, and athletes redefining what’s possible in their 60s and 70s.

Across ten very different conversations, one theme kept surfacing:
Courage in uncomfortable places.

Not the loud kind — but the quiet courage that appears at the edge of uncertainty, identity, aging, and ambition.
This “Best of Q3” highlight reel pulls together the moments that stayed with me long after the mics were off.

Featured Guests & Clips

This episode includes curated highlights from:

Sonnie Trotter — Precision, conviction, and breaking big goals into tiny steps
Judi Oyama — Rebellion, falling and rising again, skating with fire at 65
Andy Donaldson — What the ocean reveals when everything falls apart
Jamie Whitmore — Choosing light and purpose after cancer
Andy McVittie — Making movement safe again; rebuilding confidence through simplicity
Susan Marie Conrad — A night with whales, weather, and the wild in Alaska
Jim Donini (Part I and II) — Partnership, trust, grief, and a lifetime in the mountains
Seb Berthe — Integrity over convenience; sailing to the Dawn Wall
Joan & Doug Beyerlein — Curiosity, partnership, and staying in motion at 75
Chris Anthony — Mongolia, humility, and finding perspective far from home

What You’ll Learn

Why courage often shows up in small, humble decisions
How elite and everyday athletes navigate fear
How aging can deepen, not diminish, athletic purpose
The role of values, integrity, and long-term devotion
What it means to reinvent yourself without losing yourself
The emotional cost — and reward — of chasing a life in motion

Why This Episode Matters

More than athletic stories — they’re reminders of how to live.
Every clip is a moment where someone stepped forward despite uncertainty, discomfort, or change.
If one of these voices resonates, go back and listen to the full episodes from Q3 — each conversation goes far deeper than this highlight reel can capture.

Listen to the Original Episodes

All full episodes from Q3, 2025 can be found in all popular podcast apps or at www.agelessathlete.co

Marek Health: Deeper look at your health with comprehensive bloodwork and personalized guidance. 10% off with code AGELESS at https://agelessathlete.short.gy/marek

Timeline: Support cellular renewal and mitochondrial function with Mitopure, featuring Urolithin A. Up to 20% off at timeline.com/AGELESSATHLETE

Support The Show Love the show? Here’s how to support it https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

INFORMEDISH: Real life. Artificial cohost.
Movies, parenting and life's absurdities. Jason and his AI cohost Heather take sides.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.

At 77, He Still Chases Big Waves — Why Curiosity Beats Comfort as You Age | Jock Sutherland Nov 05, 2025

Show notes

What happens when you mix psychedelics with some of the most fearsome waves on Earth?
What does it take to stay curious, joyful, and deeply alive—well into your 70s?

In this wide spanning conversation, legendary surfer Jock Sutherland joins Ageless Athlete to talk about the radical experiences, deep values, and spiritual practices that shaped his life—from surfing Pipeline in the 1960s to climbing mango trees and sharing fruit with neighbors at 77.

Raised off-grid on Oʻahu, Jock came of age paddling rivers, spearfishing, and spending summers with the “Hermit of Kalalau.” His mother, Audrey Sutherland—a pioneering solo paddler—raised him on a handwritten list of survival skills that included everything from “save someone drowning with available equipment” to “dance with any age.”

Jock opens up about:

His early experiments with LSD, and why surfing while high never replaced the clarity of presence
Why he left surfing at the height of his fame to join the Army
The life lessons he learned from injury, reinvention, and working as a roofer for over 50 years
How community, fruit bartering, and stretching classes help him age well
And what it means to stay in love with movement, the ocean, and learning—at any age

This is a conversation about psychedelics, surfing, reinvention, and awe—but more than anything, it’s about how to live with wonder, even as the decades pass.

🔥 Topics & Timestamps

0:00 – The sourdough, marmalade, and mango trade that fuels Jock’s mornings
5:00 – What it means to be the “one-man fruit distributor of Oʻahu”
13:00 – Summers with the Hermit of Kalalau and Audrey Sutherland’s list of life skills
22:00 – Surfing Pipeline: early fear, speed, and beauty
30:00 – LSD, consciousness, and why surfing high didn’t last
38:00 – Leaving pro surfing to join the Army
48:00 – Rooftops, reinvention, and building a different kind of life
58:00 – Staying active at 76: stretching, herbs, and still surfing
1:05:00 – On legacy, parenting, and feeling unfinished
1:10:00 – “Too old to start?” Jock’s answer
1:14:00 – The billboard message he’d leave for Hawaiʻi

📚 References & Mentions

Audrey Sutherland’s list of life skills: via The New Yorker
Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard (Patagonia
)
Fierce Grace – Documentary on Ram Dass
The Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championship
Thai herbal supplements mentioned by Jock (no official site – listeners should research independently)

Marek Health: Deeper look at your health with comprehensive bloodwork and personalized guidance. 10% off with code AGELESS at https://agelessathlete.short.gy/marek

Timeline: Support cellular renewal and mitochondrial function with Mitopure, featuring Urolithin A. Up to 20% off at timeline.com/AGELESSATHLETE

Support The Show Love the show? Here’s how to support it https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

INFORMEDISH: Real life. Artificial cohost.
Movies, parenting and life's absurdities. Jason and his AI cohost Heather take sides.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.

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