We Are Unstoppable

Latest Episodes:

Evan Battey May 26, 2021

Colorado Buffaloes starting center, Evan Battey, has been making a difference on the court and turning heads, even being noticed by the legendary Charles Barkley. You wouldn’t imagine that just a few years ago at the age of 19, this highly athletic and healthy young man was suddenly hospitalized–unable to speak or walk–after suffering a stroke. While playing basketball with friends on the day after Christmas in 2017, Evan noticed that he couldn’t feel the ball while dribbling. Unable to speak or explain to his friends what he was experiencing, his friends called his mother, who sprung into action to take him to the emergency room. By the time they arrived at the hospital, Evan couldn’t walk on his own. Hearing doctors say the word “stroke”, knowing it could cause permanent damage or even death, he was fearful of the worst. After 4 days in the hospital and an array of tests, Evan was released to go home. After taking some time to recover, Evan returned to play basketball for the Colorado Buffaloes, continuing to distinguish himself as an outstanding and influential player. He has received numerous resilience, character and inspiration awards, but being such a humble and genuine person, he’d be happy to be seen as an ordinary student and teammate. “What I’ve been through allowed me to have a different perspective on life, and it allowed me to portray that perspective to my teammates, and to the game and to the fans.” His mother and #1 fan, aerospace engineer Rosalind Lewis joined Evan to discuss this incredible story and the powerful life lessons that surround it with Les and Vic. Les also spoke with Dr. Michelle Leppert, Professor of Neurology of University of Colorado School of Medicine, specialist in vascular neurology, the brain, the nervous system and strokes. Dr. Leppert weighed in on Evan’s exceptional story and shared plenty of eye-opening information on strokes that everyone should know. #UnstoppablePodcasts

Joanne McCallie Apr 01, 2021

One of the most accomplished basketball coaches in the last three decades had a secret. Joanne McCallie, the head women’s coach for the University of Maine, Michigan State and then Duke, was suffering from bipolar disorder. In her 28 seasons as a head coach she amassed a phenomenal winning record of 628-243 (.721) and took her teams to the NCAA tournament 21 times. She coached Michigan St. into the NCAA championship game in the 2004-05 season, and was named coach of the year multiple times in three different conferences. And yet, she couldn’t reveal her battles with mental illness for fear of ruining her career or being fired. McCallie first discovered her disease 25 years ago while coaching at Maine when she had a manic episode. At first, she thought she was being super-productive, but then loved ones intervened and told her it was more serious – even though, as an athlete and a mom she was in huge denial that her mind could be failing her. They even had to institutionalize her against her wishes. The author of her second memoir, Secret Warrior, which chronicles her struggles with bipolar, McCallie reminds us of the importance of discussing and caring for our mental health, especially among young adults and athletes. Now a #CoachP4ForLife, McCallie says nearly 3% of Americans suffer from bipolar disorder and nearly 50% are affected by some kind of mental illness, i.e., anxiety, depression and suicide, especially during the pandemic. Aside from medical and therapeutic care, McCallie credits her husband and family for giving her great support and keeping her "on track" when she would experience symptoms of the disorder. #UnstoppablePodcasts

The Future of Sports with Bud Black, Kyle Shanahan and Dr. Dawn Comstock Mar 17, 2021

What does the future of sports look like in a post-pandemic world? Bud Black, Manager of the Colorado Rockies and Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers Head Coach, reflect on the tough year in sports, the lessons learned amidst the virus and how sports may be forever changed. We also spoke with Dawn Comstock, Ph.D, Adjunct Professor at the Colorado School of Public Health in the Department of Epidemiology at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, and an expert on preventing sports injury and public health issues related to sports. This last year was challenging, as Bud Black managed the Rockies through 60 fan-less games — but he was proud of his players, coaches and support staff and the way they handled the stress. A day at the ballpark was not the same. His biggest learning? That he, his coaches and players need to lead by example on a daily basis because if America sees baseball do the right thing, they will too. For the NFL and football, Kyle Shanahan saw a shift in how coaches and athletes approached the game. Instead of focusing inward on getting stuff done, it’s now about reaching out to your teammate to see how they are doing. It used to be about putting the pressure on, and now it’s about taking the pressure off. And still winning, of course. Dr. Comstock looks at sports through the eyes of an epidemiologist. How do you track the patterns of sports injuries — like a virus — to limit or prevent their occurrences. So how to keep fans and players safe this year? Get vaccinated when eligible, continue masking, keeping social distancing, symptom checks, temperature checks, testing and contact tracing. Some pro sports are doing a lot of it very well, some colleges are doing some of it and high school and youth sports are struggling to do any of it. In fact, Dr. Comstock has been a vocal critic of how poorly high school and youth sports have handled the pandemic — packing stadiums and fields with maskless parents, kids and fans. Instead of being a source of community pride, high school sports are becoming a danger to our communities, risking wide-spreading that could lead to another lockdown. The new normal across all sports? Athletes will have greater advocacy about their own health and safety, whether it’s from an infectious disease or a sports injury. #UnstoppablePodcasts

Jason Benetti Feb 24, 2021

What is it like to live the life of your dreams by beating a disability you cannot change? Jason Benetti, play-by-play announcer for the Chicago White Sox and ESPN broadcaster did better than that. Jason was born 10 weeks prematurely. During his three months in the hospital as a newborn, he suffered a respiratory illness that deprived his blood of oxygen and caused him to have Cerebral Palsy. With disarming openness, Jason demystifies Cerebral Palsy, the most common neuromuscular disorder in the world. Despite early childhood trauma and stigma related to his involuntary movements, Jason went on to become a lawyer and later the play-by- play announcer for the Chicago White Sox — the job of his dreams. How much of Jason’s creativity derives from pain? And why does he lean on humor? “I first went into radio because people heard me before they could see me,” he explains. “I know what I look like. But I don’t want my condition to define me.” He is joined by Doctor Jason Rhodes, Associate Professor, Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon and Director of the Cerebral Palsy and Neuromuscular Program at Children's Hospital Colorado on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, where he is also the Clinical Director for the Center for Gait and Movement Analysis. Doctor Rhodes explains Cerebral Palsy as a “non-progressive brain injury,” by which he means a condition that cannot be changed. So what happens to a person when they can’t turn the clock back on essentially a stroke that shaped their brain before, during or directly after birth? From breakthrough surgeries, novel treatments and integrated sports activities, Doctor Rhodes and his team at Children’s Hospital and CU Anschutz help kids walk and move better to feel normal while beating the challenges that make people like Jason Benetti and other young patients truly unstoppable. #UnstoppablePodcasts

Ed Werder Feb 11, 2021

How do you tell your son-in-law that he won’t survive colon cancer? How do you help your daughter survive a cancerous brain tumor and your wife survive breast cancer? Ed Werder, who for 40 years as an NFL reporter for ESPN, CNN, Sports Illustrated and major daily newspapers, has gotten the football story where others haven’t. Ed talks about how he was unstoppable in getting the story of a lifetime (hint: it involves the Dallas Cowboys) and the new difficulties of continuing to get scoops during the pandemic. But the challenges of reporting on football pale compared to what it takes to help loved ones persevere through the ravages of cancer. Ed discusses how he helped his daughter triumph over brain surgery to remove a cancerous tumor and then helped her with relearning basic functions; he had to tell his son-in-law he would never leave the hospital before he ultimately passed to colon cancer at the age of 30; and a few years ago, he helped his wife of 39 years, Jill, go through chemo and radiation therapy for breast cancer, from which she is now surviving. Ed tells us that determination and perseverance in the face of adversity are a part of life. To keep going, he was inspired by legendary coach Bill Parcells and the Italian philosopher Seneca. But most of all, Ed drew inspiration from those around him and their will to persevere in the face of life’s worst challenges. Joining Ed, is Jennifer Diamond, M.D. an Associate Professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, where she co-directs the Women’s Cancer Developmental Therapeutics program and the Phase One program. Dr. Diamond discusses breakthroughs in diagnosis, research and treatment of breast cancer — including a personalized cancer vaccine — and what women can do to decrease their risk of getting breast cancer. #UnstoppablePodcasts

John Tesh Jan 21, 2021

John Tesh, American pianist, pop music composer, TV personality and radio host, may have a few limitations but Tesh knows no limits.The host of the Intelligence for Your Life radio show (and podcast) credits his wife Connie Sellecca and his father’s indifference with the strength he found to push through a devastating prostate cancer diagnosis. While battling cancer, Tesh has won six Emmys, has four gold albums, two Grammy nominations, plus an Associated Press award for investigative journalism. He has also sold more than eight million records and raised more than $7 million for PBS through his concerts. But what he is remembered for may surprise you. And because Tesh refuses to think of himself as limited, he set out to share his message of relentlessness by becoming an author. His memoir, “Relentless: Unleashing a Life of Purpose, Grit, and Faith,” was out on February 25, 2020. Tesh has achieved more in life than he ever dreamed possible. And the road to success has been anything but easy. In this episode, he tells us how to learn to be relentless, how to achieve what we didn’t think was possible, and how to handle our inevitable discouragements. #UnstoppablePodcasts

Jordan Wiseley Jan 07, 2021

Reality star and influencer, Jordan Wiseley, talks about what it’s like to succeed in sports and in life with four missing fingers, an uncommon congenital disease known as symbrachydactyly with an unknown cause. “The human body is the most sophisticated machine on the planet,” Wiseley says with typical enthusiasm. “It can adapt to anything. I have never had fingers.” People often tell him, “Imagine how good you might have been with two hands.” Given the chance to have his left hand re-engineered so he can have two working hands, would Jordan Wiseley do it? His choice may surprise you. He is joined in this episode by Doctor Kia Washington, a board-certified hand surgeon who performs the most complex hand-reconstructive surgeries at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Besides leading world-class research in eye and other complex transplants, Doctor Washington is an expert on hand trauma, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis. She also performs hand reconstructive surgery, such as sewing fingers back on after severe accidents. Doctor Washington is hardly surprised at Jordan Wiseley’s success. “Despite being born with a congenital disease,” she says, “most people go on to become resilient and great achievers.” From learning to bat left-handed, to learning to button a cuff, Wiseley is unstoppable, a trait he does not think he could have had if he had been born with two hands. So how did success find him? “I got found at a bar,” he says. “From then, I headed to the real world.” The reality TV show The Challenge has taken him to Thailand, Norway, Patagonia, and Uruguay, among other exotic places. What makes Jordan Wisely unstoppable? According to Doctor Washington, it is the brain’s ability to remodel and to adapt. Wiseley agrees. “I have never had fingers. So this is something that I had to power past. You just have to do a little more.” #UnstoppablePodcasts

Monte Morris Dec 18, 2020

What's it like to grow up in the number one murder capital in the country? Monte Morris, now in his fourth year as a Denver Nuggets’ point guard, tells us what it was like in Flint, Michigan, sleeping on a couch as a boy, hearing gun shots and turning to basketball to stay away from trouble while his mom worked two jobs to support him. Overcoming daily violence and getting to the NBA made him unstoppable. But what Monte counts as truly proving himself was being able to keep a promise he made to his mother when he was younger. When playing in the bubble in Orlando through the pandemic, Monte emerged as a team leader and inspiration during the Nuggets historic playoff run. It was while enduring daily testing and waiting in cars for COVID results, isolated from friends and family, that Monte discovered who his real friends were -- and what truly makes someone unstoppable on and off the court. He is joined by Matt Vogl, Executive Director of The National Mental Health Innovation Center at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Vogl founded the Center in 2015 to support big ideas and innovative technology solutions that address challenges in the mental healthcare system. Vogl is an innovator at heart. He is working to find creative solutions that can be quickly and effectively put to use to help people cope with increased anxiety, depression, rising suicide rates and COVID-related stress. “The mental health care system is stretched to its limits,” says Vogl. Besides peer support, meditation, staying active and staying connected, as a former comedian, Vogl believes that laughter could be the best medicine for coping with the pandemic. Find out more by listening to this podcast. #UnstoppabePodcasts

Brian Griese Dec 03, 2020

Brian Griese, former quarterback and current color commentator for Monday Night Football on ESPN, lost his mother when he was twelve. He lives with her loss every single day. Where is heaven? And what if a child wants to join his lost parent there? Grief is a complex emotion. When we don’t have the tools to cope with it, we may turn the loss inward. For Griese, his mother’s loss turned to anger. And later in life, to substance abuse. That is why he founded Judi’s House, a safe place that supports those struggling after the death of a loved one. In this episode, Griese is joined by Dr. Steven Berkowitz, Professor of Psychiatry at CU’s School of Medicine and Director of the START Center. Traumatic events leave us feeling isolated, says Dr. Berkowitz. That is why it is important to be around others who have suffered similar losses. The pandemic is affecting all of us. With empathy and compassion, Dr. Berkowitz talks about why it is easier to say good-bye to a person than to say good-bye to the of way of life we once knew. As a result of the pandemic, many of us do not understand how to cope with the loss, or the uncertainty. If the path ahead seems dark and uncertain, there is help. SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline, 1-800-985-5990, offers 24/7, 365-day-a-year crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters. Can you shake grief? These and other important questions are discussed in this timely podcast episode. #UnstoppablePodcasts

Peter Schaffer Nov 20, 2020

Sports super-agent Peter Schaffer heard the words no parent ever wants to hear – your child has cancer. And then he heard it again. Negotiating more than $1 billion in contracts for NFL Hall-of-Famers, athletes and coaches is worthless when your teen-aged children have been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system that afflicts nearly 9,000 Americans every year. What are the chances of having both your children contract this non- hereditary disease? Perhaps one in a hundred million. Peter’s daughter Lily knew something was wrong a few years ago when she started having uncontrollable and unbearable itching over her entire body. She couldn’t sleep, stand up or even eat. After six months of suffering and visits to dermatologists, allergists and even a psychiatrist, Lily still didn’t have an answer. But when Peter and his wife Alison took Lily to Children’s Hospital at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, they discovered the true cause: Hodgkin’s, stage 2B. Then, at the start of the pandemic this February, Peter’s son Gavin, a burly high-school lacrosse player, started losing a lot of weight. At first, doctors thought he had contracted COVID-19, which at the time was a mysterious disease. But when COVID tests came back negative, and Gavin’s health worsened, they turned to Children’s for the answer, and it was devastating: Hodgkin’s, stage 4. What would you do as a parent? How did sister and brother battle through the treatments? And who got to ring the Warrior Bell at Children’s Hospital, a sign of good health? Dr. Brian Greffe, Pediatric Oncologist and Medical Director of the H.O.P.E. clinic at the Children’s Hospital at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, treated both Lily and Gavin. Dr. Greffe joins Peter on the podcast and shares insights on the disease, breakthrough treatments at Children’s and how the kids were unstoppable in their fight with cancer. #UnstoppablePodcasts

Emily Daniels Nov 04, 2020

Emily Daniels arrived at the E.R. short of breath while pregnant with her second child to discover she had Stage IV lung cancer. She had never smoked a day in her life. Emily’s diagnosis belongs to more than 50% of lung cancer cases without a definitive explainable cause. Did you know that lung cancer in non-smokers might be caused by exposure to radon, secondhand smoke, air pollution, and even wok smoke? Had Emily been diagnosed 10 years ago, she would not be alive to tell us this story. In this episode, she is joined by her husband, Brian Daniels - former CU Buffs star — and her oncologist, Dr. Ross Camidge, a University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus trailblazing oncologist who pioneered a breakthrough treatment aimed at some rare types of lung cancer. The treatment consists of two targeted therapies that have kept Emily alive for the past three years. Now a mother of two, Emily talks about what inspires her fight against her diagnosis and the risks she took while pregnant in order to keep her baby. Choosing not to be treated with chemotherapy at the time was “a major life choice.” Her tough choices beg the questions: What to make of your life when you are forced to live it in three-month chunks? What if Emily has years, or maybe decades, left to live? It is because of her children and because of the unanswered questions, that she has chosen to fight. She organizes a golf tournament to fund lung cancer research and has raised $100k in the past three years. She also works with LUNGEvity, a non-profit organization focused solely on lung cancer awareness and research. For his part, Doctor Camidge remains hopeful. While he agrees that lung cancer is grossly under-funded — it receives 1/10 of the funding received by breast cancer — he has trained his oncologist’s sights onto a smarter vision that includes personalized medication and the meticulous study of “molecular persistence,” or what makes cancer cells persist, so he can stop them from getting wise. Emily still has a Stage IV diagnosis. But thanks to her and to Doctor Camidge’s persistence, she’s living a mostly normal life. She remains active in yoga, she is a mother to two healthy children, and in her free time, she has become a patient-advocate for lung cancer. Now that’s unstoppable! #UnstoppablePodcasts

Brad Williams Oct 21, 2020

Call him a dwarf, a little person or one of the funniest, most in-demand comedians working today, but never call him a midget. That’s Brad Williams. He was born with achondoproplasia, which stunts the arms and legs, but in Brad’s case grew his sense of humor. Bullied as a young child because of his dwarfism, Brad retaliated with a razor-sharp wit which at age 19, he turned into a booming career as a stand-up comedian. In this hilarious episode, Brad tells how his dad taught him to be unstoppable by embracing his difference, not ignoring it. Which is why if you can’t make a joke about yourself, then Brad won’t hang out with you. Brad reveals the hardest thing he has to do as a dwarf, how he named his daughter “Elway” – we’re not making this up -- who was also born with achondoproplasia, and the $465,000 he raised for a kid in Australia with the same disorder. Despite his so-called “shortcomings,” Brad has appeared in comedy clubs around the country, and on numerous TV shows including Legit, Dave Attell’s Comedy Underground, Sam and Cat, Live at Gotham, the Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live. His one-hour comedy special “Fun Size” was the highest rated comedy special on Showtime in 2015. A year later, he followed it up with a second special called “Daddy Issues,” its airing prompted the New York Times to write “no one is doing it more hilariously than Brad Williams.” His podcast “About Last Night” is a mainstay on iTunes #UnstoppablePodcasts

Les Shapiro & Vic Lombardi – Health Update Oct 07, 2020

Our Unstoppable podcast hosts, Les Shapiro and Vic Lombardi, are fighting the cancer fight. Both of them. What are the chances? In this chillingly honest six-month checkup, they get intimate about the last thing they want from their loved ones and the things that drive them crazy about having to live inside bodies they no longer recognize. What happens when your body is incompatible with your chemotherapy treatment? The side effects of fighting cancer aren’t what many of us think. As much as cancer affects you physically, it is the mind games that wear you down. “I’ve changed my diet,” says Vic. “I’m exercising harder than ever. Why can’t I stop coming back for tests?” he wants to know. For his co-host, Les, shame is the issue. “I didn’t want to show weakness,” he admits. “I wanted to be the exception. It turns out I’m not the exception.” Our hosts have told the stories of unstoppable athletes and Olympians holding medals in gritty thumbs-up poses who talk in fighter metaphors. Their biggest fear? That after the the arduous journey through chemotherapy, radiation, and reoccurrence, this disease will kill the storytellers. Many cancer stories are lost. It’s easy to shy away and to shut down. Our two cancer warriors are here to make sure that does not happen. They shy away from nothing as they tackle the hard-hitting questions others are afraid to ask. Which is why they invited their oncologist to this episode. And because coincidence looms larger than life, both are being treated at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Les’ oncologist, Dr. Ross Camidge, Professor of Medicine-Medical Oncology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, is no stranger to cancer, either. Dr. Camidge discusses with Les why his recent radiation treatments went sideways because of “The Shapiro Effect,” and the breakthrough program they started — making Les the first patient in the world to use this pioneering double-barreled medical approach. For anyone who wants to feel validated in their fears about the mental warfare that knows no rest, this podcast is like a 911 call from the cancer trenches. It is the stories that terrify and sadden us that can open us to questions that can inspire and transform our lives. How long do I have? That is the question our podcasts hosts keep asking themselves. And what is next for them? “I’m going lease to lease,” says Vic. That’s his next move as he awaits the next round of results. If only cancer would shut up for a day or two. #UnstoppablePodcasts

Jason Cole Sep 23, 2020

What does it take for John Elway to overcome deep personal tragedies to return to the sport he loves? Sports-writer Jason Cole found out. Cole, who has written about the NFL for more than 35 years for the likes of Bleacher Report, the Miami Herald and Yahoo Sports, talks about what makes Elway unstoppable in his sixth book, “John Elway: A Relentless Life,” the unauthorized biography of the Hall of Fame quarterback, two-time Super Bowl Champion, and now President of Football Operations and General Manager of the Denver Broncos Cole interviewed more than 200 people over several years, including Elway himself, in what was one of the most exhausting and intense writing experiences of his life. Cole discusses what happened with John after he retired — when he went through a very dark period — and how he he returned to football at the bottom, and waited more than a decade to return to his beloved Broncos. As Cole describes, Elway’s story is filled with one seemingly unstoppable challenge after another. You can get a copy of Cole’s book at your favorite bookstore or on Amazon. #UnstoppablePodcasts

Verne Lundquist Sep 10, 2020

What does it take to make some of the most famous calls in sports – all while suffering from chronic, almost crippling back pain? Veteran sportscaster Verne Lundquist reveals how he called Tiger Woods’ dramatic chip-in birdie at the 16h hole to win the Masters in 2005. Verne has been broadcasting American sports for nearly 50 years and is known for being the voice for NFL Films, the Masters, several Olympics and one of the most watched sports events in history – the 1994 Winter Olympics – where he called the Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan skating debacle. And, after four decades of covering American sports, whom do you think Verne Lundquist says was the greatest, most unstoppable athlete he’s ever seen? Verne is joined by Dr. Jason Stoneback, who talks about his unstoppable dream team of doctors and specialists who do whatever it takes to save a limb or fix a broken bone. Dr. Stoneback is on the faculty at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and serves three roles as the Chief of the Orthopedic Trauma and Fracture Surgery Service, the Director of the Limb Restoration Program and the Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. #UnstoppablePodcasts

Joe Theismann Aug 26, 2020

What makes you special? It isn’t what you think. What happened to Joe Theismann is not what Joe Theismann will tell you happened to him. His take on the day that ended his career as an elite NFL quarterback has made a huge difference on how his life turned out. Theismann’s football career ended on November 18, 1985 when he suffered a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula in his right leg while being sacked by linebackers Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson of the New York Giants during Monday Night Football. But a gruesome injury and the end of his days on the gridiron were not the end of his life. “Snap your fingers,” he says. “That’s how fast your life can change.” But you shouldn’t let it define you. The road from injury opened the door to Theismann becoming an ESPN sportscaster, motivational speaker, restaurateur and actor. “These days people no longer associate me with a broken leg. They recognize me from the Hallmark movie, ‘Love on the Sidelines.’” As an actor, Theismann has appeared in Cannonball Run II and The Man with Bogart’s Face. He went on to play himself in the TV series “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “Necessary Roughness.” He also starred in the TV movie “The Man from Left Field,” and in the Hallmark Original “Love on the Sidelines.” And as an author, in his latest book, “How to Be a Champion Every Day,” Theismann recounts stories from his impressive career, providing an inspirational guide for how to succeed on a team, in your career, and in your everyday life. #UnstoppablePodcasts

Amy Van Dyken Aug 12, 2020

“If I ever walk again . . .” she says. The woman is tall, a fact easily overlooked because she is folded into a wheelchair. Her voice is loud and she laughs often. When she laughs, her black ponytail bounces when she jokes about movements her eyes can see but her body cannot feel. The woman’s name is Amy Van Dyken, the six-time Olympic gold medalist known for her powerful freestyle stroke, and now more for her powerful personality. But that’s not what makes her special. Van Dyken’s swimming career crashed when she was thrown from her ATV in Show Low, Arizona and sent her flying down a six-foot drop. Her husband, former Broncos punter Tom Rouen, found her facedown on the ground and waited by her side as emergency workers arrived. “Talk about PTSD,” she jokes, speaking of Tom. The life-changing news: the former Olympian had severed her spine; her body paralyzed from the waist down. Van Dyken’s recovery has been remarkable. Her determination rarer than rare. People who know her call it will power. But the question remains. What is it? Are you born this way, or can you learn it? Not a day goes by that Van Dyken doesn’t wake up to train, to get better, or to do one more push up. With every stretch, with every drop of sweat, and every curse word, she begins to answer the question we came here to ask. Van Dyken is now free from the shell brace that once enveloped her torso and limited her every move. “I’m not wheelchair-bound,” she’s quick to point out. “I live in a wheelchair.” The difference matters to the former competitive swimmer who trains for hours each day to conquer the challenges of adaptive Crossfit by strengthening her upper body — the part she can control. And because she refuses to think of herself as limited, Amy Van Dyken shows the world through social media what it looks like to recover and to live — not with a disability, but in spite of one. That’s what makes her special. As for walking again, Van Dyken does not think that’s in the cards. “But if that becomes possible, I’ll be the first to line up. My name is Amy Van Dyken. And I am Unstoppable!” And check out and join Amy’s foundation which provides wheelchairs for kids: http://www.amyvandyken.org/ #UnstoppablePodcasts #theFemalelead #CrossFit #CrossFitGames

Mark Schlereth Jul 29, 2020

What price do you have to pay to do what you love? Anyone can show up when they are feeling great, but what qualities do you need to have to keep showing up after 29 surgeries? Mark Schlereth played guard in the NFL for 12 seasons, most of them through agonizing pain. He later became a football analyst for Fox Sports and began a career in acting. A native of Anchorage, Alaska, Mark struggled with dyslexia as a child and did not learn to read until he was seven years old. He credits his father and his orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Martin Boublik, with the four qualities that have made him unstoppable as a football player, a husband and a father. In what he calls “a game within a game,” Mark talks about what it means to finish what you start, the true meaning of commitment, no “would-have’s,” and the two conditions his dad gave him back in the seventh grade before letting him go after his life’s dream. He is joined by Dr. Martin Boublik, Assistant Professor, Orthopedics at the University of Colorado’s School of Medicine at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Boublik is also a co-founder of the famous Steadman Hawkins Clinic and is the Head Team Physician for the Denver Broncos. His work is deeply rooted in his care philosophy: “Whether my patient is a professional athlete, a weekend warrior, or someone hoping to once again chase the kids around the backyard, the most gratifying part of my practice as an orthopedic surgeon is helping someone return to an active lifestyle.” Dr. Boublik talks about the years he cared for Mark and pro athletes, protecting yourself from bone injury, new treatments for broken knees and how Mark really passed his first physical with the Broncos. How desperate are you to live your dream and what sacrifices are you willing to make? This winning team — Mark Schlereth and Dr. Boublik — inspire with their individual missions to conquer pain and dare ask the hardest question of all: Shouldn’t you be about something? #UnstoppablePodcasts

George Karl Jul 15, 2020

What can you control in the battle against cancer and who are the cancer angels? Controversial former NBA coach, George Karl, joins our UNSTOPPABLE cast to talk about what it means to live on the edge of COVID-19 when you are a three-time cancer survivor. He is joined by Doctor Antonio Jimeno, Professor of Medicine/Oncology and Otolaryngology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Jimeno talks about the disturbing rise of head and neck cancers in the US, why these cancers are so unique and important, new treatments and the journey cancer patients take in becoming unstoppable survivors. As for Karl, getting over a torn knee was child’s play compared to what was to come later in life. The first cancer diagnosis, prostate, was a blow. When he thought he’d beat it, he was diagnosed with head and neck cancer. Those two battles left Karl so weak that afterwards, he had to learn to eat again. With the help of people he calls his “cancer angels,” Karl pushed through, only to discover that he had ocular melanoma. “This is the one that will kill you,” he says. But nothing lit the fire against fighting cancer than getting the news that his son was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at the prime of his life! “Cancer can make you smarter and tougher,” he says. “But you have to get through it first.” #UnstoppablePodcasts

Terrell Davis Jul 01, 2020

In this electrifying episode, NFL Hall-of-Famer, Terrell Davis, shares the one thing that has made him unstoppable despite a life where he has had to overcome injury, the loss of his father in his early teens, systemic racism and blinding migraines since he was nine years old. He is joined by Doctor Marius Birlea, Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and Jeffrey Rynek, Nurse Practitioner at CU Anschutz’s Headache Clinic, who tell us that not all headaches are created equally. What is a negative aura? And how did Terrell Davis conquer the second quarter of the Super Bowl in the middle of a blinding migraine attack? Doctor Birlea shines the light of relief for the 40 million migraine sufferers in the U.S. and talks about new non-invasive treatments that have few side effects. But of all the obstacles Davis had to beat on what he calls his “improbable journey to the NFL,” it was losing his father what made him think that life had no purpose. As for the game itself, when all seemed lost and he was about to quit football, Davis had a revelation that shocked him right before the game that changed his career. A proud father of three children, Terrell Davis also shares his views on how to change systemic racism through positive, inclusive involvement. “Do we live in a great country?” he asks. “Absolutely! Can we make it better? Absolutely! That’s what we’re fighting for.” #UnstoppablePodcasts

Sue Bird Jun 17, 2020

Basketball superstar Sue Bird will come out of retirement to fight for her fifth Olympic gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics despite COVID-19 uncertainty. What makes Sue Bird push her way through obstacles when others would have given up? Bird (who, has won 3 WNBA championships with the Seattle Storm, 4 Olympic gold medals, 2 NCAA Championships with UConn, and 4 FIBA World Cups) is one of 11 women to attain all four accolades. Here, she reveals the name of the greatest point guard in basketball’s history, talks about body image and posing nude on the cover of ESPN, the magazine, alongside girlfriend, Megan Rapinoe. Fueled by her mantra of “living in the positive versus dwelling on negativity,” Bird faces adversity, blasting criticism, and multiple knee injuries with equal resolve. “No one wants adversity,” she says, “but it’s coming.” Unshakable to the core, Sue Bird approaches everything from Olympic uncertainty, to showing court-side emotion, to co-hosting the virtual ESPYS Awards June 21 alongside Rapinoe and NFL quarterback, Russell Wilson, with unstoppable determination: “all in, all the way!” #UnstoppablePodcasts

Jason Kipnis Jun 10, 2020

How do you put on a smile when your heart is 95 percent broken? And what is it like to play against your friends and your all-time favorite team? Jason Kipnis, All-Star second baseman for the Chicago Cubs, opens up about risks and past mistakes with his trademark intensity. When he was starting out, after two years at the University of Kentucky, Kipnis transferred to Arizona State University. This turned out to be a major life upheaval that led him to almost quit baseball. Kipnis credits a coach who gave him a second chance and what led him to look in the mirror to ask: What kind of person do I want to be? Recovering after a serious injury and major surgery, Kipnis talks openly about the choices he’s made to stay in shape and to stay on top of a young-man’s game he knows he can’t play forever. On February 18, 2020, Kipnis signed as a free agent with the Chicago Cubs after playing the last nine years for the Cleveland Indians. After COVID-19, the invitation to the Cubs’ 2020 major league spring training camp is yet to be realized. Kipnis’ response to the irony of the setback is hardly a surprise for a relentless player who handles both fastballs and breaking stuff, makes adjustments, and handles left-handed pitching without a catch. #UnstoppablePodcasts

Dick Vitale Jun 03, 2020

Bullied as a child after losing his sight to a sharp pencil, Dick Vitale turned his boyhood’s turmoil into “a ball and a dream” and eventually became the voice of ESPN college basketball — a job he’s enjoyed for 41 years. How did Vitale turn his lost sight into better prospects and overcome self-doubt after unsparing cruelty? “Bullying was a way of life,” he says. “After school I used to go into my room, look at my drifting eye in the mirror, and cry. But there’s one thing my parents taught me that changed my life.” Vitale is joined by Dr. Naresh Mandava, whose career and life’s mission is to make people see again. Dr. Mandava is Chair and Executive Director of the Sue Anschutz-Rogers Eye Centers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. “That happened 75 years ago,” Dr. Mandava explains of Vitale’s injury. “But nowadays we have procedures that can restore sight after a traumatic injury.”He and his team of eye doctors are working on a breakthrough procedure that uses a patient’s own stem cells to grow retina tissue that once transplanted, might restore sight. “There’s so much excitement around making someone see again,” says Dr. Mandava. In this touching episode Vitale opens up about the big moment that would change his life — the thunderbolt surprise when his wife finally found a doctor who could straighten his eye. #UnstoppablePodcasts

Annabel Bowlen May 27, 2020

Memories in the making getting lost and no way to stop your loved ones from forgetting who you are: This is Alzheimer’s. Four years after former Denver Broncos’ owner, Pat Bowlen, went public with the disease that would later take his life, his wife Annabel, disclosed her own diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. The Bowlen family, just like the Broncos team they built, are made of grit. With unshakable strength, their daughter Annabel, talks about how we can choose to win or lose with dignity when faced with the worst odds life has dealt her family. She opens up about the shock, devastation and discouragement she felt on learning that her father had the incurable disease. She talks about the family’s painful decision to go public with his diagnosis, and offers advice and resources for anyone fighting Alzheimer’s. She also reveals how she discovered that her mother had the disease. She talks about how the family turned to the Colorado Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association for support during those dark times, and how her family has helped raise more than $600,000 for the Denver Walk to End Alzheimer’s. In this episode, Annabel is joined by Dr. Huntington Potter, Professor of Neurology and Director of the CU Alzheimer’s and Cognition Center at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and a member of Linda Crnic Center for Down Syndrome. Dr. Potter discusses why Alzheimer’s has become one of the world’s most deadly diseases, the early warning signs that you may have it, and what you can do to slow its onset. For the past seven years, Doctor Potter and his team at the Cognition Center have been working on new diagnoses and treatments for Alzheimer’s. They are hopeful that their soon-to-be released breakthrough research will bring a new treatment for Alzheimer’s. “We are one very dedicated group of people,” he says. “We will never give up.” Dr. Potter and Annabel Bowlen are united in their fight against Alzheimer’s. “The one memory I will take from my father’s legacy is do not back down,” she says. The best way to remain unstoppable is to keep fighting. #UnstoppablePodcasts

Clint Hurdle May 20, 2020

Clint Hurdle, former MLB outfielder and manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Colorado Rockies, talks about what happens when you are labeled at a young age. Tagged as a “phenom” by Sports Illustrated at the age of twenty changed Hurdle’s life in unexpected ways — few of them good. On the 21-year road to sobriety, Hurdle has suffered multiple blows. “I’m a flawed man,” he says, talking openly about how to show up the day after losing a game — once the alcohol has worn off. Whom do you listen to, and what to do when after failing twice, you marry for the third time and your daughter is born with Prader-Willi syndrome, a complex genetic disorder. “It’s a kick in the gut,” says Hurdle. “I can’t imagine what it’s like to carry a child inside your body after you find out she’s going to be born with a birth defect for which there is no known cure.” Blunt and wrenching, Hurdle answers the hard questions about his fight with alcoholism and cancer. He talks about the difference between guilt and shame, how to become a free spirit and how to create a blueprint for your own life. “Our daughter is doing things we never thought she could do. She’s in the photography club, she’s into swimming and chorus. She’s 17, but parts of her will always be 12. She has taught us what it means to love with all your guts.” #UnstoppablePodcasts

Matt Iseman May 13, 2020

“This is the first time in history when the whole world is focused on a single problem,” says Matt Iseman, the comedian who gave up being a doctor because he believes that being a doctor is more than a job. Find out what turned Iseman unstoppable after beating the death sentence that is kidney cancer, living with rheumatoid arthritis, and how he is surviving the pandemic’s uncertainty. His talk of silver linings will delight you. His take on what courage is and isn’t will surprise you. Iseman speaks openly about how the pandemic has made him slow down, reevaluate his priorities and realize the fragility of life and health. A regular contributor to the Today Show, Iseman is co-host of NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior” and host of the new podcast “Factorius: A Trivia Game Show.” #UnstoppablePodcasts

Adam Schefter May 05, 2020

After experiencing the devastation of 9/11, ESPN sportscaster, writer and analyst Adam Schefter talks about coping with being at the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in New York City. With his characteristic humility, Schefter praises first responders, the medical community, and his wife, Sharri Maio whose first husband, Joe Maio, was killed in the World Trade Center in the 9/11 attacks. Schefter's book about Joe Maio, entitled The Man I Never Met, is a powerful true story of loss and hope by one of the biggest names in sports media. Wondering what might happen to the media and the NFL, Schefter’s main sports beat, Schefter speaks about what has kept him going in his career, and what makes him unstoppable, despite a grueling schedule and competing demands as the world battles “the invisible enemy.” #UnstoppablePodcasts

Missy Franklin May 05, 2020

What happens when you put on a game face and the effort leaves you depleted, depressed and desperate for answers? That’s what happened to Missy Franklin, the world’s sweetheart in the swimming pool with five Olympic gold medals to her name. Being unstoppable isn’t about winning all the time. In this emotional podcast, Franklin opens up about her early years as a competitive swimmer, her devastating shoulder injury prior to the 2016 Olympics and how she rose from the depths of depression to fight her way back to the surface. In her journey to push through her fear of not being good enough, Franklin talks about the first time she spoke openly about depression and the healing power of talking about this taboo subject. With the worst now behind her, Franklin reveals her game plan for pushing through the feeling that the world is going on without you. Recently retired from competitive swimming, and married to the love of her life, Franklin talks about her number one priority in life and how to be unstoppable for the rest of your life. Missy is joined later in the show by Dr. Neill Epperson, professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine on the Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Epperson speaks about the stigma pro athletes face when talking about mental health, the difference between men and women in their susceptibility to mental health issues, the warning signs when someone may be slipping into depression, and why we are mentally unprepared for the unpredictable stress from the coronavirus pandemic. #UnstoppablePodcasts

Les Shapiro & Vic Lombardi May 05, 2020

No one is ready to hear the words: “It’s cancer.” In this candid, emotional and sometimes humorous episode, WE ARE UNSTOPPABLE hosts and sportscasters Les Shapiro and Vic Lombardi interview each other about how they discovered they had cancer — Les with stage four lung cancer and Vic with stage 3 prostate cancer. As they share the treatments they’ve been through, their fears, the ups and downs, they also reveal the unstoppable coping skills they’ve developed to keep battling a disease that may never leave you even after the treatment ends. Les and Vic also speak openly with their doctors Ross Camidge and Paul Maroni from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus about life after a cancer diagnosis, breakthrough treatments, how to ride the roller-coaster that is the cancer continuum — and what makes patients and doctors unstoppable when fighting disease. Les Shapiro has done it all in sports broadcasting -- TV play-by-play for Denver Broncos games, University of Colorado football games, high school championship games and Triple A baseball. Vic Lombardi has more than 25 years of experience in the sports industry and is a 32-time Emmy award winner. Receiving a cancer diagnosis can make you feel like you’ve been given a death-sentence, but Vic and Les are here to remind you that after a diagnosis, comes hope, and in their cases, survival. #UnstoppablePodcasts

Welcome to We Are Unstoppable Apr 23, 2020

Do you have what it takes to become unstoppable? Welcome to the WE ARE UNSTOPPABLE podcast, sponsored by the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Twice a month, we’ll share inspirational stories from great athletes, celebrities, and the most brilliant minds in medicine on how to beat adversity to win in life. Hosted by sportscasters-turned-podcasters Les Shapiro and Vic Lombardi, each episode brings you one step closer to becoming your best unstoppable self.

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