“I call my age group the 70 to death—and we show up early, because we still can. If you want to feel young, hang out with people chasing PRs, not prescriptions.”

Bob Babbitt has raced more than 300 triathlons, co-founded Competitor magazine, helped popularize the Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon Series, and has spent decades spotlighting athletes of all abilities through storytelling.

At 73, he’s still training, still racing, and still waking up at 5:30 a.m. for his morning cold plunge.

But this episode isn’t just about endurance sports. It’s about how movement, community, and a willingness to reinvent yourself can keep you young—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

We dive into:

• The chaotic, hilarious origins of Ironman (including Big Macs and boomboxes)
• How triathlon went from fringe to global by aligning with city economics
• Daily habits Bob swears by for recovery, clarity, and energy
• What the “70 to death” age group can teach us about aging well
• The work of the Challenged Athletes Foundation and how sport empowers identity

Whether you're an athlete, entrepreneur, or just someone thinking about how to age on your own terms—this one will stay with you.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Longevity is built through reinvention. Bob’s career spans media, sport, and philanthropy—and each chapter began with curiosity, not certainty.
• Movement fuels mindset. His fitness routine isn’t performance-driven—it’s how he stays clear, focused, and in motion.
• Community is everything. Surrounding yourself with people who “refuse to act old” is one of his core longevity strategies.
• Sport = transformation. Whether you’re a first-time triathlete or a challenged athlete rebuilding after injury, crossing that finish line changes everything.

🗣️ Notable Quotes

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At midnight, Sarah Thomas stepped off the coast of England into darkness—swimming into history as the first person to complete a four-way crossing of the English Channel, nonstop. That alone would be astonishing. But what makes her story unforgettable is what came before: a breast cancer diagnosis, grueling treatment, and the slow, painful journey of rebuilding trust in a body that no longer felt like hers.

In this powerful episode, Sarah opens up about more than just world-record swims. She reflects on how to start over after loss, how movement can become a form of healing, and what it really means to “still float”—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Whether you're an athlete, a survivor, or simply navigating your own midlife turning point, her story is a quiet masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and grace.

🔑 Key Themes & Takeaways

• Rebuilding After Crisis: Why Sarah’s swim wasn’t about proving strength—it was about rediscovering identity in a different body.
• Grit ≠ Perfection: How embracing her limits post-cancer helped her redefine success, and why being “less than 100%” doesn’t mean giving up.
• Movement as Healing: The power of returning to the water—emotionally and physically—as a space of control, anonymity, and joy.
• Longevity Lessons: What Sarah’s approach to endurance can teach us about aging well, training smart, and honoring the long arc of performance.
• The English Channel as a Metaphor: How a swim so steeped in history became her proving ground for something deeper: presence, surrender, and quiet strength.
• Start Small, Stay Present: Why big goals demand micro-focus—and how thinking one stroke at a time can carry you through life’s hardest miles.

🔗 References & Resources

• 🌐 Sarah Thomas’s Website: sarahthomasswims.com
• 📺 TEDx Talk – “Go Big”: Watch on YouTube
• 📚 Ocean’s Seven Challenge (Wikipedia): Learn More
• 📰 TIME Magazine – “Sarah Thomas Swims English Channel Four Times Nonstop After Surviving Cancer”: Read Article
• 🎖️ WOWSA Hall of Fame Inductee: World Open Water Swimming Association Profile
• 📍 Lake Champlain 104-Mile Record Swim: Coverage by Marathon Swimmers Federation

🙏 Enjoying Ageless Athlete? Help keep the show going and Buy Me A Coffee! Every contribution helps keep the mic, and the inspiration flowing. Thanks for being here ❤️

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What if your best climbing wasn’t behind you—even at 65?

This episode is a masterclass in longevity, discipline, and duality. Our guest is a rare figure who has spent decades pushing hard at the edge of two very different worlds: as a tenured philosophy professor and a lifelong climber still sending 5.14s.

Bill Ramsey started climbing before sport climbing existed. He trained on treadwalls before they were popular. And today, he still maps out meticulous 8-hour training days—designed not to get stronger, but to stay sharp, adaptive, and resilient.

This isn’t about avoiding aging. It’s about rewriting the rules.

🧗‍♂️ In This Episode, We Cover:

• Balancing the cerebral and the physical: how philosophy and climbing feed each other—and why he believes doing both makes him better at each
• The “Pain Box”: his metaphor for rethinking discipline, suffering, and the tradeoffs behind fulfillment
• What changes (and what doesn’t): honest insight into how the body, mind, and motivation evolve from your 30s to your 60s
• How to train in your 60s:
  → self-coached 8-hour training days
  → projecting with purpose
  → the importance of fingerboarding on send days
  → ice-cold hand tricks to climb harder in the cold
  → why he avoids certain types of dynamic board problems to prevent injury
• Redefining success: why mastery isn’t about grades or PRs—but about curiosity, adaptability, and the joy of still trying
• The inner life of a veteran athlete: what 50 years of climbing has taught him about loss, community, and legacy
• Being a mentor, not a martyr: how he shares wisdom without needing the spotlight
• Aging without apology: why aches and recovery delays are just part of the deal—and how to climb through them with grace and fire

🧠 Why It Matters:

Whether you're a dedicated athlete, a desk-bound dreamer, or someone wondering how to keep chasing meaning as the years stack up—this episode offers more than inspiration. It offers a roadmap.

You’ll walk away with:

• A mindset for long-term performance
• Tools to stay physically and mentally engaged
• A fresh way to think about identity, reinvention, and the decades ahead

🙏 Enjoying Ageless Athlete? Help keep the show going and Buy Me A Coffee! Every contribution helps keep the mic, and the inspiration flowing. Thanks for being here ❤️

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In this episode of Ageless Athlete, we dive into the metabolic engine room with Dr. Brianna Stubbs—world-class endurance athlete and leading researcher at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. Brianna bridges the worlds of elite performance and cutting-edge science, specializing in how ketones, fasting, and metabolic flexibility can shape our ability to recover, sustain energy, and age well.

This isn’t about dieting fads or silver bullets—it’s about understanding how your body fuels itself, and how those energy pathways evolve over time. Whether you’re an endurance athlete or someone simply trying to stay strong into your 40s, 50s, and beyond, Brianna’s insights will give you a fresh way to think about performance and longevity.

🧠 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• What metabolic flexibility actually is—and why it matters more as we age
• The role of exogenous ketones vs. endogenous ketones (and how they’re used differently)
• Why elite athletes may be “canaries in the coal mine” for aging
• How fasting can impact energy regulation, muscle retention, and cognitive performance
• Surprising myths and truths about the ketogenic diet
• What separates “TOPe’s” (Top Older Performers) from “NOPe’s” in the Buck Institute’s MOVE Study
• How Brianna personally trains, fuels, and recovers today—backed by both experience and data

🔬 References Mentioned:

• Buck Institute for Research on Aging: https://www.buckinstitute.org
• MOVE Study (Molecular Optimization Via Exercise): Recruiting older athletes for metabolic and molecular profiling
• Ketone Ester Research: Stubbs et al. (2017), Cell Metabolism – PMID: 28399454
• TOPe’s vs. NOPe’s framework: conceptual model comparing high-performing vs. low-performing older athletes
• HVMN Ketone Ester studies – Commercial application and early human performance trials

👤 About Dr. Brianna Stubbs:
Brianna is a former world champion rower for Team GB and currently serves as Director of Translational Science at the Buck Institute. She holds a PhD from Oxford in Metabolic Physiology and has spent the last decade studying how ketones and metabolic regulation affect performance and aging. She’s also competed in Ironman Kona and multi-day ultra-endurance events, making her both subject and scientist.

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Bob Becker didn’t start running until his 50s.

Today, at 80, he’s tackling some of the most brutal ultramarathons on the planet—100+ mile races across deserts, through mountains, and far beyond what most of us think is possible.

But this isn’t just a story about age-defying endurance. It’s about meaning, resilience, and the unexpected ways we impact others. In one unforgettable moment, Bob recalls finishing a race just past the cutoff—only to learn his effort may have saved someone’s life.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why Bob started running in his 50s—and never looked back
• The mindset that gets him through the darkest miles
• What it’s like to attempt the Badwater Double and other extreme ultras
• His reflections on aging, purpose, and carrying the weight of others’ hope
• How he balances racing, community, and family over decades
• Why it’s never too late to begin something extraordinary

If you've ever felt like it's too late to start, or wondered whether your efforts truly matter—Bob Becker’s story will change the way you think about aging, goals, and what’s still possible.

🙏 Enjoying Ageless Athlete? Help keep the show going and Buy Me A Coffee! Every contribution helps keep the mic, and the inspiration flowing. Thanks for being here ❤️

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What does it take to paddle into 50-foot waves — and to paddle back out again after life knocks you down?

In this wide-ranging conversation, professional big wave surfer Bianca Valenti joins the Ageless Athlete podcast to talk about what it really means to face fear, rebuild after burnout, and commit to something bigger than yourself.

Bianca is best known for:

• 🌊 Being one of the world’s top female big wave surfers
• 🏄‍♀️ Competing in the legendary Eddie Aikau Invitational in 2023
• ⚖️ Leading the historic fight for equal pay in surfing as co-founder of CEWS (Committee for Equity in Women’s Surfing)
• 👊 Coaching a 59-year-old rookie to surf Mavericks for the first time
• 🧠 Developing Surf Longevity — a course designed to help everyday athletes extend their physical and mental game

💡 What You’ll Learn

• How Bianca went from being a self-taught longboarder to a pioneer in big wave surfing
• The near-death experience at Ocean Beach that changed the course of her life
• What really happened behind the scenes in the fight for equal pay
• How she prepares for huge swells — physically, mentally, and spiritually
• Simple but powerful breathwork and mindset tools that anyone can use
• Why she believes age is an advantage — not a liability
• How she helps older athletes push boundaries without burning out

Whether you’re a surfer, a weekend warrior, or just someone navigating change — Bianca’s story will inspire you to rethink what’s possible, at any age.

🔗 References & Resources

• Bianca’s Website & Coaching Programs: https://www.bigwavebianca.com/
• Follow Bianca on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigwavebianca/
• New York Times Magazine Feature (2019): “The Fight for Gender Equality in One of the Most Dangerous Sports on Earth” https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/02/07/magazine/women-surf-big-wave.html
• Upcoming Documentary: She Change, directed by Sachi Cunningham

🙏 Enjoying Ageless Athlete? Help keep the show going and Buy Me A Coffee! Every contribution helps keep the mic, and the inspiration flowing. Thanks for being here ❤️

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Subscribe to the Ageless Athlete newsletter — 2× 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/ 📩

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In this special highlight reel, we revisit the most unforgettable moments from the past few months of Ageless Athlete. These are stories that stuck with me—narratives that challenged how I think about fear, recovery, aging, and what the human body (and spirit) can do when fully committed.

You’ll hear:

• A nurse in her 50s swimming 30 miles through 43-degree water toward the Farallon Islands—without a wetsuit.
• A son running beside his father through the fog of Alzheimer’s.
• An ultra-runner finding joy mid-chemo.
• A solo paddleboard crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.
• Affirmations taped to walls that became lifelines.
• And reminders that fear, suffering, and setbacks are often the path itself.

If you're new here, this episode is a great introduction to what Ageless Athlete is all about. And if you're a regular, this is a chance to revisit the stories that deserve a second listen.

🧭 Featured Guests & Episode Titles

🎙️ Amy Gubser 🏊‍♀️
Into The Depths: No Wetsuit, 43 Degree Water, and 17 Hours Non-Stop to Make History With The First Swim to Shark Island

🎙️ Travis Macy 🏃‍♂️
One Mile at a Time: The Healing Power of Movement and How Adventure Can Fight Alzheimer’s

🎙️ Jamie Justice 🧬
The $101M Global Race to Redefine Aging: Jamie Justice on the Science of Longevity, and Why Aging Is an Opportunity, Not a Decline

🎙️ Ray Zahab 🏜️
Impossible To Possible: How Ray Zahab’s Adventure Mindset Helped Him Overcome Cancer and Redefine Resilience

🎙️ Chris Bertish 🌊🏄‍♂️
Chris Bertish Is All In: Paddling the Atlantic Solo, and Fear, Failure & Finding Strength in the Unknown

🎙️ Steve McClure 🧗‍♂️
Beyond Limits: Steve McClure’s Unorthodox Methods, Peak Performance at 54, What Causes Decline, and the Best Fixes for Long-Term Success

🎙️ Shawn Dollar 🌊
Beyond Two Guinness Records: How Shawn Dollar Overcame Traumatic Brain Injury—and Why You Must Advocate for Your Own Health

🎙️ Lisa Smith-Batchen 👣💧
The Peaceful Warrior: How to Break Through Self-Imposed Limits, Use Aging to Your Advantage, and How Purpose Can Transform You

🎙️ Tara Tulley 🔥🏃‍♀️
The Ultimate Comeback: At 46, Tara Tulley Transformed Her Life, Lost 130 lbs, Overcame Illness, and Conquered a 140 Mile Ultra Run

🙏 Enjoying Ageless Athlete? Help keep the show going and Buy Me A Coffee! Every contribution helps keep the mic, and the inspiration flowing. Thanks for being here ❤️

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Subscribe to the Ageless Athlete newsletter — 2× 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/ 📩

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Dean Karnazes has been called one of the fittest humans on the planet — and he’s not slowing down. In his 60s, he’s still running ultramarathons on the weekends, living part-time in Greece, and exploring the historical roots of endurance itself.

In this episode, Dean takes us through:

• What running looks like for him today
• Why Greece has become his spiritual and physical home
• The true story of the marathon, told like only he can
• How he stays mentally sharp and physically strong as he ages
• What keeps him motivated after decades of pushing limits

This isn’t just a highlight reel of past races — it’s a deep dive into how to stay adventurous, purpose-driven, and physically capable for life.

🔑 What You'll Learn:

• The real origin of the marathon and why it matters
• Dean’s mindset around aging, recovery, and staying “ultra”
• How he balances training, life, and longevity in his 60s
• His take on mental blocks and how to push through them
• What’s changed (and what hasn’t) in ultra-running over the decades

📬 Like this episode?
Subscribe to the Ageless Athlete Newsletter on Substack for deeper stories, behind-the-scenes reflections, and performance tips from the podcast and beyond.

📚 Amazing Books by Dean Karnazes:

• Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner - My favorite!
• A Runner's High: My Life in Motion
• The Road to Sparta: Reliving the Ancient Battle and Epic Run That Inspired the World's Greatest Footrace
• 50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days

🎙️ Support the Show:
Leave a quick rating or review in your podcast app — it’s the simplest way to support the show and help others discover Ageless Athlete.

🙏 Enjoying Ageless Athlete? Help keep the show going and Buy Me A Coffee! Every contribution helps keep the mic, and the inspiration flowing. Thanks for being here ❤️

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Subscribe to the Ageless Athlete newsletter — 2× 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