Fighting for Kids, One Mile at a Time with The "Praying Ninja Warrior"

Episode Summary:
What if every mile you ran was a prayer for a sick child? In this deeply inspiring episode of the Faithful Fitness Podcast, Coach Alex sits down with ultra-endurance athlete and founder of the Praying Ninja Warrior Foundation, Nick Apicella.

Together, they explore how prayer, suffering, and radical endurance can become powerful expressions of faith, love, and support for children facing life-threatening illness. Nick shares his recent completion of the grueling Tahoe 200—a 200-mile ultra-marathon run in honor of over 900 children battling cancer and rare diseases.

But this isn’t about medals or personal records. It’s about sacrifice. It's about holding space for suffering. It's about carrying the weight of grief, hope, and intercession with every step. Listeners will hear raw stories of loss and healing, including families impacted by pediatric cancer, the miracle of a unified praying community, and how prayer itself can draw us into deeper dependence on God—even when the outcome isn't what we hoped.

Main Discussion Themes:
 The spiritual and physical burden of running 200 miles in intercession
 Founding Praying Ninja Warrior Foundation to support families of sick children
 When prayer doesn’t “work” the way we want—and how faith still holds
 Biblical endurance: running with perseverance the race set before us (Hebrews 12)
 Why suffering isn’t the end of the story for those in Christ
 The September 20th race and how to join virtually or in person
 Carrying hope, grief, and God’s love through action

⏱️ Timestamped Episode Outline

00:00 – Intro & Nick’s 1 a.m. hill runs before a 3 a.m. shift
06:00 – Running 100 miles in prayer: the birth of Praying Ninja Warrior
11:00 – Stories from the field: prayers that changed lives—and saved them
17:00 – The Tahoe 200: what it is, why it matters, how God led
24:00 – Mentors, pacers, and divine encounters along the trail
30:00 – Physical preparation meets spiritual warfare: pain, pacing, and provision
36:00 – Losing children, loving families: grief and hope as intercession
42:00 – Alex shares Izzy’s story and how grief led him to faith
49:00 – What it means to walk in suffering with God
54:00 – The September 20th 5K and Half Marathon: how to join and why it matters
57:00 – Rapid fire: blisters, tacos, Tahoe lung, and divine recovery
61:00 – Hebrews 12 and the “cloud of witnesses” who carried Nick through
66:00 – Prayer, benediction, and a call to run with purpose

Show Resources:
 Visit https//:BetterDaily.live/devo to explore the Faithful Fitness Devotional
 Race Signup: September 20th (5K / Half Marathon / Virtual) - Praying Ninja Warrior Benefit Race  Can't make it in person? Register for the virtual race and run wherever you are!
 https://www.prayingninjawarrior.com/
 Subscribe and share the Faithful Fitness Podcast with someone walking through suffering or looking to serve through their fitness

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