In this episode of The Your Level Fitness Podcast I am catching up with my friend Chad Williams from Doing Hard Things My Way. We start with some football talk and Bengal and Dolphin emotions, then move right into what it looks like for Chad to keep running through a cold northeast winter while managing cerebral palsy, back pain, tight muscles, and the mental side of wondering if each new injury is the big one. Chad shares how he is trying to find a better balance between running, the gym, recovery, and assisted stretching so he can keep moving without ending up back in the dark place he was a few years ago.

We talk about what it really means to have a home base gym when you have CP or any visible difference, why environment and support matter, and how easy it is to slip from a little back pain into full shutdown when you stop reaching out. Chad walks through the story behind Doing Hard Things My Way, how a Spartan race invitation showed up right when he needed it, and how that personal motto has grown into races, community, and real impact for other people with CP.

We also dig into Chad’s plans for future races, including pushing an athlete in a wheelchair, his involvement in adaptive running events, the launch of the Doing Hard Things My Way adaptive athlete scholarship, and his ongoing work on a memoir that aims to give younger athletes with cerebral palsy a powerful sense of possibility.

If you are someone navigating chronic limitations, long term injuries, or the mental weight of staying active into your thirties and forties, this is a real and honest conversation about balance, fear, support systems, and refusing to let circumstances decide your story.

Links for Chad:

Follow Chad on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/chadwillia1/

Learn more about Doing Hard Things My Way.
https://doinghardthingsmyway.com/

Support the Doing Hard Things My Way Adaptive Athlete Scholarship Fund.
https://bold.org/funds/doing-hard-things-my-way-adaptive-athlete-scholarship-fund/

Komuso affiliate link shared by Chad.
https://affiliate.komusodesign.com/CW1

Links for Daryl:

Visit Your Level Fitness.
https://yourlevelfitness.com

Listen to The Your Level Fitness Podcast and other shows.
https://yourlevelfitness.com/podcast

For questions comments or collaboration ideas email.
daryl@yourlevelfitness.com

🎙️ Bariatric Warrior Podcast
Check Out The Show: https://www.bariatricwarriorsupport.com/bariatric-warrior-podcast
Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bariatricwarriorpodcast

💪 Bex
Work With Bex: https://becomingyoufitness.squarespace.com/packages
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becoming_bex

🩺 Stephanie
Work With Stephanie: https://www.bariatricwarriorsupport.com/bariatric-warrior-support
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bariatricwarrior/

In this episode of The YLF Chats Podcast, I’m joined by Stephanie and Bex from the Bariatric Warrior Podcast. We dive deep into their personal journeys with bariatric surgery, chronic illness, and how those experiences shaped their mission to create a truly supportive and inclusive community through Bariatric Warrior Support.

Stephanie shares her complex medical background, including over 25 surgeries, life-threatening complications, and what it was like to navigate the healthcare system as both a nurse and patient.

Bex opens up about her weight loss journey, mental health, chronic pain, and how she found healing through movement and community. Together, they’re building a platform that meets people where they are, offering patient advocacy, fitness support, and true emotional connection.

This episode is a raw and emotional conversation about resilience, grief, fear, identity, and finding purpose through the hardest parts of life. If you’ve ever felt isolated on your wellness journey, this is the conversation you need to hear.

Please share this episode with anyone you think would be interested in listening to it.

For comments, questions, topic ideas, possible collaborations please email daryl@yourlevelfitness.com

Connect with Kelsey Carter:
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseycarter
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/learningkelsey

Episode Description:
In this episode of The YLF Chats Podcast, I’m joined by Kelsey Carter, a lifelong learner and passionate advocate for leadership, self-growth, and the human side of business. We dive into how she blends empathy, curiosity, and experience into the way she shows up at work and in life. Kelsey opens up about how personal growth and professional development are inseparable, and we explore what it means to truly embrace your own evolution while helping others do the same.

Whether you’re navigating leadership roles, rethinking your career path, or working on your relationship with yourself, this conversation offers thoughtful takeaways and plenty of inspiration.

Please share this episode with anyone you think would be interested in listening to it.
For comments, questions, topic ideas, or possible collaborations, please email daryl@yourlevelfitness.com