In this episode of the Adaptive Athlete Podcast, Mat Hotho sits down with Sarah Perry, a competitive CrossFit athlete and coach living with significant vision loss from childhood brain cancer. Sarah shares what it’s like to navigate daily life and elite competition with 75% vision loss, describing both her adaptations in and out of the gym. She talks candidly about being “in-between” in sports classification, her journey from rowing to CrossFit, and how becoming a coach has deepen...

In this episode we sit down with Emily Cairns, an elite adaptive CrossFit athlete known for her incredible determination, joyful spirit, and innovative adaptations. Emily shares her journey from a dream-crushing moment in her dance career to finding empowerment and community through adaptive CrossFit. Emily offers advice for newcomers to adaptive sports, highlights the importance of supportive coaching, and reflects on the transformative power of being a role model to others. Foll...

Lysbeth Shirley is an adaptive CrossFit athlete who trains in a wheelchair due to paralysis from a stroke at birth and is also deaf. Despite these challenges, Lysbeth trains at home using Street Parking and CrossFit.com programming. We explore her experiences navigating school, learning sign language, and discovering CrossFit to build strength for everyday tasks and independence. Lysbeth emphasizes that adaptive athletes are regular people with everyday responsibilities and ...

Lauren Sall was an active college athlete who experienced a significant stroke at age 21. In this conversation, Lauren discusses the details of her stroke, her recovery process, and the gradual return to training and CrossFit, eventually participating in the 2023 and 2024 Adaptive CrossFit Games. She shares reflections on resilience, adapting to new physical realities, and the mindset shifts that shaped her post-stroke outlook. Lauren provides practical insights into overcoming challeng...

In this episode of the Adaptive Athlete Podcast, Mat Hotho talks with Anthony “Curly” Monaco, a competitive adaptive CrossFit athlete living with Friedreich’s Ataxia, a rare genetic disorder that affects coordination, balance, and muscle control. Anthony shares how his diagnosis shaped his early life, his entry into CrossFit after a moment of friendly arm-wrestling competition, and how adaptive fitness has helped him regain physical agency. He recounts his journey through the Open and S...

In this episode, Mat Hotho sits down with adaptive athlete Bayleigh Hooper, whose journey spans dance, gymnastics, collegiate rowing, and elite adaptive CrossFit. Bayleigh shares how she went from growing up with bilateral clubfoot to competing at the 2021 Paralympic Games, podiuming the 2023 Adaptive CrossFit Games, and now crushing 200# squat cleans in training. They talk about the challenges of adapting workouts, the critical role of her coach, and how mindset shapes performance.&nbs...

Brett Palser, a multi-year adaptive CrossFit athlete competing in the Seated 2 (with Hip Function) division, has overcome challenges in training and living with a spinal cord injury through hard work, humor, and a strong community. We discuss his partnership with Roderick Lopez (@MemeForTime) in 2023 for coaching and training, his current training regimen, and his upcoming goals for the year. Along the way, we share some laughs and delve into the intricacies of training with a spinal cord in...

We sit down with Sabrina Schoenberg—a competitive ballroom dancer and adaptive CrossFit athlete. Sabrina shares how growing up with a rare neurological condition called Rhombencephalosynapsis shaped her journey through dance and fitness. From discovering the healing rhythm of ballroom to finding strength and community in CrossFit, Sabrina tells her story with honesty, grit, and humor. We discuss the intersection of movement, identity, and perseverance, with insights for adaptive a...

In this episode of The Adaptive Athlete Podcast, we sit down with Hailey Kuhn—adaptive CrossFit athlete and artist. Hailey shares her journey from a spinal cord injury at age 14 to finding strength and belonging in adaptive fitness. We dive into the challenges and triumphs of competition, the power of community, why out-of-the-chair movements matter, and how creativity fuels her life. Check out Hailey's art: HaileyKuhn.com Follow Hailey on Instagram: @haileykuhn5 Send us a text Follow the pod...

In this episode, we sit down with adaptive CrossFit athlete Hadar Kaufman to talk overcoming obstacles, creative adaptations, and the relentless pursuit of results. Hadar shares how he turned a childhood injury into a strength, the mindset that pushed him to the podium at the 2024 Adaptive CrossFit Games, and why he believes you can have results or excuses—never both. Follow Hadar: @hadar_kaufman Send us a text Follow the podcast on Instagram: @TheAdaptiveAthletePod

In this episode, we talk with David Kellam about his journey from a college football player to a spinal cord injury in 2010, discovering CrossFit in 2018, and becoming a multi-year Games athlete. David opens up about training without hip or core function, the art of adapting movement, and what it takes to compete at a high level as a seated athlete. He shares stories of rope climbs, custom chairs, wobbly benches, and dropping Taylor Swift tracks mid-WOD. Follow David: @kellsdjr88 Send u...

In this episode, we sit down with John Prescott, a early figure in adaptive CrossFit and a passionate advocate for adaptive athletes. John shares his personal journey of recovery following a life-altering brain injury, highlighting how CrossFit has provided structure, resilience, and purpose during his rehabilitation. He reflects on his involvement with WheelWOD, from its humble beginnings to becoming a global platform that tests and showcases adaptive athletes. John emphasizes the impo...

In this episode, we chat with Josine van Paassen, an adaptive athlete and researcher from the Netherlands. Josine shares her experience living with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), an invisible illness that significantly impacts her daily life and athletic pursuits. She discusses the barriers adaptive athletes face, from financial and transportation issues to the psychological fear of movement (kinesiophobia). Josine reflects on the challenges of having an invisible disability ...

Lexi Kuppler, an accomplished adaptive athlete, shares her journey from a boating accident that resulted in the loss of her left leg to becoming a Paralympic sprinter, adaptive CrossFit podium athlete, and founder of the nonprofit "Brave the Wave." Lexi discusses how she overcame significant challenges, embraced adaptive sports, and now empowers other adaptive athletes through wake surfing clinics. She emphasizes creativity in prosthetics, the importance of adaptive coaching, and the pr...

In this episode, we sit down with adaptive CrossFit athlete and coach Jon Falkenburg, who competes in the short stature division. Jon opens up about growing up with dwarfism, the creative adaptations he used to navigate daily life, and how humor became a big part of his perspective. He shares stories from childhood sports, his transition into CrossFit, and how a disappointing first experience didn’t stop him from later falling in love with the sport during the pandemic. We also dive into Jon’...

In this episode, we sit down with Meg McCreight, an adaptive CrossFit athlete and radiology professor, to discuss her journey with Erb's palsy, CrossFit, and finding balance in competition and life. Meg shares openly about her struggles with identity, body image, and eating disorders, and the transformative community she discovered in adaptive CrossFit. Listen as Meg reflects on redefining herself beyond her disability and competitive identity, emphasizing the importance of self-c...

In this episode, Mat sits down with 2008 Paralympian and 8-time Fittest Seated Man with Hip Function, Tom Miazga. From the early days of discovering freedom in the water to dominating on the CrossFit competition floor, Tom shares how sport helped him find identity, community, and a relentless drive to pursue what’s possible. They talk about the neurological realities of cerebral palsy, how spasticity and fatigue impact training, and why knowing your limits—then pushing them—is the key to grow...

Brett Horchar is a two-time CrossFit Games champion in the Neuromuscular division, and WheelWOD Games champion in the Standing Diagnosed division. In this conversation, Brett shares his journey from his unexpected diagnosis with multiple sclerosis at 21, to relearning how to walk, to standing atop the podium at the CrossFit Games. He opens up about the physical and mental challenges of training with MS, the impact of classification changes on adaptive athletes, and his current mindset as he c...

This episode features Megan Gleason, a para climber and national team athlete with cerebral palsy. Megan shares her journey from fearing heights to finding empowerment through climbing, discovering a supportive CP community online, and even joining a mission trip to the Paralympics—not to compete, but to celebrate other athletes’ stories. Together, they explore the mental resilience required in adaptive sports, the intersection of faith and disability, and the joy of finding a sport that feel...

In this episode, we sit down with Abbey Phillipson, Head Strength and Conditioning coach for Paralympic athletes at the University of Michigan. Abbey shares her journey as an adaptive athlete living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and how strength training transformed her mobility and quality of life. From being a wheelchair user in high school to competing in bodybuilding and now coaching elite adaptive athletes, Abbey offers powerful insights on resilience, training adaptation...