The Adaptive Athlete Podcast
The Adaptive Athlete Podcast is dedicated to sharing the stories of athletes in the Crossfit space and beyond who have pushed past the limits doctors or others gave them.
In these conversations, you'll hear stories of resiliency, adaptation, grit, and determination. You'll also hear about the ways the adaptive space is growing.
Whether you are an adaptive athlete, a coach, or you know someone who would benefit from adaptive athletics and adaptive fitness, this podcast is the place to hear stories and build connections.
New episodes drop every Tuesday.
The Adaptive Athlete Podcast
Puzzles, Programming, and the Games Behind the Games (Feat. Lisa Gaal)
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
WheelWOD's Director of Marketing and Technology, Lisa Gaal joins the podcast to unpack what it takes to grow adaptive CrossFit from the inside out.
We talk about her path from running a full-time marketing firm to building systems, branding, and tech for events—plus the “why” that keeps a small, all-volunteer team moving.
Lisa shares candid stories about professionalizing the sport (consistent branding, sponsor visibility, athlete profiles), what the new WheelWOD website will unlock (classification data, athlete pages, education), and how athletes can present themselves to attract partners without crossing trademark lines.
We also dig into her personal journey—hearing loss, surgeries, grit—and how three weeks into foundational CrossFit training, she’s gaining fresh empathy for the work athletes do.
If you’re curious about the workout clues, the culture, and the machine behind memorable competitions, this is a don't miss episode.
Follow Lisa on Instagram: @lisa.gaal
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @TheAdaptiveAthletePod
