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.
Episodes
57 episodes
Cerebral Palsy, Parasailing, and the CrossFit Open (Feat. Adam Billany)
Mat Hotho sits down with Adam Billany, a British adaptive athlete competing in both parasailing and CrossFit. Adam was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at around age two; it affects both...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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33:02
If You Can See It, You Can Be It (Feat. Natalie South-Law)
In this episode the Adaptive Athlete Podcast, Mat Hotho sits down with Natalie South-Law, a UK-based adaptive athlete with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy who has competed at a s...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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36:57
Why Not Me? (Feat. Jacob Peterson)
Mat Hotho sits down with Jacob Peterson, an adaptive powerlifter from Alabama living with mild cerebral palsy. Released during Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, Jacob talks about the s...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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47:07
What It Actually Takes to Be Inspiring (Feat. Aaron Trent)
Mat Hotho sits down with Aaron Trent, a former para cyclist who placed second and third at the UCI Para-Cycling World Championships in 2009 and spent two and a half years ...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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42:58
Have Fun, No Regrets (Feat. Shana Coissard)
Mat Hotho sits down with Shana Coissard, a French adaptive athlete with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome who's carved out an impressive path through wheelchair basketball, CrossFit, and adaptive...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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40:27
A Championship Mindset and the Brother Behind the Scenes (Feat. Lance King & Kyle King)
Mat Hotho sits down with Lance King — three-time CrossFit Adaptive Games champion in the Intellectual Disability without Chromosomal Condition division — and his older brother
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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42:12
The Power of Being Different (Feat. Julia Halberstam)
Mat Hotho sits down with Julia Halberstam, who competes in the Upper Two Point division and placed second at the 2025 CrossFit Adaptive Games. Their conversation starts with the hilarious story of how they met at the 2024 Sea Dog competi...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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40:55
Why Winning Wasn't the Point (Feat. Luke Reeson)
Mat Hotho sits down with Luke Reeson, a former British Army sniper who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he was shot three times across two deployments—including twice in the legs during his final tour. What followed was a journey fr...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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41:21
Everyone Is an Athlete: Adapting the Open for All Abilities (Feat. Sarah Tucker)
In this episode, Mat Hotho sits down with Sarah Tucker, founder of Uncharted Adaptive Fitness Virginia, to explore the transformative power of Adaptive CrossFit. ...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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44:27
It's All Kevin's Fault (Feat. Brandon Mantz)
In this episode, Mat Hotho sits down with Brandon Mantz, a seated athlete who secured a third-place podium finish at the CrossFit Games for four consecutive years. Brandon shares the story of his "pivot point" in December 2018, wh...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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54:49
Fund Your Season: A Simple Framework (Feat. Candice Arnone)
Candice Arnone joins Mat Hotho for a practical conversation about fundraising and sponsorships for adaptive CrossFit athletes without the awkwardness, guilt, or “I’m asking for a handout” mentality.Candice is a Neuromuscular Major adapti...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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33:51
From Competitor to Commentator (Feat. Amy Bream)
In this bonus episode of The Adaptive Athlete Podcast, Mat Hotho is joined by adaptive athletes Amy Bream and Brett Palser for a wide-ranging conversation on competition, community, and the evolving landscape of adaptive fitness.A...
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Season 1
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Episode 46
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45:44
720 Laps and a World Record (Feat. Mike Egan)
In this bonus episode of the Adaptive Athlete Podcast, I sit down with wheelchair athlete, coach, and new dad Mike Egan to unpack his 24-hour Guinness World Record attempt at Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio. Mike wheeled 152.36 miles on the ...
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Season 1
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Episode 45
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40:36
Gaslighting Your Own Body (Feat. Letchen du Plessis)
South African adaptive athlete Letchen du Plessis joins the show to talk about her journey from a scholarship netball player to an adaptive CrossFit champion. After a hip injury led to CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) with dystonia,...
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Season 1
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Episode 44
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1:02:13
From Empty Room to Competition Floor in 14 Days (Feat. David Needham & Kevin Carlson)
In this episode, Mat Hotho and Brett Palser sit down with David “Cowboy Dave” Needham and Kevin “Cowboy Carl” Carlson, two of the key figures who make the Adaptive CrossFit Games possible. They pull back the curtain on what it takes...
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Season 1
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Episode 43
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1:03:34
Finding Your Way Out of Darkness: Beyond Vision Loss (Feat. Kym Dekeyrel)
In this bonus episode, Mat Hotho sits down with Kym Dekeyrel, a completely blind CrossFit athlete and the founder of Finding the Light—a fundraising workout that supports Fighting Blindness, an organization advancing trea...
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Season 1
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Episode 42
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27:46
Building Community One Conversation at a Time (Feat. Mat Hotho)
We wrap up Season One of The Adaptive Athlete Podcast by flipping the script. Host Mat Hotho sits down with past guest Sean Eberle, but this time Mat is the one answering the questions. He shares his journey of growing up with right-si...
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Season 1
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Episode 41
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1:12:35
Building Strength One Gymnastics Drill at a Time (Feat. Kyle Harper)
CrossFit Games rookie, Kyle Harper joins the podcast to talk training with hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy, the long road from strict pull-ups to bar and ring muscle-ups, and why impeccable timing and technique, not brute force, unlock complex skills...
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Season 1
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Episode 40
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43:05
Building the Sport from Behind the Curtain (Feat. Shannon Ogar)
Head Judge of the Adaptive CrossFit Games, Shannon Ogar, joins the podcast to talk about her path from University of Alabama athletic trainer to adaptive athlete and leader in the sport. She shares how a stroke-like medical event changed her ri...
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Season 1
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Episode 39
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54:55
The Invisible Disability That Feels Like a Bad Knee Every Day (Feat. Florian Gruhlke)
Florian Gruhlke joins from Germany to talk about training with two little kids at home, a new 2-hour daily commute, and squeezing sessions in from 9–11 p.m. He opens up about living and competing with multi-joint osteoarthritis—how ...
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Season 1
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Episode 38
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37:26
Perspective Bringer: When Your Disability Becomes Your Calling (Feat. Kevin Ogar)
WheelWOD’s Kevin Ogar joins the podcast from Las Vegas a week before the Adaptive CrossFit Games. We trace his path from Missouri “country problem solver” to 2007-era CrossFitter and regional athlete, and then the life-altering OC T...
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Season 1
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Episode 37
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51:51
Only I Get to Write My Story (Feat. Amy Johnson)
Amy Johnson joins The Adaptive Athlete Podcast to share her journey from living with a brachial plexus injury to finding CrossFit as a lifeline. She talks about the challenges of growing up with limited use of her right arm...
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Season 1
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Episode 36
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50:39
Puzzles, Programming, and the Games Behind the Games (Feat. Lisa Gaal)
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 sy...
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Season 1
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Episode 35
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46:11
Opening Doors for Costa Rican Adaptive Athletes (Feat. Amalia Ortuño)
From San José, Costa Rica, adaptive athlete Amalia Ortuño shares her path from dance and triathlon to adaptive CrossFit after a series of surgeries led to progressive neurological damage and a different life than she imagined. <...
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Season 1
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Episode 34
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43:49
Sprinting Through Life (Feat. Debbie O'Connell)
In this episode, Mat Hotho sits down with Debbie O’Connell, a British Army veteran turned adaptive athlete. After a life-changing injury in 2015, Debbie found her way back into sport through sprinting and eventually CrossFit—where she fi...
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Season 1
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Episode 33
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47:39
