Pursuing Health

Austin Malleolo is a three-time winner of the Northeast Regional (2011-2013) and six-time CrossFit Games competitor, including individual finishes in the Top 10 in 2010 and 2012, and a 5th place finish as a member of Team Reebok CrossFit One in 2017. Austin got his start in the fitness industry as a personal trainer, and over time, has added an ever-growing list of achievements to his name, including becoming a CrossFit coach, earning his exercise science degree, excelling in his role as a flowmaster on the CrossFit HQ Seminar staff, becoming the head coach at Reebok CrossFit One and owner of Reebok CrossFit One Nation, and developing an online training program, The Ham Plan. Each year, Reebok brings together CrossFit Games athletes to introduce Reebok’s brand campaign, apparel and footwear for the upcoming year. It’s an opportunity for athletes to give feedback, train together, and spend time with each other in a relaxed environment. I was excited to sit down with Austin at this year’s Reebok Athlete Summit in the Bahamas to chat about how CrossFit has shaped the corporate culture of Reebok, how Austin’s experiences as a youth taught him the importance of personal responsibility and surrounding himself with the right kind of people, and why he is so driven to keep accomplishing more.

Adee Cazayoux has built a reputation as a nutrition expert, helping elite athletes such as Katrin Davidsdottir, Jessica Lucero, and Camille Leblanc-Bazinet dial in their nutrition to enhance athletic performance. She is the founder of Working Against Gravity, an online nutrition consulting program dedicated to helping athletes and everyday people change their body composition. Known as the “Barbell Gypsy,” Adee is an elite athlete in her own right, having earned a National medal in Olympic weightlifting. Adee’s passion for nutrition began at age 16 when she found herself overweight and struggling to participate in the sports she had once loved. With the help of her mother and a nutritionist, she learned how to track her macronutrients and discovered the power of eating properly. After college, she completed her Precision Nutrition Level 1, and more recently, has been studying to earn her Masters in Nutrition and Human Performance. I caught up with Adee at the 2017 CrossFit Games to talk about her nutrition philosophy, counting macros, how she came to own one of the most well-known nutrition businesses in the CrossFit world, and what tips she has to share with individuals looking to improve their diets.

In this episode of Pursuing Health, I chat with motivational speaker and best selling author Kyle Maynard. Kyle is an entrepreneur, an ESPY award-winning mixed martial arts athlete, a CrossFit box owner, and a photographer... and he has achieved all this despite being born with congenital amputation, a condition that has left him with arms that end at the elbows and legs that end near his knees. Throughout Kyle's childhood, doctors suggested to his family that he would never be able to live a normal life because of his physical condition. Luckily, his parents disregarded these opinions and instilled a can-do attitude in Kyle. In kindergarten, he opted to discontinue wearing prosthetics. By middle school, he was participating in football, and by high school, he was dominating on the wrestling mat. At the age of 19, Kyle authored a New York Times best selling autobiography, and was featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Larry King Live. During the CrossFit Sectionals in 2010, Kyle climbed Stone Mountain - an experience he credits with sparking his interesting in mountaineering. He went on to become the first quadruple amputee to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Aconcagua without the aid of prosthetics. Kyle loves to inspire others to live a life of growth by overcoming challenges and adversity. He firmly believes that a positive mindset can make all the difference in achieving your goals. I recently caught up with Kyle to talk about how his childhood and how his family helped shape his belief that he can accomplish anything, how challenging himself and facing adversity has forced him to grow, and what he hopes others can learn from his success.

Brooke Wells is a three-time CrossFit Games athlete, making her first appearance after winning the Central Regional at just 19 years old. She is consistently one of the top 20 Fittest Women in the world, finishing 16th in 2015, 6th in 2016, and 14th in 2017. In addition to her full training schedule, Brooke also attends school at the University of Missouri where she is earning her business degree. Jessica Griffith is also a three-time CrossFit Games athlete, and made her rookie debut as an individual in 2017. She works full-time as an emergency room nurse at a Level I Trauma Center in St. Louis and enjoys how many people she’s able to help on a daily basis through her work. Jessica successfully balances her long work hours with a rigorous training schedule that helps prepare her for the challenges of competing at the Games. Brooke and Jessica were hallmates at the 2017 CrossFit Games and formed a fast friendship as they encouraged each other through the trials of cyclocross, swimming, an obstacle course, and more. I caught up with Brooke and Jess at the Rogue Winter Classic to chat about their evolution as CrossFit Games athletes, how they balance their training with school and work, and what tips, habits, and practices they use to be successful as they train for the 2018 CrossFit Games.

Olympic medalist Caroline Burckle is a highly decorated freestyle swimmer whose achievements include winning a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and a gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games. She swam for the University of Florida on an athletic scholarship, where she was awarded 2008 NCAA Swimmer of the Year. A two-time National Champion, Caroline also broke the oldest standing swimming record in the 500-yard freestyle. After her retirement from competitive swimming in 2010, Caroline went on to receive her Master’s Degree in Sports Psychology & Motor Behavior. Rebecca Soni, a breaststroke specialist also known as ‘Reb,’ holds 6 Olympic medals, three gold and three silver, spanning across two Olympics- the 2008 Beijing Games, and the 2012 London Games. She’s a former World Record Holder in the breaststroke, and is well known for her distinctive swimming technique. Rebecca has a B.S. in Communications from the University of Southern California, a certificate in Positive Psychology, and is also a certified Health Coach. Following their illustrious careers, Rebecca and Caroline both struggled with burnout and a loss of structure and routine. Eventually they joined together to found the RISE Elite Athletes program, where they use their unique blend of knowledge and experience to mentor young athletes in a variety of sports. I recently caught up with Caroline and Reb to talk about their Olympic experiences, how they processed their retirement from their swimming careers, and how they’re using positive psychology to set a future generation of athletes up for success.

In this episode of Pursuing Health, I chat with three-time CrossFit Games athlete and chiropractic medical student Patrick Vellner. In 2016, Pat made a big entrance to the Games individual competition scene, placing third and earning the title Rookie of the Year. In 2017, he returned to prove his podium finish was no fluke, and turned in a solid performance that had him walking away in fourth place. However, after the Games, it was discovered that the initial third place finisher, Ricky Gerard, had tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. Following Gerard’s disqualification, Pat Vellner was awarded his rightful place on the podium, in a bittersweet turn of events. Pat comes from a broad athletic background, including competing on a national level in gymnastics, and playing lacrosse and rugby. He’s currently studying to become a doctor of chiropractic in his home country of Canada, and balancing his course load with training for the 2018 CrossFit Games. I caught up with Pat to talk about receiving his Games medal at the CrossFit Invitational, the controversy of performance enhancing drugs in CrossFit, how he balances medical school and training for the Games, and what plans he has for the future.

In this episode of Pursuing Health, I sit down with the founder of the Sugar Free Revolution, Karen Thomson. Karen grew up in South Africa and battled addiction to multiple substances from an early age. She found help through an inpatient rehab center, but several years into recovery, she came to realize she still had one lingering addiction: sugar. Using knowledge from her own journey to recovery, Karen partnered with other rehabilitation professionals to develop a one-of-a-kind approach, treating sugar addiction with an inpatient program using the abstinence model. She paid special attention to the underlying issues leading to sugar and carbohydrate addiction, and identified the need for a support network for those trying to kick an addiction. She went on to write a book, Sugar Free: 8 Weeks to Freedom from Sugar and Carb Addiction, and also began sharing her message at conferences. It was at one of those conferences that she met CrossFit founder Greg Glassman, and they developed a friendship that resulted in the creation of the CrossFit Health Conference. Karen and her family recently moved to Palm Springs, CA, where she is focused on opening another rehabilitation clinic to help others recover from addiction and live their healthiest life. I caught up with Karen in Madison, WI, at the 2017 CrossFit Games to talk about how she made the choice to seek help, overcame her own addictions, and why she now uses her own experiences to help others do the same.

In this episode Pursuing Health, I sit down with USA Track & Field athlete Tiffeny Parker. Tiffeny competes on both the national and international stage in the heptathlon, and competed at the Olympic Trials in 2016. A volleyball player from a young age, Tiffeny got a late start in the heptathalon, but saw early success, placing 4th at Junior Nationals shortly after learning the sport. She went on to compete at the collegiate level while studying Business and Marketing at Azusa Pacific University. There, Tiffeny found an ideal training situation, and she developed ties with an elite community of athletes that she would continue to surrounded herself with even after graduation. Tiffeny has faced many odds on her road to success, including the unexpected passing of her mother, a major life event that she credits with giving her the drive to pursue athletics as a profession. She has also faced injury and athletic disappointment, but has learned to rely on her community and use a positive mindset to aid in unlocking her full potential. Tiffeny was introduced to the CrossFit world when Chris Hinshaw recruited her to help teach athlete Camille LeBlanc Bazinet how to hurdle during the 2015 CrossFit Games on 24 hours notice. She has worked many top athletes, including Katrin Davidsdottir, Mat Fraser, team CrossFit Mayhem Freedom, and more. She is currently training in Dallas, TX as she sets her sights on the 2018 IAAF World Championships. I caught up with Tiffeny in Cookeville, TN in the spring of 2017 to talk about her track career, how she became involved in the CrossFit world, and what wisdom she has to share from her experiences.

At just 20 years of age, John David Glaude weighed 360 pounds. After years of struggling with his weight, John was sure he was headed toward a future of significant morbidity, yet he didn't believe he was capable of changing his course. However, a series of events finally led up to what he describes as his "click moment:" the instant he decided he was going to change his lifestyle. John went on to lose 170 lbs and eventually competed in a bodybuilding competition before he found CrossFit. John has documented his journey on his YouTube channel titled "Obese to Beast" and he continues to serve as an inspiration and resource for others on their weight loss journeys.

Pat Barber found CrossFit while playing competitive high school volleyball, and was one of the few fortunate enough to train under Coach Greg Glassman at the original CrossFit gym. He began working for CrossFit as a video editor in those early days, and later as a trainer on the CrossFit Seminar Staff. Taz Barber also became a trainer on the CrossFit Seminar Staff after earning her BSc in Sports Science and BA in Psychology at the University of Auckland and opening the first ever CrossFit affiliate in New Zealand. Together, this power couple has had more than 10 CrossFit Games appearances, both as individuals and as members of various teams. They each served as the Head of Coaching Development at NC Fit prior to turning their full attention to running Warm Up and Workout together and raising their two young boys. I caught up with the Barbers at their home in Santa Cruz, CA to talk about their history, what drives them to do what they do, and some of the biggest lessons they've learned along the way (hint: many of them come from being parents!).

After finding early success as a young champion competitive freestyle skier, Brian Reap fell into to drugs and alcohol after an injury. Addiction had a strong grip on him for many years, and he eventually found himself in Federal prison facing a 5-10 year sentence. It was through CrossFit that Brian was given a second chance - he found his way out of prison with a new passion and purpose in life. Today, Brian is a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer and member of CrossFit Port Royal Sound. He is also a coach for Sobriety WOD, leading free workouts for others searching for sobriety. Brian's story is real, unique and gives a strong sense hope to others battling addiction.

Delos (Toby) Cosgrove, MD is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Cleveland Clinic, an $8 billion health care system. Under his leadership, Cleveland Clinic has consistently been the #2 hospital in America by the U.S. News & World Report. Dr. Cosgrove received his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville and completed his clinical training at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital and Brook General Hospital in London. His undergraduate work was at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He was a surgeon in the U.S. Air Force and served in Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam, as the Chief of U.S. Air Force Casualty Staging Flight. For his service he was awarded the Bronze Star and the Republic of Vietnam Commendation Medal. Dr. Cosgrove joined the Cleveland Clinic in 1975 and was named Chairman of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular surgery in 1989. Under his leadership, Cleveland Clinic’s heart program was ranked No. 1 in America for 10 years in a row (U.S. News & World Report), a ranking it now holds for 22 consecutive years. He has published nearly 450 journal articles, book chapters, one book and 17 training and continuing medical education films. He performed more than 22,000 operations and earned an international reputation for expertise in all areas of cardiac surgery, especially valve repair. As an innovator, Dr. Cosgrove has 30 patents filed for developing medical and clinical products used in surgical environments. In 2014, Dr. Cosgrove authored “The Cleveland Clinic Way: Lessons in Excellence from One of the World’s Leading Health Care Organizations,” which takes an in-depth look at today’s healthcare system. It describes the eight trends shaping the future of medicine in this country to be more efficient, more effective and more affordable than it is today. The book acknowledges the challenges facing the industry but takes a “strongly optimistic” view of what lies ahead by illustrating how Cleveland Clinic is helping to shape the future of medicine by working toward one goal: putting patients first. Dr. Cosgrove is a sought-after speaker worldwide. He has addressed the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting at Davos, Switzerland, and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, in Washington, D.C. He is regularly quoted and featured in national magazines and newspapers such as Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. He has appeared on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, NBC, CBS, “The Charlie Rose Show” on PBS, and other national media outlets. Dr. Cosgrove was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2013. He is also a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (2015) and Castle Connolly National Physician of the Year. Recent honors include the Deming Cup and Horatio Alger Award. He is a 2016 Fortune Businessperson of the Year (No. 14), and has topped Inside Business’s “Power 100” listing for Northeast Ohio. He is highly ranked among Modern Healthcare’s “100 most powerful people in healthcare” and “most powerful physician executives,” and is an inductee of the Cleveland Medical Hall of Fame. Dr. Cosgrove has been consulted by successive presidential administrations, serving on the Veterans Administration Commission on Care (2015) and the recent White House Strategic and Policy Forum. We sat down shortly after my graduation from the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine to discuss Dr. Cosgrove's background, his contributions to the Cleveland Clinic during his tenure as CEO, and his vision for the future of healthcare in America.

Rory McKernan is a well-known face of the Reebok CrossFit Games as the host of the Update Show as well as one-half of the infamous Ro vs. Boz CrossFit Games Open rivalry. We sat down to discuss his background and how he discovered CrossFit, how he became involved with CrossFit Headquarters as a member of the seminar staff and media department, and how CrossFit Media has evolved from its early videos to producing live coverage and top-rated documentaries of the Games each year.

Haley Adams is a 16-year-old Reebok CrossFit Games athlete from College Hill CrossFit in Greensboro, North Carolina. Haley has a strong gymnastics background and first found CrossFit in 2014. She qualified for and competed in the 2016 Reebok CrossFit Games where she placed 2nd in the 14-15 Teenage Girls division. Following this early success, Haley decided to begin homeschooling so she could commit herself to her training this year. Thus far in the 2017 season, she won the 16-17 Teenage Girl division in the Open and also qualifyed to the Atlantic Regional where she competed and finished in 14th. We caught up recently at Power Monkey Fitness Camp to discuss her approach to training and her goals for the 2017 season.

Sara Sigmundsdottir is a 24-year old Icelandic athlete who has finished in third place at the Reebok CrossFit Games for the past 2 years. Heading into the 2017 Games, she's taken the title for both the Reebok CrossFit Games Open and the Central Regional this season. She has also competed in several weightlifting competitions and broke several Icelandic national records at the 2017 WOW Reykjavik Games Olympic Weightlifting Championships. Sara started CrossFit in 2012 with very little competitive athletic background, growing up with a passion for music and art. After finding her way from bootcamp training to CrossFit, Sara made her competitive debut in 2013 and eventually made her way to the top of the podium at the Meridian Regional in 2015 and 2016. We caught up recently at CrossFit Mayhem, where she has been living and training this season for the 2017 CrossFit Games.