Unstoppable Stories That Move

Welcome to the final episode of Season One of Unstoppable: Stories That Move . In this reflective season-ending Little Tip , host Sally Hed Dahlquist looks back on a year of courage, growth, and risk and invites you to do the same. What did you do in 2025 that scared you? What did you try anyway? And how do you carry that momentum forward into 2026? Sally shares the three pillars that turn a visio...

In this special holiday Little Tip , host Sally Hed Dahlquist invites you to pause and reflect on the intangible gifts you’ve earned through your life experiences. These are the emotional strengths that build character, shape resilience, and carry you forward not just through the holidays, but all year long. Sally explores four powerful internal gifts that often go unnoticed and remain unclaimed:...

Does wind really make that much of a difference when you’re running… or are you just being dramatic? Yes, it absolutely matters for your pace, your effort, your comfort, and even your safety. In this edition of Sally's Hotline you'll learn how wind speed and direction affect your running, how to read a course map with the wind in mind, and exactly what to wear so you’re not freezing, cha...

What do you do when a crash takes your eyesight, your career, and the life you imagined? If you’re Dan Parker , you become the world’s fastest blind man . In this powerful conversation, Dan shares how he went from a devastating drag-racing accident and total blindness to setting a Guinness World Record for the fastest car driven blindfolded at 211.043 mph exactly 10 years to the day after the wrec...

Why do some people stick with a fitness routine for decades while others burn out after a few weeks? For this edition of Sally's Hotline, host Sally Hed Dahlquist shares the secret that transformed her own health: when movement becomes self-care, you will always come back for more. Sally, globetrotting marathoner and cancer-research fundraiser, opens up about how she went from feeling tired a...

In this episode, Sally talks with Tracy Cohen Roth, the 62 year old teacher and endurance athlete who is taking on the World Marathon Challenge : 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days. She’s completed marathons in all 50 states, 19 full Ironmans, 5 100-mile ultras, and now she’s lacing up for one of the toughest events on earth. Her why? To prove it’s never too late to go after something huge and...

Mega-marathoner and host Sally Hed Dahlquist breaks down one of the most important, and most misunderstood, parts of marathon success: how to fuel your body with sugar, electrolytes, and carbs so you don’t bonk, crash, or quit. After running 174 marathons , Sally has tried every combo of gels, real foods, pouches, gummies, bars, and pre-race breakfasts imaginable. Today, she shares what actually w...

In this powerful episode, tumor immunologist Dr. Mike Olin   and pediatric neuro-oncologist Dr. Chris Moertel share how a University of Minnesota discovery, centered on the immune-silencing molecule CD200, sparked a revolutionary clinical trial for one of the deadliest childhood brain cancers. They reveal what it took to get the drug into children, the upcoming Phase 2 trial, and exactly why donor...

Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about? Host Sally Hed Dahlquist is here to help you understand how to power your body through races with carboloading. Whether you haven't quite mastered your perfect pre-race diet (looking at you, microwaved rice cups!) or you'd just like a biology nerd to explain how your body stores and u...

Horticulturist and author Joel Karsten joins Sally to share how “ straw bale gardening ” went from a DIY workaround on compacted soil to a worldwide method feeding families, inspiring school programs, and winning design festivals in France. We cover the science, the practical how-to, and the humanitarian impact of growing food where soil, space, or drainage make gardening tough. In this episode, y...

Host Sally Hed Dahlquist is here to encourage you to put yourself out there by joining a club. Whether it's a running club or a book club, surrounding yourself with likeminded people helps you to reach your goals and strive toward progress. While making friends (or even meeting your spouse!) along the way! In this episode, you’ll hear: How Sally went from training for a marathon to tiring out...

Christelle Douillet returns to the podcast to chat with host Sally Hed Dahlquist about coming to the states from France. Ascending the ranks from being "extra hands in the lab" to doing powerful research about the correlation between arsenic and diabetes because there's more to health than running shoes.  In this episode, you’ll hear: How resilience can be strengthened just like any...

After crisscrossing the globe to run on every continent (yes, even camping on ice in Antarctica), Levi Shank is closing in on a milestone: 200 marathons. With 191 races (and a handful of ultras) under his belt, Levi joins host Sally Hed Dahlquist to talk travel hacking, mental resilience, and why community can carry you farther than you think. Flying standby, couchsurfing with strangers-turned-fri...

With over 300 marathons , 127 ultras , and 35 x 100-milers , Charlotte Corriher proves you don’t have to be the fastest to be Unstoppable... but you can absolutely be the festive-est . Known on Instagram as @marathoncostumechic , Charlotte races in themed costumes (head-to-toe, start-to-finish) and brings big joy to big miles. From a pirate-themed 300th marathon weekend in Wilmington, NC (complete...

Host Sally Hed Dahlquist dives into one of the most underrated tools in marathon prep: the elevation profile . From sneaky overpass bumps to high-desert dryness, Sally breaks down how to read course maps, plan for hills, and avoid signing up for the wrong race entirely (yes, that happens!). Whether you’re eyeing a net-downhill PR or bracing for altitude, this episode will help you show up prepared...

After winning Grandma’s Marathon, holding its course record for over 30 years, and becoming the first-ever winner of the London Marathon, Dick Beardsley is a true Minnesota running legend. But his story is so much more than medals and finish lines. From battling life-threatening accidents and addiction, to losing his son, Andy, a proud Iraqi war veteran, to suicide, Dick has faced challenges that...

Mega-marathoner and host Sally Hed Dalquist shares a practical, and often overlooked part of race day: making sure you actually get to the start line. From New York’s ferry-to-bus shuffle to pickup truck rides in Hawaii, Sally covers the good, the bad, and the downright messy logistics of arriving at the start line calm, prepared, and ready to run. Because no matter how many marathons you’ve train...

After fleeing Vietnam as a teenager in the 1970's, Thanh Truong built a new life in the United States, one marked by quiet determination, an adventurous spirit, and an unshakable love for running. Now, he’s on the verge of his 200th marathon and his second completion of the 50 States Marathon Challenge. In this heartfelt episode, host Sally Hed Dahlquist chats with Thanh about his extraordina...

Multi-marathoner and host Sally Hed Dahlquist keeps it real with this Sally’s Hotline episode on one of the least glamorous, but most important, aspects of long-distance running: going to the bathroom. From porta-potty strategies and poop horror stories to the science of gut reactions and electrolyte overload, this hilarious and surprisingly helpful episode is all about how to handle your bathroom...

Host Sally Hed Dalquist drops in with a quick, powerful Sally’s Hotline mini-episode to share how exercise can do more than strengthen your body, it can help exorcize your demons. Whether it’s stress, trauma, or emotional weight you’re carrying, this tip explores how physical movement (especially running) can help process what’s stuck inside. Sally shares her own experiences with running as medita...

After surviving a violent robbery where he was shot 5 times , Aaron Burros set out on an epic journey: to run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 weeks . But what began as a physical feat transformed into something much deeper. In this heartfelt episode, host Sally Hed Dahlquist chats with Running Servant Aaron about his quest for healing, purpose, and God , all while raising awareness and funds for m...

Running is always about more than running. In this Sally’s Hotline episode, Sally shares a reminder for anyone who’s ever questioned why they started in the first place. Whether you began out of hope, heartbreak, habit, or sheer spite, you showed up, and that matters more than anything. Sally dedicates this story to Beth , a fellow runner she met at the 2025 London Marathon, a race Beth signed up...

This episode was recorded live on location at the King Neptune Café in Wrightsville Beach, NC, so while the audio may be a little rough, the conversation is anything but. Host Sally Hed Dahlquist sits down with mega-marathoner and scientist Christelle Douillet , just one day after Christelle completed her 300th marathon earning her a spot on the prestigious World Mega Marathoners list. Over celebr...

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do at mile 21?  Unzip your jacket. In this edition of Sally’s Hotline , host Sally Hed Dahlquist shares a deceptively simple but race-saving tip: Don’t be afraid to take it off. Even if it’s breezy. Even if you’re nervous. Layering is your friend, and learning when to peel those layers back can make or break your race. Dedicated to the “Jersey City Tough Guy” st...

Tom Perri has run over 740 marathons , paced thousands of runners. But what makes him truly unstoppable? He’s done more than 250 marathons while living with stage 4 cancer. In this powerful episode, host Sally Hed Dalquist sits down with her longtime friend and fellow marathoner Pacer Tom at Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota . With balloons inflating behind them and excitement buzzing throug...