Mission Kona Podcast

Send a text Let's chat MENTAL FITNESS! We are excited to welcome Lori Hopper, coach and owner of Reframe Mental Fitness, to the podcast for a discussion with Mike & Michelle around what it means to be mentally fit and how having a positive mindset can truly change the game for athletes of any ability. What is mental fitness? How do I grow my fitness in the mental space? Why is mental fitn...

Send a text Amy Farrell, a physical education teacher and coach from Tupper Lake, New York, just recently competed in her 8th Ironman race in Kona. Yes, EIGHT TIMES racing that epic course, where she crossed the line with an incredible 2nd place finish in her age group. A high school swimmer and runner, Amy knew all about triathlon at a young age and she would watch the annual coverage of the Kona...

Send a text Tom de Bruyn recently competed in the 2022 Kona Ironman World Championships finishing FIRST in the 35-39 age group. Originally from Belgium, Tom resides in San Francisco where he gets to train in the beautiful weather year round. Tom shares with Mike & Michelle his path to triathlon, the importance of community and having FUN, and what a DREAM race in Kona looks like! He's tru...

Send a text Olivia Dietzel , you are an IRONMAN. When Olivia, a Wisconsin native, set out on her triathlon journey she was largely inspired by her dad who was an avid road biker. When her dad's brain cancer returned in 2018, Olivia pushed up the timeline to do her first Ironman in 2019 as a fundraiser for brain cancer research while hoping her dad could see her race. Even though his health ha...

Send a text Devin Volk - a name you WILL see again in Ironman racing. Devin currently competes in the 25-29 age group and dipped his toes into the triathlon world when he joined the college triathlon club team his freshman year at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo. Devin took a bit of an unusual route to his Kona qualifying. Having seen a lot of success at the 7...

Send a text Shyanne McGregor - wife, mother of 3, physical therapist, coach, IRONMAN - from Duluth, Minnesota chats with Mike & Michelle about her success in triathlon right out of the gate. After an age group win in her first ever Ironman (Florida 2019), she shares the indescribable JOY that followed as well as the pressure that can accompany such an EPIC race day. We can all relate to the up...

Send a text Matt Jackson, 25-29 age group, recently competed in his first Ironman World Championship in Kona. First entering the triathlon world at the age of 23, the past few years have shown an incredible progression with a top 3 finish in his age group at Tulsa Ironman in 2021 and a 2nd place age group finish at Wisconsin Ironman in 2021. There’s no denying that Matt has an innate ability to di...

Send a text Erin Oliphant blasted into the triathlon space in 2021 competing in her first 70.3 Arizona finishing 1st in the 18-24 age group. Next, she tackled a full distance Ironman Texas in 2022, also placing 1st in her age group and securing her spot to Kona. Though Erin might be new to competing, she knows a lot about the world of triathlon from her mom who also competes at a high level. Erin...

Send a text The truly exceptional triathlete, Matthew Marquardt, sat down with Mike & Michelle to recap his experience racing the 2022 Ironman World Championships in Kona where he dominated his age group (25-29) with a time of 8:35, 1st place finish and an over 8-minute lead over 2nd place. Marquardt shares about his athletic upbringing, new-found success in triathlon, and how he balances trai...

Send a text This is an introduction episode where you get to learn a bit more about Mike & Michelle, how we got into triathlon, what goals we have for the future... oh, and a few fun facts as well! We hope there are pieces of our ongoing story that you can relate to or learn from. We are lifelong learners and by no means experts in the sport of triathlon. However, we find inspiration and purpo...