The Adaptive Athlete Podcast

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 adaptive athlete with right-side hemiplegic cerebral palsy, and she works professionally as a grant officer for a major nonprofit, managing large foundation and corpora...

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. Amy reflects on her final season competing, and what it meant to return to the floor one last time. The discussion then turns to Amy’s role with the World Fitness Projec...

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 same loop used for Event 1 of the 2024 Adaptive CrossFit Games, navigating more than 2,800 turns, a brutal overnight cold snap, and the mental strain of pus...

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, she spent months chasing answers before a spinal cord stimulator helped quiet the pain signals enough to train again.  Letchen explains how exposure therapy looke...

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 to build the Games from an empty room to a world-class competition, sharing behind-the-scenes stories about forklifts, floor plans, and the volunteers who keep everyt...

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 treatment and research for vision impairments. Kym shares the emotional origin of Finding the Light , how it grew from a simple idea into a global community movement, and the power...

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-side hemiplegic cerebral palsy, facing bullying and negative self-talk, and discovering CrossFit as a way to reclaim strength, confidence, and balance in his life. The...

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.  Kyle shares how coach Rick Smith at CrossFit Kyalami broke movements into simple, scalable drills, how he manages fatigue and overcompensation between hi...

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 right-side vestibular function and facial mobility, what that’s meant for balance, vision, fatigue, and training, and why recovery strategy is non-negotiable...

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 it changes bar work, lifting numbers, and even what he chooses to post online.  We talk about the sponsorship grind, representing “invisible” disabilities on social me...

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 Throwdown accident that left him paralyzed.  Kevin opens up about faith, family, and the data-driven grind behind building fair tests for 16 adaptive divisions.  We tal...

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, how discovering CrossFit transformed her pain management, and what it means to compete on the CrossFit Games stage.  Amy also reflects on coaching as an adaptive athlete, pro...

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 (consist...

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.  She talks candidly about the early frustration of trying CrossFit before she even knew adaptive divisions existed, and how that turned into five WheelWOD Games titles—with...

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 finished second in her division at the 2024 Adaptive CrossFit Games.  We talk about her transition from the military to athletics, the challenges of adapting moveme...

In this episode, Sean Eberle shares his journey as an adaptive CrossFit athlete living with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, a rare form of dwarfism.  Sean talks about raising service dogs, leading a prison program for Canine Companions, and serving on mission trips to Panama.  He opens up about his CrossFit journey—from walking into his first gym to competing at major events—and offers practical adv...

In this episode of the Adaptive Athlete Podcast, Mat Hotho sits down with Josh Robinson. Josh competes in the neuro minor category and lives with multiple sclerosis.  Diagnosed at 23, Josh shares how his initial experience—marked by a dark prognosis and heavy depression—transformed into a disciplined, purpose-driven life rooted in faith, movement, and community.  We talk about his competitive Cros...

In this episode, Mat Hotho sits down with Dan Long, an adaptive CrossFit athlete living with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Dan shares his journey from a rugby player and a member of the British Army Royal Engineers to navigating life with chronic pain following an injury.  He explains what it’s like to live with an “invisible” disability, the daily realities of CRPS, and the tough choices...

In this episode of the Adaptive Athlete Podcast, Mat Hotho sits down with Sarah Perry, a competitive CrossFit athlete and coach living with significant vision loss from childhood brain cancer.  Sarah shares what it’s like to navigate daily life and elite competition with 75% vision loss, describing both her adaptations in and out of the gym.  She talks candidly about being “in-between” in sports c...

In this episode we sit down with Emily Cairns, an elite adaptive CrossFit athlete known for her incredible determination, joyful spirit, and innovative adaptations.  Emily shares her journey from a dream-crushing moment in her dance career to finding empowerment and community through adaptive CrossFit.  Emily offers advice for newcomers to adaptive sports, highlights the importance of supportive c...

Lysbeth Shirley is an adaptive CrossFit athlete who trains in a wheelchair due to paralysis from a stroke at birth and is also deaf.  Despite these challenges, Lysbeth trains at home using Street Parking and CrossFit.com programming.  We explore her experiences navigating school, learning sign language, and discovering CrossFit to build strength for everyday tasks and independence.  Lysbeth emphas...

Lauren Sall was an active college athlete who experienced a significant stroke at age 21. In this conversation, Lauren discusses the details of her stroke, her recovery process, and the gradual return to training and CrossFit, eventually participating in the 2023 and 2024 Adaptive CrossFit Games.  She shares reflections on resilience, adapting to new physical realities, and the mindset shifts that...

In this episode of the Adaptive Athlete Podcast, Mat Hotho talks with Anthony “Curly” Monaco, a competitive adaptive CrossFit athlete living with Friedreich’s Ataxia , a rare genetic disorder that affects coordination, balance, and muscle control.  Anthony shares how his diagnosis shaped his early life, his entry into CrossFit after a moment of friendly arm-wrestling competition, and how adaptive...

In this episode, Mat Hotho sits down with adaptive athlete Bayleigh Hooper, whose journey spans dance, gymnastics, collegiate rowing, and elite adaptive CrossFit.  Bayleigh shares how she went from growing up with bilateral clubfoot to competing at the 2021 Paralympic Games, podiuming the 2023 Adaptive CrossFit Games, and now crushing 200# squat cleans in training. They talk about the challenges o...

Brett Palser, a multi-year adaptive CrossFit athlete competing in the Seated 2 (with Hip Function) division, has overcome challenges in training and living with a spinal cord injury through hard work, humor, and a strong community. We discuss his partnership with Roderick Lopez (@MemeForTime) in 2023 for coaching and training, his current training regimen, and his upcoming goals for the year. Alon...