The Adaptive Athlete Podcast

We sit down with Sabrina Schoenberg—a competitive ballroom dancer and adaptive CrossFit athlete. Sabrina shares how growing up with a rare neurological condition called Rhombencephalosynapsis shaped her journey through dance and fitness.  From discovering the healing rhythm of ballroom to finding strength and community in CrossFit, Sabrina tells her story with honesty, grit, and humor.  We discuss...

In this episode of The Adaptive Athlete Podcast , we sit down with Hailey Kuhn —adaptive CrossFit athlete and artist. Hailey shares her journey from a spinal cord injury at age 14 to finding strength and belonging in adaptive fitness. We dive into the challenges and triumphs of competition, the power of community, why out-of-the-chair movements matter, and how creativity fuels her life. Check out...

In this episode, we sit down with adaptive CrossFit athlete Hadar Kaufman to talk overcoming obstacles, creative adaptations, and the relentless pursuit of results. Hadar shares how he turned a childhood injury into a strength, the mindset that pushed him to the podium at the 2024 Adaptive CrossFit Games, and why he believes you can have results or excuses—never both. Follow Hadar: @ hadar_kaufman...

In this episode, we talk with David Kellam about his journey from a college football player to a spinal cord injury in 2010, discovering CrossFit in 2018, and becoming a multi-year Games athlete.  David opens up about training without hip or core function, the art of adapting movement, and what it takes to compete at a high level as a seated athlete. He shares stories of rope climbs, custom chairs...

In this episode, we sit down with John Prescott , a early figure in adaptive CrossFit and a passionate advocate for adaptive athletes. John shares his personal journey of recovery following a life-altering brain injury, highlighting how CrossFit has provided structure, resilience, and purpose during his rehabilitation.  He reflects on his involvement with WheelWOD, from its humble beginnings to be...

In this episode, we chat with Josine van Paassen , an adaptive athlete and researcher from the Netherlands. Josine shares her experience living with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) , an invisible illness that significantly impacts her daily life and athletic pursuits. She discusses the barriers adaptive athletes face, from financial and transportation issues to the psychological fear of m...

Lexi Kuppler , an accomplished adaptive athlete, shares her journey from a boating accident that resulted in the loss of her left leg to becoming a Paralympic sprinter, adaptive CrossFit podium athlete, and founder of the nonprofit " Brave the Wave ." Lexi discusses how she overcame significant challenges, embraced adaptive sports, and now empowers other adaptive athletes through wake su...

In this episode, we sit down with adaptive CrossFit athlete and coach Jon Falkenburg , who competes in the short stature division. Jon opens up about growing up with dwarfism, the creative adaptations he used to navigate daily life, and how humor became a big part of his perspective. He shares stories from childhood sports, his transition into CrossFit, and how a disappointing first experience did...

In this episode, we sit down with Meg McCreight , an adaptive CrossFit athlete and radiology professor, to discuss her journey with Erb's palsy, CrossFit, and finding balance in competition and life.  Meg shares openly about her struggles with identity, body image, and eating disorders, and the transformative community she discovered in adaptive CrossFit.  Listen as Meg reflects on redefining...

In this episode, Mat sits down with 2008 Paralympian and 8-time Fittest Seated Man with Hip Function, Tom Miazga . From the early days of discovering freedom in the water to dominating on the CrossFit competition floor, Tom shares how sport helped him find identity, community, and a relentless drive to pursue what’s possible. They talk about the neurological realities of cerebral palsy, how spasti...

Brett Horchar is a two-time CrossFit Games champion in the Neuromuscular division, and WheelWOD Games champion in the Standing Diagnosed division. In this conversation, Brett shares his journey from his unexpected diagnosis with multiple sclerosis at 21, to relearning how to walk, to standing atop the podium at the CrossFit Games. He opens up about the physical and mental challenges of training wi...

This episode features Megan Gleason, a para climber and national team athlete with cerebral palsy. Megan shares her journey from fearing heights to finding empowerment through climbing, discovering a supportive CP community online, and even joining a mission trip to the Paralympics—not to compete, but to celebrate other athletes’ stories. Together, they explore the mental resilience required in ad...

In this episode, we sit down with Abbey Phillipson , Head Strength and Conditioning coach for Paralympic athletes at the University of Michigan .  Abbey shares her journey as an adaptive athlete living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and how strength training transformed her mobility and quality of life.  From being a wheelchair user in high school to competing in bodybuilding and now coaching e...

In this episode, we sit down with adaptive CrossFit athlete Sam Wapshare , who has cerebral palsy (CP). Sam shares how he got started in fitness almost by accident, overcame misconceptions about his own abilities, and discovered the adaptive CrossFit community. We chat about the mental challenges and the occasional frustrations that come with CP, how certain days in the gym can feel drastically di...

In this episode, we sit down with CrossFit competitor and above-knee amputee, Emily Saler , who shares her journey from sustaining a life-altering leg injury to discovering a passion for adaptive athletics.  Emily recounts her early struggles with learning to use a prosthesis—right in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic—and how she ultimately found purpose and community through adaptive CrossFit co...

Mat is joined by Elicia Meairs , an adaptive athlete with cerebral palsy affecting her lower limbs. Elicia competes in Paralympic Track and Field. She is in category T34 and races in the 100m and 800m.  Mat and Elicia discuss her journey into parasports and the many wonderful organizations that help adaptive athletes find community and support. And of course we touch on CrossFit and how that helps...

On this episode of The Adaptive Athlete , Mat sits down with Morgan Ramos. Morgan  is an adaptive CrossFit Games athlete who competes in the Lower BK (below-knee) division. Born with a rare genetic disorder (P10 Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome), Morgan has overcome significant challenges to become a formidable competitor and devoted CrossFit coach. She trains under the Mexican flag, splitting her time be...

In this episode, we sit down with Sydney Peterson , an adaptive CrossFit athlete and nutrition coach, to talk about her journey with cerebral palsy, competitive CrossFit, and the power of strength training. Sydney shares how she overcame personal challenges, including struggling with an eating disorder, to develop a strong mindset and a love for fitness. She dives into her transition from conventi...

In this episode, Mat sits down with Emily Avery to talk about her journey from discovering CrossFit as a teenager to becoming a competitive adaptive athlete and advocate. After losing her arm in a car accident in 2021, Emily navigated the challenges of rebuilding her life, returning to school, and eventually stepping onto the competition floor just six months later at Wodapalooza. We discuss the p...

In this episode of The Adaptive Athlete we sit down with Lloyd Burns. Lloyd is an Upper Two Point of Contact adaptive athlete and a CrossFit L2 coach. Since his first adaptive competition in 2021, Lloyd has been learning how to modify movements and use equipment aides to help with gripping the rig, the barbell, and other implements. Are you an adaptive athlete? Get classified to compete And regist...

In this episode of The Adaptive Athlete , host Mat Hotho sits down with adaptive athlete and CrossFit Level 1 coach, Elina Villemure, who was born missing both legs—one above the knee and one below the knee. Elina shares how she discovered CrossFit almost by accident in high school. Initially trying to “mimic” standard movements, she soon realized the importance of adapting movements to her body’s...

In this episode, Mat sits down with Jocelyn Casker (Upper Two Point), whose rare genetic condition affects her arms, hearing, and other joints. Jocelyn shares how she discovered CrossFit, why having the right coach and community made all the difference, and how she learned to fully embrace adaptation—both physically and mentally—to excel in her training. She also opens up about growing up with a d...