The Hard Way With Joe De Sena

Four time NCAA wrestling champion Kyle Dake's parents raised him in a nurturing environment that would pave the way for his success. Yet this never meant that he could bypass the hard work. Every day, and he's in the gym just about every day, Dake pushes the wall back a little further, extending how far he can go without breaking. As a result, he has complete faith in his invincibility. He doesn't...

Allen Lim, founder of Skratch Labs and the only American scientist to have worked and cooked for teams at the Tour de France, has worked with dozens of top American cyclists to improve their performance and nutrition. He conceived his company in the intense atmosphere of  the Tour de France. If his methods could succeed in this gritty environment, he figured, they'd certainly thrive in day to day...

Gracie Van Der Byl finds her bliss by swimming in competitions that are the aquatic equivalent of the Tour de France. It is in the midst of these undertakings when she feels like she is her best, most authentic self. Her swims are an exercise in zen, focusing on the now and surrendering to not knowing. Even her philosophy on shark hazards reads like a koan: It's not the shark you see that's the pr...

It started as a bet, but soon turned into a mission. Tony the Fridge carries a 93 lb. "burden" on his back on journeys that make marathons look like fun runs. Why? He does it for those who carry what he sees as greater loads, notably the cancer sufferers for whom he raises funds. How? He never runs solely relying on his own strength. He is empowered by the community supporting him. His dedication...

How does Jeff Clarke, the new CEO of Kodak Film, propose to take a company that the digital age has rendered bankrupt back into prominence? He has a few tricks up his sleeve. If you ask him, analogue film, much like vinyl records in the music industry, is an art form that is bound to make a comeback. Furthermore, film has spurred many cutting edge technologies with exciting possibilities for every...

Zach Even Esh, body builder, strength coach and author, built success out of the raw material of failure. His self belief carried him through the rough patches of a startup wrestling camp that he ran out of his garage. It took him a year to even make a dime. But he would tap into the energy of the small successes to build momentum, in his eyes a crucial component of making it, and that propelled h...

Joe banters with the guys from Barbell Shrugged at the Pittsfield Original General Store. Barbell Shrugged, a podcast for all things Crossfit, was Joe's inspiration for the one you're about to watch. The guys chat about everything from the future of Spartan Race to what life would be like if Joe were king. (Hint: not too easy.) Is Joe heading to a counterculture rave in the desert? Joe is hosting...

Ben Greenfield, triathlete, Spartan Racer, fitness guru, father and author of Beyond Training is equally driven by his passions as well as his family. The whole idea, he says, is to remember the important things in life. To achieve that balance, instead of forgoing one thing or another, he combines both. His family stays together while they play together. It started when he began running triathlon...

Like a Rocky of Brazilian Jujitsu, Ricardo Migliarse harnessed the brutality of the mean streets of South Philly to his advantage. He learned to stand up to the daily harassment of bullies and transformed that raw toughness into something that could help others. He followed his brother into jujitsu and quickly rose to be a top competitor. In the process, he discovered that the truly tough people i...

Nicole Deboom is the epitome of "following your passion." Her triathlon passion transformed her life. It was how she met her husband who was the inspiration for her endeavors. It also led her to the epiphany that gave birth to a pioneering running skirt business and inspired her when she needed a winning approach to success. Even with limited experience, she found a nontraditional approach that th...

The epitome of Grit, Joe Desena, founder & CEO of Spartan Race and NY Times best-selling author, travels the globe seeking and answers from experts like Sir Richard Branson, Steve Pressfield, Barbell Shrugged, and many more. Joe’s weekly interviews with authors, academics, athletes, adventurers, CEOs and thought leaders will shift your thinking, make you laugh and give you the tools you need. He’s...