Unstoppable Stories That Move

Guillaume de Rémacle has built a life around curiosity, connection, and wild places. A polar guide, author, expedition designer, and lifelong animal lover, Guillaume has spent years working in Antarctica, teaching travelers about penguins, seabirds, krill, and the fragile ecosystems that hold the planet together. In this episode, host Sally Hed Dahlquist talks with Guillaume about his unlikely pat...

In this edition of Sally’s Hotline, we hear from the legendary Garry Bjorklund, the first winner of Grandma’s Marathon in 1977, the namesake of the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon, and a Minnesota hometown hero whose name has appeared on thousands of race shirts. Garry’s full story appears in Episode 50 of Unstoppable: Stories That Move, which is especially fitting for the 50th anniversary of Grandm...

Garry Bjorklund is a Minnesota hometown hero, collegiate All-American, Olympian, Grandma’s Marathon champion , and the namesake of the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon . But before his name was printed on thousands of race shirts, Garry was a kid from Twig, Minnesota, running gravel roads, racing his mom to the mailbox, and learning that running was about much more than winning. In this episode, host...

In this edition of Sally’s Hotline , we hear from the unstoppable Scott Keenan , runner, organizer, author, community leader, and the original founder and race director of Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. As Grandma’s Marathon celebrates its 50th anniversary , Scott reflects on one of the simplest but most powerful lessons he carried through his years of coaching, race directing, and build...

Host Sally Hed Dahlquist sits down with Scott Keenan ahead of the 50th anniversary of Grandma’s Marathon in 2026 . Scott founded Grandma’s Marathon in 1977 with a tiny budget, a $3 entry fee, no permit, and one very big vision: to build a world-class marathon with small-town charm on the beautiful North Shore of Lake Superior. Scott shares how a small running club race in Duluth, Minnesota grew in...

In this edition of Sally's Hotline, we hear from the unstoppable Christy Larson , an everyday athlete, outdoorsy girl, health coach, and woman who had to rebuild her health and life after alcoholism nearly destroyed her. After starting to drink at age 50 and drinking every day for two years, Christy reached a point where she knew something had to change. Her story is one of honesty, courage,...

Sally Hed Dahlquist talks with the unstoppable Christy Larson , a runner, outdoor lover, wife, and woman who fought her way back to herself after alcohol had taken over her health, confidence, and sense of identity. Christy shares the honest turning point that changed everything: her husband finding hidden bottles throughout the house and telling her the truth she did not want to hear... that alco...

In this solo edition of Sally’s Hotline , host Sally Hed Dahlquist explores one of the most difficult decisions athletes face: knowing when to stop. After completing 181 marathons, and recording five DNFs (Did Not Finish), Sally shares the story of her most recent marathon withdrawal at Wisconsin’s Pine Line Marathon and explains how she recognized the difference between normal fatigue, mental dis...

In this edition of Sally's Hotline, we hear from the unstoppable Gregory David, photographer, filmmaker, skydiver, skier, and a man who has had to start over in life more times than most of us can imagine. From breaking his back in a parachute accident, to immigrating to the United States from South Africa, to rebuilding after personal loss, Gregory knows firsthand what it means to fall, lite...

What do skydiving championships, apartheid-era South Africa, film sets, a near-fatal parachute accident, and quantum consciousness have in common? They're all chapters in the extraordinary life of today's guest. Sally Hed Dahlquist sits down with Gregory David, a 73 year-old South African-born filmmaker, skydiver, adventurer, and deep thinker who has rebuilt his life more times than most...

What happens when four unstoppable runners who all crossed the finish line at the Tokyo Marathon get together to talk about it? Sally Hed Dahlquist hosts a special roundtable with three of her favorite returning guests, Christelle Douillet, Rhea Deroian, and Tom Pedersen, to recap the Tokyo Marathon and share everything they loved (and learned) about traveling in Japan. Between them, they bring de...

In this installment of Sally's Hotline, we get a powerful tip from the Unstoppable Mike Ware, a Vietnam veteran, helicopter pilot, cancer survivor, and flight instructor, about the one choice that determines everything else: which door you open. Mike shares his simple but profound framework for navigating life's hardest moments. We all have one key, he says, and two doors, one marked lif...

What does it take to survive a war, come home to a country that doesn't want you, and still choose to live? Host Sally Hed Dahlquist sits down with Mike Ware, a Vietnam veteran, helicopter pilot, life flight pilot, flight instructor, and living proof that surviving isn't just about making it out alive, it's about finding a reason to stay. Mike flew combat missions during the war in...

She came back. And she finished all seven. Sally Hed Dahlquist catches up with the unstoppable Tracy Cohen Roth, the teaching veteran, 140+ marathon finisher, and woman who just ran seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. First featured on Episode 22 in December 2025, Tracy returns to share the full story of what actually happened out there: the illness, the heat, the cold, the blisters...

In this mini episode, host Sally Hed Dahlquist shares an exciting contest announcement and a simple, encouraging tip to help you get growing this spring. Sally is giving away five signed copies of a book by the unstoppable Joel Karsten, the Minnesota farm boy turned global change maker who developed a revolutionary technique for growing food in straw bales. His method has helped feed malnourished...

In this edition of Sally's Hotline, we hear from the unstoppable Tom Pedersen, a lifelong runner and retired teacher who is back on the roads after a stroke and six-bypass open-heart surgery. Rather than dwelling on what the experience took from him, Tom shows up with hard-won wisdom about how to tackle the things in life that feel too big to start. Tom's advice is simple, practical, and...

What does it take to keep running through a stroke and open-heart surgery? Host Sally Hed Dahlquist sits down with Tom Pedersen, a 73-year-old retired CPA, lifelong runner, and living proof that the body, and the will, can be rebuilt. After a minor ischemic stroke and a six bypass open-heart surgery, Tom didn't just survive. He found his way back to the finish line. Now on the verge of comple...

In this edition of Sally’s Hotline , we hear from the unstoppable Mary Croft , who recently celebrated her 80th birthday by completing 80 kilometers (50 miles over two days) . With more than 40 years of running behind her, Mary shares the simple, grounded habits that have helped her stay healthy, active, and engaged through every decade of life. Rather than chasing intensity or perfection, Mary’s...

In this unstoppable conversation, Mary Croft joins Sally Hed Dahlquist to reflect on a life that’s equal parts endurance and service. Mary recently celebrated her 80th birthday by running 50 miles at the Across the Years ultra event in Arizona. That milestone is just one chapter in a running career that includes 235 marathons and ultras , with 70 ultramarathons (up to 100 miles), races in all 50 s...

In this installment of Sally’s Hotline , we get a little tip from Polly Letofsky , the first woman to walk around the world, about one deceptively simple idea that carried her across the continents: it’s easier to give 100% than 50%. Polly shares a raw, unforgettable story from the center of India, where exhaustion, isolation, extreme heat, and danger pushed her to the brink, and where quitting wo...

In this unstoppable conversation, Polly Letofsky shares the story of walking solo around the world for five years to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research and how that journey became an ongoing study in human nature, resilience, and community. Polly takes us from the early spark that led her to attempt the walk, to the moment she found herself truly alone for the first time in rural...

In this Sally’s Hotline mini-episode of Unstoppable Stories That Move , host Sally Hed Dahlquist sits back down with Rhea Deroian , an unstoppable runner who has run every single day for the last 12 years . Rhea is a streaker in the truest sense, but her story isn’t about perfection or extreme discipline. It’s about consistency, commitment, and choosing yourself , even when life is hard. After lea...

In this unstoppable conversation, Rhea Deroian shares how running became both an escape and a lifeline for her during an abusive marriage, and later as a joyful practice that she used to test potential partners, and ultimately find her person. Rhea takes us from her earliest inspiration (a marathon-running boss named Sue) to her own marathon win, and into the bigger lessons she’s learned about sit...

Sally’s Hotline is shaking things up! We're excited to offer you the opportunity to hear wisdom directly from the Unstoppable guests themselves. Today, host Sally Hed Dahlquist welcomes back Sian Comerford , a woman whose life has been transformed through resilience, grit, and relentless commitment. After losing 265 pounds over five years, Sian is now an unstoppable weightlifter, trainer-in-t...

It’s winter in Minnesota, prime resolution season, and today’s guest is a living reminder that transformation isn’t just a New Year’s idea…it’s a life-saving decision. Sally sits down with Sian Comerford , a 41-year-old mom of five from Indiana, small business owner (she bakes gourmet, deep-dish cookies!), and an absolutely unstoppable human who has lost over 200 pounds over five years. After grie...