The Adaptive Athlete Podcast

Lights Out, Locked In (Feat. Noah Cook)

Mat Hotho sits down with Noah Cook [https://www.instagram.com/nono.c.money/], a 25-year-old vision athlete gearing up for his first CrossFit Adaptive Games appearance after going completely blind by age 18.  Noah lost his sight to glaucoma-related injuries, never touched CrossFit until after he went blind, and now trains under his dad, who's also his handler on the competition floor.  They talk prosthetic eyes, producing hip-hop tracks in Logic Pro by feel using VoiceOver, and the blind soccer and goalball club Noah's building in San Antonio with his team, San Antonio Fuego.  Noah opens up about wanting to start a nonprofit to make blind sports more accessible, and closes with a message for anyone new to this community: it's okay to be afraid. That's where the growth happens. The Adaptive Athlete podcast is sponsored by Equip Products [https://equipproducts.com/collections/visually-impaired]. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2452710/fan_mail/new] Follow the podcast on Instagram: @TheAdaptiveAthletePod [https://www.instagram.com/theadaptiveathletepod/]

Make Me Strong and Unkillable (Feat. McKenzie Kravetsky)

Mat Hotho sits down with McKenzie Kravetsky [https://www.instagram.com/fitwithmckenzie/], a rookie Lower Minor athlete heading to her first CrossFit Games. In 2013, a head-on collision left McKenzie with injuries that reconstructed nearly everything — including a right ankle that's now fused and immobile.  She walked into a CrossFit gym mid-recovery with one request: make me strong and unkillable. Thirteen years later, she's a black belt, a registered nurse, and an athlete reshaping what's possible in the rural Mountain West.  McKenzie talks about training around a fused ankle, the breathing discipline she carried over from judo, and the limb-salvage brace that let her run again after three years. She's also been knocking on doors across Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah to push for adaptive divisions at local competitions. The episode is brought to you by Equip Products [https://equipproducts.com]. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2452710/fan_mail/new] Follow the podcast on Instagram: @TheAdaptiveAthletePod [https://www.instagram.com/theadaptiveathletepod/]

Finding the Monster Within (Feat. Roman Cameron)

Mat Hotho sits down with Roman Cameron [https://www.instagram.com/romaneugene/], a rookie heading into his first CrossFit Adaptive Games in one of the sport's toughest divisions, Seated with Hip Function.  Roman shares how a vitamin B12 deficiency at 17 led to spinal cord degeneration and life in a wheelchair, and how he turned that into a relentless drive to compete. He talks studying film like he did back in soccer and rugby, mentoring younger athletes at WHASCP Fitness [https://www.instagram.com/whascpfitness/] in South Africa, and what it takes to fundraise for an international competition when the Rand doesn't go far against the Dollar.  Mat and Roman dig into mindset, money, and what it really means to find the "monster" inside yourself.  Support Roman's trip to the Games [https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/help-to-get-roman-to-the-usa]. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2452710/fan_mail/new] Follow the podcast on Instagram: @TheAdaptiveAthletePod [https://www.instagram.com/theadaptiveathletepod/]

You're Capable—Even If You Don't Know It Yet (Feat. Kristee Irby)

Mat Hotho sits down with Kristee Irby [https://www.instagram.com/kristeeirby/], a Houston-based adaptive CrossFit athlete competing with a left limb difference. Kristee didn't even know adaptive CrossFit existed when she first walked into her gym, Bellhouse CrossFit [https://www.instagram.com/bellhouse_fitness/]. She stumbled into the Open, found herself on a leaderboard, and had to decide: was she actually going to do this? She did. What followed was double sessions, a self-built spreadsheet of past semifinal workouts, and a velcro ankle strap from Amazon turned into a rowing attachment.  This conversation covers her work ethic, what it meant to finally see other athletes who looked like her, and why she thinks the best thing she can tell a younger version of herself is simply: you're capable. The Adaptive Athlete Podcast is sponsored by Equip Products [https://equipproducts.com]. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2452710/fan_mail/new] Follow the podcast on Instagram: @TheAdaptiveAthletePod [https://www.instagram.com/theadaptiveathletepod/]

Adapt and Overcome (Feat. Oscar Jessup)

Mat Hotho sits down with Oscar Jessup [https://www.instagram.com/oscarmarcus_jessup/], a 17-year-old adaptive CrossFit athlete from Australia who placed third at last year's Adaptive Games in Las Vegas, complete with his now-famous bow-and-arrow celebration.  Oscar's joined by his dad Rich and his coach Tom Woodham [https://www.instagram.com/tomwoodham_/] from CrossFit 2444, and together they get into what it actually takes to build a path for an athlete like Oscar: a gym that says yes first and figures out the how second.  They talk Vegas highlights, the strength of Oscar's gymnastics, where the I division's programming could grow, and the family and coaching support behind every lift. It's a loud, funny, full-hearted conversation about community and coaching.  Rich's advice for any family starting out? Find yourself a Tom. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2452710/fan_mail/new] Follow the podcast on Instagram: @TheAdaptiveAthletePod [https://www.instagram.com/theadaptiveathletepod/]