The Adaptive Athlete Podcast

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/]

Curiosity and Humility (Feat. Brian Knight)

Mat Hotho sits down with Brian Knight [https://www.instagram.com/crossfitbrian/]. Brian was born with a brachial plexus injury. He won a silver medal at the 2025 CrossFit Games, and he's one of the  OGs of adaptive CrossFit content.  Brian grew up fully integrated into able-bodied sports, didn't discover CrossFit until a roommate with the heart of a coach handed him a dumbbell and a workout in a school gym in Chicago.  Brian and Mat cover the spectrum between over- and under-owning your impairment, why community matters more than circumstances, and what curiosity paired with humility looks like in practice. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2452710/fan_mail/new] Follow the podcast on Instagram: @TheAdaptiveAthletePod [https://www.instagram.com/theadaptiveathletepod/]

An Unexpected Detour (Feat. Kieran Healey-Ryder)

Mat Hotho sits down with Kieran Healey-Ryder [https://www.instagram.com/kieran.scotland/], a Glasgow-based adaptive athlete navigating a rare, progressive skeletal disease that's slowly taking the use of his left leg.  Kieran shares the story of a camping trip discovery, a devastating second opinion delivered in a Scottish palatial estate, and the quiet grief that arrives in micro-moments. He talks about losing his career and his mobility at the same time, CrossFit Glasgow refusing to let him quit, his daughters training alongside him, and the humor that keeps it all livable.  He's been in the Adaptive Open, he's still lifting, and he's still figuring it out — which is exactly the point. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2452710/fan_mail/new] Follow the podcast on Instagram: @TheAdaptiveAthletePod [https://www.instagram.com/theadaptiveathletepod/]

Three Things on My Mind (Feat. Mat Hotho)

Mat Hotho takes the mic solo for the first installment of a new format: personal episodes between the interviews, where Mat tackles the ideas and conversations he keeps having about adaptive fitness off the show. After a lap through two things on his mind—connecting adaptive athletes with local pediatric and rehab communities, and the case for a true para-sport classification system—Mat spends the bulk of this one debriefing his weekend coordinating the adaptive division at the SeaDog Summer Showdown [https://www.instagram.com/seadog_summer_showdown/] in Jupiter, Florida. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2452710/fan_mail/new] Follow the podcast on Instagram: @TheAdaptiveAthletePod [https://www.instagram.com/theadaptiveathletepod/]