Podcast appearances and mentions of rudy garcia tolson

The 2024 Paralympic Games kicked off with an opening ceremony in the heart of Paris that featured aerial displays, dancers and a major spectacle attended by more than 60,000 people. Thousands of athletes with disabilities are preparing for what promises to be a stunning display of athleticism over 11 days. Stephanie Sy discussed the games with Rudy Garcia-Tolson, a four-time Paralympian. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The 2024 Paralympic Games kicked off with an opening ceremony in the heart of Paris that featured aerial displays, dancers and a major spectacle attended by more than 60,000 people. Thousands of athletes with disabilities are preparing for what promises to be a stunning display of athleticism over 11 days. Stephanie Sy discussed the games with Rudy Garcia-Tolson, a four-time Paralympian. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Rudy Garcia-Tolson endured 15 surgeries by the age of five before telling his parents he'd rather have a double leg amputation...By age 8, he had already become active in swimming, running and triathlons...At that age, he stated that he wanted to compete at the Paralympic Games and eight years later, Rudy made good on his promise when he swam to gold at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. Now he is a 5X Paralympian and 5X Paralympic Medalist. In 2009, Rudy also became the world's first double above-knee amputee to complete an Ironman triathlon.

Roderick has seen a lot in his young life. He has the wisdom of someone far older, but he also has the little kid enthusiasm as he tells the story of how his good bud and roommate Rudy Garcia-Tolson hooked him on swimming when he let Roderick ride on his back as Rudy swam in a hotel pool. Fear of the water soon became a desire to faster and empower others the way that Rudy had empowered him.

This week's guest may be familiar. Rudy Garcia Tolson's been to the Paralympics five times and won five medals, and he was the first double-above the knee amputee to complete an Ironman. Today we get to know Rudy better and understand why when he was five years old he decided to have his legs amputated just so he could finally get out of the hospital and live his life. And he tells us know many prosthetics he went through as a kid and how many celebrities he's met over the years. Then, he shares his one piece of advice for everyone dreaming big. This week's episode is brought to you by the AIRWAAV Endurance Performance Mouthpiece, which can open your airway by up to 25% for improved breathing. As a partner of USA Triathlon, AIRWAAV is offering Triathlete Hour listeners 15% off with code TH15. 

This week's guest may be familiar. Rudy Garcia Tolson's been to the Paralympics five times and won five medals, and he was the first double-above the knee amputee to complete an Ironman. Today we get to know Rudy better and understand why when he was five years old he decided to have his legs amputated just so he could finally get out of the hospital and live his life. And he tells us know many prosthetics he went through as a kid and how many celebrities he's met over the years. Then, he shares his one piece of advice for everyone dreaming big. This week's episode is brought to you by the AIRWAAV Endurance Performance Mouthpiece, which can open your airway by up to 25% for improved breathing. As a partner of USA Triathlon, AIRWAAV is offering Triathlete Hour listeners 15% off with code TH15. 

Welcome to Episode #336 of the 303 Endurance Podcast. You are listening to your weekly connection to coaches, experts, and pro athletes to help you reach your endurance goals. We're your hosts coach Rich Soares and 303 Chief Bill Plock. Thanks for joining us for another week of endurance interviews and discussion.   Show Sponsor: UCAN Take your performance to the next level with UCAN Energy and Bars made with SuperStarch®  UCAN uses SuperStarch instead of simple sugars to fuel athletes.  UCAN keeps blood sugar steady compared to the energy spikes and crashes of sugar-based products.  Steady energy equals sustained performance!       Use UCAN in your training and racing to fuel the healthy way, finish stronger and recover more quickly!  Use the code 303UCAN for 20% off at ucan.co/discount/303UCAN/ or ucan.co     In Today's Show Feature Coaching Topic How Testing Makes You Faster Endurance News IRONMAN World Championship Results Utah Sports Commission Expected To Create Total Economic Impact Of More Than $35m Dollars PTO Pro Am, to be held this Sunday 15 May at the Herbalife24 Triathlon Los Angeles What's new in the 303 Triathlon Races in Colorado this Season Video of the Week TBD   Our News is sponsored by Buddy Insurance. Buddy Insurance gives you peace of mind to enjoy your training and racing to the fullest. Buddy's mission is simple, to help people fearlessly enjoy an active and outdoor lifestyle.    Get on-demand accident insurance just in case the unexpected happens. Buddy ensures you have cash for bills fast.  This is accident insurance not health and life insurance.  Go to buddyinsurance.com and create an account.  There's no commitment or charge to create one.  Once you have an account created, it's a snap to open your phone and in a couple clicks have coverage for the day.  Check it out!   Training Discussion: Regular Testing   Regular testing to determine your threshold intensities in each discipline is an important (arguably essential) practice to getting faster. This works for new and experienced athletes. Newer athletes may find this a bit demanding, but it will help you get faster, faster. Testing regularly is particularly helpful for athletes who have some experience and find themselves plateauing in their performance.   Here's how the cycle works. Take bike power for example. You want to take a baseline FTP test to determine your  Functional Threshold Power. FTP is theoretically the power in Watts you can average for 45-60 minutes. This FTP becomes an anchor point for determining your training zones. Having accurately determined training zones is important for making sure you do prescribed training in the right zones.   For example, if you want to increase your threshold power you need to train at that Z4 Threshold zone to train your body to process muscle lactate efficiently. The more time you spend in that zone, the more adaptation you get. Without the FTP number or accurate substitute, you may be training in the wrong zone (eg Z3 or Z5), neither of which create the same adaptation of teaching your body to improve lactate processing and increasing your capacity to do work. Training regularly and progressively overloading the correct training zones over the course of 3 weeks on the 4th week you retest. If things are working, the next FTP test is at a higher average power than the one 4 weeks earlier. You then adjust the training zones. In this case increasing the power ranges for each zone. Another 3 weeks of training at the new (accurate) zones causes another adaptation, another test, another increase, another adjustment to training zones, etc.   Swim: Perform a 400 time trial effort from a push (not dive). Recover for 10 to 15 minutes with easy swimming and rest. Perform a 200 time trial effort from a push. Looking to calculate CSS or CV as Meters or Yards Per Minute. The higher the number the faster your are. If you go real fast on the 200 and real slow on the 400 - that counts against you. Your 200 should be about 6% faster than the 400.   Bike Power on a trainer is best 20 or 45 minute Or 15 miles without power   Run: 5k Time Trial as if racing Do on a track or flat course Always repeat on the same track or course if possible   How to execute a perfectly paced test. Consider how big of an improvement over the last two tests in that discipline. Consider how well the athlete is training at Z4 and Z5. Start with the average pace or power from the previous test and set a reasonable increase as the target pace or power. Execute at that power or pace start to finish. Don't start faster.   Excerpt from Swim Test Pacing: For the 200 target 58 seconds per lap which will put you close to 1:56/100 pace or 3:51 200. For the 400 target 59 seconds per lap for the first 4 and 60 seconds per lap for the last 4. If you feel you have some gas increase the stroke rate on the last lap.   If you want to talk further about how to test regularly to get better results, reach out at Rich@303colorado.com or message @tripodcasterrich   Check out the TriDot Free Trial https://app.tridot.com/onboard/sign-up/richsoares   Endurance News:   Ironman World Championships St. George results Utah Sports Commission Expected To Create Total Economic Impact Of More Than $35m Dollars   PTO Pro Am, to be held this Sunday 15 May at the Herbalife24 Triathlon Los Angeles and streamed live for free around the world The event will see six of the world's top professional athletes race an Olympic-distance course alongside Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) athletes and special guests including former UFC star Paul Felder and Olympic silver medallist Heather Fell. CAF athletes will kick-start the day with a 1500m swim in the beautiful pearlescent sea off Venice Beach. Once out of the water, they'll tag in a highly-ranked PTO professional who'll rip up the road over a 40km bike course finishing in downtown LA between the Crypto.com Arena and Microsoft Square, outside the Herbalife Nutrition HQ. From here, another CAF superstar, or one of our special guests, will complete a 10km run to close out this first-ever PTO Pro Am event.   TEAMS REVEALED The PTO is proud to work alongside the Challenged Athletes Foundation to celebrate life through sport at the first PTO Pro Am. The six teams taking on the challenge of the PTO Pro Am in LA are:   Swimming and track runner Haven Shepherd, PTO World #3 Lionel Sanders and former UFC star Paul Felder. Swimmer and para climber Emily Gray, PTO World #8 Sam Long and swimmer and para-triathlete Rudy Garcia-Tolson. Para-triathlete Allysa Seely, PTO World #4 Daniel Baekkegard and GTN presenter and Olympic silver medallist Heather Fell. Swimmer Ahalya Lettenberger, PTO World #11 Holly Lawrence and swimmer and para-triathlete Roderick Sewell. Para-triathlete and hand cyclist Andre Kajlich, PTO World #7 Skye Moench and influencer and Herbalife ambassador Shirley Alvarez. Para-triathlete Chris Hammer, PTO World #14 Heather Jackson and para-triathlete, cyclist and marathoner Willie Stewart.     What's New in the 303: Upcoming Multisport Events in Colorado (runningintheusa.com) Upcoming Classic Races in Colorado (runningintheusa.com) Colfax Marathon   Video of the Week: Ironman World Championship St.George 2022 | Race Movie     Closing: Thanks again for listening in this week.  Please be sure to follow us @303endurance and of course go to iTunes and give us a rating and a comment.  We'd really appreciate it! Stay tuned, train informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!

Welcome to Episode #336 of the 303 Endurance Podcast. You are listening to your weekly connection to coaches, experts, and pro athletes to help you reach your endurance goals. We're your hosts coach Rich Soares and 303 Chief Bill Plock. Thanks for joining us for another week of endurance interviews and discussion.   Show Sponsor: UCAN Take your performance to the next level with UCAN Energy and Bars made with SuperStarch®  UCAN uses SuperStarch instead of simple sugars to fuel athletes.  UCAN keeps blood sugar steady compared to the energy spikes and crashes of sugar-based products.  Steady energy equals sustained performance!       Use UCAN in your training and racing to fuel the healthy way, finish stronger and recover more quickly!  Use the code 303UCAN for 20% off at ucan.co/discount/303UCAN/ or ucan.co     In Today's Show Feature Coaching Topic How Testing Makes You Faster Endurance News IRONMAN World Championship Results Utah Sports Commission Expected To Create Total Economic Impact Of More Than $35m Dollars PTO Pro Am, to be held this Sunday 15 May at the Herbalife24 Triathlon Los Angeles What's new in the 303 Triathlon Races in Colorado this Season Video of the Week TBD   Our News is sponsored by Buddy Insurance. Buddy Insurance gives you peace of mind to enjoy your training and racing to the fullest. Buddy's mission is simple, to help people fearlessly enjoy an active and outdoor lifestyle.    Get on-demand accident insurance just in case the unexpected happens. Buddy ensures you have cash for bills fast.  This is accident insurance not health and life insurance.  Go to buddyinsurance.com and create an account.  There's no commitment or charge to create one.  Once you have an account created, it's a snap to open your phone and in a couple clicks have coverage for the day.  Check it out!   Training Discussion: Regular Testing   Regular testing to determine your threshold intensities in each discipline is an important (arguably essential) practice to getting faster. This works for new and experienced athletes. Newer athletes may find this a bit demanding, but it will help you get faster, faster. Testing regularly is particularly helpful for athletes who have some experience and find themselves plateauing in their performance.   Here's how the cycle works. Take bike power for example. You want to take a baseline FTP test to determine your  Functional Threshold Power. FTP is theoretically the power in Watts you can average for 45-60 minutes. This FTP becomes an anchor point for determining your training zones. Having accurately determined training zones is important for making sure you do prescribed training in the right zones.   For example, if you want to increase your threshold power you need to train at that Z4 Threshold zone to train your body to process muscle lactate efficiently. The more time you spend in that zone, the more adaptation you get. Without the FTP number or accurate substitute, you may be training in the wrong zone (eg Z3 or Z5), neither of which create the same adaptation of teaching your body to improve lactate processing and increasing your capacity to do work. Training regularly and progressively overloading the correct training zones over the course of 3 weeks on the 4th week you retest. If things are working, the next FTP test is at a higher average power than the one 4 weeks earlier. You then adjust the training zones. In this case increasing the power ranges for each zone. Another 3 weeks of training at the new (accurate) zones causes another adaptation, another test, another increase, another adjustment to training zones, etc.   Swim: Perform a 400 time trial effort from a push (not dive). Recover for 10 to 15 minutes with easy swimming and rest. Perform a 200 time trial effort from a push. Looking to calculate CSS or CV as Meters or Yards Per Minute. The higher the number the faster your are. If you go real fast on the 200 and real slow on the 400 - that counts against you. Your 200 should be about 6% faster than the 400.   Bike Power on a trainer is best 20 or 45 minute Or 15 miles without power   Run: 5k Time Trial as if racing Do on a track or flat course Always repeat on the same track or course if possible   How to execute a perfectly paced test. Consider how big of an improvement over the last two tests in that discipline. Consider how well the athlete is training at Z4 and Z5. Start with the average pace or power from the previous test and set a reasonable increase as the target pace or power. Execute at that power or pace start to finish. Don't start faster.   Excerpt from Swim Test Pacing: For the 200 target 58 seconds per lap which will put you close to 1:56/100 pace or 3:51 200. For the 400 target 59 seconds per lap for the first 4 and 60 seconds per lap for the last 4. If you feel you have some gas increase the stroke rate on the last lap.   If you want to talk further about how to test regularly to get better results, reach out at Rich@303colorado.com or message @tripodcasterrich   Check out the TriDot Free Trial https://app.tridot.com/onboard/sign-up/richsoares   Endurance News:   Ironman World Championships St. George results Utah Sports Commission Expected To Create Total Economic Impact Of More Than $35m Dollars   PTO Pro Am, to be held this Sunday 15 May at the Herbalife24 Triathlon Los Angeles and streamed live for free around the world The event will see six of the world's top professional athletes race an Olympic-distance course alongside Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) athletes and special guests including former UFC star Paul Felder and Olympic silver medallist Heather Fell. CAF athletes will kick-start the day with a 1500m swim in the beautiful pearlescent sea off Venice Beach. Once out of the water, they'll tag in a highly-ranked PTO professional who'll rip up the road over a 40km bike course finishing in downtown LA between the Crypto.com Arena and Microsoft Square, outside the Herbalife Nutrition HQ. From here, another CAF superstar, or one of our special guests, will complete a 10km run to close out this first-ever PTO Pro Am event.   TEAMS REVEALED The PTO is proud to work alongside the Challenged Athletes Foundation to celebrate life through sport at the first PTO Pro Am. The six teams taking on the challenge of the PTO Pro Am in LA are:   Swimming and track runner Haven Shepherd, PTO World #3 Lionel Sanders and former UFC star Paul Felder. Swimmer and para climber Emily Gray, PTO World #8 Sam Long and swimmer and para-triathlete Rudy Garcia-Tolson. Para-triathlete Allysa Seely, PTO World #4 Daniel Baekkegard and GTN presenter and Olympic silver medallist Heather Fell. Swimmer Ahalya Lettenberger, PTO World #11 Holly Lawrence and swimmer and para-triathlete Roderick Sewell. Para-triathlete and hand cyclist Andre Kajlich, PTO World #7 Skye Moench and influencer and Herbalife ambassador Shirley Alvarez. Para-triathlete Chris Hammer, PTO World #14 Heather Jackson and para-triathlete, cyclist and marathoner Willie Stewart.     What's New in the 303: Upcoming Multisport Events in Colorado (runningintheusa.com) Upcoming Classic Races in Colorado (runningintheusa.com) Colfax Marathon   Video of the Week: Ironman World Championship St.George 2022 | Race Movie   Closing: Thanks again for listening in this week.  Please be sure to follow us @303endurance and of course go to iTunes and give us a rating and a comment.  We'd really appreciate it! Stay tuned, train informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!

Rudy Garcia-Tolson was born with multiple congenital disabilities and endured fifteen surgeries by the age of five before he told his parents he wanted a double leg amputation. At the age of eight, he had the goal of becoming a Paralympian, and eight years later, he made it happen startlingly when he swam for gold at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games. He is a five-time Paralympian and has won two gold, two silver, and a bronze medal. He has also won 6 medals at the World Championships. Rudy was the first double above-knee amputee to compete in an Ironman Triathlon in 2009. He is a tireless advocate for the disabled community through his work with the Challenged Athletes Foundation. You can follow Rudy's journey on Instagram - @rudygarciatolson, Twitter - @RudyGTcaf, Facebook - Rudy Garcia- Tolson, or his website www.thinkrudy.com.Sports Saved My Life is produced by Angel City SportsClayton Frech is the Executive ProducerDave Pantano is the Producer and EditorMackenzie Soldan is in charge of MarketingTony Memmel wrote and performed the theme songAbout Angel City SportsAngel City Sports provides free, year-round adaptive sport clinics, equipment, and competitive opportunities for kids, adults, and veterans with physical disabilities or visual impairments. Angel City Sports' flagship event, the annual Angel City Games presented by The Hartford, debuted in 2015 and is now the largest multi-sport Paralympic competition in the U.S. for kids, adults, and veterans. Participants include, but are not limited to, individuals with limb differences and amputation, spinal cord injury, quadriplegia, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, blindness or visual impairment, traumatic brain injury, stroke, muscular dystrophy, and dwarfism or short stature. Ultimately, Angel City Sports is working to create a community and sense of belonging for people with physical disabilities, supporting them to reach their full potential and unlock their dreams through its programming in sport, the arts, health and wellness, higher education, career opportunities, and personal development. To learn more, please visit http://www.angelcitysports.org and follow @angelcitysports on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linked-in, and YouTube. 

Rudy has been a badass from the time he was little running on blades and swimming like a fish, to winning medals and breaking World Records at the Paralympics, but during the COVID lockdown, in preparation for Tokyo, he trained in David Duchovny's pool. Find out how all that shook down.

Breaststroke specialist Roderick Sewell Jackson has faced challenges his entire life. Born without tibia bones, his mother decided to have his legs amputated at age 1. Homeless at 7, his mom found Roderick the resources to improve his mobility which lead to him learning to swim by age 10 and finding the Challenged Athletes Foundation. With support of good friend Rudy Garcia-Tolson, Roderick became the first double above the knee amputee to finish the IRONMAN World Championship. His next goal is qualifying for the Paralympics 2021.   Show Sponsor: VENGA Thanks very much to Venga CBD for helping make the show possible. Venga CBD is not like most CBD companies who just post a bunch of products and hope you figure it out. Venga was started in Colorado by athletes like you who wanted a better way to use CBD to help fight pain, train longer, race harder and recover faster. That’s why they created a SYSTEM of CBD products for athletes and only have 4 products that cover 100% of your CBD needs. I use it every day in one form or another! Each product is specifically made to support an area of your endurance life from training to racing to recovery. Combined together the Venga CBD system is designed to make you unstoppable! Save 30% off & get free shipping when you buy the Venga Endurance System versus buying the products separately - seriously, this is the best deal on the market. Just go to https://vengaendurance.com/303podcast to order yours today. First-time order is 30% off with code (303PODCAST). We've also added 50% off your first month's subscription with code (303SUBSCRIPTION). In Today's Show Bill and Rich's Excellent Adventure (where Bill and Rich share their "endurance adventures" Feature interview - Roderick Sewell Endurance News - Skye Moench (makes like 5 pros to win) and Lionel Sanders win Galveston 70.3, Des Linden Smashes 50K World Record What New in the 303 - Ride with Sue Reynolds, Video of the Week - Roderick Sewell Kona 2019 Interview Sponsor: UCAN Take your performance to the next level with UCAN Energy and Bars made with SuperStarch® UCAN uses SuperStarch instead of simple sugars to fuel serious athletes. UCAN keeps blood sugar steady compared to the energy spikes and crashes of sugar-based products. Steady energy equals sustained performance! UCAN Edge represents a quantum leap in how athletes will fuel for sport. The first and only on-the-go training fuel powered by SuperStarch, Edge puts you in the ideal performance state by keeping blood sugar stable, so you can work smarter AND harder. The next generation of sports fuel has arrived. You put in the training, so don't let nutrition limit your performance. Use UCAN in your training and racing to fuel the healthy way, finish stronger and recover more quickly! Use the code 303UCAN for 20% off at ucan.co/discount/303UCAN/ or ucan.co Use the code 303UCAN for 20% off at ucan.co/discount/303UCAN/ or ucan.co, Bill & Rich's Excellent [Endurance] Adventure Bill Last week's BASE ride Rich Ride with Sue Reynolds She and her husband Brian and son's Michael Dean and Andy 30 miles of zone two in aero, Chatfield 70.3 course, down S. Platte to Aspen Grove, back out to Deer Creek Canyon and then back to the campground. Team USA and competing at Worlds in Bermuda in Oct 2021 World Triathlon Sprint & Relay Championships Bermuda Ride next week in Tucson Get to ride with Sharon Madison, founder of We Ride 4. Megan is out! I am taking all of the UCAN Edge for this Tucson Loop ride Interview with Roderick Sewell Roderick Sewell has overcome challenges from a very early age. He was born with the tibia bones missing in his legs. His mother decided to have his legs amputated at age one to improve his mobility. The cost of affording his prosthetic legs was so high it led to the family leaving their home when he was age seven and enduring several years of homelessness, before settling in Birmingham, AL, United States of America, with the help of friends and other family. Because of a tough childhood, Sewell was forced to live homeless in San Diego. When he became involved with the Challenged Athletes Foundation, an organization that helps to provide disabled athletes with a path to success as well as running legs, his life quickly changed for the better.. He won gold in his international debut at the 2014 Para Pan Pacific Championships in Pasadena. He learned how to swim by his coach and mentor, Alan Voisard, at the Mission Valley YMCA in San Diego when he was ten years old. Post Interview: "The only reason I wanted to learn how to swim was because I was afraid of the water." "People noticed I was black first and then that I had a disability" "My disability saved my life" Our News is sponsored by Buddy Insurance. Buddy Insurance is the kind of peace of mind you need as an active outdoor enthusiast. Buddy’s mission is simple, to help people fearlessly enjoy an active and outdoor lifestyle. You can now get on-demand accident insurance to make sure you get cash for bills fast and fill any gaps between your current coverage. Go to buddyinsurance.com and create an account. There's no commitment or charge to create one. Once you have an account created, it's a snap to open your phone and in a couple clicks have coverage for the day. Check it out! Endurance News: Des Linden Smashes 50K World Record Des Linden broke the 50K world record on Tuesday after running an amazing time of 2:59:54 in Oregon. Running in the first ultra-distance event of her career, Linden shattered the previous record of 3:07:20 that Great Britain’s Aly Dixon set in 2019 at the 50K world championships in Romania. After getting ahead of Dixon’s record pace right from the start, she never looked back, and Linden’s final time worked out to an average pace of 3:36 per kilometre. Lionel Sanders, Skye Moench take IRONMAN 70.3 Texas titles This excerpt from the story on the Tri227 site - Womens: Moench, who won the memorable IRONMAN European Championship, Frankfurt as Sarah True faded in the final stages in the heat ran a strong 1:20:43. While that gave up more than five minutes to the speedy feet of Jeanni Metzler (RSA), it was enough to take the win. Sophie Watts (USA) completed the podium, ahead of Heather Jackson and Morrison, who finished the day in fifth. Mens: Sanders held strong at the front over the second half of the run too, clocking a 1:11:11 half marathon and a winning margin of just over a minute, from Ben Kanute who battled Sam Long all through the run, making the pass in the last half mile to reach the line just five seconds ahead of the fast-improving youngster. Neither could relax, with Matt Hanson’s best of the day 1:09:16 leaving him just nine seconds short of a podium finish. How many pros have recently been on the show and then gone on to win his or her next race? Skye Moench, yes TX 70.3 Matt Hanson, yes Daytona Chris Leiferman, IM FL Sam Long   What's New in the 303: From Galveston To Cherry Creek, CO Triathletes with Some Big Smiles and Fast Finishes; Betsy Mercer Overcomes 2019 DNF for 4th Colorado triathletes raced this weekend, in Texas and Colorado. In Galveston Texas, not only did the Colorado pros make a big impact, but one well known age grouper, Betsy Mercer raced in redemption of her 2019 attempt in Galveston where she was stopped 100 yards from the finish line because of weather. At Cherry Creek State Park, The Barking Dog Duathlon kicked off the multi-sport season with about 150 athletes racing. Betsy finished fourth in her age group but cried at the finish line, not because she finished, but because her friend Michael Jones finished his first 70.3. Said Betsy, “I didn’t cry this time when I crossed the finish line, I cried when Michael did. That’s the beauty of triathlon, the community you’re a part of.” Ride or Die, a Women’s Cycling Movement Matt Miller, owner of BASE Performance invited me to ride last Saturday, not an uncommon invitation as we have ridden many times. I had sort of decided to do a different ride in Denver. But Matt, said I might want to make the effort as there could be as many as 80 people riding, some from the BASE team and this new group he is sponsoring called Ride or Die. Of course I was intrigued. As it turned out the groups left at different times and when the BASE team left the other group hadn’t arrived. Three hours later upon my return, the parking lot at BASE headquarters was filled with women cyclists all buzzing from a ride. Some were friends of mine who I had no idea would be there. There was a cooler of drinks and prizes and swag and I felt a fun energy. I asked my friend Becky Furuta, no stranger to the peloton from the highest levels about what I was seeing. I know they had ridden some gravel, and some road. I saw bikes of all sorts. I didn’t know anything about this group. Becky described it as, “grassroots racing and riding, the goal is fun and camaraderie without all the staunchness and elitism that’s driving people away from the road. There’s a sense of community and fun absent the usual rivalries. I think that’s really the point of these beginner/community rides – not that they’re easy or for beginners, but that they’re accessible at every level and focused on mixing training with fun and a social component. It’s a sustainable model, and I hope it sticks around.” PRIMAL & 303 Endurance Indoor Cycling Class, led by Bill Plock Date: Every Wednesday till it warms up Time: 12:00 Noon MST Price: FREE Place: ZOOM (Click Here) ZOOM Passcode: H49LJK Join The Ride Video of the Week: 2019 IRONMAN World Championship: Roderick Sewell   Upcoming Interviews: Michael Murphy is a motivational speaker, paralyzed athlete, and writer. His journey began in April 2007 when he fell off a roof in college, shattered his spine, and was paralyzed. Michael is now a 12-time marathoner with Top 5 finishes in New York and Boston. He was also featured on NBC after completing two Tough Mudder competitions in 2012 and 2013 with the help of his teammates and an off-road handcycle. Coming Soon: Author of "The Athlete Inside" Sue Reynolds and Coach Bobby McGee who has played an integral role in the development of top athletes with USA Triathlon, as well as several olympians and top-ranked ITU stars. He is the author of “Run Transformation,” The World’s Best Run Training Course. Closing: Thanks again for listening in this week. Please be sure to follow us @303endurance and of course go to iTunes and give us a rating and a comment. We'd really appreciate it!

He had 15 surgeries by the time he was five years old. The 16th amputated both legs above the knee. He then became one the greatest athletes in Paralympic history. Rudy Garcia Tolson is this week's guest on Amazing Americans. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rudy Garcia Tolson joins Michael Rasile on Our Athletes to discuss his disability, what he's been up to the last few years, and why during the COVID-19 Pandemic he decided to shoot for a 5th Paralympic Game! https://www.rudygarciatolson.com/overview https://www.instagram.com/rudygarciatolson/ https://twitter.com/rudygtcaf https://www.facebook.com/rudygt88 Our Athletes with Michael Rasile | Hosted by @MichaelRasile1

“By being last, I obviously didn’t want to be last. I wanted to just beat one kid in swimming, running or whatever it was. I just wanted to get a little bit faster. Having that mindset of ‘getting a little bit faster’ is really what took me all around the world on a competitive world stage. Just wanting to be a little bit better each day and each time I compete...It was a slow progression of keep moving forward and really not letting the naysayers get to you. When you’re doing something unique and different, there will always be people who say that will not be possible or something negative about it.” Rudy Garcia-Tolson is a four-time U.S. Paralympian in swimming and track. He has got a truly inspiring story that starts with being born with popliteal pterygium syndrome that resulted in a club foot, webbed fingers on both hands, a cleft lip and the inability to straighten his legs. At 5 years old and after many operations, he made the decision to amputate both of his legs and move forward with his life on prosthetics. This allowed him to get his start in sports and primarily swimming where he’d usually be the last one to finish races. He never gave up and set incremental goals along the way, which eventually landed him representing the U.S. at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens. When it comes to running, he has set American records in his age group and classification in distances from the 400 meters to the half marathon. He has also completed an Ironman. In addition to all of that, he’s done a lot of work with New York Road Runners in guiding kids with disabilities to get their own start in sports and running. You’d think that four Paralympics would be enough for someone but the pandemic has bought him an extra year to try and make a run for a 5th. He was recently profiled in The New York Times about this because there was a point where he had to improvise and just run 10 miles in Brooklyn without much else to do for training. We hope you all learn more about everything Rudy has had to overcome and persevere. Read Rudy's story in the Times by Matthew Futterman: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/15/sports/olympics/rudy-garcia-tolson-paralympics.html Follow Rudy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rudygarciatolson/

Roderick Sewell was the first above-the-knee double amputee to finish Ironman Triathlon World Championship (ie Kona, in Iron vernacular).  Rudy Garcia-Tolson is his friend and mentor, who helped inspire him as Rudy, also is a double amputee.  We talked with them two days after the October 12, 2019 Ironman Triathlon World Championship--it's inspiring to hear their stories, good for a time of year where we should all be inspired. Air date:  Dec. 1, 2019

Roderick Sewell is the kind of person who lights up a room with his smile and his energy. Depending on the situation (like if he's in a swimsuit or not!), you may never realize that he is a double above knee amputee. Most of the time it wouldn't matter, but when it comes to breaking barriers and inspiring people to do things that they have no idea they can do, it matters - a lot. Roderick was born without tibia bones which meant he would never walk on his own. When Roderick was one, his mother was faced with making this decision for her son: Amputate both legs above the knee and learn to adapt with prosthetic legs or live in a wheelchair for his entire life. Everyone advised her to go the wheelchair route, but something inside told her that amputation would lead to a brighter future. I have to say thanks to Roderick's mom, because her decision has paved the way for him to become the role model he is today. I met Roderick on a pool deck in Kona a few days before the Hawaii Ironman. He was there to do media interviews as the first hopeful above knee amputee to finish the Ironman World Champs. His friend and mentor Rudy Garcia-Tolson accompanied him and acted as his handler for the race which would prove grueling. Spoiler: Roderick did finish the Ironman that day with 34 minutes to spare. His story starts long before the Hawaii Ironman and is difficult, beautiful, hopeful and inspiring. Today we talk about: Growing up without legs His mom's decision to amputate Challenged Athletes Foundation: They gave him the tools to begin his athletic career Meeting Rudy and realizing "I CAN" The Importance of visibility Swimming and how it built his foundation for toughness The Ironman Experience in all its glory: I consider this the celebration peak of the episode (yes I almost cried listening) Barriers and how he approaches them Talking out loud to yourself :) Limb Kind Foundation: they help people move from "still to active" And so much more This episode warms my heart. I wish I could hand out with Roderick more often. Please take a moment to follow him on Instagram at @rsewell92 and keep an eye out for his next big thing. As he says, he is not a disabled person but he is a differently abled person who chooses to live his life on different terms. As always, I hope you love this episode and if you do, share it! If you want to give an extra level of support, consider becoming a Patron of the pod. Allright then, you know what time it is. It's time to get out there and Run This World! Have a great workout and I'll see you next week!

At five years old, Rudy Garcia-Tolson's parents gave him a choice: he could have a double amputation at the knee and walk with prosthetics or not and be wheelchair-bound. For Rudy, this was a slam dunk decision. Now at age 30, he is a five-time Paralympic medalist, the first ever double amputee Ironman, and mentor to other physically challenged kids. This week he talks growing pains, getting into sports, and how he's helping the next generation of physically challenged athletes.

After 15 surgeries, Rudy Garcia-Tolson decided to have both his legs cut off above the knee, a decision he made at just 5 years old. What started as a journey to merely live the life of a normal kid turned into a lifetime of pushing the limits of what anyone thought was physically possible in sport. Rudy went from breaking his prosthetic legs twice a week, to becoming a four-time Paralympic swimmer, five-time Paralympic medalist (2 gold, 2 silver & 1 bronze), six-time world championship competitor and six-time World Championship medalist (2 gold, 1 silver & 3 bronze). He also became the first double above knee amputee to ever complete a full Ironman Triathlon and he's not done making history. Visit this link to listen in."

  Sometimes being brave is what gets us through. Facing the unknown and facing unknown possibilities down the line is familiar to any of us living with a disability.   Maybe no one understands that better than Rudy Garcia-Tolson, who made the decision to have both of his legs amputated above the knee when he was only five years old. Born with legs that weren’t able to support him and allow him to function properly, Rudy wanted more than anything to be as active as his brothers and sisters were. When he was faced with the decision of whether or not he wanted to amputate his legs at such a young age, Rudy had such a unique perspective on the choice that his perseverance and wisdom are striking -   “At that point, it was easy for me. I just looked up at my mom and said, “Let’s do it; let’s cut my legs off.”...When I was born, I had chains around my legs...and as soon as I had my legs amputated, they were gone, and I was able to live a full life.” Rudy Garcia-Tolson After that surgery and being fitted with prosthetic legs, he never stopped being active. He was able to play outside with his siblings and friends. He eventually was able to compete in the Paralympics four times. The first time he competed there, at age 15, he won the gold medal and set a world record time in swimming. He is also a triathlete, having competed in a number of triathlons and IronMan triathlons.   And Rudy is only 28. When we asked him about future plans, he said he plans to compete in the 2020 Paralympics, which will likely be his fifth and final time. He also spoke of his love of motivational speaking, which he hopes to have more time for. He especially enjoys speaking to kids, and showcasing how differences shouldn’t be something to be ashamed of; rather, your differences may be your own unique route to excellence.   The courage to embrace our differences and to use them as fuel to our success is something we are so thankful that Rudy shared with us. Please check out his website at www.rudygarciatolson.com

Here in Miami when you say the name, Frankie Ruiz, chances are it conjures up memories of the incredibly popular and late Puerto Rican salsa singer belting out, "Bailando"or another one of his many popular hits.  But to many in Miami's athletic circles, Frankie Ruiz is synonymous with the Miami Marathon which just celebrated its 15th year this past January.  Inspired by his father from a young age to run, he found it a great way to explore his hometown and as a sport he could always compete in. Looking to inspire his team of runners at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, Frankie invited a 12 year old athlete and double amputee by the name of Rudy Garcia Tolson who had aspirations of running a marathon. This fortuitous meeting eventually set the wheels in motion for Frankie and his partners at the time to create a marathon in Miami that could stand toe to toe with other reputable races such as New York City and Chicago. Faced with Miami's bad reputation of being a hot, humid, and crime ridden city, many may have thought that a 26.2 road race through the streets of Miami was a bad idea, but Frankie and his team have worked hard to silence the naysayers and to prove to runners throughout the world that this isn't a marathon or (spinning) finisher's medal you want to miss. Frankie's involvement in the community is widespread and his desire to empower athletes of all levels to achieve their personal best is evident in the various groups he's involved in, including the 7 State Championships and 1 SE National Regional Nike NXN Title earned by the Belen Jesuit Cross Country Team which he has coached for the past 19 years. We hope you enjoy listening, Jeanette & Alex For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest @plantedinmiami

Rudy Garcia-Tolson set his first goal at age eight when he declared he’d go to the 2004 Paralympic Games for swimming. Not only did the double amputee compete, he won gold and has been inspiring people ever since. Now, Rudy wants Americans to help inspire Team USA this summer in Rio.