At age 49, Susan Marie Conrad paddled 1,200 miles—alone—through the remote, storm-swept waters of the Alaskan Inside Passage.
Twelve years later, at 61, she went back and did it again.

In this powerful conversation, Susan shares what it means to return—not just to the same wild coastline, but as a different person. We unpack what changes when you chase something bold later in life, how nature reshapes your mindset, and what happens when you open yourself up to synchronicity, generosity, and the unexpected.

We also talk about the stark environmental changes she witnessed: the plastic where it didn’t belong, the shrinking glaciers, and the fragility of ecosystems many of us will never see.

This episode is a meditation on endurance, improvisation, awe, and the will to keep growing—even (especially) as we age.

🧭 What We Talk About

• What exactly is the Inside Passage—and what makes it so wild and magical
• The brutal logistics of a solo sea kayak expedition (and what people get wrong)
• Fear, failure, and what to do when a grizzly bear shows up 30 feet away
• How aging changed her approach to adventure—and made the second journey even deeper
• What climate change looks like from a tiny boat in a vast and fragile ecosystem
• Why she mentors younger women to take on big expeditions of their own
• Finding purpose through challenge, stillness, and storytelling

🔗 Links & Resources

📸 Susan's Instagram

🌊 Susan’s Website

📷 Susan's Books:

📚 Inside: One Woman’s Journey Through the Inside Passage
📷 Wildly Inside: A Visual Journey Through the Inside Passage

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At 65, Judi Oyama is still lining up at the start gate — not in a “Masters” category, but shoulder-to-shoulder with athletes half, or even a quarter her age. She’s a World Champion slalom skateboarder, a Guiness record holder, a Hall of Fame inductee, and a pioneer who’s been breaking barriers since she first picked up a board in Santa Cruz in the early 1970s.

Back then, women’s divisions barely existed. Prize money was unequal. Media crews left during women’s finals. Judi skated anyway — pushing through invisibility, injury, and a sport that wasn’t built to include her. Five decades later, she’s still competing, still winning, and mentoring the next generation of racers who may one day take the sport to the Olympics.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What slalom skateboarding actually is — and why it’s so addictive
• How Judi fought for gender and racial equality in skateboarding
• The longevity toolkit she’s built: CrossFit, heavy lifting, recovery, and smart nutrition
• Why representation matters, and how she’s mentoring young women in the sport
• How to stay competitive, joyful, and relevant in your sport for decades
• Her motto: “Be badass every day” — and what it means in practice

Whether you’ve ever stepped on a skateboard or not, Judi’s story is about rewriting the limits others put on you, and replacing them with your own.

- Follow Judi on Instagram

- Judi in the Guiness Book of Records

Cover pic 📸 Dave Re

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🎯 Support this podcast and try Nutrisense

Personalized health data can help us age better and feel stronger. Track your glucose 24/7 and work 1:1 with a certified dietitian to build habits that last. 👉 Get 33% off your first month at https://nutrisense.io/agelessathlete

🚀 Love the show? Here’s how to support it

If something you’ve heard here has stayed with you, made you smile, or helped you keep going, I’d be honored if you’d consider supporting the show. 👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

📰 Subscribe to the Ageless Athlete newsletter !

1-2x a month, no spam. We share behind-the-scenes reflections, longevity tips, and athlete wisdom you won’t find anywhere else. You can sign up at https://www.agelessathlete.co/newsletter/ 📩

Support the show

Physiotherapist, coach, and lifelong climber Andy McVittie is back for the final chapter of our three-part deep dive into aging well, moving well, and living without fear of injury.

If you haven’t listened to Part I (The Movement Optimist: Knees, Shoulders, Elbows, Hips, Bulletproof Yourself! Never Late to Get Strong!) or Part II (Aging Joints & Grateful Bodies: Elbows, Fingers, Sleep, and the Stories We Tell Ourselves), I highly recommend going back. In those episodes, we tackled the myths about aging, explored upper body resilience, and broke down joint-by-joint strategies for staying strong.

In Part III, we turn our attention to the often-overlooked foundation: hips, ankles, and feet.

We cover:

• Why hips, ankles, and feet are often neglected—and why that’s a mistake
• Early warning signs your hips or ankles need attention
• Simple self-tests for hip mobility and ankle strength
• What to do if you’ve been living with old injuries or imbalances
• Strategies for preventing long-term issues and keeping your lower body strong for decades
• How to return to activity after injury or time off
• Andy’s take on recovery tools—what’s worth your time and what’s just marketing noise
• How to structure a realistic, sustainable weekly maintenance plan
• The mindset shift that keeps you moving confidently for life

This is practical, encouraging, and packed with the kind of wisdom that comes from decades of helping real people—not just athletes—move better, heal better, and age with optimism.

Resources & References

Andy McVittie

• Andy's Website
• Andy's Instagram
• The Self-Rehabbed Climber
• Level Edges Pulley Splints: leveledges.co.uk

Relevant Past Episodes (look for these titles in your podcast app)

• #65 The Movement Optimist: Knees, Shoulders, Elbows, Hips, Bulletproof Yourself! Never Late to Get Strong!
• #68 Aging Joints & Grateful Bodies: Elbows, Fingers, Sleep, and the Stories We Tell Ourselves

Tools & Resources Mentioned

• Calf Raise App on iOS – for testing ankle strength and endurance

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🎯 Support this podcast and try Nutrisense

Personalized health data can help us age better and feel stronger. Track your glucose 24/7 and work 1:1 with a certified dietitian to build habits that last. 👉 Get 33% off your first month at https://nutrisense.io/agelessathlete

🚀 Love the show? Here’s how to support it

If something you’ve heard here has stayed with you, made you smile, or helped you keep going, I’d be honored if you’d consider supporting the show. 👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

📰 Subscribe to the Ageless Athlete newsletter !

1-2x a month, no spam. We share behind-the-scenes reflections, longevity tips, and athlete wisdom you won’t find anywhere else. You can sign up at https://www.agelessathlete.co/newsletter/ 📩

Support the show