Danielle Grabol's guest appearances

Danielle Grabol

The Rich Roll Podcast

Mile After Mile Podcast

The Heidi Rew Show

Mirna Valerio

Ironman Triathlete

Luke Tyburski

Alex May

Eryn Eddy

Beth French

Sue Reynolds

Micah Risk

Joan Deitchman

Marcus Barton

Ironman Florida

Susan Haag

Todd Crandell

Helene Dumais

Stephen Del Monte

OwlTail

Melissa Urie

“Everybody wants the finish line. Everybody wants a medal. But people don’t want to put the work in.”Danielle GrabolIn 2010, the tireless and intrepid Jason Lester hoodwinked me into his latest fit of voluntary suffering insanity: an attempt to complete 5 Ironman-distance triathlons on 5 Hawaiian Islands in under 5 days. Hence was born the EPIC5 Challenge — and somehow we survived to tell the tale.Now institutionalized, EPIC5 annually attracts a global handful of athletes adequately unhinged to retrace our steps. Over the last 8 years, 29 individuals have successfully completed the challenge. Three of these intrepid humans are women. Two of them are here today.Meet real-life Wonder Women Danielle Grabol &amp; Melissa Urie – both athletes thriving on the cutting edge of ultra-endurance.But it wasn't always that way.Pushing 225 pounds, 15 years ago Dani was a junk food junkie and a pack-a-day smoker who couldn't even climb a flight of stairs without losing her breath (sounds familiar!). In 2005, her doctor told her that if she didn’t change her ways she’d be dead before she turned 40.So she hit the gym. It was hardly overnight, but ultimately Dani reinvented herself wholesale. Down 70 pounds, an athlete was born. But on a training ride a year later, Dani was struck by a drunk driver. Her injuries were so severe she was told she would never run or bike again. Instead, she went on to compete in multiple Ironmans and even a double-Ironman. In 2013 she was one-half of the youngest two-person female team to finish RAAM — the legendary bike race across the entire United States. And in 2016, Dani became the very first female to compete in and finish EPIC5 — a stereotype shattering story she lays bare in her beautiful memoir, Fear No Distance*.A mental health nurse from Melbourne, Australia, Mel grew up active but never competitive. But in 1998, in an effort to lose a bit of weight and get fit, she participated in the Great Victorian Bike Ride with her dad. Thus was sparked a passion for ultra-endurance. Over the years, Mel has completed 6 Ironmans and a few double ironman distances races, including Ultraman Canada and Ultraman Australia*. Like Dani, she discovered EPIC5 by way of Finding Ultra, signed up and in 2017, Mel became the second female to ever complete the challenge.The bottom line? Mel and Dani are two badass women who know how to get it done. And this conversation is about just that.It's about putting in the work. It's about patience. Determination and grit. Not being afraid to fail. It's about the mindset required to break stereotypes. And it's about the mental toughness demanded to compete at the highest level in an arena dominated by men.So check your excuses at the door and enjoy!To view our conversation on YouTube, visit bit.ly/danielleandmel421. And don't forget we're also now on Spotify here: bit.ly/rrpspotifyPeace + Plants,*I recorded this interview way back in mid-November. At the time, Mel was preparing for the Ultraman World Championships in Hawaii. Unfortunately she did not finish that race. I'm not sure what happened but I'll find out and let you know.Listen, Watch &amp; Subscribe See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

“Everybody wants the finish line. Everybody wants a medal. But people don’t want to put the work in.”Danielle Grabol In 2010, the tireless and intrepid Jason Lester hoodwinked me into his latest fit of voluntary suffering insanity: an attempt to complete 5 Ironman-distance triathlons on 5 Hawaiian Islands in under 5 days. Hence was born the <a href="http://www.epic5.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">EPIC5 Challenge</a> — and somehow we survived to tell the tale.Now institutionalized, EPIC5 annually attracts a global handful of athletes adequately unhinged to retrace our steps. Over the last 8 years, 29 individuals have successfully completed the challenge. Three of these intrepid humans are women. Two of them are here today.Meet real-life Wonder Women Danielle Grabol &amp; Melissa Urie – both athletes thriving on the cutting edge of ultra-endurance.But it wasn't always that way.Pushing 225 pounds, 15 years ago Dani was a junk food junkie and a pack-a-day smoker who couldn't even climb a flight of stairs without losing her breath (sounds familiar!). In 2005, her doctor told her that if she didn’t change her ways she’d be dead before she turned 40.So she hit the gym. It was hardly overnight, but ultimately Dani reinvented herself wholesale. Down 70 pounds, an athlete was born. But on a training ride a year later, Dani was struck by a drunk driver. Her injuries were so severe she was told she would never run or bike again. Instead, she went on to compete in multiple Ironmans and even a double-Ironman. In 2013 she was one-half of the youngest two-person female team to finish RAAM — the legendary bike race across the entire United States. And in 2016, Dani became the very first female to compete in and finish EPIC5 — a stereotype shattering story she lays bare in her beautiful memoir, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0991357183/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=ricroloffweb-20&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0991357183&amp;linkId=7fcd8bb490b33d1aab47f332699edf7b" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fear No Distance*.</a>A mental health nurse from Melbourne, Australia, Mel grew up active but never competitive. But in 1998, in an effort to lose a bit of weight and get fit, she participated in the Great Victorian Bike Ride with her dad. Thus was sparked a passion for ultra-endurance. Over the years, Mel has completed 6 Ironmans and a few double ironman distances races, including Ultraman Canada and Ultraman Australia*. Like Dani, she discovered EPIC5 by way of Finding Ultra, signed up and in 2017, Mel became the second female to ever complete the challenge.The bottom line? Mel and Dani are two badass women who know how to get it done. And this conversation is about just that.It's about putting in the work. It's about patience. Determination and grit. Not being afraid to fail. It's about the mindset required to break stereotypes. And it's about the mental toughness demanded to compete at the highest level in an arena dominated by men.So check your excuses at the door and enjoy!To view our conversation on YouTube, visit <a href="http://bit.ly/daniellemel421" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bit.ly/danielleandmel421</a>. And don't forget we're also now on Spotify here: <a href="http://bit.ly/rrpspotify" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bit.ly/rrpspotify</a>Peace + Plants,*I recorded this interview way back in mid-November. At the time, Mel was preparing for the Ultraman World Championships in Hawaii. Unfortunately she did not finish that race. I'm not sure what happened but I'll find out and let you know. Listen, Watch &amp; Subscribe See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.

The Queens Of EPIC5: Danielle Grabol & Melissa Urie On Girl Power Grit

Danielle Grabol went from being a 220lb couch potato to the first woman to complete the Epic 5 (5 ironman triathlons in 5 days on 5 different Hawaiian islands). Hear her inspiring story and advice on achieving fitness goals. 

Danielle Grabol went from being a 220lb couch potato to the first woman to complete the Epic 5 (5 ironman triathlons in 5 days on 5 different Hawaiian islands). Hear her inspiring story and advice on achieving fitness goals.

Episode 15: FITNESS - From 220lb Couch Potato to Ultra-Athlete with Danielle Grabol

Danielle (Dani) Grabol started triathlon by losing 75 pounds and meeting some kind triathletes at her gym in a spin class. Most recently she just completed the Epic 5 challenge. The Epic 5 challenge is 5 consecutive Iron distance triathlons on 5 separate islands in Hawaii. The Epic 5 was started by Rich Roll and Jason Lester. You can find details about the current race at http://www.epic5.com/ You can find details about the original Epic 5 Challenge in Rich Roll's Book Finding Ultra and also Jason Lester's Book Running on Faith. Dani Grabol talks about what is involved in just registering for this massive event. Dani trained with Dynamo Multisport - Coach Brent Pease to prepare for this enormous event. www.dynamomultisport.com Dani trained about a year to prepare for the Epic 5 challenge and we discuss what her biggest week of training looked like. Spoiler ... it was a lot. This is at about 13 minutes into the interview. We talk about what a huge commitment training for this race was for an entire year and what the hardest part of this was for her. A huge part of this race is the logistical challenge that went with changing islands every day. We talk about what the plan was for the event and then we also talk about what went wrong during the race. Second spoiler: a lot didn't go exactly as planned. Dani took two people with her as crew: Jason and Hilary and each team is paired with a local volunteer on each different island. The Epic 5 Challenge is a teeny tiny race. There were 7 people registered. 4 started and only 3 finished. Day 1 was on Kauai. First Iron distance triathlon. 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26.2 mile run. And right away Dani and her team had to adapt when she broke her race wheel at mile 40. Then they packed up and flew to the next island. Can you imagine packing a bike for 5 days in a row? Dani gives a great recommendation for the Scion bike bag. www.scionbags.com Day 2: Oahu. Second Iron Distance Triathlon. In Oahu Dani had some friends who came to see her race which was great. But again there was misfortune when she ran over some glass and started flatting again. She found a local bike shop to rent her a wheel for the day. At about 35 minutes into the interview we talk about Epic Ellie who was a unicorn who came along for the whole trip and became an Instagram star along the way. Day 3: Molokai. Third Iron Distance Triathlon. Here's where travel logistics went awry. Listen to how they keep the race schedule together with a change in flights. Also, Molakai is the only one of the 5 days where the racers swam in a pool due to the dangerous currents around this island. Amazingly Danielle was paired with a local on Molokai that used to live near her in Atlanta. It really is a small world. On this day the sleep deprivation started to catch up with Danielle. We talk about how she made it through on such a small amount of sleep. But no flats on the bike. We talk about what she ate during the week. Finding food was an ongoing challenge since the teams could not carry food between the islands because they flew. Dani used a lot of real food like uncrustables and even a burrito at one point. She also used Gu Energy Roctane gels and drink mix. Day 4: Maui. Fourth Iron Distance Triathlon. At this point Dani only has about 4 and a half hours of sleep since the start and her crew may have had even less. There was bad weather but they were still able to swim in the Ocean followed by a very windy bike ride. It was on Maui where the challenge pushed Dani to the edge but she tells how she (and her boyfriend Jason) managed to continue. Day 5: Kona. Fifth Iron Distance Triathlon. We quickly talk about blisters and chaffing. Her parents met her in Kona to watch the race. The racers swam on the Ironman World Championship swim course and bike course. They had rain on the course ... again. We talk about her state of mind on the run on the 5th Ironman. We talk about the finish. Which Dani describes as hilarious anticlimactic and awesome. 703 miles. We talk about how she felt for the first few days after the race. We talk about recovery and her Normatec Boots which she used to help recover. What an amazing accomplishment. Congratulations Danielle Grabol on becoming the first woman to finish the Epic 5 challenge. You can follow Danielle on twitter @dgrabol or Instagram @trigirldani

Danielle (Dani) Grabol started triathlon by losing 75 pounds and meeting some kind triathletes at her gym in a spin class. Most recently she just completed the Epic 5 challenge. The Epic 5 challenge is 5 consecutive Iron distance triathlons on 5 separate islands in Hawaii. The Epic 5 was started by Rich Roll and Jason Lester. You can find details about the current race at <a href="http://www.epic5.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.epic5.com/</a> You can find details about the original Epic 5 Challenge in Rich Roll's Book Finding Ultra and also Jason Lester's Book Running on Faith. Dani Grabol talks about what is involved in just registering for this massive event. Dani trained with Dynamo Multisport - Coach Brent Pease to prepare for this enormous event. <a href="http://www.dynamomultisport.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.dynamomultisport.com</a> Dani trained about a year to prepare for the Epic 5 challenge and we discuss what her biggest week of training looked like. Spoiler ... it was a lot. This is at about 13 minutes into the interview. We talk about what a huge commitment training for this race was for an entire year and what the hardest part of this was for her. A huge part of this race is the logistical challenge that went with changing islands every day. We talk about what the plan was for the event and then we also talk about what went wrong during the race. Second spoiler: a lot didn't go exactly as planned. Dani took two people with her as crew: Jason and Hilary and each team is paired with a local volunteer on each different island. The Epic 5 Challenge is a teeny tiny race. There were 7 people registered. 4 started and only 3 finished. Day 1 was on Kauai. First Iron distance triathlon. 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26.2 mile run. And right away Dani and her team had to adapt when she broke her race wheel at mile 40. Then they packed up and flew to the next island. Can you imagine packing a bike for 5 days in a row? Dani gives a great recommendation for the Scion bike bag. <a href="http://www.scionbags.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.scionbags.com</a> Day 2: Oahu. Second Iron Distance Triathlon. In Oahu Dani had some friends who came to see her race which was great. But again there was misfortune when she ran over some glass and started flatting again. She found a local bike shop to rent her a wheel for the day. At about 35 minutes into the interview we talk about Epic Ellie who was a unicorn who came along for the whole trip and became an Instagram star along the way. Day 3: Molokai. Third Iron Distance Triathlon. Here's where travel logistics went awry. Listen to how they keep the race schedule together with a change in flights. Also, Molakai is the only one of the 5 days where the racers swam in a pool due to the dangerous currents around this island. Amazingly Danielle was paired with a local on Molokai that used to live near her in Atlanta. It really is a small world. On this day the sleep deprivation started to catch up with Danielle. We talk about how she made it through on such a small amount of sleep. But no flats on the bike. We talk about what she ate during the week. Finding food was an ongoing challenge since the teams could not carry food between the islands because they flew. Dani used a lot of real food like uncrustables and even a burrito at one point. She also used Gu Energy Roctane gels and drink mix. Day 4: Maui. Fourth Iron Distance Triathlon. At this point Dani only has about 4 and a half hours of sleep since the start and her crew may have had even less. There was bad weather but they were still able to swim in the Ocean followed by a very windy bike ride. It was on Maui where the challenge pushed Dani to the edge but she tells how she (and her boyfriend Jason) managed to continue. Day 5: Kona. Fifth Iron Distance Triathlon. We quickly talk about blisters and chaffing. Her parents met her in Kona to watch the race. The racers swam on the Ironman World Championship swim course and bike course. They had rain on the course ... again. We talk about her state of mind on the run on the 5th Ironman. We talk about the finish. Which Dani describes as hilarious anticlimactic and awesome. 703 miles. We talk about how she felt for the first few days after the race. We talk about recovery and her Normatec Boots which she used to help recover. What an amazing accomplishment. Congratulations Danielle Grabol on becoming the first woman to finish the Epic 5 challenge. You can follow Danielle on twitter @dgrabol or Instagram @trigirldani

Danielle Grabol becomes the first woman to finish the Epic 5 challenge