A Journey of Endurance and Growth with Rebecca Rusch

AGEIST

This week, we sit down with ultra-endurance athlete Rebecca Rusch, who shares her incredible journey from managing sports teams, to conquering the Iditarod, to biking the Ho Chi Minh Trail. At 55, Rebecca continues to push her limits, embracing an explorer’s mindset and maintaining a top performance level. She opens up about her strategies for recovery, the importance of mental preparation, and the insights she's gained from decades of outdoor adventures. Rebecca also discusses her mission to inspire others through the Rush Academy, encouraging everyone to find their own adventure and embrace resilience.
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Key Moments
“I have the nickname the Queen of pain. I'm known for being tough as nails, gritty, all that kind of stuff. But people are always surprised when they meet me. I am quite soft and sensitive and caring, and they don't expect that.”
"I feel like probably the biggest metric that has been helping me is learning how much stress the body is absorbing, even when you're not working out. Whether its a stressful job, or you're thinking and ruminating on something, the body is taking that almost as workout stress."
"Real diligent self-care. We used to think that that was reserved for Olympians and world champions–athletes have been doing this stuff for a while. Now it's accessible to everybody. And people are realizing, oh, if I treat myself like world champion, I'm going to perform like a world champion in whatever arena I'm in. And it feels great to feel good, doesn't it?"
"Astronauts do the same thing. They go through the routine of knowing what's going to happen so that when something unexpected happens, you fall back on what you know, and you don't have to be an astronaut or someone riding your bike in Alaska to take that kind of training to everyday life."
Connect with Rebecca Rusch:
- Website
- Instagram
- LinkedIn
- Rush Academy
Full Transcript

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