Episode Details

Wayne Willoughby doesn’t move through the world easily.

By his own account, even making dinner can be a challenge. Balance, coordination—things most of us take for granted—aren’t a given for him.

And yet, he’s climbed El Capitan in Yosemite 26 times.

This is a re-release of one of the most memorable conversations from the show.

Wayne has lived with the effects of polio and other physical limitations since he was young. Over time, he’s had to figure things out in his own way—how to move, how to adapt, how to keep going.

Climbing became part of that.

Not as an escape, but as a way to engage more fully with life.

In this conversation, we talk about:

•  What it actually takes to operate in a body that doesn’t cooperate 
•  How he approaches big objectives like El Cap 
•  The role of creativity and adaptation in movement 
•  Why gratitude shows up so strongly in his life 
•  What keeps him coming back, even now 

There’s nothing flashy about how Wayne talks about any of this.

Which is part of what makes it land.

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Ageless Athlete is a podcast about healthy aging for people who want to stay strong, active and capable for life. Conversations explore strength, endurance, mobility, recovery, VO2 max, muscle and bone health, and what it takes to keep doing the things you love as you get older.

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