Intrinsic Drive™

In the early eighties Dick Beardsley was one of world’s most famous athletes. He is an American distance runner best known for his first-place tie in the 1981 London Marathon and his close finish with Alberto Salazar in the 1982 Boston Marathon— frequently referred to as The Duel in the Sun, compellingly told in the book by John Brant--where he ran 2:08:53 breaking the Boston course and American Records. 

After retiring from competi...

A self-described gym rat from the age of five, Jerry Lynch was born in the pre-gentrified streets of Brooklyn. He went on to earn a doctoral degree in psychology and complete postdoctoral work in philosophy and religious studies. Dropping out of his professional career,  Jerry moved to Boulder, Colorado - reconnecting with his athletic dreams and becoming a national champion master’s runner.  In the high altitude of the Rocky Mount...

Molly Grant, reconnected with the green leather and suede shoes from her childhood memory when she looked across the room at the League of New Hampshire Craftsman Show.  Spotting the bright colors and creative styles of the Cordwainer Shoes, she stopped in her tracks. This master fine-craft leather artist reconnected with the timeless design of the Pathfinder shoe which she first spotted during a trip to that same show at ten years...

Carwyn Sharp Ph.D. CSCS, emigrated from England to Australia with his family as a young boy.  Searching for new opportunities, Carwyn’s parents stressed the importance of education as a bridge over poverty and a gateway to an abundant life. Carwyn has followed his passions for sport, movement, and performance—fueling his personal life and extraordinary career. We follow this innovator in the field of human performance on his incred...

At five years old Rock Wilk realized he could sing, that same year his grandfather gave him a guitar. A self-taught musician, he spent hours alone in his room playing alongside jazz greats honing his craft. While a defensive back at Colorado State University, his creative writing teacher Bill Tremblay identified his immense talent telling his reluctant student he was a playwright.  

Rock left college deciding to pursue his music car...

Comfortable with a pen and paper from an early age, Becky Karush grew up writing poetry, creating art, and telling stories. After early success with her writing and poetry, during college she experienced a  fifteen-year wilderness period, leaving her unable to write. This extremely talented poet who learned the power of systems from a childhood friend, longed to find a process to harness her muse. After four years of studying the G...

The deep south was a dangerous and treacherous place for a young black man in the 1960’s; Benny Vaughn drank from “colored” water fountains, pedaled away from viscous dogs while passing through white neighborhoods, and rode in the back of buses. 

Benny turned hardships into opportunity through his actions. He was the first black athlete to win the Georgia state high school cross country championships and during the spring of his sen...

John Lee Dumas showed early signs of his dedication and commitment to process. He pivoted to swimming after injuries forced him to leave the soccer pitch and basketball court his senior year in high school. JLD quickly transformed one weakness in technique each day; in the final competition of the season, John touched the wall first, winning the Maine State Championship in the 50-yard freestyle.  

After graduation from Providence Co...

Sara Slattery  learned the importance of hard work from her father, watching him wake up at 4am while running his sign business.  She began her athletic career as a swimmer, training twice daily for several hours before and after school.  She joined her high school track team, merely as a way to stay in shape for swimming. As a freshman, she was state runner up in both the 800 and 3200 meters. This rising star realized she needed t...

The challenges continue, they keep coming, sometimes seemingly without end.  Conversations with the remarkable guests from Season Two elevated my spirit and provided me with tangible insights. I hope you glean inspiration from them as I did; the goal in life should be to lift each other up.  Here are my reflections and takeaways from our guests on Season Two:

Marten Bostrom rebuilt his body, focusing on the technical aspects of his ...

Stepping on a bomb was the last thing Sargent Zach Stinson remembered after insisting on leading his Marine Battalion while serving in Afghanistan. Six days later, Zach woke up at the Bethesda Navy Hospital - both legs were amputated above the knee, his right thumb, and parts of other fingers were also severed.   Zach stopped counting surgeries after the thirty-fifth.  He then came to realize his attitude and mindset were the only ...

A trip to Alaska to follow the Salmon run changed the course of Chris Wood’s life; upon returning home he resigned from his job working for an ice cream company. Choosing a new path, Chris resolved to dedicate his life to saving endangered fish and waterways. He began his career as a temporary employee with the US Forest Service in Idaho where he quickly realized the power of learning from mentors and teachers in the conservation f...

Loretta Claiborne is the most accomplished Special Olympics athlete of all time. Loretta was raised by a single mother, born partially blind, with an intellectual disability, and clubbed feet.  This future marathon champion was unable to walk until the age of four and learned to talk at seven. Loretta’s strong mother had the courage, strength, and fortitude to refuse institutionalization for her daughter. 

We learn of early teachers...

How did a self-described nervous kid from New Jersey become a colossal force as a speaker, and author of the new groundbreaking book Unfollow Your Passion: How to Create a Life That Matters to You ( Altra Books/Simon & Schuster).  Terri Trespicio is a writer, speaker, and brand advisor who works with individuals and groups to change the way they think about, talk about, and position what they do. She teaches her clients a maste...

Zach and Andi Ripley were recruited as student athletes to the same university, where they met, became teammates, and married. In this in-depth conversation we traverse the inception of their competitive drives, race anxieties, and Zach's desire to separate his running identity from the person who just “loved to run” and move in alignment with his faith.  We also learn how Andi  overcame her fear of failure and expectations by ...

 Chuck Garcia was scheduled to give a keynote address at the world trade center on the morning of September 11, 2001, when he was asked to switch presentation times with a colleague.  That colleague never made it out of the building when the terrorist planes struck the twin towers on that horrific day.  One year later, while on the summit of Mount Rainier, he made a pact to honor his fallen coworkers devoting his life to the servic...

 2004 Olympian Carrie Tollefson,  was born and raised in the small tightly knit community of Dawson, Minnesota, where she won thirteen state championships - eight in track and five consecutive cross country titles, a national record that still stands today.   

Carrie won her first national collegiate title at the 1997 NCAA Cross Country Championships, overcoming stress fractures in her metatarsal and a heel tumor that would need a b...

Clarion Johnson received his calling at thirteen years old, falling to one knee on the street near his Brooklyn home and breaking into a cold sweat after reading the biography of a missionary doctor. Clarion had an epiphany, at that moment he felt destined to become a physician.  Clarion was mentored by Dr. Haber at the Columbia Teachers College and funded his own education at Sarah Lawrence College, by working two jobs.  By the en...