Moving Forward with Achilles CT

Cheers to the last one of the season! I talk about my experience with Achilles and with life in general. 

In todays episode I have Thomas Stearley, Achilles member and avid cyclist. Thomas was quite the guest to talk too, and in this episode we discuss many things about is life. Skiing, utilizing his hand-cranked bike, and what his favorite sport is. 

In todays episode I delve into deep conversation with Greg St. George. An Achilles athlete that utilizes an electric assist bike in his workouts and is a very new member of the organization. We discuss things like his early years before joining Achilles, the places around the world that he has traveled to, and his favorite baseball team. 

This episode airs the return of last week's guest Caitlyn with her guide, Michelle Bosco. The two have recently joined together in the Achilles community, and for this veterans day episode we dive into their time in NY, the relationship between the two, and their hiking trips across the world. 

Todays episode is dedicated to Caitlyn Keller, mother of two, frequent obstacle course runner, and among other things a person with quite the dedication. In today's episode we discuss her personal life, the runs she has done in and out of Achilles, and some personal information. Take a gander into the episode to hear for yourself! 

After a snowboarding accident, Jennifer had to go through multiple surgeries and therapies to be treated properly. She has been a member since 2013, and today we discuss her time with the organization, how she met Erin Spaulding, and why she enjoys working out. 

Rosita is an athlete with pulmonary fibrosis, where large amounts of scar tissue reside within her lungs. Thankfully, through the use of a lung transplant as well as a brain tumor removal, she now runs many of Achilles's marathons. In this Episode we dive into what her experience during surgery was like, what it means to take account for yourself, and of course which coffee is the best kind to drink. 

This week's podcast introduces a new member of the Achilles International community, Marilyn Wenzel. She is a blind athlete that has just completed her first 5k ever, and plans on attending the upcoming Hartford race on Oct. 8th. Today we delve into the complications of being blind all her life, how she trains, and most importantly, who her favorite author is. 

We launched our podcast, Moving Forward with Achilles CT in the summer of 2021 to stay connected with our community during the height of the pandemic. Original host Clever Streich produced the first 9 episodes. Current host Jacob Williams, and co-producer Jack Muscatello continue to showcase the inspirational athletes, guides, volunteers and leaders that make up the Achilles CT community. We hope you enjoy hearing their stories.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to compete in a 100 km ultra road race? In today’s episode, Achilles CT athlete Adam Fleisher, who faces disabilities such as Crohn's Disease and was told at age 14he would never run in his lifetime. However, through Achilles, Adam competes in a wide variety of road races, ranging in distance from 5K’s to marathons and ultras. In this episode, Adam shares his immense exercise and training background, his passions for interval running and proper nutrition, and how he shares the hope and inspiration of his story with others through his social media movement - #RunWithAdam.

Achilles CT guide Jackie Owens joins Moving Forward to share her favorite Achilles CT racing memories, and how giving of her time and helping guide other Achilles CT athletes impacts her personally. Jackie also speaks about her background as a special education teacher, as a mother, and also shares her advice for others who may want to give guiding Achilles athletes a try.

In 2003, Renzo Rios-Nino was completely paralyzed while in his home country of Peru. Sixteen years later, with the help of his guide Rebecca Cooperman, Renzo crossed the finish line in his first race as an Achilles CT athlete, as his parents cheered him on. Renzo and Rebecca join host Clever Streich on Moving Forward to discuss their experiences as an athlete-guide duo. Find out how Achilles CT helped them to connect and stay active together during the pandemic.

Meet Mike Tubiak, an Achilles CT athlete with an eye disease known as Retinitis Pigmentosa, or RP. Despite being visually impaired, Mike competes in a wide variety of road races and physical challenges with Achilles CT, including 5k’s, 10k’s, half-marathons as well as marathon races. We’ll also hear about Mike’s experience with Spartan races, which feature difficult obstacle courses, where Mike relies upon his other heightened senses in order to cross the finish line.

Many athletes and guides create lifelong friendships through Achilles Connecticut, but for Ally Sega, she found even more, as one of her first guides from Achilles CT is now her husband. Today, host Clever Streich will sit down with Ally to discuss her athletic background in road racing and swimming, in which she competes as well as coaches. Discover how Ally achieved her Level 4 USMS Coaching Certification for swim instruction, and how she has completed longer distance races with Achilles CT than she ever dreamed possible.

Movement is good medicine, and it helps us to feel better physically and mentally. Meet Shelley Olm, an Achilles CT Guide with a passion for running and yoga. In this episode, we’ll hear Shelley’s experiences with instructing Buti yoga, her favorite memories from Achilles CT’s signature Hope and Possibilities race, and how she achieved the impressive accomplishment of running a race in all of Connecticut's 169 towns.

Achilles CT athlete Liz Bottner and her Achilles CT guide Alex Soter join Moving Forward to talk about their experiences with virtual races throughout the pandemic, and how Liz, a visually impaired athlete, also runs with her guide dog, Ocala. We’ll also learn about Liz’s connection and passion for the adaptive sport of blind hockey, where she is a goaltender for the Connecticut based Hartford Braillers, and how Alex and Liz have been individually staying active and setting exercise goals during the past year.

Moving Forward previews the 2021 U-Haul Keep it Moving Challenge, a multi-chapter hybrid virtual and in person race taking place from September 17th-19th. Participants will be from Achilles International Connecticut, Nashville, and New Jersey. Host Clever Streich is joined by Achilles CT’s President Erin Spaulding, Achilles NJ’s Director Of Operations Joe Borchard, and Achilles Nashville’s Executive Director Amy Harris and Associate Director Lizzy Solomon for a behind the scenes look at the planning of the Keep it Moving challenge, what’s different for the race this year, and what it means for Achilles and U-Haul to “keep it moving”! Join us for this special episode.

Achilles CT Chapter president and athlete Erin Spaulding joins Moving Forward to discuss how she helped grow Achilles CT into a statewide chapter, consisting of over 75 athletes with all levels of abilities, and close to 200 volunteers. Hear how Erin’s life was changed following an accident that caused brain, neck, and shoulder injuries, and how she was able to overcome and relearn how to run.