From 300-Pound Chef to 9:15 Ironman: Will Liebig’s Playbook for Real Change

Some stories land like a spark. Will Liebig’s lit a bonfire.

On today’s show we sat down with Will, a professionally trained chef who once weighed 300 pounds and now crosses Ironman finish lines with a personal best of nine hours and fifteen minutes. Yes, you read that right: 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and a marathon in a single day. If you’re looking for proof that transformation is possible, Will is it.

But here’s why his journey matters to all of us: it isn’t a miracle. It’s a method.

The Moment That Shifts Everything

Will’s turning point wasn’t dramatic. It was honest. He wanted to be healthier for the woman he loved. Then he saw what consistency looked like in his own family: a grandfather who rode five miles a day into his 90s and a grandmother who swam an hour daily. That quiet discipline became his North Star. No hacks. No overnight promises. Just a choice, repeated.

“You have to commit to something,” Will told us. “It’s not going to happen in two weeks. It might take five years. Stick with it.”

Masters Swimming: The Community that Makes Hard Things Easier

Will found Masters swimming after burning out on solo sessions. The difference was immediate. Mornings with teammates, shared workouts, “good mornings” on deck — that simple community turned dread into momentum. He still cycles and runs solo when needed, but he now anchors his training inside a community on purpose.

Takeaway: if you’re stuck, stop white-knuckling it alone. Join a group. Show up before you feel like it. Borrow their energy until it becomes yours.

Train Like the Pros: Hard When It’s Hard, Easy When It’s Easy

Will learned to avoid the always-medium “gray zone.” About 20 percent of his training is truly hard. The rest is conversational and easy. That discipline protects recovery, stacks fitness, and prevents burnout. It’s simple, not easy — and that’s why it works.

Try this: pick two sessions this week to go truly hard, and make the others easy enough to hold a conversation. Watch what happens to your motivation and your legs.

Food Wisdom from a Chef Who’s Lived Both Sides

Will’s food philosophy is refreshingly sane. He dropped soda. He limits sugar. He eats smaller meals more often and makes his largest meal midday. Evenings are protein and veg. He noticed he sleeps better if he skips starch at night. He eats real fats — olive oil, butter, cream — because they help fuel endurance and keep food joyful. And yes, he loves a celebratory steakhouse meal on trips and a spicy post-race Bloody Mary, anchored by weekly cheat days.

Two key cautions from Will:

• Don’t starve yourself. Under-eating wrecks performance and health.

• Track for awareness, not obsession. Tools like MyFitnessPal help, but don’t let the app be your boss.

Chef tip you’ll actually use: plate your food. Put protein, a starch, and a vegetable together with a little height and color. You eat with your eyes first. When meals look cared-for, you’ll feel cared-for — and you’ll stick with better choices.

The Power of Love, Loss, and Loyalty

Will’s wife, Lisa, is woven into every mile. She plans the logistics, rides alongside as a “mobile aid station,” and shares the adventure — because this is their dream, not just his. Love started his transformation, and love sustains it.

He’s also honest about grief. When his father died suddenly, old habits called his name. He didn’t pretend it was easy. He chose to honor his dad by returning to the path he’d worked so hard to build. That’s resilience: not never falling, but never staying down.

“Anybody Can Do It”

Will lights up when he talks about Chris Nikic, the first athlete with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman. That encounter at Will’s first Ironman cemented a belief he carries into every conversation: this is possible. Your Ironman might be a 5K, a masters swim meet, or a walk around the block without stopping. Different distances, same courage.

What Champions Share

From our conversation, here are the traits that keep showing up in people who change their lives:

• Commitment over hype. Decide once, repeat daily.

• Consistency over intensity. Build slowly, brick by brick.

• Community over isolation. The right people change your ceiling.

• Progress over perfection. Allow cheat days and recovery.

• Clarity over chaos. Hard days are truly hard, easy days are truly easy.

• Joy over punishment. Make food delicious. Celebrate wins. Keep it fun.

Start Here: Will’s “Doable This Week” Plan

1. Join one session with a group. Masters swim, a local run, or a Saturday ride. Commit today, show up once.

2. Make one simple food swap. Replace soda with sparkling water or iced tea.

3. Plate one meal beautifully. Protein, veg, smart starch. Sit down and savor it.

4. Set your training rhythm. Pick two hard sessions. Keep the others easy.

5. Choose one reward. A special dinner, a new playlist, a long bath. Look forward to it.

6. Write your why. One sentence. Put it on your phone lock screen.

The Line You’ll Remember

When we asked Will for one word he feels when he dives in, he didn’t hesitate: freedom. The water gets quiet, the world slows down, and the next stroke is all that matters. That’s the image I want you to keep — not the scale, not the clock, not the past. Just the next honest step.

If a 300-pound chef can become a 9:15 Ironman, what can you become in five years of consistent, loving, community-powered effort?

Start now. Start small. Start together.

And when you do, tell us — we’ll be in your corner, cheering every lap.