Change Makers, Journalists' & Entertainers Interviews Episodes

Molecular biologist, gerontologist and Ultra Marathoner, Dr. Bill Andrews, a pioneer in telomere and telomerase research, sits down with Kelly and makes the case that telomere shortening is the most important clock driving human aging for healthy people and that real “rejuvenation” has to show up in function, not just numbers on a lab report. His blunt standard is the “Betty White test”: can you clearly tell which version of someone is younger by how they look, feel, and behave? From there, we ...

Sleep is the most powerful legal performance enhancer you’re not fully using yet. We brought in Derek Hales, founder of NapLab and one of the most trusted voices in mattress testing, to strip away hype and show how smarter choices at night translate to stronger training, faster recovery, and better moods. We dig into the single biggest mattress mistake—price extremes—and map the sweet spot where quality and longevity meet: a queen in the $1,500–$2,000 range. Derek explains why most athletes thr...

What if your 60s are your prime? We sit down with Janet Carbin—a CBS Survivor Season 39 favorite, veteran swim coach, and one of the few female chief lifeguards in the country—to unpack the mindset, training habits, and nutrition choices that keep her strong in open water and in life. Janet brings a rare mix of humility and edge: she earns respect by doing the work, leads by example, and shows how authenticity can be a competitive advantage when the clock doesn’t lie. And Janet loves Masters Swi...

Swimmers are more likely to get eczema because of the drying nature of chlorine. 31 Million Americans have eczema, an itchy skin condition. What if the solution to your itchy skin is causing more harm than good? Join me, Kelly Palace, for an authentic look at my chilling encounter with topical steroids. It all began with a little tube of ointment prescribed for the eczema caused by my swimming goggles—a quick fix that spiraled into a full-blown nightmare. As I navigated through this ordeal, my r...

What happens when life's challenges pull you away from your passion, only to lead you back years later with a renewed sense of purpose? Michele Kuvin Kupfer, a former member of the 1980 Israeli Olympic swim team and filmmaker, invites us into her world—a world where swimming was once both an escape and a refuge. Despite facing hurdles due to her Jewish background and personal struggles, Michelle's return to the pool as she approached 60 is a story of resilience and transformation. Her journ...

Join dedicated Masters Swimmer Lindsay Price, Captain, SpaceX Falcon Ark Recovery Vessel, for this riveting interview on Champion's Mojo and learn about how she (mostly) swims seven days a week, breaks glass ceilings in the maritime industry, and lives on a ship for 28 days at a time! This remote interview took place while Lindsay was captaining a ship heading east of the Bahamas to recover a SpaceX rocket that was about to be launched into space. She describes watching rocket launches and the ...

Marc Middleton, best selling author, world record setting masters swimmer and founder of Growing Bolder media, believes that how we age is most affected by our mindset. If we don't buy into the negative image around aging we can achieve anything we set our minds to. Marc is on a mission to change the way society views the aging process through his media company, Growing Bolder. Marc joins Kelly and Maria to talk about his passion for changing conversations about aging in America and how he becam...

THIS EPISODE WON THE 2022 COMMUNICATOR AWARD OF DISTINCTION BEST INTERVIEW FOR CAUSES AND AWARENESS.Are you grateful for the gift of health? Liver transplant recipient and endurance swimmer Jillian Best joins the show to talk about how a hereditary disease, and near death, continues to inspire her to greater heights today. She talks about the importance of organ donation and how she stays motivated to reach all of her goals. Sign up for your free consultation on health, leadership and life coaching with Kelly or Maria at ChampionsMojo.com/cm-coaching. Catch up on EVERY episode at Cham...

How can athletes strike a balance between normal discomfort and understanding the constraints of aging? Olympic swimmer Dara Torres joins the podcast to talk with Kelly and Maria about how she stays active but respects the boundaries of her body as she ages. She also talks about parenting and what she’s up to now. Sign up for your free consultation on health, leadership and life coaching with Kelly or Maria at ChampionsMojo.com/cm-coaching. Catch up on EVERY episode at ChampionsMojo.com. MORE...

This interview's guest has a NETFLIX movie made about her life! Are you living up to your responsibility to make a difference? Once terrified of public speaking, Virginia Walden Ford is now a leading advocate for expanding educational opportunities for American students and the subject of the feature film “Miss Virginia,” available on Netflix. She joins the show to talk about accepting, and eventually embracing, the call on her life to change educational outcomes for her own son -- and for ot...

Are you living up to your true potential? 2021 Olympic hopeful Michael Andrew returns to the podcast to talk about his recent success and embracing his talent and hard work so he never “wastes grace” in his life. He also talks with Kelly and Maria about his mindset change when it comes to competitively swimming the 200 IM -- and how he remains grounded in his faith and family as his clout in the swimming world continues to grow. Sign up for your free consultation on health, leadership and life ...

We are all leaders, whether we know it or not. What kind of leader are you? Are you an eager leader? A target maker? A confidence carrier? Or all of them? In this episode Kelly and Maria explore 10 personas that great leaders emulate. This is a deeper dive on this topic from Kelly’s book Take Your Mark, LEAD! 10 Ways to Lead Yourself and Others like a Champion and she and Maria discuss the traits of each one in this episode. Learn ways to be a more effective leader for yourself and others. Sig...

Matt Biondi is one of America’s most decorated Olympic swimmers -- but he left the sport 30 years ago due to unhappiness with the status quo. He felt forced to give up his dreams to become a professional swimmer and earned a Masters Degree in Education, teaching math for nearly two decades. Today, he has returned to the sport as the founder of the International Swimmers Alliance, where he fights for other swimmers to have the opportunity to go professional and be compensated fairly for what the...

What does it mean to step into your authenticity, despite the risks? Olympic gold medalist and SwimSwam co-founder Mel Stewart returns to the show to talk with Kelly and Maria about his inspiration for swimming -- as a child and today -- and how the trauma of his early life and competitive drive have fed into his motivation, self-care and successes. Sign up for your free consultation on health, leadership and life coaching with Kelly or Maria at ChampionsMojo.com/cm-coaching. Catch up on EVERY...

Feb. 16, 2021 Georgia Tech head coach Courtney Shealy Hart hates to lose more than she likes to win -- and that competitiveness, along with strong organization and communication skills, drives her coaching to consistently successful heights. Courtney’s techniques helped her break the glass ceiling as one of the first D1, Power 5 Head Coaches of both men and women. Courtney joins Kelly and Maria to talk about her tangible advice for leading championship teams and how she makes being a b...

Taking the time to listen to your inner voice can lead you to the best, most authentic decisions. Olympic swimmer Kara Lynn Joyce talks about how she avoids a “people pleasing” mentality to truly follow her heart. Masters Swimmers will love this! Kara Lynn Joyce is a three-time USA Olympic swimmer. Kara competed in the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics for Team USA, winning a total of four medals. As a swimmer for the University of Georgia under Coach Jack Bauerle, Joyce won 18 NCAA titles and set...

Living passionately, gaining the trust of others and helping them along their journey is an important component of experiencing success, according to this exclusive interview with power journalist Markos Papadatos. He shares the routines, practices and philosophies that drive his productivity and interviewing style. Contact Kelly and Maria at hello@championsmojo.com. MORE ABOUT MARKOS PAPADATOS: Markos Papadatos is a journalist with 12,000 bylined articles. He’s the co-author of Manifesting Y...

Katie Hoff is one of the world’s best swimmers who never won an Olympic gold medal, retiring from swimming in 2015 after treating pulmonary embolisms. She joins the show to talk about finding her “deep down” for success in swimming -- and in life after it. Contact Kelly and Maria at hello@championsmojo.com. MORE ABOUT KATIE HOFF: Katie Hoff is a former professional American swimmer, Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder. She is most known for her 200- and 400-meter individual...

*This episode was recorded before the Covid 19 Pandemic changes Even if you've never watched CBS's Survivor, you'll be motivated and inspired by this interview with (in our opinion) the second-best swimmer ever to appear on Survivor, besides Elizabeth Beisel. At 59 years old, Janet is doing ocean swims four days a week and is breaking gender barriers in the field of lifeguard supervising. Janet is a former Division I swimmer and last season she went stroke for stroke with Beisel in a Survivor...

Three-time Olympic Swimmer, a USA Team Captain, broadcast journalist and author of the new book, Silver Lining, Elizabeth Beisel gives an authentic interview on what she's been up to lately -- and she gives some great advice to those looking to make the 2020 Olympic Team. She also shares her champion's take on competitiveness, mindset and traits she thinks champions share. ABOUT ELIZABETH BEISEL Elizabeth Beisel is a three-time Olympic swimmer and medalist, multiple NCAA champion for the U...

If you struggle with anxiety, you'll want to listen to this show. Ethan Zohn won CBS’ Survivor, Season 3 and is back, almost 20 years later, playing on Season 40 which premiered Feb. 12, 2020. Listen in to hear how anxiety almost stopped him and how he handles it. ABOUT ETHAN ZOHN A champion athlete and former professional soccer player, who first appeared on CBS’ Survivor in 2002, Ethan Zohn has twice overcome cancer. In 2002, he started a global charity called Grassroot Soccer to rais...

How does Cody Miller maintain balance in his life? He’s an Olympic champion, professional swimmer and YouTube star, with a dedicated training schedule toward the 2020 Olympic Trials, who says maintaining consistency and showing up for yourself makes all the difference. In this episode, you'll learn more about the mojo that Cody uses to succeed to help you accomplish your own big goals. Tune in for a great interview that will definitely inspire you! WIN A CODY MILLER TEE SHIRT! Champion’s Mojo w...

AWARD WINNING SHOW 2020 WEBBY. Most people would never consider a dive into the black, icy waters of the Antarctic, but Lewis Pugh is driven by a purpose that is bigger than himself and his own comfort. The endurance swimmer is on a mission to bring awareness to and save the oceans of the world. In Part II of his exclusive interview with Kelly Palace and Maria Parker, Pugh shares some of his successes so far and overcoming low points on the journey. You can listen to Part I of the interview h...

AWARD WINNING SHOW 2020 WEBBY. How does Lewis Pugh dive in at such places as the North Pole and complete endurance swims in below-freezing water temperatures? He says he is motivated by his "driving purpose,” which is saving our oceans. His interview with Kelly Palace and Maria Parker is guaranteed to inspire you to get out of your comfort zone and find your own purpose. Tune in to part one of this two-part exclusive interview with Lewis Pugh. Subscribe to the Champion's Mojo podcast on YouTu...