Todd is a competitive rower who medaled at the US National Championships and is now training to qualify for the 2021 Paralympics. Susan is also a competitive rower, became an Olympic coach in 2004 and also a photographer and painter. Currently, the two not only share most days of the week together in training, but they also were diagnosed a few years ago with degenerative diseases. Todd is learning to strike the balance between toughness, pushing through and rest, something pre-Parkinson’s he never really had to do. And Susan, as his coach, is always trying to find workarounds to the challenges his body presents whilst learning to adapt to her own new physical limitations. In this episode these two seasoned athletes explore how movement and training have become a therapeutic part of living with a chronic illness, how the meaning of strength has changed for them and how all of us can adapt and find creative solutions to life’s obstacles.
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To learn more about the podcast, "Unfixed," visit https://www.unfixedfilm.com/. To access this episode specifically, visit https://www.unfixedfilm.com/podcast/episode-5-athletes-and-adversity.
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YouTube (with subtitles)
Image of the gallery display at one of Susan's art shows at NW Marine in Portland, Oregon.