Unstoppable Stories That Move

Sally Hed Dahlquist
  • 5.0 (1)
  • HEALTH & FITNESS

A podcast with a purpose highlighting ordinary people who do extra-ordinary things, while raising money for medical research. From everyday athletes & artists, scientists & survivors, care-givers & change-makers, these people relentlessly pursue their dreams, resiliently pushing through pain & setbacks. What's their purpose? What makes them Unstoppable? Tune in to listen as these seemingly normal people share their stories of resilience and inspire us to keep moving forward

  1. 6D AGO

    44. Sally's Hotline: The Doing of the Thing with Gregory David

    Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about? In this edition of Sally's Hotline, we hear from the unstoppable Gregory David, photographer, filmmaker, skydiver, skier, and a man who has had to start over in life more times than most of us can imagine. From breaking his back in a parachute accident, to immigrating to the United States from South Africa, to rebuilding after personal loss, Gregory knows firsthand what it means to fall, literally and figuratively, and choose to get back up anyway. Rather than offering easy answers, Gregory speaks from deep experience about what actually gets you through the hardest seasons of life: discipline, belief, mental rehearsal, and the willingness to stay focused on your goal even when progress feels invisible. This short but powerful tip episode is a reminder that the beginning is always the hardest part, and that if you can imagine something clearly enough, you are already closer to doing it than you think. In This Episode, You'll Hear: Why the beginning of any hard thing is always the most difficultHow progress becomes exponential once you push through the early resistanceThe difference between hope and belief How Gregory and his skydiving team learned to do things that had never been done before, one pattern at a timeWhy mental rehearsal is just as important as physical trainingKey Takeaways: Don't give up just because it starts hard. Everything does.Believe you have the capacity to improve. Discipline and focus compound over time. Progress that feels slow is still progress.If you want to hear Gregory's full story including skydiving championships, filming Hollywood movies in apartheid-era South Africa, refusing spinal surgery against doctor's orders, and his philosophy on consciousness and inner change, listen to Episode 43 of Unstoppable: Stories That Move. Support the Mission: Unstoppable: Stories That Move is a podcast with a purpose to raise $1 million for medical research to help fund cures for cancer and other diseases. With NIH budgets being cut, your support matters more than ever. Donate today at unstoppablestoriesthatmove.com or mail a check to: PO Box 12, Afton, MN 55001, USA

    6 min

  2. APR 23

    43. A Life Without Limits with Gregory David

    Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about? What do skydiving championships, apartheid-era South Africa, film sets, a near-fatal parachute accident, and quantum consciousness have in common? They're all chapters in the extraordinary life of today's guest. Sally Hed Dahlquist sits down with Gregory David, a 73 year-old South African-born filmmaker, skydiver, adventurer, and deep thinker who has rebuilt his life more times than most people dare to dream. From jumping out of planes clinging to cameras, to walking away from spinal surgery against doctor's orders and recovering anyway Gregory has lived by one rule: don't let anyone else decide what's possible for you. Now a US citizen living in Minnesota, Greg brings a rare combination of lived history, hard-won wisdom, and philosophical depth to this conversation. In this conversation, Gregory shares what has shaped him: A childhood in apartheid South Africa that taught him to question authority earlyA skydiving career that took him to world championships and nearly killed himA film career that spanned continents, eras, and technologiesThe courage to leave everything behind and start over in America with $6,000 and a familyA philosophy of resilience, neutrality, and inner change that he's still working on every dayListener Takeaways Resilience isn't a personality trait you're born with, it's a philosophy you build through experience and self-awareness.Refusing to accept someone else's verdict on what your body, your career, or your life can do is sometimes the bravest thing you can do.Between stimulus and reaction lies opportunity. Don't give that up.You can only change the world by changing yourself. That's harder than it sounds... and more powerful than it seems.Mentioned in This Episode The Wild Geese (1978) with Gregory's aerial footageHarrington rod spinal surgery, and why Gregory declined itApartheid South Africa Random-access editing and the laser disc editing eraWalt Disney's film school (CalArts) in Los AngelesTranscendental meditationThe concept of timeline jumping and non-linear timeSupport the Mission Unstoppable: Stories That Move is a podcast with a purpose to raise $1 million for medical research to help fund cures for cancer and other diseases. With NIH budgets being cut, your support matters more than ever. Donate today at unstoppablestoriesthatmove.com or mail a check to: PO Box 12, Afton, MN 55001, USA

    1h 19m

  3. APR 16

    42. We Ran Tokyo! A Roundtable with Christelle Douillet, Rhea Deroian, and Tom Pedersen

    Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about? What happens when four unstoppable runners who all crossed the finish line at the Tokyo Marathon get together to talk about it? Sally Hed Dahlquist hosts a special roundtable with three of her favorite returning guests, Christelle Douillet, Rhea Deroian, and Tom Pedersen, to recap the Tokyo Marathon and share everything they loved (and learned) about traveling in Japan. Between them, they bring decades of running experience, dozens of world majors, and one very memorable hotel booking mistake. Whether you're dreaming of running Tokyo, planning a trip to Japan, or just love hearing from people who live life to the fullest, this episode is pure joy from start to finish. In this conversation, the group covers it all: What makes Tokyo unlike any other World Marathon MajorNavigating Japan as a foreigner... and why it was easier than expectedThe culture of quiet respect that made every moment feel specialShrines, temples, ryokans, onsen, and tatami mats (post-marathon)And why all four of them want to go back as soon as possibleWhat You'll Hear in This Episode Christelle's recap: Tokyo marathon, then the Nagoya Women's Marathon one week later, then a 100-miler back homeThe out-and-back course: why runners who dreaded it ended up loving itElites, shrines, a portable festival shrine being carried through the streets, and spotting the Tokyo Tower mid-raceThe bathroom situation: portapotties that were anywhere from 100 meters to 1.1K off courseSally's emergency depends-in-the-waistband strategy (and the park bathroom that saved the day)How Tokyo learned from last year's water shortageThe finish line experience: bath salts, face wipes, and volunteers with encouraging messages taped to their glovesThe Abbott six-star tent and what it felt like to finally collect that medal after years of chasing majorsChristelle's onsen experience and why after two minutes, it felt completely naturalRhea and Sally both booking tatami mat rooms The World Friendship Center in Hiroshima Meeting atomic bomb survivors and the powerful reminder of why nuclear weapons must never be used againListener Takeaways Don't let the language barrier stop you. Google Translate and kind locals will get you everywhere.Tokyo Marathon is worth it: the organization, the volunteers, and the culture make it one of the best race experiences in the world.Travel changes you. Seeing history from another perspective makes you a more understanding human.The quiet respect of Japanese culture is contagious. Let it rub off on you.Book a bed the night after your marathon. Learn from Rhea.Mentioned in This Episode Tokyo Marathon (2026)Nagoya Women's MarathonAbbott World Marathon Majors Six Star ProgramMarathon Tours & TravelLondon Marathon 2025 Fushimi Inari Shrine, KyotoMiyajima Island and the floating torii gate, HiroshimaWorld Friendship Center, HiroshimaRyokan traditional Japanese hotels and tatami mat roomsOnsen (Japanese hot spring baths)Pocari Sweat: the Japanese sports drink on course ("better than Gatorade")Episodes 5 & 16 — Christelle's full storyEpisodes 30 & 31 — Rhea's full storyEpisodes 36 & 37 — Tom's full storySupport the Mission Unstoppable: Stories That Move is a podcast with a purpose to raise $1 million for medical research to help fund cures for cancer and other diseases. With NIH budgets being cut, your support matters more than ever. Donate today

    1h 53m

  4. APR 9

    41. Sally's Hotline: Using Your Freedom with Mike Ware

    Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about? In this installment of Sally's Hotline, we get a powerful tip from the Unstoppable Mike Ware, a Vietnam veteran, helicopter pilot, cancer survivor, and flight instructor, about the one choice that determines everything else: which door you open. Mike shares his simple but profound framework for navigating life's hardest moments. We all have one key, he says, and two doors, one marked life, one marked death. Free will means we get to choose which one we put that key into. And his message is clear: choose life, every single time. This episode is a quiet but powerful reminder that happiness isn't something that happens to you. It starts in your thinking and moves into your actions, and the decision to pursue it is always yours to make. In This Episode, You'll Hear Why happiness is a decision, not a circumstanceHow your thinking directly produces your physical reactions, and why that mattersMike's one-key, two-doors framework for navigating free willWhy choosing life isn't just about survival, it's about eternityWhat it looks like to have experienced both heaven on earth and something beyond itKey Takeaways You determine your own happiness. It begins with what you put in your head.Free will is a gift, and it comes with real consequences depending on how you use it.When quitting, giving up, or giving in feels easiest, remember: you have one key. Use it on the right door.Belief matters. In yourself, in the future, and in something bigger than this moment.Choose wisely.About Mike Ware Mike Ware is a Vietnam veteran who served as a helicopter pilot during the Tet Offensive, flew classified missions into Cambodia and Laos, and went on to a career in life flight operations before becoming a flight instructor. A survivor of war, cancer, and his own darkest moments, Mike is now writing his memoir, Blades of War, to share what he lived through, and why he's still here. Resources Mentioned Blades of War by Mike Ware (forthcoming)Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988, then press 1If This Episode Gave You a Boost: Share it with someone who needs a reminder that they still have a keySubscribe to Unstoppable: Stories That MoveLeave a review to help more people find these storiesAnd If You Want to Make an Impact: This podcast exists to raise $1 million for medical research. Your donation helps fund real labs doing real work that saves lives. Donate today at unstoppablestoriesthatmove.com

    3 min

  5. APR 2

    40. Flying For Life with Mike Ware

    Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about? What does it take to survive a war, come home to a country that doesn't want you, and still choose to live? Host Sally Hed Dahlquist sits down with Mike Ware, a Vietnam veteran, helicopter pilot, life flight pilot, flight instructor, and living proof that surviving isn't just about making it out alive, it's about finding a reason to stay. Mike flew combat missions during the war in Vietnam, transported Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol soldiers into Cambodia and Laos on classified missions his country couldn't officially claim, and came home to a nation that met him with hostility instead of gratitude. Decades later, he's still flying, still teaching, and finally telling his story in his forthcoming memoir, Blades of War. In this conversation, Mike shares what has kept him going: Finding faith at the moment he needed it mostReturning to Vietnam decades later and seeing it with new eyesSharing his story so other veterans know they are not aloneThis episode is a reminder that surviving isn't the finish line, it's just the beginning of figuring out why you're still here. What You'll Hear in This Episode How a recruiter's pitch changed the entire course of Mike's lifeFlying combat missions with just a few hundred hours of flight timeRope rescues, night flying, rats, snakes, and a homemade shower built from an Agent Orange drumThe Miracle Mission: a rescue flight that should have killed everyone on boardTwo decades of trying to be "normal" and what finally broke throughThe moment Mike was holding a gun and heard a voice that stopped himWhy he went back to Vietnam and what he found thereLife flight flying, Angel Flights, and becoming one of the oldest flight instructors in the USListener Takeaways If you're moved by Mike's story, here are your reminders: Survival guilt is real, and so is help. About 20 veterans die by suicide every day. If you're struggling, reach out. You have more to share than you know.Going back can heal you. Mike returned to Vietnam and found a thriving, industrious, joyful people. Sometimes the place that hurt you most can also set you free.Write it down. Mike's logbook, stained and terrifying, became the foundation of a memoir and a decade of healing.Find your people. Faith, a supportive spouse, and the right community made the difference between Mike's two doors.It's never too late to share your story. Mike is in his 70s, still flying, still teaching, and only now putting his story into the world.Mentioned in This Episode 101st Airborne Division, "The Kingsmen"The Miracle Mission, helicopter tail number 16227, now at Camp Ripley, MinnesotaBlades of War by Mike Ware (forthcoming)Life flight / air medical transport programsAngel Flight, free air transportation for medical patientsVA.gov, mental health resources for veteransAmerican Association of Suicidology, suicidology.orgVeterans Crisis Line: Call 988, then press 1Support the Mission If Mike's story reminded you that there is always another door, please share it with a veteran who needs to hear it. We're raising $1 million for medical research, and every dollar from listeners like you makes a real difference. Learn more + donate at UnstoppableStoriesThatMove.com

    1h 12m

  6. MAR 26

    39. She Ran the World with Tracy Cohen Roth

    Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about? She came back. And she finished all seven. Sally Hed Dahlquist catches up with the unstoppable Tracy Cohen Roth, the teaching veteran, 140+ marathon finisher, and woman who just ran seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. First featured on Episode 22 in December 2025, Tracy returns to share the full story of what actually happened out there: the illness, the heat, the cold, the blisters, the NASA doctors, and the finish line in Miami where she had absolutely nothing left... and crossed it anyway. Tracy didn't just complete the World Marathon Challenge. She raised thousands of dollars in grassroots donations to get there, and came home to teach. In this conversation, Tracy shares what it really took: Battling a GI illness through four of the seven marathons with nowhere to stopRunning in 107-degree heat in Australia and 40-degree rain in SpainGetting pulled aside by NASA doctors who almost didn't let her run in MadridHow Liquid IV saved her raceCrossing the finish line in Miami in Antarctica gear with her husband waiting What You'll Hear in This Episode The full 7-7-7 route: Antarctica, Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid, Forza Brazil, MiamiWhat 168 hours looks like when 112 of them are spent in the airThe GI nightmare that started in South Africa and followed Tracy through four continentsNASA doctors, dehydration, and the Liquid IV that put color back in Tracy's faceHow Tracy trained: 20 miles a day for seven days straight over Christmas breakThe packing system: one bag per continent, stacked inside a single suitcaseWhat it felt like to crawl across that last finish line with nothing left in the tankComing home with swollen feetA recovery trip to Norway with her son filled with northern lights, reindeer sleds, and the world's northernmost McDonald'sWhat she'd tell anyone who has ever said "I've always wanted to do that"Listener Takeaways Tracy's story is a masterclass in commitment and resilience. Here are your reminders: No regrets. If you've always wanted to do something, stop waiting and make it happen.You don't have to feel ready, you just have to show up and keep moving.Community carries you. Your body can do more than your brain thinks it can, especially when quitting isn't an option.Mentioned in This Episode World Marathon Challenge (7 marathons, 7 continents, 7 days)Episode 22: Tracy's first appearance on Unstoppable: Stories That MoveLiquid IV electrolyte powder (available at Costco)Salt electrolyte candies for heat racingSupport the Mission If Tracy's story fired you up, please share this episode and consider supporting the bigger mission. We're raising $1 million for medical research, and every dollar from listeners like you truly makes a difference. Learn more + donate at UnstoppableStoriesThatMove.com

    32 min

  7. MAR 20

    38. Win Joel Karsten's Book + A Tip to Get Your Garden Started!

    Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about? In this mini episode, host Sally Hed Dahlquist shares an exciting contest announcement and a simple, encouraging tip to help you get growing this spring. Sally is giving away five signed copies of a book by the unstoppable Joel Karsten, the Minnesota farm boy turned global change maker who developed a revolutionary technique for growing food in straw bales. His method has helped feed malnourished children in Cambodia and beyond, allowing communities to grow nutritious fruits and vegetables... even through monsoon season. And while you're waiting for your garden to grow? Sally has a beginner-friendly tip to get you started, no digging required. In This Episode, You'll Hear: How to enter the book contest to win a signed copy of Joel Karsten's book (open March 19 – April 30, 2026)A quick recap of Joel's incredible story and why straw bale gardening is changing lives worldwideSally's beginner gardening tip: start small with herbs in a pot, basil, cilantro, sage, and work your way upWhy straw bale gardening is the easiest way to grow your own food without digging up your yardHow to Enter the Contest: Visit unstoppablestoriesthatmove.com and look for "book contest"Enter your name and email between March 19 – April 30, 2026Five lucky winners will be drawn on April 30, 2026Learn More About Joel Karsten: Listen to his full story on Episode 18 of Unstoppable: Stories That MoveFind his books on AmazonVisit his website at strawbalegardens.comSupport the Mission: Unstoppable: Stories That Move is a podcast with a purpose to raise $1 million for medical research to help fund cures for cancer and other diseases. With NIH budgets being cut, your support matters more than ever. Donate today at unstoppablestoriesthatmove.com or mail a check to: PO Box 12, Afton, MN 55001, USA

    4 min

  8. MAR 12

    37. Sally's Hotline: Small Steps, Big Goals with Tom Pedersen

    Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about? In this edition of Sally's Hotline, we hear from the unstoppable Tom Pedersen, a lifelong runner and retired teacher who is back on the roads after a stroke and six-bypass open-heart surgery. Rather than dwelling on what the experience took from him, Tom shows up with hard-won wisdom about how to tackle the things in life that feel too big to start. Tom's advice is simple, practical, and deeply lived: every overwhelming goal, whether it's training for a marathon, recovering from surgery, or finishing an attic renovation for your daughters, gets conquered the same way. One step at a time. In This Episode, You'll Hear: Why the first step doesn't need to be big... it just needs to happenHow Tom applied this philosophy with students facing overwhelming challenges over 25 years in the classroomThe attic renovation story: a promise to his daughters that became a three-year project he figured out as he wentWhy having a meaningful "why" is often what finally gets you movingKey Takeaways: Overwhelming goals become manageable when you focus only on the next stepProgress compounds. Those "insignificant" early steps add up to something significantAsking for help along the way isn't a weakness, it's part of the processA promise to someone you love can be the most powerful motivator of allGetting started is always the hardest part, and always worth itIf you want to hear Tom's full story, including running marathons after a stroke, surviving six-bypass heart surgery, and chasing the Six World Marathon Majors, listen to his full story on episode 36 of Unstoppable: Stories That Move. Support the Mission: Unstoppable: Stories That Move is a podcast with a purpose to raise $1 million for medical research to help fund cures for cancer and other diseases. With NIH budgets being cut, your support matters more than ever. Donate today at unstoppablestoriesthatmove.com or mail a check to: PO Box 12, Afton, MN 55001, USA

    5 min
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About

A podcast with a purpose highlighting ordinary people who do extra-ordinary things, while raising money for medical research. From everyday athletes & artists, scientists & survivors, care-givers & change-makers, these people relentlessly pursue their dreams, resiliently pushing through pain & setbacks. What's their purpose? What makes them Unstoppable? Tune in to listen as these seemingly normal people share their stories of resilience and inspire us to keep moving forward

Information

  • Creator
    Sally Hed Dahlquist
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    44
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Unstoppable Stories That Move
  • Show Website
    Unstoppable Stories That Move