When LeBron James dropped 61 points in a game earlier this week, it confirmed suspicions that he may be from another planet. Not metaphorically. Literally.
Whether or not King James is in fact from the moon, or Krytpon, or just planet Earth, his out-of-this-world performance begs the question: How do some athletes accomplish physical feats so far outside the norm of human capacity?
This episode of Live Like an Athlete explores how to push the limits of the body, mind and soul in ways that seem beyond human. Such as running 155 miles across each of the four most inhospitable deserts on Earth. Yes, people actually do this, and it's called the Four Desert Grand Slam. Tennis is not involved.
Special guest Samantha Gash is the youngest human being and the first female to ever complete the Four Deserts race. She also stars in the award-winning documentary, Desert Runners, which chronicles athletes' insane journeys across the Sahara, the Gobi, the Atacama, and the Antarctic deserts. Spoiler alert: this film will make your last 5k look like a sneeze.
Samantha points out that winning this extreme event is not so much about physical conditioning as it is about the athletes having "an unbelievable belief in themselves." She also shares some tips that us mere mortals can apply to push past our own limits.
A digital download of the film Desert Runners is available at a discount to our podcast listeners, using code "LIKEANATHLETE." Don't forget to check out Samantha's amazing non-profit undertaking, Freedom Runners, for which she'll race 1,460 miles across sub-Saharan Africa to benefit health and education for young girls in the region.
You can download this episode here. Be sure to subscribe to us here on iTunes, submit your questions for future guests at LikeAnAthlete@cbsi.com, and send a tweet to @ErinSharoni or@CBSHurc. Keep it clean. Just like your plate.
