If You Have a Body, You’re an Athlete: Training for MS
Former Nike exec Mark Hochgesang interviews Danny on Heavy Hitter Sports Podcast about MS & being an adaptive athlete. Just back from Belize! Training works. Summary My friend Mark Hochgesang, former Nike exec and host of Heavy Hitter Sports, recently interviewed me. While I usually wear my life on my sleeve on Health Hats, this conversation revealed something different—how I think about myself as an adaptive athlete . Phil Knight’s mantra: “If you have a body, you’re an athlete.” I never thought of it that way until Mark helped me see it. Training to travel? That’s athletic training. Loading a 60-pound wheelchair into an SUV? Strength work. Walking 3,500 steps a day with MS? Competition with myself. Here’s what we covered: 🧠 The Swiss cheese brain scan – My MS diagnosis story (turns out I’d had it for 25 years) 🎷 The baritone saxophone – My neurologist’s #1 prescription for MS. Music creates new neural pathways. 🚶 The 3,500-step goal – Why movement is non-negotiable, even with foot drop and proprioception issues 💪 The “every other day” rule – Setting yourself up for success (stretching, balance, upper body work, squats) 😤 The two-minute bitch – No “happy horseshit” allowed. Life with MS sucks sometimes. Two minutes to vent, then move forward. 🌍 Training to travel – From 70 miles of Camino de Santiago to just returning from Belize (videos coming!) 👨👩👦 The team – Wife (OT), sons, grandkids (my scouts!), medical team, massage therapists, the Cuban van driver who didn’t speak English 🎯 The win – People understanding that disability takes many forms and asking “How can I help you?” instead of aggressively helping 💡 The legacy – Being remembered as “the cool Opa” The biggest lesson? Build a team. You can’t do this shit alone. Click here to view the printable newsletter with images. More readable than a transcript . Contents Please comment and ask questions: at the comment section at the bottom of the show notes on LinkedIn via email YouTube channel DM on Instagram , TikTok to @healthhats Substack Patreon Production Team Kayla Nelson: Web and Social Media Coach, Dissemination, Help Desk Leon van Leeuwen: editing and site management Oscar van Leeuwen: video editing Julia Higgins: Digit marketing therapy Steve Heatherington: Help Desk and podcast production counseling Joey van Leeuwen, Drummer, Composer, and Arranger, provided the music for the intro, outro, proem, and reflection Claude , Perplexity , Auphonic , Descript , Grammarly , DaVinci Inspired by and Grateful to: my entire team Photo Credits for Videos Featured Image by Mark Hochgesang Referenced in episode Heavy Hitter Sports Episode Proem Mark Hochgesang, a former Nike exec and my podcasting buddy, recently hosted me on his podcast, Heavy Hitter Sports . You all know I wear my life on my sleeve and take any opportunity to talk about myself. I’m sharing this episode of Mark’s because it reveals a different story of my abilities and self-image, which I now tell through my collaboration with Mark and his deep understanding of sports. Redefining Athletic Performance Mark: Welcome to Season 4 of Heavy Hitter Sports, where we talk to inspirational figures in the world of sports. Athletes come in many shapes and sizes, and not all heroes perform on a big stage. Today’s episode is a bit different and one that I’ve long been looking forward to. It’s focused on how we adapt to unplanned life changes and adversity, then train, compete, and battle to win on our own terms. My guest is a good friend and fellow podcaster, Danny van Leeuwen. Danny is a former nurse, healthcare executive, musician, traveler, and a man who has lived with multiple sclerosis for many years. This is not a tale about limitations or illness. It’s a story about focus, fortitude, optimism, preparation, and team-building to live an amazing life. Danny’s story as an adaptive athlete challenges us to rethink what strength, toughness, and success look like. If you care about maintaining optimal health, shar