Dean Karnazes is a force of nature and an inspiration. He’s raced across the globe in support of various causes and modeled unparalleled perseverance and going beyond perceived limitations that serve to unlock an inner strength in others to also attain extraordinary results. He shares real-life examples that explore the topics of dealing with adversity, overcoming obstacles, setting and reaching lofty goals, the importance of teamwork - even in solo endeavors, and excelling in a competitive and complicated world. In this episode we discuss the essential ingredients necessary for high-achievement/performance and developing the ability to prevail and preserve against staggering odds.

He is also a New York Times bestselling author of a number of books, and Dean has served as a US Athlete Ambassador on three separate Sports Diplomacy envoys to Central Asia and South America. He’s twice carried the Olympic Torch and is a recipient of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He currently serves as the Global Ambassador of Greek Tourism.

Dean has been named Competitor magazine’s Endurance Athlete of the Year on three occasions; Men’s Fitness hailed him as one of the fittest men on the planet, and GQ magazine called him, “The Perfect Human.” ESPN awarded him an ESPY as "Best Outdoor Athlete" of the year; Men's Journal inducted him into their Adventure Hall of Fame, and Outside magazine named him one of the Ultimate Top 10 Outdoor Athletes, and put him on the cover. He’s also been on the covers of Runner’s World and Wired; and TIME magazine named him one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World.”

Dean not only lives his life in full, but he is an inspiration to millions over multiple generations, always with a gentlemanly presence, grace and gratitude, as a model for others to do so as well. He is uniquely able to demonstrate how the lessons learned from athletics can be applied to business and life, with authenticity and humanity.

Sara Fix is a powerhouse. A mother of three, a small business owner, and a woman who’s navigated life’s highs and lows—all while completing 28 Ironman races across the globe, but her biggest challenge is being diagnosed with stage 4 neuroendocrine cancer, yet, she refuses to let her diagnosis define her. She continues to train, compete, and inspire others with her resilience and positive mindset.

Sara's story is one of perseverance and advocacy. She emphasizes the importance of being one's own health advocate and encourages others to listen to their bodies and seek help when needed. Her message of hope and determination resonates with many, making her a beloved figure in the endurance sports community and beyond as she lives her life in full.

Prescription medications are fairly controversial these days – cost, insurance coverage, efficacy, and too often, medications are dosed incorrectly, cause toxic side effects or just don't work. But what if we could change how we prescribe drugs, what if there was a 3D printer that could design pills that adapt to an individual’s needs, and maybe print-on-demand the medications tailored to the patient?

Or what if there was a real-world device that worked like the diagnostic Tricorder we imagined watching Star Trek? How about AI-infused antiviral discoveries and laboratory-level diagnostic tools accessible via your smartphone?

These ideas and technologies, and many more, are paving the way to a more democratized, connected and data-driven future of medicine, and personalized care. And this is the world where Dr. Daniel Kraft thrives.

Daniel is a Stanford and Harvard trained physician-scientist with more than 25 years of experience in clinical practice, biomedical research, and innovation. He is Founder and Chair for NextMed.Health, a program which explores convergent, rapidly developing technologies and their potential to reshape the future of health and biomedicine, and he is the Faculty Chair for Medicine at Singularity University.

I’m not sure if we can call Daniel a medical futurist, as he seems to be a co-creator of that future, but I asked about what some of the various technologies transforming patient care in the next decade may be, as well as some of the exciting innovations he’s seen in regenerative medicine and stem cell therapies recently. Daniel had a great deal to say about his thoughts on that vis-à-vis personalized medicine.

We wrapped up with Daniel sharing who’s influenced you him and his work, and the various mentors he had in his various areas of interest. He also shared advice for young medical professionals interested in innovation and entrepreneurship. Daniel’s work and life are a testament to the benefit that cross-disciplinary approaches, augmented by technological innovations, can bring to medicine and healthcare. While Daniel’s work saves lives, he also serves as an inspiration for all of us to live our lives more fully.