Today’s guest is Adam Hill.

It was never part of Adam Hill’s life ambition or his genetic constitution to wear a Speedo in public, let alone compete in a triathlon. For the first three decades of life, he was the poster child for non-athleticism, obsessively unhealthy habits, and an intense fear of…well…everything.

Yet at the age of thirty-three, with a physique that could only be described as “Sasquatch with a Dad Bod,” he put aside his insecurities and took his first step toward an outrageous dream: to qualify for the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.

It was a dream shared by nearly every other triathlete in the world, reserved for the top 1 percent of all athletes in the sport—a sport in which Adam had exactly zero experience.

In Shifting Gears, Adam shares his harrowing, inspiring, and sometimes-clumsy story of transformation, from the origins of a debilitating
anxiety disorder to his battle with alcoholism to his rise to the top of the triathlon world stage.

Adam Hill is an elite amateur triathlete with multiple podium finishes and has earned the distinctions of USA Triathlon All-American and Ironman All World Athlete. He was featured in the NBC Sports series Ironman: Quest for Kona (2017), which chronicled his successful attempt to qualify for the Ironman World Championship.

Today, Adam is a business executive, coach, speaker, and author. Through his triathlon platform, Extra Life Fitness, he provides coaching, guidance, and resources to triathletes of all levels. You’ll often find him speaking about personal transformation and overcoming anxiety at company events, on podcasts, and in other media—usually because they invited him.

In this interview, we discuss:

• Anxiety, panic attacks and alcohol.
• How he went from the addict mindset to the athletes way of life.
• How he learned how to use his anxiety as a superpower in his life.
• And so much more.