Pete Ripmaster, Ultrarunner, Adventurer, Winner of 1000-mile Iditarod Footrace. A Story of Perseverance, Triumph and Redemption.

Pete Ripmaster has always considered himself an athlete, but it wasn’t until much later in his life that he discovered running. When his mom passed away, Pete was in a real bad place personally, so he packed up everything he owned and knew, and headed into the Alaskan wilderness to find himself. After his soul searching experience, Pete returned to the lower 48 and found himself in Telluride Colorado.

Soon after, he decided to make good on a promise to his mom to do great things, and honored her legacy by running 50 marathons in 50 states and raising over $62,000 for cancer research in the process. This experience fueled his hunger to accomplish even more and served as a springboard for his cause-driven running journey.

After having overcome numerous setbacks and challenges, five attempts, and a near death experience, Pete became the 2018 champion of the Iditarod Trail Invitational. Now, you’ve likely heard of the Iditarod before, and it probably conjures up thoughts of a dog drawn sled making its way through the Alaskan wilderness in sub-zero temperatures. Keep that mental picture, but now image a grueling 26 day, 1000-mile self-supported foot race through the harsh winter conditions of the Alaskan wilderness, and you have the backdrop for this inspiring story of adventure, redemption, and a life well lived.

In this episode Pete shares his unbelievable story of persistence and change. While his mountaintop moments are worth celebrating, Pete is quick to tell you that lessons are learned the valleys of his life, too. Through his struggles with depression, Pete has become a passionate advocate for mental health and the practice of mindfulness. He believes everyone deserves the opportunity to live a life of hope.