Mind Over Mountain
From the bestselling author of Wild and co-host of the beloved Dear Sugars podcast, Cheryl Strayed returns with a new kind of journey.In Mind Over Mountain with Cheryl Strayed, Cheryl sits down with athletes and adventurers from the most high-adrenaline corners of the world…
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 11
- Latest publication
- Sep 17, 2026
- Audience
- Checking…
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 9, 2026
Latest episodes
The Courage to Start Over with Olympic Swimming Champion Natalie Coughlin (opens the original)
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This week I talk with 12-time Olympic medalist Natalie Coughlin about the mental strength behind her extraordinary swimming career, the failures that ultimately shaped her success, and what it means to keep beginning again. Natalie shares how visualization helped her become a champion, why missing her first Olympic team became a gift, and how she learned to embrace new chapters after swimming. We also answer a Dear Sugar letter from a woman wondering how to start over and find a fulfilling secon
The Same Dream, a Different Path with Paralympic Swimming Champion Christie Raleigh Crossley (opens the original)
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Paralympic champion Christie Raleigh Crossley spent decades chasing an Olympic dream, even as accidents, motherhood, brain surgery, and disability repeatedly changed the path beneath her. Christie joins us to talk about learning to adapt, letting go of the life she thought she’d have, and finally reaching the podium in Paris. We also answer a Dear Sugar letter from a mother struggling to accept that parenthood looks different than she imagined. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information
The Thing That Scares You Most: WWE Pro Wrestler AJ Mendez on Finding Your Superpower (opens the original)
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Wrestling icon, writer, and mental health advocate AJ Mendez joins me to talk about what happens when we stop hiding the parts of ourselves we’ve been taught to fear. AJ reflects on becoming the trailblazing AJ Lee, walking away at the height of her career, and returning to wrestling a decade later as a healthier, more whole version of herself. We talk about vulnerability, finding power in the things that make us different, and why sometimes the thing that scares us most is exactly where we need
Don’t Let the Injury Decide: Professional CrossFit Athlete Rebecka Vitesson on Starting Over (opens the original)
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Professional CrossFit athlete Rebecka Vitesson joins me to talk about what it means to come back; not just from injury, but from the fear that the thing you love might be over. Rebecka shares how repeated setbacks taught her to be gentler with herself, celebrate small victories, and measure success by the effort she gives rather than the outcome she earns. We also answer a Dear Sugar letter about finding the discipline to begin, and why sometimes the way forward is to make the first step a littl
How Do I Want to Show Up? with AVP Beach Volleyball Player Kelly Cheng (opens the original)
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Two-time Olympian and AVP beach volleyball player Kelly Cheng joins Cheryl to talk about what it means to keep showing up—with joy, ferocity, and an open heart. We talk about weathering pressure, trusting the people beside us, and learning to quiet the voice that says we aren't enough. We also answer a Dear Sugar letter about making peace with the bodies we're given. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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