The Coaches Corner University Podcast #173 - Why Suffering is the Best Teacher for Coaches - Cayt Miller
Jan 15, 2026
In this engaging discussion, Cayt Miller, co-founder of Hoopie Strength and Conditioning, shares insights from her journey as a competitive swimmer turned powerlifter and personal trainer. She opens up about her struggles with disordered eating and the life-changing event of a ruptured appendix that helped redefine her core values. Cayt emphasizes the shift from focusing on size to celebrating capabilities, and she offers powerful non-negotiables for daily life. Listeners will appreciate her approach to cultivating resilience and living fully alive.
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Appendix Rupture That Reordered Priorities
- Cayt described rupturing her appendix two weeks before her wedding and spending eight days in the hospital instead of preparing for a meet and wedding.
- That hospital stay clarified her core values and shifted her priorities toward relationships, health, and stewardship.
Powerlifting Shifted A Disordered Relationship
- Cayt shared her long history of disordered eating that began around sixth grade and worsened in college with binge eating.
- Finding powerlifting shifted her focus from being as small as possible to what her body could perform and helped start recovery.
Values Turn Monotony Into Meaning
- Cayt argued core values give daily meaning and help steward monotonous days into purposeful action.
- She recommended verbalizing values to check daily alignment and avoid losing agency over life choices.
