RAAM Victor Leah Goldstein Turns Pain Into Fuel: Life Pivots & The Power of A No Quit, No Limit Attitude

Dec 6, 2021

In this episode, Leah Goldstein, an extraordinary athlete and the first woman to win the Race Across America solo division, shares her incredible journey. She discusses her transition from a world kickboxing champion to a Krav Maga instructor in the Israeli Defense Force. After a life-altering crash, she reinvented herself as an ultra-distance cyclist, emphasizing the power of mental resilience and a no-quit attitude. Leah also touches on the challenges of endurance racing, her plant-based diet, and the importance of embracing life's pivots.

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ANECDOTE

Kickboxing Coach's Rules

Goldstein's kickboxing coach set strict rules: no smoking, drinking, drugs, or friends; train seven days a week, twice a day.
He promised to make her a world champion by 17 if she followed them.

ANECDOTE

James Bond Dream

Goldstein's dream wasn't kickboxing but to be like James Bond.
This led her to join the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) after high school.

ANECDOTE

IDF Training and Krav Maga

The IDF recognized Goldstein's unique background and athleticism.
Within six months, she became a Krav Maga instructor, training commandos.

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What does it take to achieve the impossible? Don’t set limits. And never quit. Ever.

The full embodiment of this ethos, today’s guest has never met an obstacle she couldn’t overcome, transcending every limit ever placed upon her. Her secret?

Never give pain a voice.

An extraordinary athlete and absolute force of nature, Leah Goldstein has lived one of the more interesting lives you will ever come across.

After winning the Bantamweight World Kickboxing Championship at just 17 years old, Leah walked away from a bright future in competitive martial arts to join the Israeli Defense Force, becoming a Krav Maga specialist and the first female Elite Commando Instructor before a storied career as an undercover Special Forces intelligence officer.

In yet another dramatic life pivot, Leah then embarked on a professional cycling career. A devastating crash ended her Olympic dreams, her pro career, and nearly her life. After being told she might not walk again and certainly would never race again, Leah remained undaunted, ultimately reinventing herself once again as an ultra-distance cyclist.

In 2021, at age 52 (and entirely plant-based) she became the very first woman in the 39-year history of RAAM—the 3000-mile Race Across America transcontinental cycling race—to beat everyone, including all the men, and outright win the solo division.

Today she shares her story. It’s a wild ride.

Today’s conversation traverses the vast diversity of Leah’s life experiences and accomplishments—and the mindset that fuels her ability to face fear, overcome adversity, and transcend limits.

It’s a conversation about grit, perseverance and work ethic. The importance of life pivots. How to expand your capacity to endure. And the ‘never quit’ drive required to do amazing things.

It’s also about bullying, sexism, and channeling pain into achieving impossible goals.

But more than anything, this exchange is about the importance of heeding your inner voice—and tapping the hidden reservoirs of potential that reside within us all to make audacious dreams manifest.

To read more click here. You can also watch it all go down on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Leah may be extraordinary. But the wisdom and experience she shares is applicable to all.

May her story spark your flame—and elevate your life aspirations.

Peace + Plants,

Rich