EP 195: Within The Mile with Bear Lee

On this episode of The Project Endure Podcast, Joe Rinaldi sits down with Bear Lee — endurance athlete, adventurer, and mental health advocate — for a powerful conversation about navigating darkness, chasing difficult goals, and choosing growth through adversity. Bear opens up about his lifelong battles with anxiety and depression, the numbing impact of medication, and how endurance sports became a pathway back to purpose and presence. He shares the story behind his nickname, the role of human connection in healing, and his raw experience running the Moab 240 with an injured ankle. Joe and Bear explore themes of resilience, self-belief, and staying grounded in the moment, even when the path feels impossible. From brutal weather to moments of wanting to quit, Bear reflects on the support that kept him moving and the mindset of "Stay Within the Mile" that helped him finish. This conversation is an honest reminder that even in our hardest miles, strength, meaning, and hope can be found. Give this episode a listen as we dive deep into Bear's life and learn about what persistence, perspective and endurance mean to him.

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