Rising Phoenix: What Does It Take?

About Rising Phoenix: What Does It Take?

From his garage in Iowa, Paralympic gold medallist and “Armless Archer” Matt Stutzman has open, unguarded conversations with some of the Paralympic Winter Games’ most remarkable athletes and ambassadors — one athlete to another — about what it really takes to get to the Games. As the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games approach, Paralympic gold medallist Matt Stutzman returns for a second series of What Does It Take? Matt sits down with Paralympic winter athletes and Milano Cortina 2026 ambassadors to hear first-hand what it takes to do what they do and their hopes and aspirations for Milano Cortina 2026, taking place on the 50 year anniversary of the Paralympic Winter Games. This is a chance for listeners to get to know the elite athletes going for the medals, to invest in their journeys, and to understand what it really takes to be an elite athlete, all whilst capturing the excitement and spirit of the Paralympic Winter Games. By getting to know these athletes, the series offers a rare look at the people behind the performances and their journeys to the world stage. Produced by the creators of the Emmy Award-winning Rising Phoenix, in official partnership with Milano Cortina 2026 and supported by Procter & Gamble, a worldwide Paralympic partner. This is a Harder Than You Think production. Host: Matt Stutzman Producers: Calum Campbell and Vanessa Wheeler Video Editor: Nic Woinilowicz Audio Post Production: String and Tins Sound Editor: Culum Simpson Remote Recording Engineer: George Hinson Audio Producer: Esi Jonuzi Executive Producers: Greg Nugent and Barnaby Spurrier The podcast’s soundtrack is titled “Rising Phoenix” - written by Daniel Pemberton, Keith Jones, Toni Hickman and George Doman. Performed by Daniel Pemberton, Toni Hickman, georgetragic, and Keith Jones. Published by Alika’s Publishing, Doman Development, Moncur Street Music Limited, administered by peermusic (UK) Ltd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Rising Phoenix

Category

news · society & culture · sports

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

9 Aug 2024

Latest episode

15 Mar 2026

Latest episodes

21 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   15 Mar 2026

   Noah Elliott on discovering the Paralympic dream from his hospital bed, the science of snowboarding and more medals in Cortina

   Noah Elliott on discovering the Paralympic dream from his hospital bed, the science of snowboarding and more medals in Cortina Recorded live in Cortina at a P&G event to celebrate the Everyday Champions behind the Paralympic athletes, just days after Noah Elliott won a silver medal at the Paralympic Winter Games — with one race still to come — this final episode brings this season of What Does It Take to a close. Raised in Missouri, Noah grew up skateboarding and dreaming of going pro. But life changed quickly: he became a father at 15 and was diagnosed with cancer soon after. While undergoing chemotherapy — which ultimately led to the loss of his leg — Noah watched the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games from his hospital bed, where Para snowboarding made its debut. In that moment, he found a new dream to chase. In conversation with Matt, Noah reflects on the journey that followed: learning to snowboard, moving to the mountains to pursue the sport full-time and winning gold at his first Paralympic Winter Games at PyeongChang 2018. He also breaks down the science behind snowboard racing — from wax to board grinds — and the tiny margins that can decide a race. Speaking in front of a live audience, Noah also reflects on the everyday champions behind every medal — the family, partners, coaches and technicians who build Paralympic athletes up and keep them going. We catch up with Noah in Cortina towards the end of an extraordinary Paralympic Winter Games, with a silver medal already secured and one final race still ahead. Produced by the creators of the Emmy Award-winning Rising Phoenix, in official partnership with Milano Cortina 2026 and supported by Procter & Gamble, a worldwide Paralympic partner. This is a Harder Than You Think production. Host: Matt Stutzman Producers: Calum Campbell and Vanessa Wheeler Video Editor: Nic Woinilowicz Audio Post Production: String and Tins Sound Editor: Culum Simpson Remote Recording Engineer: George Hinson Audio Producer: Esi Jonuzi Executive Producers: Greg Nugent and Barnaby Spurrier The podcast’s soundtrack is titled “Rising Phoenix” - Written by Daniel Pemberton, Keith Jones, Toni Hickman and George Doman. Performed by Daniel Pemberton, Toni Hickman, georgetragic, and Keith Jones. Published by Alika’s Publishing, Doman Development, Moncur Street Music Limited, administered by peermusic (UK) Ltd. For more from Rising Phoenix, follow on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/risingphxgloba), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@risingphxglobal) and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@risingphxglobal) or visit risingphoenix.global (https://risingphoenix.global/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   12 Mar 2026

   Amy Purdy on learning to samba with prosthetics, her fight to compete at the Games in Para snowboarding and the next chapter in her life

   Amy Purdy’s life changed in a matter of hours. One day she was healthy, working and snowboarding. Hours later, she was fighting for her life with bacterial meningitis — in full organ failure, in a coma, and close to flatlining multiple times. She survived, but lost both legs below the knee, along with part of her hearing and vital organ function. Joining Matt from a rooftop in central Milan on a bright, sunny morning – the day after watching the US women win gold in Olympic ice hockey – Amy reflects on what followed. Years shaped by vision, determination and an unshakable refusal to feel sorry for herself. A three-time Paralympic medallist from Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018, Amy takes us inside the years it took to rebuild her life and her sport: testing and modifying prosthetics, manually adjusting feet and ankles run by run, and learning – quite literally – how to snowboard again from scratch. She also shares the behind-the-scenes story of learning to samba on prosthetic legs for the spectacular Opening Ceremony at Rio 2016, dancing solo with a robotic arm in front of an audience of millions. Beyond competition, Amy speaks about founding Adaptive Action Sports with her husband Daniel — a foundation dedicated to opening up access to adaptive snow sports — and why helping others believe in what’s possible has always mattered as much as medals. The conversation is thoughtful, honest and powerful — about purpose, pressure, creativity and what it really takes to keep moving forward when life doesn’t follow the path you expected. Produced by the creators of the Emmy Award-winning Rising Phoenix, in official partnership with Milano Cortina 2026 and supported by Procter & Gamble, a worldwide Paralympic partner. This is a Harder Than You Think production. Host: Matt Stutzman Producers: Calum Campbell and Vanessa Wheeler Video Editor: Nic Woinilowicz Audio Post Production: String and Tins Sound Editor: Culum Simpson Remote Recording Engineer: George Hinson Audio Producer: Esi Jonuzi Executive Producers: Greg Nugent and Barnaby Spurrier The podcast’s soundtrack is titled “Rising Phoenix” - Written by Daniel Pemberton, Keith Jones, Toni Hickman and George Doman. Performed by Daniel Pemberton, Toni Hickman, georgetragic, and Keith Jones. Published by Alika’s Publishing, Doman Development, Moncur Street Music Limited, administered by peermusic (UK) Ltd. For more from Rising Phoenix, follow on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/risingphxgloba), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@risingphxglobal) and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@risingphxglobal) or visit risingphoenix.global (https://risingphoenix.global/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   11 Mar 2026

   Simone Barlaam on the mindset required to be your best, winning big at Paris 2024, and using art to promote Milano Cortina 2026

   Today’s guest is unique for the series. Simone Barlaam joins as an official ambassador for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games and the only guest who is not a current or former Winter Paralympian. The Italian star Para swimmer is an 8x Paralympic medallist. Simone is up there with the greatest Para swimmers of his generation. But for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, he is dedicating his time to promoting the Games on home soil with the hope of inspiring a new generation of disabled kids to take up sports. Simone tells us about his journey to the Paralympic Games, talks through his major successes at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, describes the resilience it takes to become one of the greatest Paralympians in the world, and how he uses his love of art and comics to promote Milano Cortina 2026. Produced by the creators of the Emmy Award-winning Rising Phoenix, in official partnership with Milano Cortina 2026 and supported by Procter & Gamble, a worldwide Paralympic partner. This is a Harder Than You Think production. Host: Matt Stutzman Producers: Calum Campbell and Vanessa Wheeler Video Editor: Nic Woinilowicz Audio Post Production: String and Tins Sound Editor: Culum Simpson Remote Recording Engineer: George Hinson Audio Producer: Esi Jonuzi Executive Producers: Greg Nugent and Barnaby Spurrier The podcast’s soundtrack is titled “Rising Phoenix” - Written by Daniel Pemberton, Keith Jones, Toni Hickman and George Doman. Performed by Daniel Pemberton, Toni Hickman, georgetragic, and Keith Jones. Published by Alika’s Publishing, Doman Development, Moncur Street Music Limited, administered by peermusic (UK) Ltd. For more from Rising Phoenix, follow on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/risingphxgloba), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@risingphxglobal) and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@risingphxglobal) or visit risingphoenix.global (https://risingphoenix.global/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

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Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

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