Why The Mission Needs To Be Bigger Than You
Why giving back can make you stronger, more focused, and more successful than ever — lessons from five elite athletes who chose purpose over ego
There’s a point in many athletic journeys—maybe in life too—when personal goals stop being enough. The PRs are nice. The summit photos are cool. But at some point, the fire shifts. You need a reason to keep showing up that isn’t just about you.
Over the last year of interviewing top performers on the Ageless Athlete podcast, I kept noticing a pattern. The most grounded, high-performing athletes—especially those who’ve lasted the longest—weren’t just chasing results. They were serving something bigger.
Here are five athletes who didn’t just succeed despite shifting their focus outward, but in many ways, because of it.
Bianca Valenti: Fighting for a Fairer Future in Surfing
Bianca is one of the world’s best big wave surfers. But her most powerful ride didn’t happen on a board—it happened in a courtroom.
After a near-death experience at Ocean Beach, she began to see her role in the sport differently. In 2016, she co-founded the Committee for Equity in Women’s Surfing (CEWS). What followed was a multi-year battle that ultimately led to a landmark ruling: big wave surf contests in California had to offer equal pay to women.
Her fight changed the rules for every future woman in the sport.
“There was power in people seeing women surf big waves. Their whole perception of what women were capable of started to change.”
Bianca told me the moment she stopped chasing validation and started surfing with a mission, she found more joy and longevity in the sport than ever before.
Craig DeMartino: Redefining What a Climber Looks Like
Craig fell 100 feet in a climbing accident and lost his right leg. Instead of stepping away, he returned to climbing—becoming the first amputee to climb El Capitan in Yosemite in under 24 hours.
But the bigger impact came later: Craig became a leading voice for adaptive athletes, running clinics and coaching programs across the U.S. Through his work, he’s helped more than 100 adaptive climbers find not just ability, but identity in the sport.
“Climbing gave me a second life. Sharing that with someone else? That’s where the healing really begins.”
What surprised him most? The joy he now feels in his own climbing, which had faded before the accident, has only grown stronger since.
Lisa Smith-Batchen: Turning Suffering Into Service
Lisa is an ultramarathon legend, with victories in Badwater and Marathon des Sables. But her proudest achievement isn’t a race—it’s raising over $1 million for clean water, orphan care, and education by running solo charity missions across states.
One year, she ran 50 miles in 50 states in 50 days. Another time, she ran 584 miles across Death Valley to raise awareness for a children's charity. These weren’t sponsored events—she organized them, endured them, and made them count.
“When I’m running for others, I don’t feel the pain the same way. The suffering has a shape to it. It has meaning.”
She credits her ability to keep going—not just physically, but emotionally—to this outward orientation.
Tim and Diana Fitzpatrick: Running Into the Prison Yard
Tim and Diana are elite masters runners. But what makes their story unforgettable is where they choose to run.
They volunteer inside San Quentin State Prison, coaching incarcerated runners through the 1000 Mile Club—a running program that helps inmates build confidence, discipline, and hope.
They’ve paced lifers through their first marathons. They’ve watched people break down in tears after running 10 miles—something they never believed possible.
“When you tell someone they’re worth showing up for, everything changes. The way they carry themselves, the way they move—it’s different.”
Their own running, they say, feels more purposeful now than ever. They train not to win races, but to show up for those who can’t leave the yard.
“I’m faster in my 60s than I was in my 40s. I think it’s because I finally know why I run.”
Ray Zahab: Exploration as Education
Ray went from being a smoker and partyer in his 20s to running across the Sahara. But he didn’t stop there. He founded Impossible2Possible, a nonprofit that takes youth on transformative expeditions around the world.
He’s led teenagers across the Amazon, to the Arctic, and beyond—combining physical adventure with environmental education, storytelling, and cross-cultural connection.
“We’re not just pushing limits. We’re asking better questions. That’s what makes the suffering worth it.”
Ray told me that once he started sharing his adventures with young people, his own expeditions took on new meaning. He no longer needed to prove anything—he was building something.
Why This Matters
Each of these athletes reached a turning point where personal ambition evolved into purpose. And in every case, that shift didn’t weaken their performance—it elevated it. It brought more clarity. More energy. More staying power.
So if you’re stuck, burned out, or wondering what’s next, maybe the answer isn’t to double down on chasing your next goal.
Maybe it’s to ask: who else can I bring with me?
And Me? I’m Still Figuring It Out?
I could pretend that starting the Ageless Athlete podcast and this newsletter was my own version of giving back. And maybe, in some small way, it is.
But if I’m being honest—it also came from a desire to build something that could sustain itself. Something that, eventually, could support me. I wanted purpose, sure. But I also wanted to realize my own gifts. I don’t think those goals are mutually exclusive, but I’d be lying if I said I began with only the most selfless intentions.
That said, I give back in other small ways—helping build trails, tutoring kids, cooking meals at a meditation center. Those things matter. But I’m still searching for that deeper cause that truly feels like mine.
Maybe that’s okay.
Maybe part of getting older is realizing that you don’t need to have it all figured out to begin. That just paying attention to what moves you—and sharing it as honestly as you can—is a kind of service too.
That’s what I’m trying to do here. But yes, I do aspire to do more!
And if you’ve ever felt the pull to go beyond your own milestones… if you’ve ever wondered what your “more” might look like—I hope these stories remind you: you don’t have to start with a mission. Just start by showing up for someone else. See where that takes you.
You can hear the full conversations with each of these athletes. Just search for Ageless Athlete on your favorite podcast app and look for the athlete’s name in past episodes.
Warmly,
Kush