Twenty years in the Navy. Two decades of structure, service, and purpose. But for Natasha Swartley, the hardest chapter began after she took off the uniform.

In this Veterans Day episode of Enduring Minds, Natasha joins Evan Birch and Jason Bahamundi to discuss the realities of transitioning from military to civilian life, living with PTSD, and rediscovering her identity.

Natasha opens up about isolation, mental health struggles, and finding support after leaving the Navy. She also shares how volunteering as a trail race medic and connecting with the ultrarunning community helped her build a new chapter around something familiar: caring for others.

We explore the meaning of belonging, why comparison can leave us feeling like outsiders, and how communities can support people navigating major life changes.

This isn't simply a story about leaving the military. It's a conversation about discovering who you are when the life you've known changes.

Content note: Includes discussion of PTSD, suicide, and mental health crises.

Listen, share with someone who might connect with Natasha's experience, and follow the Everyday Athlete Podcast Network for more conversations that go beyond the finish line.

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What happens when running becomes about more than the finish line?

Becky Croft is an Indigenous runner, coach, and advocate representing the Cherokee and Yakima Nations. She joins Jason Bahamundi for a conversation about identity, representation, Native Women Running, and why being uncomfortable isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Fresh off the New York City Marathon, Becky explains why she chose to represent something bigger than her finishing time, how running helped her reconnect with her culture, and why the running industry still has work to do when it comes to inclusion.

They also get into coaching women through perimenopause and menopause, the pressure runners put on themselves, ribbon skirts, community, and what happens when we stop treating social media like a competition for attention.

And yes, there is plenty of conversation about coffee, pizza, and brownies.

Listen with curiosity. You don't have to agree with every perspective to learn something from it.

Keep Connected:

• Run Tri Bike on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠
• Run Tri Bike on ⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠
• Becky Croft on ⁠Instagram⁠
• Join the ⁠⁠Everyday Athlete Clubhouse⁠⁠

We started with marathon medals and somehow ended up drafting Slash, Tom Morello, and 50 Cent into the American Revolution.

Along the way, Santino shares his Oakland Marathon finish-line experience, we talk about back-of-the-pack runners, Queens of the Stone Age, running playlists, and live music.

Just another perfectly normal episode of What's In Your Earbuds?

Keep Connected:

• Run Tri Bike on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Run Tri Bike on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Joe Hardin on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠
• Santino Williams on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠
• Join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Everyday Athlete Clubhouse⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Run Tri Bike Newsletter⁠⁠