What does it mean to keep putting one foot in front of the other when the world keeps telling you to stop? My guest today is Charlie Engle, one of the most accomplished ultra-distance runners on the planet. In 2007, Charlie completed a 4,500-mile run across the Sahara Desert, a feat so incredible numerous Matt Damon simply had to make a movie documenting it—and perhaps equally as incredible, they raised more than $6 million dollars for clean water projects in Africa as part of this expedition. Other ultra-runners have completed Badwater, but I don’t think anyone did so while in prison. That’s Charlie, he’s an “n-of-1” in all aspects of life.

Charlie spent years battling addiction, hitting rock bottom in ways that would have permanently derailed most people. He got sober, conquered some of the most incredible running challenges in the world, and then found himself in federal prison for charges you have to hear to believe.

Today, Charlie is preparing for a major adventure that once again, only one person would dare to dream—running from the bottom of the Dead Sea to the top of Mount Everest.

Charlie's honesty and perspective on overcoming adversity are genuinely inspiring–this is about resilience, redemption, and embracing the pain for personal growth–as Charlie says “ask me why afterwards.”

To learn more about Charlie Engle: https://www.charlieengle.com/

To purchase Running Man: https://www.amazon.com/Running-Man-Memoir-Charlie-Engle/dp/1476785783

What does it take to become the most decorated skeet shooter in history—and stay there?

In this episode of True Alternatives, host Marc Feuerstein sits down with four-time Olympic gold medalist Vincent Hancock for a conversation that goes far beyond the shooting range. From a backyard training ground in Georgia to the global stage of the Olympic Games,

Vincent shares the relentless process behind elite performance—mental conditioning, visualization, discipline, and the sacrifices required in pursuit of excellence. Vincent reflects on the difference between the prestige of Olympic medals and the grind of World Championships, the psychology of dealing with failure, and why teaching athletes to be “comfortable being uncomfortable” is core to his coaching philosophy.

The discussion also explores the financial realities of Olympic athletes and how the newly launched Stevens Financial Security Awards—providing post-Games income and family support—represent a transformative shift for Team USA.

Whether you're an athlete, parent, coach, or simply someone striving to achieve more, Vincent's journey is a compelling blueprint for the power of intentionality and mental resilience.

Key Highlights:

[05:20] – A Backyard Olympic Dream

How Vincent’s father built him a personal shooting range, and what a day of training looked like starting at age 13.

[08:37] – Mental Game & Visualization

Vincent walks through his intense, perfection-driven visualization practice—imagining every target, movement, and result in slow motion.

[14:22] – Handling Failure & Pressure

Vincent explains the mental framework of “what happened, why, and how do I fix it?”—his method for processing both mistakes and successes.

[18:32] – Distraction Training & Adrenaline

How Vincent trains by creating chaotic environments on purpose—including heckling from

friends and family—to simulate Olympic pressure.

[20:57] – What Excellence Takes

Advice Vincent gives to his daughters and athletes about what it really takes to pursue

excellence: striving for perfection, knowing you’ll never reach it.

[22:04] – The Financial Reality for Olympians

The difference between NBA-level visibility and the economic struggles of most Olympic

athletes. “We do it for the love, not the money.”

[25:33] –The Stevens Financial Security Award

Vincent’s candid perspective on how this new initiative provides long-overdue financial security and dignity for Olympians.

[28:45] – Legacy & Final Reflections

What Vincent hopes young athletes will take from his story—and why helping others grow is his true legacy beyond medals.

[30:23] – The True Gold Medal Moment

Vincent shares that his favorite moment wasn’t winning gold—it was walking into the Opening

Ceremony, representing the United States.

About Vincent:

Vincent Hancock is a four-time Olympic gold medalist and the most decorated skeet shooter in history, with over 30 international gold medals and four World Championships titles. A lifelong student of excellence and discipline, Vincent began his shooting journey at age ten and soon built a backyard range with his father to train full-time. Known for his powerful mental game, innovative coaching style, and passion for youth development, Vincent is as committed to mentoring the next generation of athletes as he is to refining his own craft. Off the field, he’s a proud father, coach, and advocate for athlete financial security and longevity in sport.

To learn more about Vincent: https://www.teamusa.com/profiles/vincent-hancock-848530

To learn more about The Stevens Financial Security Award:

In this deeply personal and thought-provoking episode of True Alternatives, Marc sits down with Alex Gladstein, Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), to explore how bitcoin is revolutionizing human rights work.

From smuggling films into Cuba to financing women's education in Afghanistan and powering entire communities in Africa, Alex shares gripping frontline stories that reveal bitcoin as an essential tool in the fight against authoritarianism. Together, they unpack how bitcoin is empowering freedom activists worldwide and how bitcoin mining is transforming stranded energy into economic opportunity.

Whether you're a bitcoin enthusiast, human rights advocate, or impact-driven investor, this is an unforgettable conversation that redefines what it means to change the world through code.

Highlights & Timestamps

[00:00:00] Introduction: Alex’s journey into human rights work and founding days at HRF

[00:01:59] Cuba, contraband cinema, and underground libraries: grassroots activism in authoritarian states

[00:07:10] First encounters with bitcoin: from skepticism to mission

[00:21:42] Roya Mahboob’s Afghanistan story: bitcoin as a lifeline for women and education

[00:32:24] How Ross Stevens inspired Gladstein’s bitcoin mining epiphany

[00:45:20] Bitcoin mining in Africa: Malawi, Congo, and Kenya’s hydro and geothermal revolutions

[00:54:23] Bitcoin as a tool for the 5.7B living under authoritarian regimes

[01:00:56] What you can do: using, teaching, donating, and building with bitcoin

About Alex Gladstein

Alex Gladstein is the Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), where he has worked since 2007 to support civil liberties globally. He founded the Oslo Freedom Forum, a premier global event series for dissidents and reformers. A prominent advocate for financial and digital freedom, Gladstein is also the author of “Check Your Financial Privilege” and other essays on Bitcoin’s potential to disrupt tyranny. His work has been featured in Time, The Atlantic, and The New York Times.

Follow Alex:

- X (Twitter): https://x.com/gladstein/

- Nostr profile: https://hrf.org/btc/

- Financial Freedom Report: https://hrf.org/program/financial-freedom/financial-freedom-reports/

Relevant Links

• Human Rights Foundation: https://hrf.org/
• “Check Your Financial Privilege” book: Amazon
• Freedom Forum: https://oslofreedomforum.com/
• Financial Freedom Report: https://financialfreedomreport.org
• NYDIG: