Episode III
Watch & listen below or scroll down to read a summary of my interview with Kam Krull – speaker, storyteller, philanthropist and cancer survivor all before she was old enough to buy beer legally.
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-human-reboot-project/id1851084871?i=1000737201951
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7zn8y98uFOjedWJbYO7prO?si=hZecl_HnT8OG4KwrrpdR6A
For Episode 3 of The Human Reboot Project, I sat down with someone who absolutely defies the expectations of a typical college student. Meet Kamden Krull: a 21-year-old student at Purdue University, an aspiring astronaut (at mu suggestion), and a survivor of a very rare form of head and neck cancer.
Most of us spent our freshman year worrying about grades or parties. Kamden spent hers navigating a diagnosis of Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, which was discovered during a routine dentist appointment when she was just 18. We discussed the brutal reality of her treatment, including “free flap surgery”—an eight-hour procedure where doctors harvested skin from her arm to reconstruct her mouth—followed by six weeks of proton radiation at the Mayo Clinic.
But Kamden isn’t defined by her scars; she’s defined by her hustle. While recovering, she launched a pen pal program to connect with other patients through handwritten letters, seeking genuine, raw human connection. She also channeled her inner “Grandpa Jim”—a “hodgepodge” spirit she deeply admires—to raise over $10,000 for the Mayo Clinic through garage sales and running half-marathons.
Our paths crossed through the Leadville 100 mountain bike team and First Descents, a nonprofit that provides outdoor adventures for young adults impacted by cancer. Kamden described her First Descents surf camp experience in Santa Cruz as the “best experience” of her life, providing the emotional healing she didn’t even know she needed.
Now, she is taking that fire to the high country. Kamden is officially confirmed to ride the Leadville 100 in 2026, aiming to conquer the “Race Across the Sky” alongside the team.
Kamden is wise beyond her years, and her message is clear: advocate for yourself, get a second opinion, and when life throws you a curveball, swing for the fences.
Tune in to hear from a young woman who plans to eliminate cancer in the next 50 years—not by chance, but by choice.
Episode II
Watch & listen below or scroll down to read a summary of my interview with Anita Coyle the co-host of Widow We Do Now.
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-human-reboot-project/id1851084871?i=1000736415220
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1sIJz75Z6QMBUnU9klI823?si=e6heXifFSpec2E-mAHiIZg
For Episode 2 of The Human Reboot Project, I sat down with someone whose resilience is nothing short of staggering. Meet Anita Coyle: a mother of four, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, a podcaster, and a woman who claims she was “raised by wolves and ate gum off the bleachers as a child”.
Anita’s reboot moment wasn’t just a single event; it was an avalanche. In January 2019, her husband, Jason, passed away suddenly after a swim. In a twist that seems too cruel to be true, just days after his funeral, Anita received a call confirming she had thyroid cancer.
We talked about that “WTF” phase of life and how she navigated the immediate aftermath of becoming a young widow while facing her own health crisis. But what I loved most about this conversation was Anita’s refusal to sit still. While grieving, she realized that physical exertion was the only thing that made her feel “alive” rather than just going through the motions like a zombie.
That drive led her to the Xterra World Championships later that same year, where she earned the Xterra Warrior Award. She has since gone on to earn two belt buckles at the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race, finishing under 12 hours both times. As she put it, she might not be fast, but she is “mean,” and she knows she’s tough enough to suffer on a bike because being widowed is harder than the race.
We also dove into her podcast, What Do We Do Now?, which she hosts with her friend and fellow widow, Mel Shore. They blend deep empathy with a dark sense of humor that only those who have walked through the fire can truly understand.
Anita also gave us some marching orders. We discussed the vital, unsexy work of resilience: getting your advanced directives in order, buying life insurance, and—crucially—making sure you know your spouse’s passwords. She definitely called me out on my own procrastination regarding my will, so consider this your reminder, too.
From gas station nachos to publishing her late husband’s children’s book, When I Grow Up, I Want to Be a Dinosaur, Anita’s story is about moving forward without forgetting what you’ve lost.
Episode 1
Watch & listen below or scroll down to read a summary of my interview with Tom Strause, four time world single speed champion.
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-human-reboot-project/id1851084871?i=1000735482381
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7MOH2dFYtOehIVmvZaiIdk?si=tQcGhw16TgeWqdi67Yitnw
Welcome to the very first episode of The Human Reboot Project. If you’ve been following my journey at Bikes Kill Cancer, you know I’m obsessed with ordinary folks who face life’s hardest challenges—like a cancer diagnosis—and manage to do extraordinary things on the other side.
My first guest, Tom Strause, is the definition of extraordinary. At 65 years old, Tom isn’t just a cyclist; he’s a beast. We’re talking about a multi-time World Champion in 24-hour racing and a five-time Leadville 100 finisher. But what really connects us isn’t just the dirt and the suffering on the bike; it’s that we are both survivors of HPV-related head and neck cancer.
In this episode, we dive deep into the irony of being in the best shape of your life—Tom literally crushed a Fat Bike World Championship race days before his diagnosis—and then being told you have a tumor. We swapped war stories about the brutal reality of treatment: the radiation masks, the “desert mouth” that wakes you up in the middle of the night, and the struggle to eat when your throat feels like it’s on fire.
But here is where Tom’s “reboot” blew me away. While I spent a lot of my treatment on the sofa recovering, Tom’s doctors—ultra-endurance athletes themselves—told him to keep riding. And he did. He rode and ran through chemotherapy and 35 rounds of radiation to keep his sanity and his muscle mass.
We talked about the humility of recovery, including his DNF at Leadville this past year after cancer stripped 20 pounds of muscle off his frame, and his relentless drive to get back to the start line. Tom’s already back at it, crushing the Unbound Gravel race and gearing up for another 24-hour World Championship.
Tom is an open book, and his story is a powerful reminder that while cancer can take a lot from us, it can’t take our drive. We also got up on our soapbox for a minute: HPV-related cancer is preventable. Get your kids vaccinated.
This conversation was the perfect kick-off for the project. It’s about grit, it’s about community, and as always, it’s about keeping the rubber side down.
Bikes Kill Cancer 