In this episode, Joe De Sena sits down with veteran, coach, and author Tara Pipia to explore how Spartan Racing and military discipline can help you overcome life’s greatest challenges.
Tara shares her journey from serving in Afghanistan to rebuilding her life through community, fitness, and purpose. Together, they dive into how doing hard things—whether on the battlefield or on the Spartan course—can heal emotional wounds, build resilience, and create lasting transformation.
If you’re looking for real-world strategies to thrive through adversity, tap into grit, and find meaning in discomfort, tune in now!
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:43 Meet Tara Pipia
01:44 Military service & leadership lessons
02:08 Sara’s most challenging experience
03:36 Lessons from doing hard things
05:21 Turning pain into progress
06:58 Growing up tough in New York
08:02 Family lessons on resilience
08:59 Joe’s story on kids quitting the camp
09:36 How Spartan race inspired Tara’s book
12:40 Spartan race & recovery
14:20 How to live an optimal life
15:31 How to connect with Tara
Connect to Tara:
