More Than Miles: The Discipline Behind an Extraordinary Life

On this episode of Fit For Radio, we sit down with endurance athlete, chiropractor, husband, father, grandfather, and lifelong competitor Drake Tollenaar. For nearly three decades, Drake has redefined what it means to pursue elite endurance sports while balancing family, faith, career, and community.Born in Springfield, Oregon, and a graduate of Thurston High School, Drake's path eventually led him to the University of Oregon, Western States Chiropractic College, and a move to Tualatin in 1991, where he built both a successful chiropractic practice and a life centered around serving others. As a Youth Pastor, Worship Pastor, husband, and father of three daughters—including twin daughters born in 1996—Drake's schedule was already full before he discovered endurance sports.What started as an attempt to shed a few pounds of "sympathy weight" quickly turned into a lifelong passion. After running his first marathon in 1997 and making every rookie mistake imaginable, Drake was hooked. He went on to tackle triathlons, Half Ironmans, Ironman races, 100-mile ultramarathons, Ultraman Canada, and eventually the prestigious Ultraman World Championships.For more than 25 years, Drake woke up no later than 3:00 a.m. to train before his family started their day. Those early mornings fueled incredible athletic accomplishments, but the medals and finish lines aren't what matter most to him. Some of his favorite memories came from running races with his daughters, completing Disney marathons together, pacing first-time marathoners, helping athletes qualify for Boston, and supporting others in achieving goals they never thought possible.We discuss his journey from first-time marathoner to Ironman World Championship competitor, the lessons learned from decades of endurance training, and how his perspective has shifted from chasing personal records to creating meaningful experiences with the people he loves. Today, with four grandchildren, a fifth on the way, and a renewed focus on longevity, Drake is thinking less about finish times and more about staying healthy enough to create "forever memories" with future generations.This conversation is about much more than endurance sports. It's about discipline, consistency, servant leadership, family, faith, and the realization that the greatest victories in life often happen far beyond the finish line.