Sue Norman’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary. From her roots as a world-class whitewater athlete and U.S. National Champion to her time in the military and her inspiring decision to become a mom at 56, Sue’s life is packed with resilience, adventure, and heart.
In this episode of The Ready State Podcast, Sue shares her incredible story of navigating risk, overcoming childhood challenges, thriving in elite sports, and embracing unexpected motherhood.
Learn how she balanced a life of daring whitewater adventures, military service, and raising a child from a tough start in life. Tune in for lessons on courage, adaptability, and finding strength in the wild outdoors. Don’t miss this deeply inspiring conversation with a true legend.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
• How Sue went from a chaotic childhood to becoming a world-class paddler
• The unlikely Army loophole that launched her elite kayaking career
• What it takes to lead an all-women’s rafting team through Class V rapids
• How nature became her anchor during trauma, menopause, and motherhood
• Why she took legal custody of her nephew at 56 — and how it changed her
• What parenting a traumatized child taught her about strength, identity, and healing
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
01:00 - Laird Superfood Discount: 20% Off Offer
03:29 - The World As You'll Know It Podcast
04:22 - Guest Introduction: Sue Norman, Athlete
06:11 - Joining the US Women's Whitewater Rafting Team
09:02 - Sue's Experience on US National Rafting Team
12:00 - Sue’s Childhood and Early Influences
17:37 - The Power of Community in Sports
21:05 - Recognizing Talent: When Did You Know?
25:32 - Insights from her Dad's Talk
30:45 - Growing Up with a Twin Brother
37:37 - Sue's Journey into Kayaking and Military
42:34 - Sue Norman's Career Highlights
44:23 - Sue's Introduction to Rafting
49:20 - Adventures on the Zambezi River
51:09 - Juliet's Hippo Attack - Sue paddles towards risk
52:59 - Parenthood at 56: A Unique Journey
01:02:40 - How Did Seth Adjust?
01:08:15 - Shout Out to Lisa
01:11:38 - Eating Life: All at Once or Gradually
01:13:50 - Book Title: "Risk" and Parental Takeaways
01:17:45 - Current Status of Seth
01:20:25 - Understanding Risk in Today's Context
01:23:07 - Creating Lasting Memories
01:26:37 - Outro
Sponsors
This episode of The Ready State Podcast is fueled by our go-to: Laird Superfood. On summer river trips, when it’s a thousand degrees out and we pull into camp, Kelly makes a 3PM coffee with Laird — and suddenly, life is good again. Their lineup includes premium instant coffee and functional mushroom blends with chaga, lion’s mane, and cordyceps — all real, all whole-food-based. Pro tip: blend it up into what we call a “Laird Slurpee” with ice and their superfood creamer. It’s dessert in a cup, but way better for you.
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We’re also brought to you by The World As You’ll Know It — a podcast tackling the science of aging. This season is all about cutting-edge therapies, cognitive resilience, and whether we can push the limits of the human lifespan. No fluff. No biohacking BS. Just real, evidence-based conversation about longevity.
🎧 Available wherever you get your podcasts - https://hubs.li/Q03qzDGS0
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About The Ready State:
The Ready State provides athletes, coaches, and humans of all walks of life the tools to Relieve pain, prevent injury, and improve physical performance. Subscribe to the Virtual Mobility Coach for customized mobility coaching, tailored to your body and lifestyle. Start a 7-day FREE TRIAL today at https://bit.ly/TRSFree_Trial.
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