Ep. 1212: The Life-Saving Power of Running (or Any Sport) Revisited with Dave Scarpello

About this episode

Dave Scarpello shares his inspiring journey of recovery and transformation through running after facing multiple life-threatening challenges.

Running: A survivor of armed robbery, a drunk driving accident, and three back surgeries finds redemption and healing by going from a neighborhood 5k to the New York City Marathon. After surviving an armed robbery attack at the age of 26, Dave was told he’d never walk again. Being stubborn, he proved everyone wrong by getting back on his feet in a surprisingly short amount of time. Unfortunately, a few years later he was hit at a stop light by a drunk driver and forced to start back at square one and learn to walk yet again. Three back surgeries later and years of managing chronic pain with prescriptions left Dave in a state of life that he no longer wanted to live in. Something had to change. He walked into the pain clinic that had been treating him and told the doctors he would radically change his life and become healthier. He found peace while walking the streets of Philadelphia for exercise and quickly saw the positive impact it was having on him. After hearing about a neighborhood 5k and learning that you can walk the entire way, he set his sights on simply finishing. It absolutely changed his life. The 5k grew to 10k, and then to a half marathon, and ultimately led him to…

People in this episode

Host: Curt Linville

Guest: Dave Scarpello

Topics covered

• running
• overcoming adversity
• health transformation
• marathon
• chronic pain
• personal growth

Keywords

• running
• marathon
• chronic pain
• health
• overcoming adversity
• personal growth
• New York City Marathon

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New York City Marathon

Places: Philadelphia

More episodes of Adventure Sports Podcast

• Ep. 1220: Bikepacking and Backpacking with Ryan Brown · June 11, 2026 · 59 min
• Ep. 1219: Overcoming Obesity for Adventure with Lori Balue · June 9, 2026 · 1h 5m
• Ep. 1218: Creating the US Perimeter Trail with Rue McKenrick · June 4, 2026 · 1h 5m
• Ep. 1217: Intentional Travel & Big Races with Tara Young · June 2, 2026 · 48 min
• Ep. 1216: Adventure Racing and Real Life Survival with Josh Sprague · May 29, 2026 · 1h 12m
• Ep. 1215: The Quest for Adventure with Samuel Moldenhauer · May 26, 2026 · 1h 21m