Podcast Summary: "Vegas but make it HYROX baby!"

Everything's Perfect (Hosted by Autumn Calabrese & Donald Stamper)
Date: February 24, 2026

Overview

In this energetic and heartfelt episode, best friends and co-hosts Autumn Calabrese and Donald Stamper bring listeners along for their weekend in Las Vegas, where they competed in the HYROX fitness competition. They unpack what it’s like to push personal limits, share unfiltered reflections on performance, training, and mindset, and sprinkle in their signature blend of humor and real-talk about friends, goals, and, yes, bathroom mishaps on the road. The episode explores themes of resilience, camaraderie, motivation, and the messy, glorious process of self-improvement—proving (once again) that “everything’s perfect… kind of.”

HYROX Las Vegas: Race Recap and Reflections

Pre-Race Hurdles and Mindset

• Donald’s First HYROX

  • Donald shares the chaos leading up to the event, including moving homes and not feeling fully prepared.

    "After we signed up for Hyrox, decided to move very suddenly … I didn’t feel like I prepared. I didn’t feel like I trained … But it feels so good to have completed it." — Donald, [01:26]

• Comparing Early Nerves to Filming "80 Day Obsession"

  • Autumn equates Donald’s uncertainty to her nerves before filming her first fitness program:

    "The first, like filming 80 Day Obsession ... when we said action, I didn’t know if I was going to make it to the end." — Autumn, [02:08]

Race Experiences and Highlights

• Donald & Nell’s Doubles Experience

  • Finished in 1:40, five minutes ahead of expectation
  • Found joy and connection competing with his boyfriend:

    "We had a lot of little moments where it was like, 'You’re doing great, I love you.' We’d hold hands or something like that." — Donald, [04:49]

• Autumn’s Relay Team

  • Discusses differences between relay (her track record) and doubles (Donald’s experience):

    "When you’re out on the course, you’re not with your team … you just have to finish that event." — Autumn, [05:19]

• Event Breakdown & Training Takeaways

  • Events include sled push/pull, burpee broad jumps, rowing, farmer carries, walking lunges, and more.
  • Sled push as a particular challenge:

    "That sled push … I was like, if they get past the sled push and pull … they got this." — Autumn, [03:14] "I weigh 150-something … so that’s like more than double your body weight." — Donald, [07:06]

• Favorite Events

  • Donald: Rowing ("you’re past halfway") and relishes moments when Nell shouldered the burpees [08:30]
  • Autumn: Also partial to rowing and farmer carries (“only take me about three minutes”).

    "Sled push … it felt like it took me my whole life and almost took my life..." — Autumn, [09:46]

The Challenge of Training and Recovery

• Preparation and Fueling

  • Both discuss the importance of proper nutrition and challenges of late-night events and cold venues.

    "That was frickin freezing in there ... I felt very shaky, which was again, it was just under-fueled and I was cold." — Autumn, [11:12]

• On Trying Hard Stuff at Any Age

  • Moments of awe about the span of ages participating:

    "There’s people that are 70 and 80 years old competing … just goes to show like, you can do hard things." — Autumn, [21:04] "New world record in the 70 to 74 year old men’s doubles ... it was just over an hour!" — Autumn [21:33]

• The Need for Goals

  • Donald sets a new goal: to beat his time at the next event.

    "Working towards something is so important and I think things like Hyrox are such great things to work towards." — Donald, [24:04]

  • Both reflect on the lasting impact of accountability, structure, and goals for physical (and emotional) health.

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

Meeting the HYROX Champion

• Unexpected Connections
  • The hosts recount bumping into (and then getting training invites from) Hunter McIntyre, three-time HYROX world champion.

    "All of a sudden he looks over and goes, Autumn, is that you? … he called out my name and I said, why do you know my name?" — Autumn, [16:04]

  • Hunter’s generosity & inspiration:

    "Just in a five to ten minute conversation interaction, I felt inspired talking to him. And it was like, oh, that’s how you want to feel when you meet people." — Donald, [17:13]

Camaraderie & The Power of Friendship

• Gratitude for Support

  • Donald credits Autumn for inspiring him and reflects on the ripple effect of deep connection:

    "While I was running, I started feeling emotion … I don’t know if I’d be at this Hyrox competition or the kind of person who would do things like Hyrox competitions if I hadn’t met you." — Donald, [32:43]

• Cheering Each Other On

  • Autumn and Donald emphasize how meaningful it is to show up for each other as adults, especially in big, hard moments.

    "So many adults don’t push themselves physically… it’s so special to have friendships and bonds that show up for you in those times and really cheer you on." — Donald, [37:16]

Unfiltered & Unexpected: Real Life & Bathroom Confessions

• Roadtrip Mishaps

  • The infamous coffee cup pee story:

    "I had to take my empty coffee cup in my car and pee in it. … I didn’t pee on myself." — Autumn, [44:37]

  • Both hilariously exchange tales of “relief” in odd places [46:05–47:15]

• ‘When You Gotta Go…’

  • Stories veer into marathon accidents and even rumors of famous musicians using diapers in concert:

    "If you ever do something and you shit your pants, you don’t have to finish … you can go deal with that." — Autumn, [52:37] "There’s a very famous person … who I know pisses themselves at their concerts because they don’t have enough time for a bathroom break." — Autumn, [52:56]

Inspiration, Motivation, and Future Plans

• On Growth and Gracious Competition

  • Both share that challenge, not just victory, is the most rewarding part of competition and self-improvement.

    "There’s no shortcuts to training for something like this." — Donald, [27:16] "Your body holds emotion … when you push in fitness … it has to come out. So it’s actually very therapeutic." — Autumn, [29:32]

• Encouragement to Try New Things (and Invite Others)

  • They urge listeners to get outside their comfort zone, try group fitness or races, and invite friends for mutual support:

    "I think it’s so important. If I was never invited to go support Autumn at the first one, I would have never got that desire to do it myself. So take the leap and invite your friends." — Donald, [37:35]

Life in Vegas: Food, Fun, and (self) Care

• Skipping the Usual Vegas Scene

  • Hosts note this was their most wholesome Vegas trip: no late-night parties, minimal drinking, and focus on recovery and health.

    "This is the first time I have been to Vegas and not had any alcohol or, like, party." — Donald, [40:44] "It rocks." — Donald, [41:29]

• Best Chicken Tenders (A Critical Review)

  • Rave reviews for Fountainbleu’s chicken tenders:

    "They are literally [the best] with honey mustard and a diet Coke. I sure did." — Autumn, [41:40]

Key Timestamps

• [01:26] Donald describes his lack of preparation and how he still finished strong.
• [04:49] The emotional benefits of racing with a loved one.
• [11:12] Autumn recounts racing late at night while cold and under-fueled.
• [16:04] Meeting HYROX champ Hunter McIntyre.
• [21:04] Reflections on the diversity and inclusivity of the event.
• [24:04] The importance of setting and revising goals through the experience.
• [29:32] The therapeutic value of rigorous training.
• [32:43] Donald’s gratitude for their friendship and shared journey.
• [44:37] Autumn’s coffee cup bathroom adventure.
• [52:56] Revelations about celebrities and on-stage bathroom strategies.
• [54:17] Looking forward: setting future HYROX goals.
• [55:04] How listeners can connect for advice or support.

Final Thoughts

This episode is both motivating and intimately real. Whether navigating a freezing convention center, combatting a late-night race headache, cheering for your friends, or peeing in a cup, Autumn and Donald embody the show’s ethos: perfection isn’t the point—showing up, trying hard stuff, and sharing the journey are what matter.

Contact & Community:

• Email: everythingsperfectpodcast@gmail.com
• Instagram: @everythingsperfect.official

Listener Invitation:

• Thinking about a fitness challenge? Grab a friend, sign up, and let the messy, marvelous journey begin.

“You can do hard things. It might take you longer, you might walk sometimes, whatever. Push yourself, Challenge yourself.”
— Autumn Calabrese, [21:55]