Kennedy Saves the World

Episode: "Kennedy's Deadly Hobby"
Date: September 29, 2025
Host: Kennedy | Guest: Jimmy Failla

Overview:

This episode offers a candid, humorous, and harrowing look into Kennedy’s latest half Ironman adventure, exploring the limits of personal endurance, the psychology behind people’s thirst for extreme challenges, and what pushes individuals to face situations with genuine peril—sometimes even involving alligators. With trademark banter, the conversation also touches on the less dramatic but still relatable challenges of daily life, while reflecting on the thrill of pushing one's own boundaries.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Kennedy’s Latest Half Ironman: The Ordeal

• Kennedy recounts her 12th half Ironman, describing it as the toughest race she's ever attempted.
• She details the cascade of unexpected obstacles: difficult terrain, oppressive heat and humidity, unreliable road conditions, and even participant panics.
• The mental battle of confronting failure and pushing through severe physical distress is front and center.

Memorable Quote:

"This is the first time where during the bike, I was like... there’s no way I can run a half marathon after this."
— Kennedy [00:33]

• Swim Segment Chaos:
  • Kennedy gets tangled with a panicking swimmer who grabs onto her, risking both their safety.
  • She shares a lifeguard technique: "When someone grabs onto you like that, swim to the bottom... they'll let go."
  • She ultimately helps the woman find safety with a kayak.

"She’s like, ‘I’m not letting go of you,' and I’m like, ‘I’m letting go of you.'"
— Kennedy [03:06]

• Bike Segment Dangers:

  • Multiple athletes had flat tires, two crashed, and one nearly got hit by high-speed traffic.
  • The advertised “four hills” turned out to be many more, with endless climbs and a draining headwind.
  • Kennedy suffered from electrolyte depletion, severe headache, and nausea but kept pushing.

• Run Segment Survival:

  • Frequent, well-stocked aid stations proved critical.
  • Kennedy describes splitting the run mentally into small segments to cope, leveraging aid station snacks (and lots of Coke!).
  • Contrary to the "flattest run" claims, the first half was hilly and brutal.

2. Why Do People Endure This?

• The conversation explores the psychology behind endurance sports and voluntary peril:
  • Jimmy Failla questions Kennedy on the motivation: “Is it like a personal battle against yourself?” [07:17]
  • For Kennedy, it’s about proving something to herself, avoiding personal disappointment, and building on a history of overcoming pain (torn hip, broken foot, bronchitis during past races).

"I knew I would be so sad and so mad at myself, like, if ... I've never not finished a race."
— Kennedy [07:37]

3. The Risk Factor: Fun or Foolhardy?

• Discussion turns to the very real dangers of the sport:
  • Open-water swims with panicking participants; stories of fatalities in races Kennedy’s attended (“That’s the fourth race I've done where someone has died — but this is over 30 years.” [09:47])
  • Wildlife hazards: Alligators in the river!

"There are alligators in the river."
— Kennedy [10:43]

"Why did you do that if you knew there were alligators in the water? … Well, there are enough people around you kicking that they're not going to go after all of us."
— Kennedy [11:12]

• With dark humor about self-preservation:

"So I threw the lady who grabbed onto me, I threw her the alligator back down. Just kept going."
— Jimmy Failla [11:14]

4. The Emotional Aftermath and Strange Motivators

• Kennedy describes the euphoric high after finishing—and the odd things that keep her motivated during the ordeal.

  • The promise of rest (“The best thing about finishing a race is not having to do anything this week.” [11:26])
  • Dreams of Dairy Queen treats.

• They joke about the strange personal rituals and coping mechanisms—Kennedy relates motivation to even mundane things, as Jimmy recalls a cab-driving marathon and the "cleaning lady at 19" keeping him moving.

• The psychological component is critical:

"If I quit this race, for the rest of the year, I’m gonna be like, I could have continued if I’d just done this and I’d just done that."
— Kennedy [13:11]

• A key lesson from Kennedy’s tour manager (an Army Ranger):

“You cannot believe what your body is capable of. You are capable of so much more than you realize. And that kind of went through my head the whole time.”
— Kennedy [13:55]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------| | 00:33 | "This is the first time where during the bike, I was like... there’s no way I can run..." | Kennedy | | 03:06 | "She’s like, ‘I’m not letting go of you,' and I’m like, ‘I’m letting go of you.'" | Kennedy | | 04:56 | "They were stocked with Coke, Coca Cola... bananas, oranges, potato chips, pretzels..." | Kennedy | | 07:37 | "I knew I would be so sad and so mad at myself, like, if ... I've never not finished a race"| Kennedy | | 09:47 | "That’s the fourth race I've done where someone has died — but this is over 30 years." | Kennedy | | 10:43 | "There are alligators in the river." | Kennedy | | 11:12 | "Well, there are enough people around you kicking that they're not going to go after us." | Kennedy | | 11:14 | "So I threw the lady who grabbed onto me, I threw her the alligator back down." | Jimmy Failla | | 13:11 | "If I quit this race, for the rest of the year, I’m gonna be like, I could have continued..."| Kennedy | | 13:55 | "You cannot believe what your body is capable of. You are capable of so much more..." | Kennedy |

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:14 – 01:14: Introduction – Kennedy’s near-DNF half Ironman ordeal
• 01:14 – 02:59: The perilous swim; helping a panicking competitor
• 03:10 – 04:24: Dangerous bike course; crashes, flat tires, heat
• 04:56 – 05:41: Reviving during the run; the reality vs the race’s hype
• 06:01 – 07:37: Dehydration, cramps, and enduring with help from others
• 07:37 – 08:35: Why keep going? Personal pride, past injuries
• 09:41 – 10:59: Risks: Past fatalities, wildlife dangers, "deadly hobbies"
• 11:03 – 12:27: Alligator story and survival strategies
• 12:33 – 13:42: Post-race emotions, fear of regret, mental tricks
• 13:42 – 14:16: The Army Ranger mindset—what the human body can really do

Conclusion

This episode is a vivid, entertaining dive into why people engage in “deadly hobbies” like triathlons and Ironmans, revealing not just the physical peril but the mental calculus, personal pride, and humor underpinning such choices. Kennedy and Jimmy Failla bring a sense of camaraderie and self-deprecation, making the perils feel oddly relatable, and underscore a broader message: we're all capable of more than we think—be it in a race, or just getting through life’s hard days.

Listen if you enjoy:

• Candid stories of endurance and survival
• Dark humor about life’s craziest challenges
• Reflections on pushing personal boundaries and finding motivation in unlikely places