Johnny Kuplack
Episode 328
12 MAY 2025
He last month concluded 100 ultra marathons in 100 days, running 3,500 miles across America, having started in California and ultimately ended at the National Shrine of the North American Martyrs in New York. He is an endurance athlete who has competed in running events worldwide. His ultra-running career has included ten races, from 50K to one hundred-plus miles, of which he has won six and placed second in four, securing leads of multiple hours as well as a course record. He is the co-founder of Sebaste, a non-profit named for 40 Roman soldiers in the third century who chose to meet death on a frozen lake rather than renounce Christ. His organization runs formative programs and adventures for men across the country.
Notable guest quotes:
“We grew up Catholic, and as I reflected on this as an adult, it was always very strong: rosary, Mass, always into Catholic schools, always praying before and after meals, and it was always emphasized that this is the most important thing in our lives.”
“Going into high school, I was introduced to the game of rugby. I went to a boy’s boarding school in northeastern Pennsylvania called St. Gregory’s Academy. Absolutely phenomenal school. And everyone at the school, we played soccer in the fall, and then we played rugby the other seven months of the year.”
“Going into high school, money was my main objective and coming out of high school that had completely flipped. And the new questions were, what does it mean to live a good life? What does it mean to be a saint? How do I do this? A life full of joy and adventure and beauty.”
“As a teacher, of course, you always you want to bring the best out of your students and you want to see them grow into the men and women that God made them to be and to discover that greatness.”
“I was just riding in silence and just thinking about my own shortcomings and the kind of man I wanted to be and how I feel like I just plateaued. And so, I decided there, I need to start pushing myself into serious unknown territories if I want to make this breakthrough. So, I decided then on that drive that I was going to run the race.”
“When we have been given so many things, you only really possess the gift if you’re giving it away. It’s like the divine currency; you only have it when it’s in gift form, as soon as you stop giving it you almost cease to possess it.”
“Running has been a very, very transformative thing for me.”
“God’s always working multiple fronts at the same time. He’s not a one-dimensional war fighter. He’s always got different elements; you’re meeting different people, different conversations, and different experiences, all collaborating together to bring you back closer to Him.”
“Over the course of the races I was running started to open up a bigger picture for me interiorly combined with some of the books I was reading and the scriptures that I’m made for something different. I’m made for a real relationship with God the Father, and I am a beloved son of God and I’m not engaging in the relationship that I’m made for. I’ll never become the man I’m made to be until I’m actually living out of my true identity.”
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