Inspiring stories and science-backed insight from women who continue to build strength, performance, and possibility with age.
Hosted by Dr. Shawna Darou, ND, Unstoppable at Any Age is the voice of Women Who Move - a global movement grounded in one belief: how we move today determines how we live tomorrow.
Each episode features conversations with athletes, scientists, founders, and leaders who are expanding what is possible in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond. These women are training, competing, leading, and building lives defined by strength, independence, and momentum.
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19. The science that changed how I think about aging
Thursday, July 30, 2026 • Duration 29:31
If I could convince every woman to do one thing for the next 30 years, it would be to keep moving.
In this solo episode, I'm sharing the real reason I've shifted so much of my focus - and my career - toward women's movement. Not hormones. Not supplements. Movement.
After 22+ years as a naturopathic doctor and thousands of appointments with women, I've come to believe that exercise is the single biggest longevity lever we have - bigger than nutrition, bigger than anything in a bottle. And with both my mother and stepmother living with Alzheimer's and dementia, this has become deeply personal, not just clinical.
I also share my own story: how I became a masters track athlete after menopause, what it was like competing at the USATF Masters Outdoor Championships in Geneva, Ohio, and why watching women in their 60s, 70s, and 80s compete completely changed my outlook on aging.
Then we get into the research - three studies that reshaped how I think about brain health, strength, and what's actually possible as we age:
A 44-year Swedish study connecting midlife cardiovascular fitness to an 88% lower risk of dementia
A twin study showing leg strength predicts brain structure and cognitive decline, independent of genetics
30+ years of research using female masters athletes as a model for healthy cardiovascular aging
In this episode, we discuss:
Why I've shifted my career focus toward women's movement, not just hormones
My mission to get one million women moving - and what Women Who Move is
My own journey into masters track running after menopause
Competing at USATF Masters Outdoor Championships and coming home with two silver medals
The difference between healthspan and lifespan
The 2018 Swedish study linking cardiovascular fitness to dementia risk
Why VO2 max matters more than most people realize
The 2016 twin study connecting leg strength to brain structure and cognitive decline
Why muscle functions as an endocrine organ (and what muscle has to do with your brain)
30 years of masters athlete research on cardiovascular aging
Three practical takeaways
One of my favourite lines from this episode: "These women are becoming living proof that decline is not the only story available to us."
Sometimes the most powerful medicine isn't a prescription. It's a reason to move.
If you'd like more support with movement, metabolic health, and healthy aging:
Reminder: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice.
Subscribe, rate, and review to help more women realize how much they still have ahead of them.
18. Your body is not a problem to solve with Carmen McDonald.
Season 1 · Episode 18
Thursday, July 23, 2026 • Duration 01:07:58
For so many women, health has become synonymous with weight loss.
We spend years trying to make our bodies smaller, leaner, or more acceptable, believing that confidence will come once we finally reach the "right" number on the scale.
But what if we've been asking the wrong question all along?
In this episode of Unstoppable at Any Age, I sit down with health coach, behavior strategist, and fitness professional Carmen McDonald to explore what happened when she stopped chasing the perfect body and started building a healthier relationship with herself.
After years of competing at a national level in fitness competitions, Carmen found herself physically depleted, emotionally exhausted, and deep into perimenopause without realizing it. Today, she's found a completely different path through sprinting, strength, cardiovascular health, and learning to trust her body again.
This conversation isn't just about menopause.
It's about redefining what health really looks like.
• Why your body is not a problem to be solved
• The hidden emotional impact of chasing weight loss
• How sprinting helped Carmen reconnect with her body
• The surprising benefits of training for performance instead of appearance
• Why consistency always beats perfection
• The importance of muscle, movement, and metabolic health during menopause
• Why cardiovascular disease should be on every woman's radar
• The role of self-awareness in creating lasting health habits
• Letting go of who you were at 20 and embracing who you're becoming
• Why community can completely change your health journey
17. You are not fragile with Marni Weiner
Season 1 · Episode 17
Thursday, July 16, 2026 • Duration 44:59
You are not fragile.
You are capable of becoming stronger, more confident, and more resilient at any age.
In this episode of Unstoppable at Any Age, I sit down with fitness instructor Marni Weiner to talk about strength, movement, healthy aging, and what becomes possible when we stop placing limits on ourselves.
Marni’s relationship with fitness began in her 20s after she developed severe back pain. Her doctor told her that unless she strengthened her back and core, she would likely continue living in pain.
Within days, she joined a gym.
Strength training and yoga helped Marni move out of pain, but they also changed the way she thought about exercise. Movement was no longer something she did simply to stay in shape or change how she looked.
It became something she intended to do for life.
Today, at 58, Marni teaches challenging strength, yoga, and Pilates classes while encouraging everyone in the room to work with their own body, respect their limitations, and remain open to discovering what they are capable of.
What I love most about this conversation is that it isn’t simply about exercise.
It’s about refusing to see yourself as fragile.
It’s about returning after injuries, questioning the beliefs that keep you small, and treating your strength as something worth protecting for the rest of your life.
In this episode, we discuss:
How strengthening her back and core helped Marni move out of chronic pain
Why staying active can be important when your body feels stiff or uncomfortable
How to modify exercise around injuries without giving up movement completely
Why women over 40 need proper guidance when beginning strength training
The importance of eating enough food and protein to maintain muscle
16. You don’t have to be fast to belong with Lynn Bourque
Season 1 · Episode 16
Thursday, July 9, 2026 • Duration 57:22
You don't have to be fast to belong.
You don't need a background in sports.
You don't even need to call yourself a runner.
In this episode of Unstoppable at Any Age, I sit down with Lynn Bourque, owner of Toronto's iconic The Runner's Shop, marathon runner, run leader, and someone who has spent more than 25 years helping people discover what running can add to their lives.
Lynn didn't grow up as an athlete.
She started running in her 30s because she wanted to lose weight before getting pregnant.
One run around the block turned into a lifetime of friendships, six World Marathon Majors, and eventually owning Canada's oldest independent running store.
What I love most about this conversation is that it isn't really about running.
It's about community.
Confidence.
Learning to see yourself as an athlete, no matter your pace.
• How Lynn went from beginner runner to completing all six World Marathon Majors
• Why consistency matters more than speed
• The biggest mistakes new runners make
• Why community keeps women running for decades
• How to start running if you've never considered yourself "a runner"
• Why proper shoes, fueling, and hydration matter
15. When your life no longer fits with Alison Taylor
Thursday, July 2, 2026 • Duration 36:50
Perimenopause changes more than your hormones.
For many women, it changes how they see their work, relationships, priorities, and themselves.
In this episode, I sit down with health and nutrition coach Alison Taylor to talk about the physical and emotional reality of moving through perimenopause and menopause.
Alison shares her own experience navigating mood changes, disrupted sleep, metabolic changes, and the feeling that the life she'd built no longer fit. That realization led to a series of changes over several years - from leaving the city, changing careers, becoming a health coach, and creating a life that aligned much more closely with what she truly needed.
We also talk about something I believe deserves much more attention.
Perimenopause isn't simply a hormone transition.
It's often a life transition.
• Why perimenopause looks different for every woman
• The symptoms that caught Alison by surprise
• Why lifestyle should be the foundation of menopause care
• Exercise, metabolic health, nervous system regulation, and hormones
• The emotional changes that often accompany perimenopause
• Learning to listen when your body tells you something isn't working
• Career changes, moving, and creating a life that feels aligned
• Why women often reinvent themselves during midlife
• The importance of having someone to talk to through menopause
• Why movement, nutrition, and protein matter more than ever
14. Aging is a privilege with Shannon Wilson
Season 1 · Episode 14
Thursday, June 25, 2026 • Duration 52:36
What if aging isn't something to fear?
What if it's a privilege?
In this episode, I sit down with Shannon Wilson, a palliative care nurse, marathon runner, Ironman athlete, mother of five, grandmother of three, and one of the most inspiring women I've met through the endurance sports community.
Shannon has completed 26 marathons and is currently training for her 10th Ironman.
What makes this conversation so powerful isn't just her athletic accomplishments.
It's the perspective she has gained through decades of caring for people at the end of life.
Every day, Shannon works with people who thought they had more time.
That experience has shaped how she thinks about movement, aging, health, and what it means to truly live.
This conversation is about setting meaningful goals, staying active through every stage of life, and refusing to let age define what is possible.
• How Shannon completed 26 marathons and 9 Ironmans - and why she's training for number 10
• The teacher who inspired her dream of becoming an Ironman athlete
• Why having something to train for creates purpose and structure
• How menopause has changed her recovery, training, and sleep
• The role strength training plays in staying healthy and injury-free
• Balancing training, family, work, aging parents, children, and grandchildren
• Lessons learned from working in palliative care
• Why aging is a privilege, not a guarantee
• The importance of movement for longevity and quality of life
13. What happens when you finally choose yourself with Cath Cowan
Season 1 · Episode 13
Thursday, June 18, 2026 • Duration 51:47
There comes a point when the life that worked for years... stops working.
Not because you've failed.
Not because something is wrong with you.
But because you've changed.
In this episode, I sit down with leadership transformation coach Catherine Cowan for a conversation about one of the most common experiences I see in women during midlife.
The feeling that something no longer fits.
Your career.
Your relationships.
The expectations you've carried for years.
The version of yourself you've been trying to maintain.
For many women, this happens during perimenopause and menopause.
There's a growing awareness that you've spent years caring for everyone else, performing, achieving, and meeting expectations - while losing touch with your own needs in the process.
This conversation explores what happens when you start listening to yourself again.
• Why so many women experience major life changes in midlife• The connection between perimenopause and self-discovery• Releasing people-pleasing, perfectionism, and over-performing• Learning to trust your intuition again• Why exhaustion can become a powerful teacher• How to reconnect with your own needs and desires• The role of compassion and curiosity during times of change• Why asking for support is a strength, not a weakness• Practical journaling prompts for building self-awareness and clarity• How to navigate transitions with more confidence and self-trust
One of my favourite moments from this conversation was when Katherine said:
"Your intuition never goes away. What disappears is the mechanism for listening."
12. Too old at 30. olympian at 52 - with Claudia Riegler
Thursday, June 11, 2026 • Duration 41:53
What happens when someone tells you you're too old at 30?
For Claudia Riegler, that moment could have ended her athletic career.
Instead, it became the beginning of one of the most remarkable stories in sport.
In this episode, I sit down with Austrian Olympic snowboarder Claudia Riegler, who recently competed in her fifth Olympic Games at age 52. She was also the oldest female athlete competing at the Games.
What makes Claudia's story so powerful isn't just her longevity in elite sport.
It's the mindset behind it.
At 30 years old, she was told she was too old and was removed from her national team. Twenty-two years later, she was still competing against the best athletes in the world.
This conversation is about resilience, belief, intuition, and learning how to trust yourself when the world tells you to stop.
• What it takes to qualify for five Olympic Games• Being the oldest female athlete at the Olympics• The mindset that helped Claudia continue after being told she was "too old" at 30• How visualization helped her become World Champion at 41• Why listening to your body becomes more important with age• The role of intuition in decision-making and performance• How coaches can either limit or expand what's possible• The connection between thoughts, emotions, and physical performance• Why age-related beliefs are often more limiting than aging itself• How to keep pursuing big goals when others don't understand them
One of my favourite moments from this conversation was when Claudia said:
"Everything is possible at any time."
That belief has carried her through five Olympic Games, a World Championship title, multiple setbacks, injuries, and decades of elite competition.
It's a message every woman needs to hear.
Join my free community →
11. The fastest woman in the world at 71 with Wendy Alexis
Season 1 · Episode 11
Thursday, June 4, 2026 • Duration 50:30
What if aging isn’t about slowing down — but continuing to build strength, purpose, and possibility?
In this episode, I sit down with masters sprinter Wendy Alexis, who recently became the fastest woman in the world in the 70–74 age category in the 60m sprint.
At 71 years old, Wendy is still training, lifting, sprinting, competing internationally, and chasing new goals.
What makes this conversation so powerful isn’t just the world record.
It’s the way she talks about movement, community, aging, and what happens when women stop limiting themselves based on age.
Wendy didn’t return to the track until age 50.
She started with one race. One practice. One decision to try.
And that decision completely changed the course of her life.
In this episode, we explore:
• Why Wendy returned to sprinting at age 50• What it felt like to become the fastest woman in the world in her age category
• The role coaching, community, and support play in performance
• Why masters sports are accessible to everyone — not just elite athletes
• How movement changes physical and mental health as we age• The joy and freedom of sprinting
• Why women continue getting stronger, faster, and more capable later in life
• The importance of setting meaningful goals at every age
• How sport creates friendship, purpose, and confidence in midlife and beyond.
One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation:
You are never “too old” to begin.
Sometimes one decision changes everything.
10. Why women get faster after 50 with Paula Wiltse
Season 1 · Episode 9
Thursday, May 28, 2026 • Duration 31:18
What if your best performances aren’t behind you?
In this episode, I sit down with masters runner and coach Paula Wiltse to talk about training, recovery, speed, and what’s actually possible for women in their 40s, 50s, and beyond.
I first learned about Paula when I was training for my first Boston Marathon.
At the time, she was the Canadian marathon record holder in her age category after running a 2:58 marathon at 50 - and she had also run her fastest marathon at 46.
That completely changed what I believed was possible.
This conversation explores what masters training actually looks like, how it changes with age, and why women can continue improving long after they’ve been told they should slow down.
In this episode, we explore:
• Why speed work matters even more as we age• The role of strength training in injury prevention and performance• How recovery changes after 50• Why comparing yourself to other runners can hold you back• The impact of perimenopause and menopause on training• How HRT helped Paula with joint pain and recovery• Why women need individualized training approaches• The importance of continuing to set big goals
One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation:
Your body changes with age.
That doesn’t mean your potential disappears.
If you’re looking for support around movement, hormones, and healthy aging:
Join my free community → #womenwhomove ( Download my free guide →
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Why maintaining muscle can become more challenging after 50
How to know when it’s time to increase your weights
Why progress requires moving beyond what feels comfortable
Why exercising with other people can feel different from working out alone
How community helps women remain active for decades
Why the hardest part is often simply walking through the door
How to begin again if you haven’t exercised consistently in years
One moment that really stayed with me was Marni’s story about breaking her wrist.
While she was being assessed, someone described her as “fragile.”
That word immediately bothered her.
When women begin believing they are fragile, they may stop lifting, challenging themselves, and doing the very things that help protect their muscles, bones, balance, and independence.
Marni’s message is the opposite.
You can respect your body without underestimating it.
You can modify without giving up.
You can experience an injury without making it your identity.
And you can always begin where you are.
When I asked Marni what being Unstoppable at any Age means to her, she said:
“No matter how many times you fall down, you get back up. No matter how many times you fail, you don’t stop trying. No matter how many times you think you can’t, you can choose that you can.”
Whether you’re returning to movement after an injury, picking up weights for the first time, or simply trying to feel stronger in your everyday life, it is not too late.
Start with the walk.
Make the phone call.
Join the class.
Give yourself one repetition.
The hardest step may be the first one, but once you take it, you’re already on your way.
