Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about?

In this unstoppable conversation, Rhea Deroian shares how running became both an escape and a lifeline for her during an abusive marriage, and later as a joyful practice that she used to test potential partners, and ultimately find her person. Rhea takes us from her earliest inspiration (a marathon-running boss named Sue) to her own marathon win, and into the bigger lessons she’s learned about situational awareness, boundaries, healing, and trusting your instincts.

Along the way, we talk with the grant writer about why research funding matters, how endurance teaches you to listen to your body, why the clock isn’t the only measure of success, and the book that helped Rhea name what was happening and find the courage to leave: The Gift of Fear.

This episode includes a clear PSA on domestic abuse warning signs and resources because nobody should have to navigate fear alone.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear

• How research funding is the real engine behind future cures and why it takes a village of specialists
• The moment running “clicked” for Rhea (and the marathoner named Sue who planted the seed)
• Why she fell in love with the marathon distance... even when she was wildly underprepared
• The kismet “Sue” connection that helped her win a marathon on a hard day
• How data can be motivating… until it becomes the only thing you value (looking at you, Garmin 😅)
• The reality of how partners can become jealous of a hobby and how that can turn controlling
• A candid, powerful conversation about abuse, silence, shame, and what helped Rhea leave
• Why Rhea believes healing is possible and why boundaries still matter
• The “sixth sense” we all have, and how to practice trusting it

Key Takeaways

• The clock is only one metric. A run (and a life) can be successful in a lot of ways.
• Support looks like encouragement, not control. If your partner punishes you for having a healthy outlet, that’s information that shouldn't be overlooked.
• Your gut knows before your brain catches up. If something feels off, it deserves attention.
• Once it becomes physical, the boundary has been crossed. Safety has to come first.
• Consistency builds self-trust. Streaks, routines, and movement can teach you how to listen to yourself again.
• You can grow from hard chapters without glamorizing them. Healing can include compassion and firm boundaries.

Notable Quotes

• “The clock is one metric, but it can’t be the be-all end-all.”
• “He doesn’t get to take this away from me.”
• “I realized I wasn’t afraid of what was outside. I was afraid of what was inside.”
• “Whatever works for you, that’s what you should do.”

Resources Mentioned

• The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker
• National Domestic Violence Hotline (U.S.)
  • Phone: 1-800-799-7233
  • Website: thehotline.org

If this episode hit home:

• Share it with someone who needs encouragement, clarity, or language for what they’re experiencing
• Subscribe to Unstoppable: Stories That Move
• Leave a review to help more people find these stories

And if you want to do something even bigger:
This podcast supports the mission of raising $1 million for medical research. Your support helps fund real labs doing real work that saves lives. Donate today at unstoppablestoriesthatmove.com

Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about?

Sally’s Hotline is shaking things up! We're excited to offer you the opportunity to hear wisdom directly from the Unstoppable guests themselves. Today, host Sally Hed Dahlquist welcomes back Sian Comerford, a woman whose life has been transformed through resilience, grit, and relentless commitment.

After losing 265 pounds over five years, Sian is now an unstoppable weightlifter, trainer-in-training, and source of motivation.

Now known as “Fit Mom” instead of “Big Mom,” Sian shares the simple, powerful habits that helped her keep going through, surgery and bedrest, setbacks, and doubt.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why Sian says motivation starts with remembering your “why”
• The power of progress photos and tracking your journey
• Why weight loss (and healing) happens one step at a time
• How she stays committed
• What it means to become your own inspiration

Sian’s core message

You don’t need perfection to change your life.

Every step matters. Every day matters. And if you keep putting one foot in front of the other, you will move forward... even when it feels slow.

Listen to Sian’s full story

Want to hear more of Sian’s incredible journey?
🎧 Listen to Episode 28 of Unstoppable Stories That Move for her full interview.

Support the mission

This podcast exists to do more than inspire, it exists to save lives.

Sally’s nonprofit is raising $1 million for medical research, funding the labs that are developing tomorrow’s cures for cancer and other life-threatening diseases. With government research funding being cut, private support matters more than ever.

Donate now:
UnstoppableStoriesThatMove.com

Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about?

It’s winter in Minnesota, prime resolution season, and today’s guest is a living reminder that transformation isn’t just a New Year’s idea…it’s a life-saving decision.

Sally sits down with Sian Comerford, a 41-year-old mom of five from Indiana, small business owner (she bakes gourmet, deep-dish cookies!), and an absolutely unstoppable human who has lost over 200 pounds over five years. After grief, depression, and years of using food for comfort following her husband’s sudden death, Sian hit a turning point that forced her to reclaim her health.

In this conversation, Sian shares what actually worked:

• Gastric sleeve surgery as a tool (not a magic fix)
• Building a medical and personal support team
• Learning how to navigate food addiction and mindset
• Finding a family at the gym
• And training hard enough that climbing the equivalent of the world’s tallest building became…a casual Sunday challenge.

This episode is packed with hope, honesty, and practical reminders that you don’t have to start strong, you just have to start.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

• Sian’s incredible transformation: from 400 to 167 pounds
• The difference between gastric sleeve vs. gastric bypass
• Why support matters: weight loss doctor, nutritionist, and therapy
• Food addiction and the mental side of bariatric surgery: “negotiating between your brain and your belly”
• How a near-tragic moment with her daughter became a wake-up call
• Why she lives by: “One foot in front of the other”
• Her fitness routine: early mornings, structured programming, metabolic finishers, and serious cardio
• Stair Master goals that got wild: climbing the Burj Khalifa... and then some
• Why she believes: “Eat the cookie” (and how restriction backfires)
• How lifting changed her identity: not “skinny,” but strong
• “Gym bros” aren’t scary
• Why she’s getting certified through NASM to become a personal trainer
• The mindset shift from “new me” to “I love me, how do I level up?”

Listener Takeaways

If you’re trying to make a change this year, here are your reminders from Sian’s story:

• Start smaller than you think you “should.” Consistency beats intensity.
• Tools help, but mindset is the real long game.
• Get support: medical, nutritional, emotional, and community support all count.
• Don’t wait to feel confident confidence comes after you start showing up.
• Your “why” gets stronger when it’s bigger than you.

Mentioned in This Episode

• Gastric sleeve surgery (and what it actually does)
• Fairlife protein shakes, collagen peptides
• Ninja Creami (protein ice cream hack!)
• NASM personal training certification

Support the Mission

If this episode encouraged you, inspired you, or helped you believe change is possible, please share it with a friend and consider supporting the bigger mission.

We’re raising $1 million for medical research, and every single dollar raised by listeners like you truly makes a difference.

Learn more + donate at UnstoppableStoriesThatMove.com