Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Obsession can destroy you or it can build you. In this episode, ultra-runner and coach Kori Sampson talks with Joe De Sena about turning addiction, rave culture, and self-sabotage into ultra-races, sobriety, and disciplined performance. They break down hard choices, all-in wiring, ADHD and high-performance intensity, and how the same drive that fuels chaos can fuel endurance. This conversation is about ownership, reps, and choosing the harder path when it counts.
Things You Will Learn:
1. How to redirect addiction into disciplined performance
2. How hard choices create real, lasting change
3. How endurance training rebuilds mental strength
Tools & Frameworks Covered:
1. Channel the Obsession Principle: aim your intensity at growth
2. Hard Choice Discipline: replace impulse with structured action
3. Reps Over Motivation Model: build endurance through daily consistency
If this episode moved you, don’t just listen. Do something about it. Sign up. Show up. Do the work. Spartan.com. No more excuses.
Kori Sampson is a British model and endurance athlete who turned his life around through sobriety, discipline, and endurance sport. After years of partying and self-destructive habits, he committed to change replacing late nights with long miles and finding purpose in physical and mental transformation. Today, he uses his platform to advocate for men’s mental health, recovery, and the power of choosing discomfort as a path to self-worth.
Connect to Kori:
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/korisampson
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/Korisampson96
▶️ YouTube: youtube.com/@korisamps
We gave you the tools, now use them during your next SPARTAN RACE! Use codeword PODCAST on checkout for 10% your next race.
👉 Find Your Next Spartan Race: spartan.com/en/race/find-race
👉 For everything Spartan: spartan.com
Rise and Thrive with Essentia. Don’t just sleep, recover, perform, and wake up ready for anything. Essentia’s certified organic Beyond Latex™ mattresses provide deep, restorative sleep without toxic chemicals, allergens, or compromises. Use code SPARTAN25 at myessentia.com.
🎧 Listen & Subscribe:
👉 Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-way-with-joe-de-sena/id952870930
👉 Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/1pYBkk1T684YQg7CmoaAZt
📲 Short, Impactful Content
👉 Instagram: @spartanuppodcast
👉 From me directly: @realjoedesena
The Hard Way Podcast With Joe De Sena, Hosted by Joe De Sena, founder and CEO of Spartan, this podcast delves into the principles of resilience, discipline, and the Spartan mindset. De Sena's journey from building a multimillion-dollar pool cleaning business in his teens to establishing a successful Wall Street trading firm showcases his entrepreneurial spirit. In 2001, he transitioned from finance to operate an organic farm in Pittsfield, Vermont, where his passion for endurance events like ultramarathons and adventure races flourished. This led to the creation of Spartan, aiming to inspire individuals to embrace challenges and push their limits.
Obsession can destroy you or it can build you. In this episode, ultra-runner and coach Kori Sampson talks with Joe De Sena about turning addiction, rave culture, and self-sabotage into ultra-races, sobriety, and disciplined performance. They break down hard choices, all-in wiring, ADHD and high-performance intensity, and how the same drive that fuels chaos can fuel endurance. This conversation is about ownership, reps, and choosing the harder path when it counts.
Things You Will Learn:
1. How to redirect addiction into disciplined performance
2. How hard choices create real, lasting change
3. How endurance training rebuilds mental strength
Tools & Frameworks Covered:
1. Channel the Obsession Principle: aim your intensity at growth
2. Hard Choice Discipline: replace impulse with structured action
3. Reps Over Motivation Model: build endurance through daily consistency
If this episode moved you, don’t just listen. Do something about it. Sign up. Show up. Do the work. Spartan.com. No more excuses.
Kori Sampson is a British model and endurance athlete who turned his life around through sobriety, discipline, and endurance sport. After years of partying and self-destructive habits, he committed to change replacing late nights with long miles and finding purpose in physical and mental transformation. Today, he uses his platform to advocate for men’s mental health, recovery, and the power of choosing discomfort as a path to self-worth.
Connect to Kori:
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/korisampson
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/Korisampson96
▶️ YouTube: youtube.com/@korisamps
We gave you the tools, now use them during your next SPARTAN RACE! Use codeword PODCAST on checkout for 10% your next race.
👉 Find Your Next Spartan Race: spartan.com/en/race/find-race
👉 For everything Spartan: spartan.com
Rise and Thrive with Essentia. Don’t just sleep, recover, perform, and wake up ready for anything. Essentia’s certified organic Beyond Latex™ mattresses provide deep, restorative sleep without toxic chemicals, allergens, or compromises. Use code SPARTAN25 at myessentia.com.
🎧 Listen & Subscribe:
👉 Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-way-with-joe-de-sena/id952870930
👉 Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/1pYBkk1T684YQg7CmoaAZt
📲 Short, Impactful Content
👉 Instagram: @spartanuppodcast
👉 From me directly: @realjoedesena
The Hard Way Podcast With Joe De Sena, Hosted by Joe De Sena, founder and CEO of Spartan, this podcast delves into the principles of resilience, discipline, and the Spartan mindset. De Sena's journey from building a multimillion-dollar pool cleaning business in his teens to establishing a successful Wall Street trading firm showcases his entrepreneurial spirit. In 2001, he transitioned from finance to operate an organic farm in Pittsfield, Vermont, where his passion for endurance events like ultramarathons and adventure races flourished. This led to the creation of Spartan, aiming to inspire individuals to embrace challenges and push their limits.
