In this conversation, Darin sits down with his longtime friend, athlete, and powerhouse human Gabby Reece to talk about what it really takes to grow up without shutting down. They go into childhood chaos, the gift and cost of competitiveness, and what it means to stay "dangerous" in the best way as you age — in your body, your relationships, and your purpose.

Gabby opens up about losing her father young, being uprooted from the Caribbean, using sport as a lifeline, and eventually navigating fame, motherhood, and a marriage with Laird Hamilton under intense pressure. She and Darin get radically honest about boundaries, addiction, partnership, sleep, hormones, and why women's wisdom in midlife is massively undervalued. This episode is part love letter to long-haul relationships and part tactical playbook for anyone who wants to keep evolving instead of checking out.

 

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What You'll Learn in This Episode

00:00:03 – Darin's SuperLife mission & why this show exists

00:00:32 – Why Darin is obsessed with cellular health right now

00:04:16 – Twenty years of friendship and the wild arc of life with Gabby

00:06:45 – Island roots, being "rudderless," and getting pulled out of paradise

00:08:30 – Losing her dad, a dolphin-trainer mom, and the power of "bonus parents"

00:10:35 – Sports as salvation and why she chose volleyball over basketball

00:12:42 – Modeling to pay for school & navigating a career before NIL existed

00:14:44 – Built-in boundaries, "don't pet the tiger," and self-protection

00:16:44 – Competitiveness, survival, and learning to take radical responsibility

00:18:52 – Imposter syndrome when you're "crushing it" on paper

00:21:37 – Holding the line on food and environment while raising kids

00:23:43 – Laird's deep confidence vs. her self-doubt: two different operating systems

00:25:41 – MTV Sports, doing extreme things, and why intention matters more than spectacle

00:27:35 – Meeting Laird on The Extremist & the early blueprint of their relationship

00:29:52 – When the "fun guy" drinks too much: loving someone and drawing a hard boundary

00:32:33 – Co-creating safety: respect, sobriety, and growing closer instead of apart

00:34:46 – Radical honesty as foreplay for a long relationship

00:37:01 – Female hormones, aging, and the reality of shifting needs

00:40:00 – The body as an antenna: Manna, minerals & energetic upgrades (sponsor)

00:41:25 – Wanting your partner to stay "exciting" without making it their job

00:42:20 – Purpose, drive, and doing life as two sovereign people in one unit

00:44:37 – Kids, meetings, breastfeeding in the car & modeling a different kind of motherhood

00:49:40 – Rituals, school drop-offs, and redefining "fun" as training time

00:50:54 – "Is this aging?": brutal workout days and reframing decline

00:52:42 – Empty nest vs. open bandwidth: watching kids step into a noisy world

00:53:46 – A female-led wellness project with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, Stacy Sims & others

00:55:29 – Why women move the needle in wellness (and why the industry ignores them)

00:58:56 – No magic pill: the truth about change, discipline, and lazy biology

00:59:53 – Becoming the person you're aiming at before you walk downstairs

01:01:30 – Training as non-negotiable and redefining "fun" in midlife

01:02:29 – Mindy Peltz, menopause, and how culture is failing women in transition

01:05:58 – Shifting from "glue of the family" to embodied wisdom

01:07:41 – A message to young women: skill, service, and soft power

01:08:45 – Harmony when everyone brings their best traits

 

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Thank You to Our Sponsors

• Fatty15: Get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/DARIN and using code DARIN at checkout.

• Our Place: Toxic-free, durable cookware that supports healthy cooking. Go to their website at fromourplace.com/darin and get 35% off sitewide in their largest sale of the year.

• Manna Vitality: Go to mannavitality.com/ and use code DARIN12 for 12% off your order.

 

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Join the SuperLife Patreon:

This is where Darin now shares the deeper work:
- weekly voice notes
- ingredient trackers
- wellness challenges
- extended conversations
- community accountability
- sovereignty practices

Join now for only  $7.49/month at https://patreon.com/darinolien

 

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Find More from Gabby Reece:

• Instagram: @gabbyreece

• Podcast: The Gabby Reece Show

• Website:gabbyreece.com

• Book: My Foot is Too Big for the Glass Slipper
  

• Try Laird Superfood today! lairdsuperfood.com

 

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Find More from Darin Olien:

• Instagram: @darinolien

• Podcast: SuperLife Podcast

• Website: superlife.com

• Book: Fatal Conveniences
  
  

 

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Key Takeaway

Develop yourself so you can stand on your own two feet — build real skills, know yourself, and keep evolving — but never believe you have to abandon love or service to do it. Those are the very things that make a strong life worth living.