After years of closed borders, North Korea reopened to a small number of foreign visitors.

Johan Nylander entered as one of the first in years — to run the Pyongyang Marathon.

Johan is an award-winning Asia correspondent and author whose work has appeared in CNN, National Geographic, Forbes, Nikkei Asia, and Sweden’s leading business daily Dagens Industri. He has reported from the frontlines of the US–China trade war and written bestselling books including Shenzhen Superstars, The Epic Split, and The Wolf Economy Awakens. Colleagues have described him as “a guardian of free speech” and one of the most compelling storytellers covering Asia today.

At 52, he chose one of the most restricted starting lines on Earth.

The deeper story begins earlier. After years of high-Stress reporting across Asia, Johan found himself physically depleted and mentally stretched thin. Watching the Hong Kong Marathon from the sidelines — barely able to run a kilometer — he made a decision. The following year, he ran his first marathon.

Training became structure.
 Structure became momentum.

Living between the mountains of Hong Kong’s outer islands and one of the world’s densest cities, he rebuilt himself mile by mile.

Then came North Korea.

Running through Pyongyang placed him inside a rare historical moment — moving through a country defined by control, discipline, and spectacle. The experience sharpened his understanding of movement, agency, and freedom.

In this episode, we explore:

• Running the Pyongyang Marathon inside North Korea
• Becoming one of the first foreign visitors back in the country
• Starting endurance sport in his fifties
• Rebuilding resilience after Burnout
• Covering geopolitics while cultivating personal freedom

Johan has spent his career documenting global power.

In North Korea, he stepped onto a different kind of frontline — one measured in miles.

—

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Kush Khandelwal Host, Ageless Athlete Podcast

I’m Kush Khandelwal, host of the Ageless Athlete Podcast. While I come from a background as a lifelong rock climber and outdoor athlete, my work is really about something much broader: how we can all stay active, vibrant, and engaged as we age.

On the podcast, I interview world-class athletes, explorers, and health experts—but the lessons go far beyond sports. Together we explore how to keep our bodies strong, our minds sharp, and our spirits resilient—whether that means walking pain-free, picking up a new hobby at 60, or simply finding more joy in everyday life.

With almost 90 episodes, I’ve had conversations with Olympians, scientists, and ageless adventurers who prove that life after 50 can be just as bold and rewarding as any other stage. My mission is to share practical insights and inspiring stories that help all of us, athlete or not, embrace the second half of life with curiosity, confidence, and energy.