What Are You Training For? The Real Point of Living Longer (Ft. David Stewart)

David Stewart has spent much of his life looking closely at people.As a photographer, he worked around the world, shot his first Vogue ad in his twenties, and worked in New York during the Andy Warhol era. But as David got older, he began noticing something strange: while youth was marketed through aspiration, possibility and beauty, aging was increasingly framed through fear, decline and limitation.He decided to challenge that story.Today, David is the founder of SuperAge and AGEIST, building a new model around longevity that goes far beyond biomarkers or simply trying to extend lifespan.In this conversation, we explore what it actually means to stay fully alive as we age, why optimism may be essential to pursuing wellness, how social connection fits into longevity, the danger of turning health into an endless optimization project, and why David believes we need to move from consuming information to taking action.We also explore the creation of the Super Age Games, his personal practices for managing stress and mental fitness, and the simple morning ritual he uses to deliberately counter the negativity our minds naturally absorb.This is a conversation about making the life you have worth extending.EXCITING STUFF!My second book now available for pre-order! You're Invited: A Life-Changing Conversation with History's Greatest Wisdom TeachersGet your MENTAL FITNESS BLUEPRINT here!A special thanks to our mental fitness + sweat partner Sip Saunas Connect with Marc: https://konect.to/marcchampagne Timestamps:00:00 — The question that opens every interview: “Who are you?”01:12 — Building a life around values instead of internal dissonance04:22 — The photographer who turned down work that didn't align05:53 — Vogue, Paris and working around Andy Warhol07:34 — The realization that changed how David thought about aging10:03 — Why brands misunderstood people over 5013:17 — The health crisis that forced David to change his own life16:57 — How AGEIST evolved into SuperAge22:25 — Why information alone rarely changes behaviour24:30 — Building trust before building products26:26 — The spontaneous idea that became the Super Age Games29:42 — Why friendship and social connection belong in longevity32:38 — “I've been in a gym for 40 years. What am I training for?”33:06 — Why biomarkers aren't the destination34:37 — Turning longevity into something you can actually measure37:33 — The 78-year-old who became competitor number one40:43 — What David wants people to feel after the Games43:18 — Why pursuing wellness requires optimism45:49 — David's “battery” model for stress and energy46:58 — The morning “brainwash walk” that resets his mind49:45 — Counter-programming the brain's natural negativity bias51:59 — Why the journey itself has to be enjoyed*Special props 👇Music: Clouds - Joakim Karud Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.