Adventure racing—an off-road, navigation-based sport that fuses endurance, strategy, and teamwork—became a life-changing journey for Ryan VanGorder. What started as a casual comment while watching The Echo Challenge with friends transformed into a relentless pursuit of his physical and mental limits.

Since 1999, Ryan and his team have tackled grueling competitions that stretch from a few hours to several days, pushing themselves against nature and their own endurance. 

But Ryan’s path took a harrowing turn when a race led to a life-threatening medical emergency, landing him in a coma. Emerging from that experience, he embraced a fierce commitment to living fully, adopting a “YOLO” mindset that fuels both his life and his approach to business.

In this episode, WealthManagement.com Managing Editor Diana Britton sits down with Ryan VanGorder, CEO of Opto Investments, to share his story of survival, resilience, and how his brush with death reshaped his outlook on life and work.

Ryan discusses: 
- His introduction to adventure racing and the unique allure that hooked him
- Memorable moments from races across rugged landscapes
- The life-changing near-death experience during the Primal Quest race in Moab, Utah
- How adventure racing taught him valuable lessons for managing risk in business
- How adventure racing helped him find balance and meditation

Resources: 

Listen to other episodes of The Healthy Advisor: https://www.wealthmanagement.com/featured-series/transparency 
Lessons from over two decades of adventure racing:
https://insights.optoinvest.com/article/ryan-vangorder-lessons-from-over-two-decades-of-adventure-racing
 
Connect With Ryan VanGorder:

Opto Investments: https://www.optoinvest.com/ 
LinkedIn: Ryan VanGorder: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-v-6138ba1/ 
Email: ryan@optoinvest.com 

Connect With WealthManagement.com:

https://www.wealthmanagement.com/ 
Email: diana.britton@informa.com
LinkedIn: Diana Britton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-britton-8826b53/ 
LinkedIn: Informa: https://www.linkedin.com/company/informa/ 
LinkedIn: WealthManagement: https://bit.ly/WealthManagementLI

The Healthy Advisor: How Adventure Racing Shaped My Life and Business With Ryan VanGorder

NREI Weekender Episode 6 - NREI Research Series: Annual REIT Study Review, July 13, 2019

Today, David Bodamer continues with the NREI Research Series by reviewing NREI’s 4th annual REIT study. 

In this episode, you will learn:

- The major takeaways from this year’s research
- Which categories are on respondents’ buy and sell lists
- The status of REIT balance sheets
- What kind of predictions the study provides for REIT stock prices and returns 
- And more

Tune in now to hear the latest findings in the Review of the fourth annual REIT Study as part of the NREI Research Series.

Resources:
National Real Estate Investor

The Healthy Advisor: How Adventure Racing Shaped My Life and Business With Ryan VanGorder

WealthManagement.com

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