Name: Lynn Rogers

Location: Chicago, IL

Favorite brew: Atletica

Instagram: @lynnphd_withcidp

When you meet Lynn Rogers, one of the first things you'll notice is her boundless energy and determination. From riding through Chicago on her bike to talking a multi-day triathlon, Lynn approaches every challenge with a positive outlook.

With a passion for movement and a heart for community, Lynn felt drawn to Athletic’s mission – not just to brew excellent NA beer, but to uplift fellow endurance athletes and adventurers of all kinds.

She’s not just an athlete – she’s someone who accepts life’s challenges as they come. From earning a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering to crossing the finish line at IRONMAN races, Lynn’s accomplishments span both the “before” and “after” chapters of her journey with the neuromuscular autoimmune disease CIDP (chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy).

Fitness, for Lynn, is both a pursuit and a gift. It’s what makes saying “yes” to every adventure possible – and what strengthens her for the hard days, too.

Read on to more about Lynn in this month's Ambassador Spotlight!

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How did you hear about Athletic Brewing?

My buddy Matty had found Athletic, and knowing we both enjoy good beer and that I had a medical need for good NA options, recommended I give it a try.

What made you decide to join the Ambassador Team?

It was the combination of genuinely enjoying all the great NA brews from Athletic and learning more about the company’s values. I love the Two For The Trails program and that Athletic is a major sponsor for IRONMAN as well as their presence at such a wide range of athletic pursuits.  I love supporting a company that supports the things I love! I wanted to be a part of getting the word out about not just this great NA brew option but about how they support athletics in general.

What's your favorite way to stay active?

I like to incorporate a range of activities in my week, and in the urban environment of Chicago those are the things I have easy access to: run, bike, swim, Crossfit. When I have the opportunity, I love to run trails, and downhill ski. But in general, I love to incorporate activity into my life. Can I commute to work via bike or run instead of car or train? Can I literally run my errands by wearing a run backpack to cover my miles and ending at the store, doctor, haircut, whatever … ? Those choices put movement at the forefront and help minimize the excuses for why a workout couldn't get done.

What's your proudest accomplishment?

Gah! This is actually really hard, which sounds unbelievably egotistical. But I am proud that I've had accomplishments across a variety of areas. Getting my Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering was a huge accomplishment. Completing my first IRONMAN in a race where I both broke my foot and broke my bike was fairly epic. And, honestly, knowing that I consciously worked to keep a positive attitude the entire time during a race that went sideways in a million ways is a prouder accomplishment than the physical accomplishment of that IRONMAN Wisconsin finish line.  
Those things are very real, but they are also in this weird space of my "before" accomplishments – before I got sick, before I was paralyzed.

In the "after" I am very proud of how hard I worked to regain my strength and function and finish the Chicago Marathon again 11 months after getting out of the hospital. I am genuinely very proud of the fact that I thought completing an IRONMAN in the "after" of CIDP was possible, and that I didn't give up even when I'd failed at multiple attempts – even when one of those was a VERY public failure documented in the "Inches to Miles" documentary.

I'm very proud of the person people have told me they see in that documentary – that people don't seem to care that I failed, or that they don't see that failure as diminishing the good they take from the story. That is something I am very proud of. I am probably more proud of that – of how many people have reached out because they've felt inspired, or have felt hopeful, or have felt determined – than I am of any of the other accomplishments I'm naming here.  

And that feedback absolutely helped me to continue to see the value in continuing to go after hard goals, despite the public failure and disappointment, which has led to this unbelievable first half of 2025 where I've ticked off two major accomplishments: Monster Triathlon across the UK in June, and then FINALLY completing IRONMAN Lake Placid in July.  

I am very proud of the person I brought into those two major physical and mental achievements.  Someone who knew there was no avoiding the massive amounts of pain involved with just continuing to move forward – both in the training required and in the races themselves – but was determined to do it anyway, and do it while smiling and supporting everyone around me if I could.

How do you live a #FitForAllTimes lifestyle?

I love having races on the schedule to serve as goals that structure training. But the reason for staying active is to be able to get out in the world in any crazy way my friends may come up with. Do you want to join us for a two-week cycle touring vacation in Spain? Yes!  Do you want to help crew Western States, or Ultraman, and help pace some miles? Yes! Do you want to try Spartan race with me? Or do a long weekend in Michigan for a century ride? Or rent a group house in Jackson Hole for a ski vacation? Yes, yes, YES!  

Basically, FOMO drives my lifestyle. But it's in being an active person that you meet OTHER active people. And then by staying active and fit, you are ready and able to say yes to the exciting possibilities that may come along. You are fit for all the times, and all the adventures that may come your way!  

And as someone with a chronic neuromuscular disease, being fit is critical to bringing as much strength to the unavoidable relapses and rough stretches that are always ahead. That fitness is a gift I am giving myself as well as my loved ones, because it can mean the relapse leaves me with more function that it would have otherwise, and therefore requiring less help from everyone than I would otherwise.  Fitness is a gift to myself and my loved ones.

For more information about the Athletic Brewing Ambassador Community, visit https://athleticbrewing.com/blogs/ambassadors.