Meet Sara Bissell Rubin: Navigating Pain

Meet Sara Bissell Rubin: Navigating Pain

Author: A Julie Sunshine Production August 13, 2026 Duration: 17:43

Pain! Is it all in your head or your body or a combination of the two? And what about the societal role our friends and family play? Chronic pain educator Sara Bissell Rubin has experienced pain -- personally and professionally -- for decades and has made it her life's work to help others navigate it in new ways. No surprise to Dolphins, swimming can definitely help. We discuss the what and how and why of pain, plus a whole lot of joy.


The cold, swirling waters of the San Francisco Bay are a character in themselves, but the true heart of this place beats within the 2000 Stories from the Dolphin Club. This podcast, an intimate production from A Julie Sunshine Production, isn't about athletic feats, though they happen daily. It's about the people. Each conversation pulls back the curtain on a unique, saltwater-stung community, revealing the personal histories and unexpected motivations that draw individuals to this iconic, challenging stretch of water. You'll hear from lifelong rowers with hands like weathered driftwood and newcomers confronting their fears one stroke at a time. The stories collected here form a mosaic of human experience-tales of loss, resilience, quirky routines, and quiet camaraderie forged in the fog. It’s a deep dive into the journals of daily life, exploring how a shared, almost ritualistic engagement with the natural world shapes culture and identity. Listen to this podcast for unvarnished, often humorous, and profoundly human accounts from inside the clubhouse and out on the open bay, where every member has a tale worth hearing.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

2000 Stories from the Dolphin Club
Podcast Episodes
Meet Tom Bernard: Mr. Appreciation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:46
Tom Bernard doesn't take much for granted, choosing to focus on how much there is to be grateful for in life...including family, swimming, and the Dolphin Club. Just so happens that his career in finance, helping college…
Meet Jessica Huang: Swimming in the Family [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:23
For Jessica Huang swimming has always been a family affair. Her parents, Vince and Cathy, are long time Dolphins but it took Jessica years to find her own space and identity at the club. Now it's a sanctuary from her bus…
Meet Michael Tschantz-Hahn: Living (and Swimming) in the Moment [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:28
There's an art to swimming, and Michael Tschantz-Hahn brings his painterly eye to every stroke — whether he's doing it himself or teaching others. He's tackled the English Channel in record time, hacked through the ice t…
Meet Julie Pan: Free Diving Fun [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:12
It all started with a fish. A big fish. And before long, Julie Pan added free diving to her list of dopamine driven sports. To hear her describe it, free diving is equal parts pushing limits, managing fear and feeling qu…
Meet Madeleine Crow: Being Brave [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:21
Madeleine Crow joined the Dolphin Club just three years ago, but she has dived in head first to everything -- in and on, and even off the water. From swimming to paddling to ERGing, she needed what the Bay and this commu…
Meet Ben Chun: Head Meets Heart [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:01
What do an MIT-trained computer scientist, public school teacher, non-profit professional, and reluctant cold water swimmer have in common? Get to know Ben Chun and you'll learn how head and heart and happiness unite. Be…
Meet Rebecca Handler: Humor is the Best Medicine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:09
Rebecca Handler has one of those laughs that is truly contagious. And better yet, she's so darn funny that she gets you laughing, too. Whether chatting about the joy she gets from swimming with her brother Daniel or her…
Meet William Pryor: Mapping the Depths [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:25
Like many young swimmers, William Pryor got scared when he couldn't touch the ocean floor. As an adult he found a way to understand it by combining his passion for drones and technology with art that maps the actual dept…
Meet Ryan Dalton: Walking the Walk [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:40
Ryan Dalton's mind is always working. And he's got a lot to think about — parenting, partnering, writing, olfaction, neuroscience, cancer, AI, fear, swimming, beer, and a whole lot more. His mind is rarely at rest, and h…
Meet Emily Nogue: A Real People Person [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:29
Many people come to the Dolphin Club to swim and end up staying for the people. Emily Nogue did the opposite. She joined the club following the death of her husband John Nogue to feel his presence where he felt most at h…