Iron Hope

Lessons Learned from Conquering the Impossible

By: James Lawrence

Narrated by: James Lawrence

The ultimate guide to mental toughness by James “Iron Cowboy” Lawrence—the greatest endurance athlete in human history.

Lawrence’s accomplishments are nearly impossible to comprehend. After breaking two Guinness World Records, he shattered possibilities in 2015 by completing 50 full-distance triathlons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days. Yes, THE IRONMAN®, “the single most difficult day in sports”—a 2.4-mile swim, 112 miles on a bike, then a 26.2-mile run, all completed in under 17 hours. It is a race so intense that less than .01% of the population have completed one.

Afterwards, Lawrence subjected his body to exhaustive physical testing, to every genetic test known to science. The stunning discovery is that physically, James Lawrence is unspecial in every way. The secret to his bulletproof body is his bulletproof mentality.

Even those accomplishments weren’t enough for James. In 2021, he set out on another endurance endeavor, this one so difficult he wondered if he would even live. He set out to complete a staggering 100 full-distance triathlons in 100 consecutive days. By persevering, he wanted to inspire people to do the same for whatever difficulties they are going through.

How does a person develop the mental fortitude necessary to overcome incredible exhaustion, immeasurable suffering, and unfathomable pain in order to achieve impossible goals? With Iron Hope, that’s exactly what James “Iron Cowboy” Lawrence shows listeners how to do. Lawrence explains how listeners can forge an iron will by making and keeping small promises to themselves again and again, amassing experience and building momentum until giving up becomes impossible. Combine a big dream with small improvements repeated with great consistency and make your goals and dreams a reality.

©2025 James Lawrence (P)2025 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"James has a gift. Not only is he a phenomenal athlete, but he brings communities together. I don't think there's another endurance athlete in the world that has done as much as James has when it comes to community. He has single handedly turned endurance sports which is known to be lonely... into a team sport by getting so many to participate with him."—Jesse Itzler, entrepreneur and New York Times bestselling author of Living With a SEAL

“James Lawrence should be considered one of the greatest endurance athletes of all time. Iron Hope proves that with a little direction, we can all develop the mental toughness to accomplish anything we set our mind to. This is essential reading for anybody with goals—not just athletes.”—Cameron Hanes, New York Times bestselling author of Endure

“James Lawrence’s feats of voluntary endurance just might be the greatest in human history. Less appreciated is his incredible ability to galvanize community, empowering countless people across the world to glean inspiration from his Iron Cowboy alter ego and reach higher. Laden with incredible stories told with candor and vulnerability, Iron Hope, reveals all, including the mindset required to achieve the impossible with takeaways certain to improve the lives of all who brave the pages of this remarkable book.”—Rich Roll, author of Finding Ultra and host of The Rich Roll Podcast