What Lies Beyond Fear | Amy Bukszpan | TEDxVeroBeach

In What Lies Beyond Fear? How I Got Curious and Set a Path to Success, Amy explores what happens when fear is met not with resistance—but with curiosity. Drawing from her experience as an ultrarunner completing distances from 50K to 250 miles, and as Race Director of the Hoot’n Bulldog Track Ultra, Amy shares hard-earned insights from both the trail and everyday life.

Through stories forged in extreme endurance environments, she reveals how curiosity becomes a powerful tool for navigating uncertainty, building resilience, and unlocking untapped potential. Rather than avoiding fear, Amy invites us to lean into it—asking better questions, embracing compassion, and discovering new paths forward.

This talk offers a compelling perspective on how curiosity can transform professional performance, athletic pursuits, and personal growth—proving that what lies beyond fear is often possibility. Amy (Rae) Bukszpan is the founder and owner of Banana Champs Performance Coaching and Behavioral Consulting, as well as the owner of Bukszpan Behavior Consultants. She is a doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Licensed NY State Behavior Analyst (NYLBA). She is also a UESCA-certified ultramarathon running coach and endurance nutrition coach.

Amy has conducted research on leadership and training, as well as effort and motivation in ultra running. Amy has published chapters and articles in peer-reviewed journals and texts and has worked in homes, schools, day-habilitation, and developmental centers, from early intervention to geriatric populations with individuals with developmental disabilities.

Dr. Bukszpan worked with a team of clinicians to increase access to non-institutional long-term services for adults living in developmental centers in NY State and was a clinical leader at a national ABA therapy company, writing training curriculum for ABA professionals. Amy is an adjunct professor at various universities and colleges, coaches a team of ultra runners, and is the host of Skinner’s Locker Room, a podcast on human behavior, performance, and sports. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx