Speaker 1: Hi everyone, and welcome back to Unfiltered, the JBL podcast,
Speaker 1: an iHeartRadio production in partnership with JBL. I'm your host,
Speaker 1: Betty Who. I'm so glad to have you here with
Speaker 1: me on this journey. I've gotten to talk to so
Speaker 1: many amazing people, and I really leave these conversations so inspired,
Speaker 1: so I hope you are too. I feel like I've
Speaker 1: spoken to some incredible young people, and today's conversation.
Speaker 2: Is absolutely no exception.
Speaker 1: Our guest today is not just an impressive athlete, but
Speaker 1: she is also.
Speaker 2: A literal Olympian.
Speaker 1: I am joined by Alona Ma, a professional rugby player
Speaker 1: who is unapologetic on and off the pitch.
Speaker 2: It's deeper than Winna lose though.
Speaker 1: Rugby helped Alona find the confidence in herself and her game,
Speaker 1: spreading her love for rugby, Alona documents the behind the
Speaker 1: scenes of her life as an elite athlete with her
Speaker 1: almost one million TikTok followers. Undeniably, Alona is a big
Speaker 1: personality and a powerhouse athlete.
Speaker 2: So why don't we get right into it? So, I'm
Speaker 2: so glad you're here.
Speaker 1: I have so many questions for you, obviously, but the
Speaker 1: first thing I want to kind of start with is
Speaker 1: Obviously it's I'm Australian, so I know all about rugby,
Speaker 1: but it's not a particularly American like cultured sport.
Speaker 2: So I want to know, like how you found it,
Speaker 2: or maybe how it found you.
Speaker 1: I know you played a bunch of different sports in
Speaker 1: high school, Like, tell me a little bit about how
Speaker 1: it all got started for you.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 4: Well, my dad's actually a rugby guy.
Speaker 3: He's been playing like rugby for thirty years, but he
Speaker 3: always encouraged us to play so many other sports, so
Speaker 3: you know, whether it's softball, basketball, fiel, hockey, we just
Speaker 3: played all these sports because he saw the benefits of
Speaker 3: playing sports, especially in girls, and being in these team activities.
Speaker 3: So I played a lot of sports, and I think
Speaker 3: I was just kind of made to be an athlete, honestly,
Speaker 3: whether it's genetics or whatnot. You know, sports was my
Speaker 3: social life. It was my club and whatever sport I
Speaker 3: was in, that was my friend group. I didn't you know,
Speaker 3: I didn't wasn't cool, didn't really go to parties or
Speaker 3: anything like that. But I went to basketball games and
Speaker 3: then I tried out rugby and it like literally fit
Speaker 3: my body like a glove. Because it was just amazing
Speaker 3: mix of physicality that we don't see in a lot
Speaker 3: of women's games. And it's the same as men, which
Speaker 3: you know, it's like men and women are the same.
Speaker 3: And in other countries rugby is the shit, you know.
Speaker 3: In Australia, it's the coolest thing.
Speaker 2: It's the biggest. Yeah, it's literally massive.
Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, I mean the Australian women's team just won
Speaker 3: the World Cup in sevens and they've done all these
Speaker 3: other things, and the thing that what they're doing for
Speaker 3: the sport is so impressive and so but they grew
Speaker 3: up playing rugby and I did it, so we all
Speaker 3: have a different way of thinking about it. So I
Speaker 3: love rugby and I think it can really it helps.
Speaker 3: It has helped me in my life, and I think
Speaker 3: it helped so many other people as well.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I really appreciate that your dad was really like
Speaker 1: girls are boys, Like my kids are going to be athletes.
Speaker 1: It's like this is a part of my lifestyle and
Speaker 1: the thing that I love. Like, how much did you
Speaker 1: find when you were growing up, like how unusual was
Speaker 1: your sort of your family life and the choices that
Speaker 1: your parents made to sort of support that side of you.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't think it was unusual that the girls
Speaker 3: were playing sports. It was unusual in the way that
Speaker 3: he wanted us to be the best in sports. He
Speaker 3: always tells the story of like how I was pitching
Speaker 3: at a softball game once and I was pitching hard,
Speaker 3: and a dad on the other team, you know, yelled
Speaker 3: at me to slow my pitches down because I was
Speaker 3: pitching it too fast and none of the girls could
Speaker 3: hit it. And my dad was like, no, this is
Speaker 3: a fast pitch league. We're gonna pitch fast. This is
Speaker 3: what we're supposed to do. Because heck, I think a
Speaker 3: lot of times dads and men almost tone it down
Speaker 3: for their daughters. They automatically like, oh, well, it's my daughter,
Speaker 3: so she doesn't have to hit it as hard, she
Speaker 3: doesn't have to pitch it as fast, she doesn't have
Speaker 3: to run as fast. But my son's better be the strongest,
Speaker 3: the fastest out there. It didn't matter if it was
Speaker 3: a girl or boy coming out. Like my dad was,
Speaker 3: we're gonna be the best of what we do. And
Speaker 3: so the big thing I think I took away to like,
Speaker 3: never tone it down like him and my mom were,
Speaker 3: just like, if you're going to do just thing, be
Speaker 3: the best at it, and pitch it as fast as
Speaker 3: you can, throw it as hard as you can, run
Speaker 3: as fast as you can. And I think that's kind
Speaker 3: of what has led me to be the athlete that
Speaker 3: I am today, by having that confidence from your parents
Speaker 3: to be your best.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's so amazing. How much do you like because
Speaker 1: rugby is a very physical sport. Yeah, do you have
Speaker 1: like your recollection of the first time you're like on
Speaker 1: the field and you're starting to like get more into
Speaker 1: it and be like, oh, this feels good, Like what
Speaker 1: does that feel like.
Speaker 2: In your body?
Speaker 3: I think if from even all the other sports I played,
Speaker 3: I I feel like you coach that would joke that,
Speaker 3: you know, whenever I was on the field I would
Speaker 3: go through people to get the ball instead of around them.
Speaker 3: On basketball, I was always a power center and I
Speaker 3: would power through people. So it was always the thing
Speaker 3: I always wanted to do, but like never fully encouraged
Speaker 3: to do in sports I was playing kind of maybe
Speaker 3: in basketball for sure, I see, but it just is
Speaker 3: like so cool to go out there to be like
Speaker 3: truly praise and applauded for my size and like find
Speaker 3: a place where your size is like, oh we want this,
Speaker 3: because I mean, I feel like you feel a soccer field.
Speaker 3: I'm very big, and I'm like, oh, well you want
Speaker 3: to be probably thinner, move well, and whereas the rugby field,
Speaker 3: it's like they saw me and they were like, this
Speaker 3: is amazing, Yes, exactly what I want. And I think
Speaker 3: that's what's helped me as well. To grow into my
Speaker 3: confidence of the person I am is like finding a
Speaker 3: place that's really accepted me and being like, oh, no,
Speaker 3: you're perfect.
Speaker 4: You're the perfect the way you are. We want you
Speaker 4: on a.
Speaker 3: Field, you know, And to find that has like helped
Speaker 3: me tremendously and to translate my speed and power into
Speaker 3: something on the field is like just what I live
Speaker 3: for now.
Speaker 1: Genuinely sounds like rugby found you in that way where
Speaker 1: you're like, you come into this world where you're all
Speaker 1: of a sudden, like the things that you've been insecure
Speaker 1: about your entire life for all of a sudden, the
Speaker 1: whole reason and purpose that you're good at this thing
Speaker 1: like that must have felt so freeing and validating.
Speaker 4: Oh, it for sure does.
Speaker 3: And I think one thing that really helped was like
Speaker 3: I got into my couple of rugby teams. But then
Speaker 3: once I got into the USA team and some of
Speaker 3: my teammates on the USA team were like so cool
Speaker 3: and just the way that they view themselves that it
Speaker 3: is wow to be around other confident women because like
Speaker 3: it kind of rubs off on you in a way.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I love that.
Speaker 4: It's empowering.
Speaker 3: And so like my teammates on USA were like a
Speaker 3: lot of them are big like me, and it was
Speaker 3: like cool to see this and be like, oh man,
Speaker 3: they're they're big like me.
Speaker 4: Like I feel like I have a place to see
Speaker 4: me in them as well.
Speaker 3: And you want to find your own confidence, but it's hard,
Speaker 3: and I think there is something to be said about
Speaker 3: somebody who has found their confidence, help you in your
Speaker 3: way so that you can find your combative and then
Speaker 3: help somebody else. I think it's kind of it can
Speaker 3: be effect and that's like something that I want to
Speaker 3: do as well, because having my teammates has helped me,
Speaker 3: and so I hope that I can now help others
Speaker 3: because of what they've done for me and what my
Speaker 3: mom's done for me and my sisters.
Speaker 1: So I love to hear that's also so perfect. Again,
Speaker 1: I love You're the perfect guest for the show, because
Speaker 1: the entire point of the show is to talk about
Speaker 1: like being yourself and trying to find how to live
Speaker 1: into the best parts of yourself and the person you
Speaker 1: were born to be. So it's so beautiful that you
Speaker 1: found this community. Like I think that's so special and awesome,
Speaker 1: and it sounds like you've really found I mean, I
Speaker 1: think what so many people spend their literal, entire lives
Speaker 1: searching for. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by responsibility. Like you say,
Speaker 1: it's really important to you to like show you know,
Speaker 1: you've seen how women can make you feel about yourself,
Speaker 1: and now you want to like try and kind of
Speaker 1: perpetuate that cycle of like showing little girls that they
Speaker 1: can be strong and different and all these things.
Speaker 2: Like do you ever feel pressure for that?
Speaker 1: Like for me, I'll have a bad day, right and
Speaker 1: then I I'll have to show up somewhere, and I'm like,
Speaker 1: it's really hard for me to be perceived right now,
Speaker 1: Like I'm having a tough time and I want to
Speaker 1: show up for you and be the person you want
Speaker 1: me to be. Like do you deal with pressure in
Speaker 1: that same way?
Speaker 4: I think one thing I deal with is like this
Speaker 4: idea of role model.
Speaker 3: Like everyone's like, oh, you're a role model, and I'm
Speaker 3: like ah, because it's a scary title because I think
Speaker 3: with role model they attach so many things, Like people
Speaker 3: think role models as perfect. They do all the best things,
Speaker 3: they say all the best things, they don't do anything wrong.
Speaker 3: So like that worries me because like, yeah, I hear
Speaker 3: like young girls who follow me, and I'm like, I
Speaker 3: love aspiring young girls, but like I am also a
Speaker 3: twenty six year old woman, yea who has all sorts
Speaker 3: of things going on in her life. So like I'm
Speaker 3: a role model in some senses. I'm a role model
Speaker 3: in that I've worked very hard. I've been to school,
Speaker 3: I got my master's, I'm a hard worker on the field.
Speaker 3: But then I'm not really role modeling that I also
Speaker 3: like to get drunk and have fun.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Well, and by the way, that's fine, Like that shouldn't
Speaker 1: disqualify you from being a role model.
Speaker 2: You're being yourself and enjoying yourself.
Speaker 1: And I think that's maybe what's sometimes when you're put
Speaker 1: into this position of like you feel like you have
Speaker 1: to be actually really perfect yes for people to follow
Speaker 1: an example, and it's like no that I think maybe
Speaker 1: the reason you were you blew up on TikTok is
Speaker 1: because you're being yourself. Yeah, not because you're trying to
Speaker 1: be a version of yourself. That's the role model that
Speaker 1: cuts out all the bad stuff so that people don't
Speaker 1: see it.
Speaker 2: It's like, no, this is just who I am.
Speaker 3: Like here I am no for sure, And I think
Speaker 3: that's why I like, oh, yeah, I'm a role model
Speaker 3: in some ways, but also I am a human being
Speaker 3: and I make all these mistakes, so like that's sometimes
Speaker 3: feels the pressure, but like it's really just me being me,
Speaker 3: and I think people can genuinely see that at times.
Speaker 4: Have you ever gotten it where.
Speaker 2: People call it?
Speaker 3: You say you're unapologetically yourself? People ever say that to you?
Speaker 2: Yes, all the time.
Speaker 4: I'm like, what does that mean?
Speaker 1: We're living, We're being unapologetic, we're being authentic, Sis, sir,
Speaker 1: that's what we're here to do.
Speaker 4: I'm like, what are all of you doing?
Speaker 3: Then?
Speaker 1: I think that's a crazy observation you've just made, though,
Speaker 1: because so many people cannot be themselves and they have
Speaker 1: a built in apology. I've met people who walk into
Speaker 1: a room and they say, Hi, this is my name,
Speaker 1: and when they tell you their name. You're like, are
Speaker 1: you sure? Why do I feel like you're apologizing to
Speaker 1: me for you existing? Like, yeah, that sounds great, like
Speaker 1: cool for you.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 1: I think it is much more common than I wish
Speaker 1: it was. Where I meet people who feel so whether
Speaker 1: it's that they've been made to feel shamed by other
Speaker 1: people or by society or by their community, where they
Speaker 1: just feel like they are looking for an outlet, they're
Speaker 1: looking for representation, looking for someone to reflect themselves back
Speaker 1: to them so they feel like they then have permission
Speaker 1: to be themselves, which I think is the thing that
Speaker 1: you're ultimately doing. Is no one gave you permission. You
Speaker 1: gave your self permission, and will no one ever gives
Speaker 1: anybody permission, you.
Speaker 2: Know what I mean.
Speaker 1: It's like people wait around their whole lives to be like,
Speaker 1: when is someone going to tell me that I can
Speaker 1: be amazing?
Speaker 2: It's like, no one is ever going to do that
Speaker 2: for you.
Speaker 4: You just got to do it, so.
Speaker 1: You're already doing that for yourself. And I think that
Speaker 1: people probably really react to that because they're like, you
Speaker 1: are all of these things right, You're not just this
Speaker 1: one dimensional, fake role model person who's like this is
Speaker 1: you know, I'm so perfect. You should follow me into
Speaker 1: the dark. You're like, here I am take it or
Speaker 1: leave it, like you.
Speaker 2: Know, cool vibe.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and people who feel like they don't have the
Speaker 1: space or ability to just be like this is who
Speaker 1: I am. World suck it like, must be so inspired
Speaker 1: and like shook by the fact that there are people
Speaker 1: out there who really can.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's always interesting all those people say it to me,
Speaker 3: Like to me, I'm like, I almost feel like it's
Speaker 3: a bad thing, Like I like it. I know what
Speaker 3: you mean though you know you because everyone says it,
Speaker 3: and you're like.
Speaker 1: What I have met in my life so many people
Speaker 1: who have so much self they are insecure about parts
Speaker 1: of themselves or have they hold hate inside themselves about themselves,
Speaker 1: and so when they see other people not holding that
Speaker 1: hate and going I love myself, Like you don't have
Speaker 1: to like me, I love me. I think it sometimes
Speaker 1: can be really confrontational in a good way when you're
Speaker 1: like cool, there are people who need to see this,
Speaker 1: But then for people who don't like to see it
Speaker 1: because they have so much hate in their heart about themselves,
Speaker 1: I think it's really painful to look out and into
Speaker 1: the world and see other people being themselves and not
Speaker 1: hating themselves, you know, and not carrying around all this shame.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 3: And I think one thing that's really helped me it
Speaker 3: was kind of the realization where I was just like
Speaker 3: taking a look around and I was like, okay, wait
Speaker 3: a second. Everyone who I think is just the beasnys
Speaker 3: who's like beautiful, skinny, perfect, is actually also very insecure,
Speaker 3: oh my god, always like everybody.
Speaker 4: And that is what really helped me.
Speaker 3: Was like, Okay, men who I thought were the coolest,
Speaker 3: like they knew how to talk, their confident, and I
Speaker 3: was like, actually, they're insecure, so I think it's kind
Speaker 3: of a cool thing. Okay, well so I'm insecure. We're
Speaker 3: all insecure, so let's just be insecure. Yes, but like
Speaker 3: let's be ourselves because I think, like we just are
Speaker 3: so afraid of being a kid, but we don't realize
Speaker 3: that everybody's afraid of being that. So if we can
Speaker 3: just see one person actually being themselves again, the effect
Speaker 3: of like helping others.
Speaker 1: It's like a domino effect, right, you push it over
Speaker 1: and then all of a sudd and everybody else is like, wait,
Speaker 1: can I do that too?
Speaker 2: And you're like, yes, join me, ladies, join us, Sun
Speaker 2: damn please come.
Speaker 1: Well on Unfiltered at the JBL podcast after a quick break.
Speaker 2: And now back to the show.
Speaker 1: I do want to know what's the like pre game ritual,
Speaker 1: locker room vibe. I want to know, like is a music, like,
Speaker 1: what's your how are you in the zone? Paint a
Speaker 1: picture with your words, take me on a journey.
Speaker 4: Yes, I like to think of myself as the hype woman.
Speaker 2: I think of myself as the hype woman. Alona.
Speaker 1: Of course this is sick, but we can't go to
Speaker 1: a wedding together. We have big wedding energy. Do you
Speaker 1: know what I mean, big wedding energy. I'm always on
Speaker 1: OX two. I stay getting into fights with wedding DJs
Speaker 1: because I'm like, I know what these people need.
Speaker 2: We need to have a conversation about it.
Speaker 3: Okay, yeah, we need some early two thousands percent.
Speaker 2: Please please play Beyonce, Thank you so much.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I like to get hype.
Speaker 3: I like to think I'm kind of a moodsetter for
Speaker 3: the team, and I think a lot of my teammates
Speaker 3: would agree on that.
Speaker 4: One thing I don't do is I don't really have
Speaker 4: any superstitions like.
Speaker 3: Oh I have to eat a bagel with cream cheese,
Speaker 3: or like wear the same pair of socks or something. Yes,
Speaker 3: I just think, like if I am banking my play
Speaker 3: on a pair of sox, that's not that's not it.
Speaker 3: It's not a pair of sox. What I eat is
Speaker 3: gonna change. So I try to not have any superstitions
Speaker 3: like that. I love that I could eat whatever I
Speaker 3: want the day of I could do this, I could
Speaker 3: wear that whatever. So that's like main thing. So that's
Speaker 3: why I try to get out of my head on
Speaker 3: game days. I always before a game will write in
Speaker 3: my notebook. I write everything, all these things I want
Speaker 3: to do in that. At the end of it, I'm like,
Speaker 3: just do your job. If you can just do your job,
Speaker 3: you'll be fine out there. And then I lead us
Speaker 3: out into the tunnel. That's something I really love to do.
Speaker 3: And then I like to just set the vibes very uplifting,
Speaker 3: because there's some people in my team who just like
Speaker 3: to sit. They don't say a word, they just put
Speaker 3: their headphones on. So like I let them do their things.
Speaker 3: But there's somebody who want another person to hype them
Speaker 3: up and play the song so I'm like constantly on
Speaker 3: my phone.
Speaker 2: Like what what do we need? Yeah?
Speaker 4: What tea pain song? Do they want to hear?
Speaker 2: Now?
Speaker 3: You know? And then I just go out there and
Speaker 3: it's a very short game, fourteen minute games, so you
Speaker 3: just gotta be on doing your job for fourteen minutes
Speaker 3: and then you come out and you you got to relax,
Speaker 3: You gotta chill.
Speaker 1: Do you feel like I feel this sometimes too when
Speaker 1: I'm because if I'm in a good space right and
Speaker 1: I'm like, cool, I'm gonna be the one I'll carry
Speaker 1: this entire fucking team if I need to, Like I
Speaker 1: can have that energy as well on days where you
Speaker 1: don't have that, when you're like maybe heading out to
Speaker 1: do a game and you're like not feeling like the
Speaker 1: twenty five out of ten Alona is ready to like
Speaker 1: take responsibility for the whole team. Do you find that
Speaker 1: you still can like flip a switch and be there
Speaker 1: for other people and it kind of takes you out
Speaker 1: of it, or do you find that you're sort of like,
Speaker 1: I'm actually going to take a back seat, Like how
Speaker 1: do you show up for not only yourself but your
Speaker 1: team in this role when you're like not having best.
Speaker 3: Day I will say I think I take a back
Speaker 3: seat at times just because I feel emotions very outwardly.
Speaker 3: I would say, like if I'm sad, I'll show it outwardly.
Speaker 3: If I'm angry, I'll show it, And like that's the
Speaker 3: thing I want to get better at.
Speaker 4: Like if I've had a bad.
Speaker 3: Game before, I'll might even show it before the pre
Speaker 3: game and I'll be like changing up. So like that's
Speaker 3: even saying I need to work on. But like there
Speaker 3: have been times when I do take a back seat.
Speaker 3: But what I'm trying to get better at and it's
Speaker 3: constantly getting better is like, Okay, flush it. That's happened
Speaker 3: in the past, you need to bring it up whichever
Speaker 3: way it is. But I am somebody who feels things
Speaker 3: very deeply, and I'll show it very deeply. So if
Speaker 3: I'm not feeling it, I can't fake things. I can't
Speaker 3: fake I'm feeling. I think it's definitely hard, and I
Speaker 3: don't think I'm that good at it. I think I
Speaker 3: want to get better at it. So it's like it's
Speaker 3: very hard for me at times to take a back
Speaker 3: seat because like I can take a back seat and
Speaker 3: somebody else can be on Oxen trying to pump everyone,
Speaker 3: but I don't know if you'll fully.
Speaker 4: Pump me up.
Speaker 3: I think it's really I'm the one who gets myself
Speaker 3: say I'm the one who does all this, and that's
Speaker 3: something you know, I got to work with and I
Speaker 3: got to be able to. Okay, you know what, you're down,
Speaker 3: Like you're sad about losing your sad about how you played.
Speaker 3: Like you hear those emotions, you know it. But what's
Speaker 3: the action that you're going to take to fix that?
Speaker 3: Because we can have all the bad thoughts in the world,
Speaker 3: but it's like, what are we going to do about
Speaker 3: it action wise?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 1: And how much like you know, you said, like cool,
Speaker 1: if we're winning, obviously I'm buying shots like it's a
Speaker 1: different of course, we're going for it, But like, how
Speaker 1: much does winning really mean to you? Is the competition
Speaker 1: like a huge part of what drives you? Or is
Speaker 1: it just about the time you're on the field and
Speaker 1: the life and the community.
Speaker 3: Winning drives me because winning means funding for my team,
Speaker 3: and winning means that we can continue doing what we
Speaker 3: want to do. I would love to be just playing rugby.
Speaker 3: Doesn't even care if I win or lose. If we
Speaker 3: could still keep playing rugby, but winning means that other
Speaker 3: young girls can come in and have this. Other young
Speaker 3: girls can be professional athletes one day, professional rugby players
Speaker 3: one day.
Speaker 4: So winning means so much more to me.
Speaker 3: And I think I for sure understand that because, like me,
Speaker 3: I've taken on this role of trying to grow rugby
Speaker 3: in the US, trying to grow rugby get other girls
Speaker 3: into it. So like winning is deeper to me. When
Speaker 3: we didn't win the World Cup, we didn't medal in
Speaker 3: the World Cup, like that was deeper because like I
Speaker 3: want us to win to get this funding so that
Speaker 3: we can continue having this program, continue to get girls in.
Speaker 4: So it's deeper for me than just win or lose.
Speaker 1: Yeah, which I think makes it more meaningful than when
Speaker 1: you do win, because you're like you're fighting for something more.
Speaker 1: Maybe that's like something that is really meaningful as far
Speaker 1: as in sports, in competition, Like if it was all
Speaker 1: just you know, actually just a big game, it's like
Speaker 1: in the end, you're like it's a game, really, Like.
Speaker 2: Yes, you have to want to play for something more.
Speaker 1: It sounds like I think your motivations are so strong
Speaker 1: because it's about servicing other young women you know, it's
Speaker 1: about yea providing space and community for this thing that
Speaker 1: you love so much and it's growing and you want
Speaker 1: to help grow it.
Speaker 2: So that's incredible.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's a game, but like to me, it's so
Speaker 3: much more. And it's my life, it's my passion. So yeah,
Speaker 3: it's okay if you win or lose.
Speaker 4: No, I want to win. I want to win because
Speaker 4: it means a lot.
Speaker 1: Hell yeah it does. Okay, So pre warm up, you're
Speaker 1: on the aux. What's your favorite music? You know, I
Speaker 1: care music, that's my thing. What's your vibe before a game?
Speaker 3: Let me look at my quick turney playlist? So then
Speaker 3: oh yeah, turney playlist. I want the tourney playlist. I'm
Speaker 3: gonna make you texted to me. Okay, okay, Well, I
Speaker 3: personally love old some old songs.
Speaker 2: You know, I'm an oldies gal.
Speaker 3: Yes, nothing will get me more hype than that, to
Speaker 3: be honest, I got on here.
Speaker 4: How will I know?
Speaker 2: Whitney Houston excellent, excellent choice.
Speaker 4: Why I don't know? Waiting for tonight? Jennifer Lopez. I
Speaker 4: love Jennifer Lopez.
Speaker 2: I love Jennifer Lopez.
Speaker 4: I love with all my heart Alona.
Speaker 3: Should we go to a j Low concert. Yeah, have
Speaker 3: you been to a j Loo concert? I haven't, but
Speaker 3: she liked my post recently.
Speaker 1: No, but if you're listening, you can't see us, but
Speaker 1: we are silent because we are speechless because Jlo liked
Speaker 1: your post.
Speaker 2: What was the post?
Speaker 3: Well, in the Olympics, I said she was like my
Speaker 3: number one, and so she started like following me and like,
Speaker 3: I've never been happy in my life. I think she's
Speaker 3: so talented. I'm squealing for you everything she does. Jlo
Speaker 3: melted my face off when I saw her live.
Speaker 4: A performer and actress, a singer.
Speaker 1: She literally fucking does it all. A dancer, a dan's,
Speaker 1: a mom entrepreneur.
Speaker 4: You know what doesn't she do? But yeah, if there's
Speaker 4: a j Loo cotter coming up, let's do it.
Speaker 2: Okay, I'm putting this in our cal Okay.
Speaker 3: Perfect, I got fire burning. John kinkson Hot in Here,
Speaker 3: Nelly that always gets me hyped.
Speaker 1: Hot in Here, I feel I can see the team
Speaker 1: getting really jacked.
Speaker 2: Hot in Here is a team song.
Speaker 3: Yes, it really is. Let's get Loud again, Jlo nice.
Speaker 2: Let's get Loud is a good one.
Speaker 3: Yeah, what do I got? I got promiscuous? Oh, Damn,
Speaker 3: I have the Thong song on here.
Speaker 4: I don't really know why.
Speaker 2: Fuck guess I know why that song goes.
Speaker 3: This is how we do it. Nice work it, Miss Elliott,
Speaker 3: push it.
Speaker 2: Okay, I'm gonna need this playletst this is a good playlist.
Speaker 3: This is send it to you. It's really just like
Speaker 3: whatever I want to listen to. And then I have
Speaker 3: a teammate who only likes listening to Drake. So like,
Speaker 3: after I've gotten in all of my she's like, hey,
Speaker 3: can we turn on any Drake song?
Speaker 2: I'm like, yeah, literally, any Drake song? Cool? Okay, Okay,
Speaker 2: I got it. I got it.
Speaker 4: But I do take pride in being the vibe master.
Speaker 4: It's a tough job, but I do it.
Speaker 1: You sound like you were born for it. I think
Speaker 1: this is something we share. I like to be a
Speaker 1: vibe master as well.
Speaker 2: I do. I love this energy in us.
Speaker 1: I had a dream that if music failed me, I
Speaker 1: would start a business where I became like basically vibe
Speaker 1: master of weddings because I love weddings.
Speaker 2: I love love.
Speaker 1: I love it's like the best day of everybody's life.
Speaker 1: And I just like I love bringing the energy in
Speaker 1: a wedding.
Speaker 2: Any wedding.
Speaker 1: I go to like, I get the dance floor going,
Speaker 1: you know what I mean, It's like very I think we.
Speaker 2: Share this energy.
Speaker 4: Yeah, one hundred percent.
Speaker 1: You saw me at the lead of their own premiere.
Speaker 1: You saw me tear it up that dance floor.
Speaker 4: I saw you.
Speaker 3: I was like, there wasn't even a dance floor of folks,
Speaker 3: It was just a patch of like artificial grass right
Speaker 3: in front of the made it a dance floor.
Speaker 4: She made it there with like one other one other person.
Speaker 1: It was just my best friend Sarah and I were like,
Speaker 1: this is going to be this is our night. We're
Speaker 1: dancing tonight. Everybody else is like mingling and being professional,
Speaker 1: and I was like sweating, burning a thousand calories on
Speaker 1: the dance floor.
Speaker 2: Yes, do it my thing.
Speaker 4: Oh I love that. I need to do that more
Speaker 4: as well.
Speaker 3: And I think again, people just want somebody to get
Speaker 3: it started, somebody who will get out there and do it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Okay.
Speaker 1: The thing that I really want to know, honestly, is
Speaker 1: what is like the thing that you could say is
Speaker 1: one of the number one things that helped you find
Speaker 1: the contentment and who you are, the ability to be
Speaker 1: that sort of like this is who I am. I'm
Speaker 1: really comfortable and to be twenty six and already be
Speaker 1: like so authentic and know yourself so well, Like how
Speaker 1: did you get there? How did you find this place
Speaker 1: that you're in right now?
Speaker 3: I think it's been a combo of thanks for sure,
Speaker 3: the Rugby, like I kind of all the things I
Speaker 3: was saying, like the Rugby just being so accepting of
Speaker 3: you as a person, as your body type, as a person,
Speaker 3: my family, for sure, Like I have such amazing sports
Speaker 3: as with my two sisters, my mom, and my dad,
Speaker 3: you know, being who I am here and then my
Speaker 3: team environment as well, for my USA team has really
Speaker 3: helped me out. And I think the number one thing
Speaker 3: is just realizing, like everyone is so unique, so different,
Speaker 3: and this world would be such a boring place if
Speaker 3: we were all the same. And I want other people
Speaker 3: to feel so confident to be themselves, so even if
Speaker 3: that means I have to. I have so many awkward situations.
Speaker 3: I get in, I say weird stuff, I do the
Speaker 3: wrong things. But out here being silly geese, oh just
Speaker 3: a silly goose sometimes quirky, quirky you might call it,
Speaker 3: but like to me, everyone is insecure and uncomfortable sometimes
Speaker 3: and like I am so much, but I'm like fuck it, Yeah, Okay,
Speaker 3: I'm gonna be that way, but I'm gonna be myself
Speaker 3: in that way, and I'm going to own up that
Speaker 3: I'm loud and.
Speaker 4: I say weird stuff sometimes and I love to do
Speaker 4: this and I love to watch this.
Speaker 3: So that's what's really helped me is to like take
Speaker 3: a look around and see that everyone is on the
Speaker 3: same boat, and like if someone can just take the
Speaker 3: step out, I think it helps a lot because I've
Speaker 3: seen the people who did that and how it's helped me,
Speaker 3: and I know I can help others.
Speaker 1: That's my last question for you, is like a piece
Speaker 1: of advice for people who are trying to find themselves
Speaker 1: and live into themselves a little bit more comfortably, like
Speaker 1: let go of any shame and fear about being themselves.
Speaker 1: Like what is your advice, especially the young women, because
Speaker 1: it sounds like that's who you're really trying to affect
Speaker 1: it and create a safer space for in the world.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think, like.
Speaker 3: Really understand how perfect you are and how everything that
Speaker 3: you are is like exactly how it's supposed to be.
Speaker 3: Because we're all different, we're all unique and again, I
Speaker 3: see this all the time. It would be so boring
Speaker 3: if you're all the same, it would be so so boring.
Speaker 3: And yeah, a lot of people are going to like you.
Speaker 3: That's something I'm really trying to figure out because I
Speaker 3: want everybody to like me. I would love it if
Speaker 3: I was everyone's favorite person.
Speaker 4: But that's not the case, and.
Speaker 3: That's just not gonna happen because I don't like everybody,
Speaker 3: So why am I going to expect everyone like me?
Speaker 2: Totally? Yeah, that's a good point.
Speaker 3: So not everyone's gonna like you, But again, you're not
Speaker 3: for everybody, and really just yourself in the freeness that
Speaker 3: you can feel when you start just appreciating the little
Speaker 3: things about yourself and like appreciating what.
Speaker 4: Your body can do for you.
Speaker 3: That's the main thing I say, is like, you're not
Speaker 3: gonna love your body all the time, but if you
Speaker 3: can appreciate what it does for you, like, Okay, well
Speaker 3: it still wakes me up of the morning, it still
Speaker 3: takes me on walks, it still plays rugby for me.
Speaker 4: So I don't know.
Speaker 3: I mean, it's so freeing and everyone wants to be themselves.
Speaker 3: That's the thing. Everyone would love to be unapologetic to themselves.
Speaker 3: So if you can just step out and be yourself, yeah,
Speaker 3: not a lot people they are gonna vibe with it.
Speaker 3: But you've stepped out and you've done something so many
Speaker 3: people couldn't.
Speaker 1: Do well, and the people who do vibe like, sure,
Speaker 1: some people might not, yeah, but the people who do
Speaker 1: see you and vibe with you in your truest self
Speaker 1: are going to feel ten times more seen, ten times
Speaker 1: more represented, ten times more connected to you, which is like,
Speaker 1: especially for someone like you who really just values community
Speaker 1: and yeah, and you know, your favorite part about rugby
Speaker 1: is like the people you get to meet along the way.
Speaker 1: It's like that is so important and I think such
Speaker 1: a statement to live by. So I'm so inspired and
Speaker 1: grateful for your time. I could literally let's go to Jlo. Okay,
Speaker 1: all right, you let me know how out my arm
Speaker 1: you're twisting it. Fine, I guess I'll be there.
Speaker 4: I handwai.
Speaker 2: Thank you so much for being yourself.
Speaker 4: Well, thank you.
Speaker 1: I want to thank Alonam again for joining me today.
Speaker 1: Talk about being at the top of your game and man,
Speaker 1: oh man, do we have so many plans coming up now.
Speaker 1: I'm going to get this playlist going in the gym.
Speaker 1: We're going to go to Jennifer Lopez. You had it
Speaker 1: here first, Jrelo. If you're listening, that's it for today's episode,
Speaker 1: but join me again next week. We have a very
Speaker 1: special guest plan for our final episode, so you won't
Speaker 1: want to miss it, and don't forget to share thoughts
Speaker 1: with me on social or leave a rating and review
Speaker 1: for the podcast. Wherever you're listening, you can always find
Speaker 1: me on Instagram and Twitter at Betty Who, and on
Speaker 1: TikTok and YouTube at Betty Who Music.
Speaker 2: Catch you next time Unfiltered.
Speaker 1: The JBL podcast is produced by iHeartRadio in partnership with JBL.
Speaker 1: Our show is hosted by me Betty Who. Our executive
Speaker 1: producer is mollissha EP of post production is Matt Stillo.
Speaker 1: Our editor is Sierra Spream. This episode was written and
Speaker 1: produced by Sierra Kaiser. Special thanks to our friends at
Speaker 1: JBL Initiative and Donna