WEBVTT - Dare to Compete with Ilona Maher 0:00:04.640 --> 0:00:08.000 Hi everyone, and welcome back to Unfiltered, the JBL podcast, 0:00:08.039 --> 0:00:11.680 an iHeartRadio production in partnership with JBL. I'm your host, 0:00:11.720 --> 0:00:13.760 Betty Who. I'm so glad to have you here with 0:00:13.760 --> 0:00:15.440 me on this journey. I've gotten to talk to so 0:00:15.480 --> 0:00:19.079 many amazing people, and I really leave these conversations so inspired, 0:00:19.160 --> 0:00:22.080 so I hope you are too. I feel like I've 0:00:22.079 --> 0:00:25.680 spoken to some incredible young people, and today's conversation. 0:00:25.760 --> 0:00:27.520 Is absolutely no exception. 0:00:28.240 --> 0:00:30.800 Our guest today is not just an impressive athlete, but 0:00:30.840 --> 0:00:31.720 she is also. 0:00:31.600 --> 0:00:33.160 A literal Olympian. 0:00:33.960 --> 0:00:37.640 I am joined by Alona Ma, a professional rugby player 0:00:37.640 --> 0:00:40.080 who is unapologetic on and off the pitch. 0:00:40.520 --> 0:00:42.160 It's deeper than Winna lose though. 0:00:42.400 --> 0:00:45.920 Rugby helped Alona find the confidence in herself and her game, 0:00:46.520 --> 0:00:49.640 spreading her love for rugby, Alona documents the behind the 0:00:49.640 --> 0:00:51.919 scenes of her life as an elite athlete with her 0:00:51.960 --> 0:00:55.760 almost one million TikTok followers. Undeniably, Alona is a big 0:00:55.800 --> 0:00:58.800 personality and a powerhouse athlete. 0:00:58.920 --> 0:01:02.959 So why don't we get right into it? So, I'm 0:01:03.000 --> 0:01:03.760 so glad you're here. 0:01:03.800 --> 0:01:07.920 I have so many questions for you, obviously, but the 0:01:07.959 --> 0:01:09.480 first thing I want to kind of start with is 0:01:09.520 --> 0:01:13.480 Obviously it's I'm Australian, so I know all about rugby, 0:01:13.560 --> 0:01:16.399 but it's not a particularly American like cultured sport. 0:01:16.480 --> 0:01:18.679 So I want to know, like how you found it, 0:01:18.800 --> 0:01:19.840 or maybe how it found you. 0:01:19.880 --> 0:01:21.240 I know you played a bunch of different sports in 0:01:21.280 --> 0:01:22.760 high school, Like, tell me a little bit about how 0:01:22.760 --> 0:01:23.720 it all got started for you. 0:01:24.560 --> 0:01:24.760 Yeah. 0:01:24.800 --> 0:01:26.240 Well, my dad's actually a rugby guy. 0:01:26.280 --> 0:01:28.720 He's been playing like rugby for thirty years, but he 0:01:28.760 --> 0:01:31.319 always encouraged us to play so many other sports, so 0:01:31.440 --> 0:01:33.880 you know, whether it's softball, basketball, fiel, hockey, we just 0:01:33.959 --> 0:01:36.480 played all these sports because he saw the benefits of 0:01:36.520 --> 0:01:39.560 playing sports, especially in girls, and being in these team activities. 0:01:39.600 --> 0:01:41.520 So I played a lot of sports, and I think 0:01:41.520 --> 0:01:43.640 I was just kind of made to be an athlete, honestly, 0:01:43.640 --> 0:01:46.240 whether it's genetics or whatnot. You know, sports was my 0:01:46.360 --> 0:01:49.160 social life. It was my club and whatever sport I 0:01:49.200 --> 0:01:50.840 was in, that was my friend group. I didn't you know, 0:01:50.840 --> 0:01:52.600 I didn't wasn't cool, didn't really go to parties or 0:01:52.640 --> 0:01:55.320 anything like that. But I went to basketball games and 0:01:55.360 --> 0:01:57.800 then I tried out rugby and it like literally fit 0:01:57.880 --> 0:02:00.360 my body like a glove. Because it was just amazing 0:02:00.560 --> 0:02:03.480 mix of physicality that we don't see in a lot 0:02:03.520 --> 0:02:06.240 of women's games. And it's the same as men, which 0:02:06.280 --> 0:02:08.000 you know, it's like men and women are the same. 0:02:08.080 --> 0:02:10.840 And in other countries rugby is the shit, you know. 0:02:11.040 --> 0:02:13.280 In Australia, it's the coolest thing. 0:02:13.240 --> 0:02:15.480 It's the biggest. Yeah, it's literally massive. 0:02:15.560 --> 0:02:18.240 Yeah yeah, I mean the Australian women's team just won 0:02:18.280 --> 0:02:21.200 the World Cup in sevens and they've done all these 0:02:21.240 --> 0:02:22.920 other things, and the thing that what they're doing for 0:02:22.960 --> 0:02:25.800 the sport is so impressive and so but they grew 0:02:25.880 --> 0:02:28.040 up playing rugby and I did it, so we all 0:02:28.080 --> 0:02:30.280 have a different way of thinking about it. So I 0:02:30.320 --> 0:02:31.960 love rugby and I think it can really it helps. 0:02:32.080 --> 0:02:33.519 It has helped me in my life, and I think 0:02:33.520 --> 0:02:35.000 it helped so many other people as well. 0:02:35.840 --> 0:02:38.480 Yeah, I really appreciate that your dad was really like 0:02:39.040 --> 0:02:41.280 girls are boys, Like my kids are going to be athletes. 0:02:41.480 --> 0:02:43.600 It's like this is a part of my lifestyle and 0:02:43.639 --> 0:02:46.400 the thing that I love. Like, how much did you 0:02:46.480 --> 0:02:49.120 find when you were growing up, like how unusual was 0:02:49.160 --> 0:02:51.960 your sort of your family life and the choices that 0:02:52.000 --> 0:02:54.520 your parents made to sort of support that side of you. 0:02:55.040 --> 0:02:57.720 Yeah, I don't think it was unusual that the girls 0:02:57.760 --> 0:02:59.720 were playing sports. It was unusual in the way that 0:02:59.800 --> 0:03:02.920 he wanted us to be the best in sports. He 0:03:02.960 --> 0:03:05.800 always tells the story of like how I was pitching 0:03:05.800 --> 0:03:07.880 at a softball game once and I was pitching hard, 0:03:07.919 --> 0:03:09.679 and a dad on the other team, you know, yelled 0:03:09.720 --> 0:03:11.359 at me to slow my pitches down because I was 0:03:11.400 --> 0:03:12.880 pitching it too fast and none of the girls could 0:03:12.919 --> 0:03:14.480 hit it. And my dad was like, no, this is 0:03:14.480 --> 0:03:16.720 a fast pitch league. We're gonna pitch fast. This is 0:03:16.720 --> 0:03:18.320 what we're supposed to do. Because heck, I think a 0:03:18.360 --> 0:03:21.720 lot of times dads and men almost tone it down 0:03:21.760 --> 0:03:24.160 for their daughters. They automatically like, oh, well, it's my daughter, 0:03:24.320 --> 0:03:26.200 so she doesn't have to hit it as hard, she 0:03:26.200 --> 0:03:28.080 doesn't have to pitch it as fast, she doesn't have 0:03:28.080 --> 0:03:30.720 to run as fast. But my son's better be the strongest, 0:03:30.760 --> 0:03:33.200 the fastest out there. It didn't matter if it was 0:03:33.200 --> 0:03:35.160 a girl or boy coming out. Like my dad was, 0:03:35.240 --> 0:03:36.680 we're gonna be the best of what we do. And 0:03:36.760 --> 0:03:39.120 so the big thing I think I took away to like, 0:03:39.160 --> 0:03:41.520 never tone it down like him and my mom were, 0:03:41.560 --> 0:03:43.240 just like, if you're going to do just thing, be 0:03:43.280 --> 0:03:45.560 the best at it, and pitch it as fast as 0:03:45.600 --> 0:03:47.120 you can, throw it as hard as you can, run 0:03:47.160 --> 0:03:49.200 as fast as you can. And I think that's kind 0:03:49.200 --> 0:03:51.000 of what has led me to be the athlete that 0:03:51.040 --> 0:03:54.160 I am today, by having that confidence from your parents 0:03:54.200 --> 0:03:55.600 to be your best. 0:03:55.960 --> 0:03:59.360 Yeah, that's so amazing. How much do you like because 0:03:59.440 --> 0:04:02.360 rugby is a very physical sport. Yeah, do you have 0:04:02.440 --> 0:04:04.640 like your recollection of the first time you're like on 0:04:04.680 --> 0:04:07.440 the field and you're starting to like get more into 0:04:07.520 --> 0:04:09.240 it and be like, oh, this feels good, Like what 0:04:09.280 --> 0:04:09.920 does that feel like. 0:04:09.920 --> 0:04:10.480 In your body? 0:04:11.000 --> 0:04:13.400 I think if from even all the other sports I played, 0:04:13.440 --> 0:04:15.760 I I feel like you coach that would joke that, 0:04:15.840 --> 0:04:17.320 you know, whenever I was on the field I would 0:04:17.360 --> 0:04:19.400 go through people to get the ball instead of around them. 0:04:19.520 --> 0:04:21.960 On basketball, I was always a power center and I 0:04:21.960 --> 0:04:23.840 would power through people. So it was always the thing 0:04:23.839 --> 0:04:25.919 I always wanted to do, but like never fully encouraged 0:04:25.960 --> 0:04:27.800 to do in sports I was playing kind of maybe 0:04:27.800 --> 0:04:30.280 in basketball for sure, I see, but it just is 0:04:30.320 --> 0:04:32.359 like so cool to go out there to be like 0:04:32.440 --> 0:04:36.920 truly praise and applauded for my size and like find 0:04:36.960 --> 0:04:39.840 a place where your size is like, oh we want this, 0:04:39.880 --> 0:04:41.720 because I mean, I feel like you feel a soccer field. 0:04:41.760 --> 0:04:43.480 I'm very big, and I'm like, oh, well you want 0:04:43.480 --> 0:04:46.600 to be probably thinner, move well, and whereas the rugby field, 0:04:46.600 --> 0:04:48.479 it's like they saw me and they were like, this 0:04:48.640 --> 0:04:51.080 is amazing, Yes, exactly what I want. And I think 0:04:51.080 --> 0:04:53.240 that's what's helped me as well. To grow into my 0:04:53.279 --> 0:04:55.400 confidence of the person I am is like finding a 0:04:55.440 --> 0:04:57.760 place that's really accepted me and being like, oh, no, 0:04:57.839 --> 0:04:58.360 you're perfect. 0:04:58.440 --> 0:04:59.640 You're the perfect the way you are. We want you 0:04:59.680 --> 0:04:59.800 on a. 0:04:59.760 --> 0:05:02.839 Field, you know, And to find that has like helped 0:05:02.839 --> 0:05:06.760 me tremendously and to translate my speed and power into 0:05:06.800 --> 0:05:09.479 something on the field is like just what I live 0:05:09.520 --> 0:05:09.960 for now. 0:05:10.680 --> 0:05:13.839 Genuinely sounds like rugby found you in that way where 0:05:13.880 --> 0:05:16.000 you're like, you come into this world where you're all 0:05:16.000 --> 0:05:18.719 of a sudden, like the things that you've been insecure 0:05:18.760 --> 0:05:21.440 about your entire life for all of a sudden, the 0:05:21.480 --> 0:05:23.680 whole reason and purpose that you're good at this thing 0:05:23.839 --> 0:05:26.280 like that must have felt so freeing and validating. 0:05:26.760 --> 0:05:27.800 Oh, it for sure does. 0:05:27.839 --> 0:05:29.520 And I think one thing that really helped was like 0:05:30.080 --> 0:05:31.760 I got into my couple of rugby teams. But then 0:05:31.800 --> 0:05:33.760 once I got into the USA team and some of 0:05:33.760 --> 0:05:36.679 my teammates on the USA team were like so cool 0:05:36.720 --> 0:05:38.440 and just the way that they view themselves that it 0:05:38.480 --> 0:05:41.000 is wow to be around other confident women because like 0:05:41.160 --> 0:05:42.719 it kind of rubs off on you in a way. 0:05:42.880 --> 0:05:43.880 Yeah, I love that. 0:05:44.080 --> 0:05:44.880 It's empowering. 0:05:44.960 --> 0:05:47.760 And so like my teammates on USA were like a 0:05:47.760 --> 0:05:49.279 lot of them are big like me, and it was 0:05:49.320 --> 0:05:50.839 like cool to see this and be like, oh man, 0:05:50.839 --> 0:05:51.760 they're they're big like me. 0:05:51.839 --> 0:05:53.120 Like I feel like I have a place to see 0:05:53.120 --> 0:05:54.080 me in them as well. 0:05:54.080 --> 0:05:56.560 And you want to find your own confidence, but it's hard, 0:05:56.560 --> 0:05:58.320 and I think there is something to be said about 0:05:58.320 --> 0:06:00.680 somebody who has found their confidence, help you in your 0:06:00.680 --> 0:06:02.520 way so that you can find your combative and then 0:06:02.520 --> 0:06:04.040 help somebody else. I think it's kind of it can 0:06:04.040 --> 0:06:06.200 be effect and that's like something that I want to 0:06:06.200 --> 0:06:09.039 do as well, because having my teammates has helped me, 0:06:09.080 --> 0:06:10.960 and so I hope that I can now help others 0:06:11.200 --> 0:06:13.080 because of what they've done for me and what my 0:06:13.080 --> 0:06:14.440 mom's done for me and my sisters. 0:06:14.480 --> 0:06:17.160 So I love to hear that's also so perfect. Again, 0:06:17.240 --> 0:06:19.480 I love You're the perfect guest for the show, because 0:06:19.480 --> 0:06:21.119 the entire point of the show is to talk about 0:06:21.160 --> 0:06:24.600 like being yourself and trying to find how to live 0:06:24.640 --> 0:06:26.640 into the best parts of yourself and the person you 0:06:26.640 --> 0:06:29.440 were born to be. So it's so beautiful that you 0:06:29.520 --> 0:06:33.520 found this community. Like I think that's so special and awesome, 0:06:33.520 --> 0:06:35.599 and it sounds like you've really found I mean, I 0:06:35.600 --> 0:06:38.120 think what so many people spend their literal, entire lives 0:06:38.240 --> 0:06:42.599 searching for. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by responsibility. Like you say, 0:06:42.600 --> 0:06:44.800 it's really important to you to like show you know, 0:06:44.880 --> 0:06:47.560 you've seen how women can make you feel about yourself, 0:06:47.560 --> 0:06:49.200 and now you want to like try and kind of 0:06:49.240 --> 0:06:52.040 perpetuate that cycle of like showing little girls that they 0:06:52.040 --> 0:06:53.960 can be strong and different and all these things. 0:06:54.000 --> 0:06:57.040 Like do you ever feel pressure for that? 0:06:57.120 --> 0:06:59.640 Like for me, I'll have a bad day, right and 0:06:59.640 --> 0:07:01.680 then I I'll have to show up somewhere, and I'm like, 0:07:02.440 --> 0:07:04.520 it's really hard for me to be perceived right now, 0:07:04.560 --> 0:07:06.320 Like I'm having a tough time and I want to 0:07:06.320 --> 0:07:07.800 show up for you and be the person you want 0:07:07.839 --> 0:07:09.600 me to be. Like do you deal with pressure in 0:07:09.640 --> 0:07:10.960 that same way? 0:07:11.480 --> 0:07:13.280 I think one thing I deal with is like this 0:07:13.400 --> 0:07:14.560 idea of role model. 0:07:14.680 --> 0:07:16.640 Like everyone's like, oh, you're a role model, and I'm 0:07:16.640 --> 0:07:19.679 like ah, because it's a scary title because I think 0:07:20.000 --> 0:07:22.520 with role model they attach so many things, Like people 0:07:22.520 --> 0:07:24.960 think role models as perfect. They do all the best things, 0:07:24.960 --> 0:07:26.920 they say all the best things, they don't do anything wrong. 0:07:27.320 --> 0:07:29.920 So like that worries me because like, yeah, I hear 0:07:29.960 --> 0:07:31.600 like young girls who follow me, and I'm like, I 0:07:31.640 --> 0:07:34.240 love aspiring young girls, but like I am also a 0:07:34.240 --> 0:07:38.040 twenty six year old woman, yea who has all sorts 0:07:38.080 --> 0:07:40.320 of things going on in her life. So like I'm 0:07:40.480 --> 0:07:42.560 a role model in some senses. I'm a role model 0:07:42.600 --> 0:07:45.160 in that I've worked very hard. I've been to school, 0:07:45.200 --> 0:07:47.440 I got my master's, I'm a hard worker on the field. 0:07:47.920 --> 0:07:50.280 But then I'm not really role modeling that I also 0:07:50.440 --> 0:07:51.720 like to get drunk and have fun. 0:07:52.200 --> 0:07:52.440 Yeah. 0:07:52.480 --> 0:07:55.160 Well, and by the way, that's fine, Like that shouldn't 0:07:55.160 --> 0:07:56.840 disqualify you from being a role model. 0:07:56.880 --> 0:07:58.600 You're being yourself and enjoying yourself. 0:07:58.680 --> 0:08:01.200 And I think that's maybe what's sometimes when you're put 0:08:01.240 --> 0:08:03.280 into this position of like you feel like you have 0:08:03.320 --> 0:08:06.040 to be actually really perfect yes for people to follow 0:08:06.080 --> 0:08:08.400 an example, and it's like no that I think maybe 0:08:08.720 --> 0:08:10.800 the reason you were you blew up on TikTok is 0:08:10.800 --> 0:08:12.760 because you're being yourself. Yeah, not because you're trying to 0:08:12.800 --> 0:08:14.840 be a version of yourself. That's the role model that 0:08:14.880 --> 0:08:16.920 cuts out all the bad stuff so that people don't 0:08:16.920 --> 0:08:17.280 see it. 0:08:17.280 --> 0:08:18.800 It's like, no, this is just who I am. 0:08:18.920 --> 0:08:21.640 Like here I am no for sure, And I think 0:08:21.640 --> 0:08:23.800 that's why I like, oh, yeah, I'm a role model 0:08:23.840 --> 0:08:27.320 in some ways, but also I am a human being 0:08:27.640 --> 0:08:30.200 and I make all these mistakes, so like that's sometimes 0:08:30.200 --> 0:08:32.760 feels the pressure, but like it's really just me being me, 0:08:33.240 --> 0:08:36.600 and I think people can genuinely see that at times. 0:08:37.160 --> 0:08:38.040 Have you ever gotten it where. 0:08:37.880 --> 0:08:38.280 People call it? 0:08:38.320 --> 0:08:40.880 You say you're unapologetically yourself? People ever say that to you? 0:08:41.360 --> 0:08:42.160 Yes, all the time. 0:08:42.280 --> 0:08:43.280 I'm like, what does that mean? 0:08:43.880 --> 0:08:46.520 We're living, We're being unapologetic, we're being authentic, Sis, sir, 0:08:46.559 --> 0:08:47.439 that's what we're here to do. 0:08:48.080 --> 0:08:49.600 I'm like, what are all of you doing? 0:08:49.640 --> 0:08:49.800 Then? 0:08:50.800 --> 0:08:52.959 I think that's a crazy observation you've just made, though, 0:08:53.000 --> 0:08:56.120 because so many people cannot be themselves and they have 0:08:56.320 --> 0:08:59.240 a built in apology. I've met people who walk into 0:08:59.280 --> 0:09:01.800 a room and they say, Hi, this is my name, 0:09:01.880 --> 0:09:03.640 and when they tell you their name. You're like, are 0:09:03.679 --> 0:09:05.720 you sure? Why do I feel like you're apologizing to 0:09:05.760 --> 0:09:08.280 me for you existing? Like, yeah, that sounds great, like 0:09:08.400 --> 0:09:09.080 cool for you. 0:09:09.080 --> 0:09:09.240 You know. 0:09:09.280 --> 0:09:13.280 I think it is much more common than I wish 0:09:13.360 --> 0:09:17.920 it was. Where I meet people who feel so whether 0:09:17.960 --> 0:09:20.040 it's that they've been made to feel shamed by other 0:09:20.080 --> 0:09:22.840 people or by society or by their community, where they 0:09:22.880 --> 0:09:25.480 just feel like they are looking for an outlet, they're 0:09:25.520 --> 0:09:29.640 looking for representation, looking for someone to reflect themselves back 0:09:29.679 --> 0:09:31.920 to them so they feel like they then have permission 0:09:31.920 --> 0:09:33.560 to be themselves, which I think is the thing that 0:09:33.600 --> 0:09:36.720 you're ultimately doing. Is no one gave you permission. You 0:09:36.760 --> 0:09:39.400 gave your self permission, and will no one ever gives 0:09:39.400 --> 0:09:40.480 anybody permission, you. 0:09:40.520 --> 0:09:40.959 Know what I mean. 0:09:41.000 --> 0:09:43.720 It's like people wait around their whole lives to be like, 0:09:44.040 --> 0:09:45.520 when is someone going to tell me that I can 0:09:45.520 --> 0:09:46.080 be amazing? 0:09:46.160 --> 0:09:47.920 It's like, no one is ever going to do that 0:09:47.960 --> 0:09:48.400 for you. 0:09:48.120 --> 0:09:49.520 You just got to do it, so. 0:09:49.559 --> 0:09:52.040 You're already doing that for yourself. And I think that 0:09:52.080 --> 0:09:55.160 people probably really react to that because they're like, you 0:09:55.320 --> 0:09:57.840 are all of these things right, You're not just this 0:09:57.880 --> 0:10:00.800 one dimensional, fake role model person who's like this is 0:10:00.880 --> 0:10:02.720 you know, I'm so perfect. You should follow me into 0:10:02.760 --> 0:10:04.599 the dark. You're like, here I am take it or 0:10:04.679 --> 0:10:05.800 leave it, like you. 0:10:05.720 --> 0:10:06.800 Know, cool vibe. 0:10:07.080 --> 0:10:10.440 Yeah, and people who feel like they don't have the 0:10:10.520 --> 0:10:13.000 space or ability to just be like this is who 0:10:13.000 --> 0:10:16.600 I am. World suck it like, must be so inspired 0:10:16.840 --> 0:10:18.760 and like shook by the fact that there are people 0:10:18.800 --> 0:10:20.000 out there who really can. 0:10:20.480 --> 0:10:23.160 Yeah, it's always interesting all those people say it to me, 0:10:23.280 --> 0:10:25.480 Like to me, I'm like, I almost feel like it's 0:10:25.520 --> 0:10:29.360 a bad thing, Like I like it. I know what 0:10:29.400 --> 0:10:32.000 you mean though you know you because everyone says it, 0:10:32.040 --> 0:10:32.680 and you're like. 0:10:32.720 --> 0:10:35.520 What I have met in my life so many people 0:10:35.520 --> 0:10:39.559 who have so much self they are insecure about parts 0:10:39.559 --> 0:10:43.679 of themselves or have they hold hate inside themselves about themselves, 0:10:43.760 --> 0:10:46.520 and so when they see other people not holding that 0:10:46.600 --> 0:10:49.720 hate and going I love myself, Like you don't have 0:10:49.760 --> 0:10:53.920 to like me, I love me. I think it sometimes 0:10:54.000 --> 0:10:56.640 can be really confrontational in a good way when you're 0:10:56.640 --> 0:10:58.200 like cool, there are people who need to see this, 0:10:58.280 --> 0:11:00.160 But then for people who don't like to see it 0:11:00.240 --> 0:11:02.479 because they have so much hate in their heart about themselves, 0:11:03.120 --> 0:11:05.560 I think it's really painful to look out and into 0:11:05.559 --> 0:11:08.000 the world and see other people being themselves and not 0:11:08.120 --> 0:11:11.200 hating themselves, you know, and not carrying around all this shame. 0:11:11.800 --> 0:11:12.079 Yeah. 0:11:12.120 --> 0:11:14.120 And I think one thing that's really helped me it 0:11:14.120 --> 0:11:15.439 was kind of the realization where I was just like 0:11:15.480 --> 0:11:17.320 taking a look around and I was like, okay, wait 0:11:17.360 --> 0:11:20.559 a second. Everyone who I think is just the beasnys 0:11:20.600 --> 0:11:24.920 who's like beautiful, skinny, perfect, is actually also very insecure, 0:11:25.000 --> 0:11:28.080 oh my god, always like everybody. 0:11:28.200 --> 0:11:29.920 And that is what really helped me. 0:11:30.120 --> 0:11:33.360 Was like, Okay, men who I thought were the coolest, 0:11:33.360 --> 0:11:34.920 like they knew how to talk, their confident, and I 0:11:34.960 --> 0:11:37.480 was like, actually, they're insecure, so I think it's kind 0:11:37.480 --> 0:11:40.280 of a cool thing. Okay, well so I'm insecure. We're 0:11:40.280 --> 0:11:42.960 all insecure, so let's just be insecure. Yes, but like 0:11:43.080 --> 0:11:46.560 let's be ourselves because I think, like we just are 0:11:46.640 --> 0:11:49.040 so afraid of being a kid, but we don't realize 0:11:49.080 --> 0:11:51.600 that everybody's afraid of being that. So if we can 0:11:51.600 --> 0:11:55.520 just see one person actually being themselves again, the effect 0:11:55.559 --> 0:11:57.000 of like helping others. 0:11:57.400 --> 0:11:59.440 It's like a domino effect, right, you push it over 0:11:59.440 --> 0:12:01.040 and then all of a sudd and everybody else is like, wait, 0:12:01.040 --> 0:12:02.080 can I do that too? 0:12:02.120 --> 0:12:05.720 And you're like, yes, join me, ladies, join us, Sun 0:12:05.840 --> 0:12:06.959 damn please come. 0:12:10.000 --> 0:12:13.520 Well on Unfiltered at the JBL podcast after a quick break. 0:12:23.080 --> 0:12:24.480 And now back to the show. 0:12:28.320 --> 0:12:33.240 I do want to know what's the like pre game ritual, 0:12:33.480 --> 0:12:36.360 locker room vibe. I want to know, like is a music, like, 0:12:36.440 --> 0:12:39.040 what's your how are you in the zone? Paint a 0:12:39.080 --> 0:12:40.920 picture with your words, take me on a journey. 0:12:41.120 --> 0:12:43.240 Yes, I like to think of myself as the hype woman. 0:12:43.760 --> 0:12:45.840 I think of myself as the hype woman. Alona. 0:12:45.920 --> 0:12:47.599 Of course this is sick, but we can't go to 0:12:47.640 --> 0:12:50.439 a wedding together. We have big wedding energy. Do you 0:12:50.520 --> 0:12:53.000 know what I mean, big wedding energy. I'm always on 0:12:53.080 --> 0:12:58.320 OX two. I stay getting into fights with wedding DJs 0:12:58.640 --> 0:13:00.320 because I'm like, I know what these people need. 0:13:00.360 --> 0:13:01.720 We need to have a conversation about it. 0:13:01.760 --> 0:13:05.040 Okay, yeah, we need some early two thousands percent. 0:13:05.080 --> 0:13:07.000 Please please play Beyonce, Thank you so much. 0:13:07.080 --> 0:13:07.280 Yeah. 0:13:07.360 --> 0:13:09.360 Yeah, I like to get hype. 0:13:09.400 --> 0:13:11.800 I like to think I'm kind of a moodsetter for 0:13:11.960 --> 0:13:13.640 the team, and I think a lot of my teammates 0:13:13.679 --> 0:13:14.520 would agree on that. 0:13:15.040 --> 0:13:16.280 One thing I don't do is I don't really have 0:13:16.320 --> 0:13:17.360 any superstitions like. 0:13:17.280 --> 0:13:20.600 Oh I have to eat a bagel with cream cheese, 0:13:20.880 --> 0:13:23.560 or like wear the same pair of socks or something. Yes, 0:13:24.040 --> 0:13:26.880 I just think, like if I am banking my play 0:13:27.080 --> 0:13:30.040 on a pair of sox, that's not that's not it. 0:13:30.040 --> 0:13:31.760 It's not a pair of sox. What I eat is 0:13:31.760 --> 0:13:33.800 gonna change. So I try to not have any superstitions 0:13:33.840 --> 0:13:35.480 like that. I love that I could eat whatever I 0:13:35.520 --> 0:13:37.520 want the day of I could do this, I could 0:13:37.520 --> 0:13:40.199 wear that whatever. So that's like main thing. So that's 0:13:40.320 --> 0:13:42.199 why I try to get out of my head on 0:13:42.320 --> 0:13:45.120 game days. I always before a game will write in 0:13:45.160 --> 0:13:47.400 my notebook. I write everything, all these things I want 0:13:47.400 --> 0:13:48.440 to do in that. At the end of it, I'm like, 0:13:48.480 --> 0:13:50.880 just do your job. If you can just do your job, 0:13:50.920 --> 0:13:53.840 you'll be fine out there. And then I lead us 0:13:53.840 --> 0:13:55.720 out into the tunnel. That's something I really love to do. 0:13:56.000 --> 0:13:59.040 And then I like to just set the vibes very uplifting, 0:13:59.080 --> 0:14:00.600 because there's some people in my team who just like 0:14:00.600 --> 0:14:03.040 to sit. They don't say a word, they just put 0:14:03.040 --> 0:14:05.240 their headphones on. So like I let them do their things. 0:14:05.320 --> 0:14:07.240 But there's somebody who want another person to hype them 0:14:07.280 --> 0:14:09.160 up and play the song so I'm like constantly on 0:14:09.160 --> 0:14:09.760 my phone. 0:14:09.559 --> 0:14:11.000 Like what what do we need? Yeah? 0:14:11.040 --> 0:14:12.400 What tea pain song? Do they want to hear? 0:14:12.480 --> 0:14:12.680 Now? 0:14:12.960 --> 0:14:15.080 You know? And then I just go out there and 0:14:15.080 --> 0:14:16.880 it's a very short game, fourteen minute games, so you 0:14:16.920 --> 0:14:19.120 just gotta be on doing your job for fourteen minutes 0:14:19.160 --> 0:14:21.520 and then you come out and you you got to relax, 0:14:21.560 --> 0:14:22.120 You gotta chill. 0:14:22.720 --> 0:14:25.240 Do you feel like I feel this sometimes too when 0:14:25.240 --> 0:14:27.280 I'm because if I'm in a good space right and 0:14:27.320 --> 0:14:29.200 I'm like, cool, I'm gonna be the one I'll carry 0:14:29.200 --> 0:14:31.560 this entire fucking team if I need to, Like I 0:14:31.600 --> 0:14:34.680 can have that energy as well on days where you 0:14:34.760 --> 0:14:38.320 don't have that, when you're like maybe heading out to 0:14:38.400 --> 0:14:40.840 do a game and you're like not feeling like the 0:14:41.040 --> 0:14:43.280 twenty five out of ten Alona is ready to like 0:14:43.360 --> 0:14:46.240 take responsibility for the whole team. Do you find that 0:14:46.320 --> 0:14:49.000 you still can like flip a switch and be there 0:14:49.040 --> 0:14:50.680 for other people and it kind of takes you out 0:14:50.720 --> 0:14:52.520 of it, or do you find that you're sort of like, 0:14:52.800 --> 0:14:54.360 I'm actually going to take a back seat, Like how 0:14:54.360 --> 0:14:57.120 do you show up for not only yourself but your 0:14:57.160 --> 0:15:00.480 team in this role when you're like not having best. 0:15:00.360 --> 0:15:02.760 Day I will say I think I take a back 0:15:02.880 --> 0:15:06.760 seat at times just because I feel emotions very outwardly. 0:15:06.800 --> 0:15:10.520 I would say, like if I'm sad, I'll show it outwardly. 0:15:11.080 --> 0:15:13.360 If I'm angry, I'll show it, And like that's the 0:15:13.360 --> 0:15:14.480 thing I want to get better at. 0:15:14.520 --> 0:15:16.440 Like if I've had a bad. 0:15:16.240 --> 0:15:18.920 Game before, I'll might even show it before the pre 0:15:19.040 --> 0:15:20.800 game and I'll be like changing up. So like that's 0:15:20.800 --> 0:15:22.840 even saying I need to work on. But like there 0:15:22.880 --> 0:15:24.640 have been times when I do take a back seat. 0:15:24.640 --> 0:15:26.200 But what I'm trying to get better at and it's 0:15:26.360 --> 0:15:30.040 constantly getting better is like, Okay, flush it. That's happened 0:15:30.040 --> 0:15:32.320 in the past, you need to bring it up whichever 0:15:32.360 --> 0:15:34.600 way it is. But I am somebody who feels things 0:15:34.680 --> 0:15:37.000 very deeply, and I'll show it very deeply. So if 0:15:37.000 --> 0:15:40.000 I'm not feeling it, I can't fake things. I can't 0:15:40.000 --> 0:15:42.760 fake I'm feeling. I think it's definitely hard, and I 0:15:42.800 --> 0:15:44.560 don't think I'm that good at it. I think I 0:15:44.600 --> 0:15:46.440 want to get better at it. So it's like it's 0:15:46.520 --> 0:15:48.760