1 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: Think back to when you were a kid. What was 2 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: your dream job? Was it to become an astronaut, our biathlets, 3 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:24,480 Speaker 1: a cowboy ballerina. Maybe you thought you could teach defense 4 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 1: against the dark arts at Hogwarts. For some, the biggest 5 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: dream was becoming an Olympic athlete. Standing on a podium 6 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:38,879 Speaker 1: in a far flung locale, hearing your country's national anthem 7 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 1: as you accept your gold medal. You've practiced waiving to 8 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:46,200 Speaker 1: your family and friends who supported you on your way 9 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: to glory. But childish dreams aren't meant to come true. 10 00:00:55,200 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: Becoming an Olympic athlete is almost mathematically impossible. You have 11 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 1: to win the genetic lottery. You have to dedicate your 12 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 1: life to a sport, a sport where you're competing against 13 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 1: the best your country has to offer. And that's just 14 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: to get to the Olympics. Were you then take on 15 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:16,960 Speaker 1: the world. 16 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 2: When I was seven, I decided I wanted to make 17 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 2: it to the Olympics. So it was my job to 18 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 2: make it to the Olympics starting at age seven. 19 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: Those odds did not discourage Elizabeth Swaeney from Oakland, California. 20 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: In fact, it was her mastery of those odds that 21 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 1: led her on her path to the Olympics. 22 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 2: And it was first for Olympic figure skating. That was 23 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 2: the goal that that obviously didn't happen, so it became 24 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 2: then like rowing, and I got involved in like baseball 25 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 2: later on in ice hockey, so those were kind of 26 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 2: the sports I was thinking of focusing on competitively before 27 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 2: I transitioned to skeleton and then freestyle scheme, which was 28 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 2: ultimately my Olympic sport. 29 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: Elizabeth did end up becoming an Olympic athlete, but it 30 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:13,519 Speaker 1: wasn't supernatural athletic ability that got her there, and by 31 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:16,919 Speaker 1: the time she made it to the twenty eighteen Winter Olympics, 32 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:21,920 Speaker 1: achieving her childhood dream, a lot of people were rooting 33 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: against her. 34 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 3: Well knowing her personally, I just felt so bad for 35 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 3: all the hate. 36 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 1: Welcome to Very Special Episodes and iHeart original podcasts. I'm 37 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: your host Danish Wartz, and this is breaking the Olympics. 38 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 4: Welcome back to Very Special Episodes. My name is Jason English. 39 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 4: I'm usually joined here at the top by Danish Swartz 40 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 4: and Zaren Burnett. I'm solo today. I got to see 41 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 4: Zaron out in San Francisco last week before the Super Bowl. 42 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 4: iHeart builds these two stages, and we record podcasts all 43 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:09,800 Speaker 4: week leading up to the Super Bowl. Football podcasts, comedy podcasts, 44 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 4: Vander Pump Rules podcasts, you name it. Super Bowls back 45 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 4: in La next year, Dana Zarin and I are already 46 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 4: planning to bring very special episodes back to Radio Row, 47 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 4: which is a good time. It's a surreal time, but fun. 48 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 4: Football season is over now, so we're going to shift 49 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:32,919 Speaker 4: our focus to another sports obsession, the Winter Olympics. We've 50 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 4: got a few Winter Olympics episodes coming. I've had curling 51 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 4: on in the background all day. I don't quite understand it, 52 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 4: but I like it. I like the sounds, I like 53 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 4: visually very pleasing. So I will continue to watch that 54 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 4: You listen to this and give it back to Dana. 55 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: Growing up in Oakland in the nineties, it was easy 56 00:03:56,480 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: for Elizabeth to fall in love with the Olympics. Bay 57 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 1: Area native Christi Yamagucci became an international star during the 58 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety two Winter Games. 59 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 2: I remember being captivated by the figure skaters during the 60 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 2: Olympics in the early nineties. One person that I really 61 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 2: looked up to was Christi Amagucci, and I was living 62 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:20,479 Speaker 2: in the Bay Area at the time she won the 63 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 2: gold medal, so she was really inspiring to me. So 64 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:28,160 Speaker 2: I started figure skating. That was my intro really to sports. 65 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 2: I think figure skating. 66 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:34,159 Speaker 3: Probably Christie's greatest strength. 67 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:35,720 Speaker 5: Is her lack of weaknesses. 68 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:37,480 Speaker 3: She does everything so well. 69 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:41,720 Speaker 5: This is a very well done combination spin. 70 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 4: Every position is perfect. 71 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 1: Figure skating was her early sports pursuit, but Elizabeth has 72 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:55,480 Speaker 1: a habit of trying everything the buffet of athletics and 73 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:56,719 Speaker 1: life has to offer. 74 00:04:57,279 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 2: I did figure skating maybe like once a week grown up. 75 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:04,480 Speaker 2: Was part of the figure skating team in college and 76 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:07,679 Speaker 2: then later transitioned to like the ice hockey team. 77 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:12,360 Speaker 1: As a student at the University of California, Berkeley, Elizabeth 78 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:15,919 Speaker 1: won a spot on the men's rowing team, one of 79 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 1: the power programs in the sport. Elizabeth was the coxin 80 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:24,240 Speaker 1: the person who steers the boat, strategizes and barks orders 81 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: at the rowers. In an interview with California Sunday Magazine, 82 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 1: a college teammate described the normally kind and polite Elizabeth 83 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 1: as a silent assassin. 84 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:38,680 Speaker 2: I actually like credit that sports, specifically being on the 85 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:40,880 Speaker 2: Division one men's crew team, which was always one of 86 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:43,359 Speaker 2: the top three rowing programs in the nation, which helped 87 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 2: with helping me kind of envision a future where I 88 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:49,600 Speaker 2: can compete at a national international level because that team 89 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 2: is so hard to be on a such high performance. 90 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 1: But yet being a student and a member of the 91 00:05:56,240 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 1: men's rowing team wasn't enough for Elizabeth. At the age 92 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:04,719 Speaker 1: of nineteen, she ran for governor of California in the 93 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:08,159 Speaker 1: two thousand and three recall election. That was the one 94 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:12,160 Speaker 1: with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gary Coleman from different strokes. 95 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:14,719 Speaker 3: Well, let me tell you something. The ant says clear 96 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 3: for the people to win, politics as usual must lose. 97 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:26,279 Speaker 1: Elizabeth went to grad school at Harvard later ran for 98 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 1: mayor of Oakland. She's a stand up comedian, a stunt 99 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:35,559 Speaker 1: double in movies, a ski instructor, corporate recruiter, and yes, 100 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:37,400 Speaker 1: an Olympic athlete. 101 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:40,360 Speaker 3: When I first met her, she told me she had 102 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 3: something like four or five jobs, and I'm like, how 103 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 3: do you pull that off? 104 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 1: That's Brendan Newby, a friend and fellow athlete in freestyle skiing. 105 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:56,239 Speaker 1: Newby competed in two Winter Olympics representing Ireland. He calls 106 00:06:56,279 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 1: Elizabeth one of the nicest smartest and hardest working Pece 107 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 1: people he's ever met. 108 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:03,719 Speaker 3: Most of the time you kind of have to get 109 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:06,640 Speaker 3: her attention to get her to talk. So maybe she's 110 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 3: doing her four and a half jobs in her head 111 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:11,120 Speaker 3: at the time, but she's smart enough to do that. 112 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 1: By the time Brendan met Elizabeth, they were living in 113 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:24,000 Speaker 1: Utah working toward their Olympic dreams. Elizabeth first tried skeleton. 114 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 1: Have you seen skeleton? It's a sport where competitors on 115 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 1: tiny sleds launched their bodies down an icy bob sled 116 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 1: track at speeds of eighty miles an hour. Eventually, she 117 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: found the halfpipe event in freestyle skiing, which, hearing Brendan explain, 118 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 1: it sounds equally terrifying. 119 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 3: You have all these tricks you have to learn and 120 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 3: all this stuff you got to get done, and excuse 121 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 3: my language, but new tricks are terrifying. Man. The sport 122 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:59,560 Speaker 3: is absolutely gnarly. The half pipe is twenty two feet tall. 123 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 3: It's not snow, it's solid ice. Our skis are as 124 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 3: sharp as race skis because it's solid ice and twenty 125 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 3: two feet tall. The best guys are going eighteen to 126 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:12,360 Speaker 3: twenty two feet out of it. So what that's forty 127 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 3: four feet off the ground, and if you go a 128 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 3: little bit too far to the left, you're going to 129 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:20,560 Speaker 3: land flat on solid ice and then bounce twenty two 130 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 3: feet to the ground. Go too far to the other direction, 131 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 3: you're just going to fall out of the sky. 132 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 1: Freestyle halfpipe was not a natural fit for Elizabeth's background. 133 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:34,680 Speaker 1: She barely skied until her early twenties, but she saw 134 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:39,439 Speaker 1: freestyle skiing as the clearest pathway to competing at the Olympics. 135 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 2: I think I'm like the best person in the world 136 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 2: to try to figure out what sport someone can possibly 137 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 2: make at the Olympics, and maybe like if they have 138 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 2: background in a certain country or heritage, they're like, what country, 139 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:54,520 Speaker 2: what sport that might be a possibility. 140 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:58,720 Speaker 1: For Elizabeth's special insight was derived from something most of 141 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 1: us hate to do, reading the rule book. 142 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 2: I know the qualification standards for a lot of the sports, 143 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:09,880 Speaker 2: especially the winter ones. Last Miller with the newer Olympic sports, 144 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:13,320 Speaker 2: my own coaches, I would coach athletes from several countries, 145 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:16,120 Speaker 2: even coaches and athletes from other countries because they knew 146 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:17,920 Speaker 2: I was so well versed in the rules. They would 147 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:19,840 Speaker 2: ask me like Hey, do you think I'm going to 148 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 2: qualify for the Olympics or do you think my athlete's 149 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 2: going to qualify? And this was like multiple countries, US 150 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 2: and non US countries would ask me. 151 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:35,840 Speaker 1: This obscure but useful knowledge helped her identify the best 152 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 1: possible path to the Olympics. Elizabeth figured out that by 153 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:46,120 Speaker 1: consistently competing in Olympic qualifiers across the world, she'd accumulate 154 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:50,440 Speaker 1: enough points to get to the Olympics. But first she 155 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 1: had to find a country that she'd be eligible to 156 00:09:53,559 --> 00:09:58,080 Speaker 1: represent at the Winter Games, and didn't already have someone 157 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:02,560 Speaker 1: competing in freestyle ski. She wasn't good enough to represent 158 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:07,560 Speaker 1: the United States, which regularly competes for medals. Each country 159 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:10,840 Speaker 1: has their own set of rules to determine whether an 160 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 1: athlete can represent them in the Olympics. Typically, an athlete 161 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 1: needs some kind of link to the country through family 162 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:22,680 Speaker 1: or residents, but that's not always the case. For example, 163 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 1: ahead of the two thousand and eight Summer Games, Russia 164 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: made a special exemption for women's basketball legend Becky Hammond 165 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 1: to play for them, even though she previously played for 166 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:37,960 Speaker 1: the US in other international tournaments and had no family 167 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 1: history in Russia. Luckily for Elizabeth, she had connections around 168 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:48,559 Speaker 1: the world. She tried competing for her mother's homeland, Venezuela, 169 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:52,560 Speaker 1: a country that nearly touches the equator, not exactly a 170 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:57,120 Speaker 1: hotbed for winter sports. Then she decided a better path 171 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 1: was through Hungary, where her grandparents were from. She mapped 172 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:05,079 Speaker 1: out a schedule, did the math, and figured out which 173 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:08,800 Speaker 1: events she would have to compete in to qualify. But 174 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:12,240 Speaker 1: all this mastering of the rule book and an international 175 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 1: family tree wasn't going to get her to the Olympics. 176 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 1: It would take money, a lot of it. 177 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:23,360 Speaker 3: I mean it's a lot. Picture this and it's happened 178 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:26,720 Speaker 3: to me multiple times. You spend twelve hundred bucks to 179 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:32,840 Speaker 3: get to Europe, and then eight hundred on accommodations whatever. 180 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:34,560 Speaker 3: The whole trip is going to end up being like 181 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:38,000 Speaker 3: four ground You get their weather blows it out and 182 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:39,360 Speaker 3: the contest is canceled. 183 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 1: Brendan estimates it costs up to thirty thousand dollars each 184 00:11:44,559 --> 00:11:47,680 Speaker 1: session to compete for a spot in the Winter Games. 185 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:49,720 Speaker 3: That's winter sports. That's how it works. 186 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:53,560 Speaker 1: It sucks for the top end of Olympic athletes. They've 187 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:56,839 Speaker 1: been competing in their sports since they were young, and 188 00:11:57,040 --> 00:12:01,079 Speaker 1: as they show promise and keep winning events, it attracts 189 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:06,280 Speaker 1: sponsorship dollars which cover all those costs, allowing the elite 190 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:11,679 Speaker 1: athletes to focus on performing, not budgeting. Elizabeth was the 191 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: opposite of a freestyle skiing halfpipe prodigy. She spent an 192 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:21,400 Speaker 1: incredible amount of time, energy, and yes, money to give 193 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:24,959 Speaker 1: herself a chance at realizing her Olympic dream. 194 00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 2: It wasn't easy for me to get involved in all 195 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:30,560 Speaker 2: these sports. I was always like working multiple jobs, like 196 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 2: I almost had like I think a few days off 197 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 2: a year, and I was always trying to like put 198 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 2: everything I earned into like pain for coaches or equipment. 199 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:48,280 Speaker 1: Elizabeth estimates seventy five percent of all the money she 200 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:54,359 Speaker 1: made went to training, food, and competing in competitions. But amazingly, 201 00:12:54,760 --> 00:13:00,559 Speaker 1: her plan was working. Elizabeth's globe trotting dream chasing expedition 202 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:04,000 Speaker 1: came to a crescendo just a few weeks ahead of 203 00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 1: the twenty eighteen Winter Games in South Korea. In late 204 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 1: January that year, she got a call from the Hungarian 205 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 1: Olympic Committee. She had a spot in the Olympics waiting 206 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:20,160 Speaker 1: for her. The only problem she had to get from 207 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 1: the West coast to Budapest in less than forty eight hours. 208 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:32,359 Speaker 2: So I had to ask friends, family, some strangers through crowdfundinging, 209 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:36,319 Speaker 2: like hey, can you help me fly to Europe immediately 210 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 2: so I can still be considered for the Olympics. So 211 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 2: I didn't even have enough funds on my own to 212 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:44,000 Speaker 2: do that. But thankfully, again, like the community pulled together 213 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:47,480 Speaker 2: to make that like possible for me. And it also 214 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:51,199 Speaker 2: worked because I just had my jacket and like a briefcase. 215 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:55,560 Speaker 1: Even with her Olympic dream in sight, a dream she'd 216 00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:59,080 Speaker 1: had since she was seven years old, Elizabeth knew that 217 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:02,600 Speaker 1: just getting to the Olympics wasn't the goal. The goal 218 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:05,360 Speaker 1: was competing in the Winter Games. 219 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 2: There was no point where I was like, oh, this 220 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 2: is like in the bag or secure, super thrilled. There 221 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 2: was no time to be like happy. It was more 222 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:16,319 Speaker 2: just like, hey, I have to make it to Budapest 223 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:20,000 Speaker 2: by Friday morning, and I have to hopefully like pass 224 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 2: all these tests and then make it to the Olympics. 225 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:24,920 Speaker 2: So it was always like boom, boom, here's the next 226 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:28,280 Speaker 2: test to do. When I finally got to the Olympic village, 227 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:31,360 Speaker 2: I realized, okay, I've like made it here. This is great, 228 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:34,120 Speaker 2: and that was the point where I knew, like I 229 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:36,400 Speaker 2: will have the opportunity to compete, So that was a 230 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:37,080 Speaker 2: positive thing. 231 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 1: Elizabeth made it to South Korea to the Olympics, and 232 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:45,520 Speaker 1: when she got there, her performance became one of the 233 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: most talked about moments in the twenty eighteen Winter Games. 234 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:05,920 Speaker 1: The twenty eighteen Winter Olympics was a contained capsule of 235 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 1: global conflicts and issues. Held in the South Korean city 236 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:15,640 Speaker 1: of Pyeongchang, The Games featured a remarkable scene where athletes 237 00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 1: from North and South Korea competed together as a unified team. 238 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:25,720 Speaker 1: In women's ice hockey, athletes from Russia could not compete 239 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:30,320 Speaker 1: under their flag after a massive state sponsored doping scandal 240 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:34,600 Speaker 1: was revealed following the twenty fourteen Games. Yet, even with 241 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:40,120 Speaker 1: this geopolitical confluence, so much of the online conversation was 242 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 1: dominated by the non medal winning performance of freestyle skier 243 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:47,400 Speaker 1: Elizabeth Swaeney. 244 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:53,960 Speaker 2: I would say maybe like eighty percent of the world 245 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 2: was kind of like negative or undecided about my Olympics performance. 246 00:15:57,760 --> 00:15:58,800 Speaker 2: That had something to say. 247 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:02,800 Speaker 1: It wasn't because as she attempted a difficult trick or 248 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:07,040 Speaker 1: had an embarrassing fall. The reason why she became a 249 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 1: lightning rod is because she didn't do much of anything 250 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:15,800 Speaker 1: during her run. Elizabeth simply went up and down, back 251 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:19,440 Speaker 1: and forth along the walls of the half pipe for 252 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 1: one jump. On her second run, the Olympic broadcast team 253 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:27,800 Speaker 1: measured she maxed out at eighteen inches above the half pipe. 254 00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 1: To put this into context, the gold medal winner, Cassie 255 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:42,320 Speaker 1: Sharp from Canada, hit nearly fourteen feet. The closest Elizabeth 256 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 1: got to getting some air was a little one hundred 257 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 1: and eighty degree spin which got her a couple feet 258 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 1: above the half pipe, and that was it. She came 259 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:57,320 Speaker 1: in last in the competition, but among all the freestyle 260 00:16:57,400 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 1: skiers she received the most, which was not her intent. 261 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 2: I was just trying to do my best, like try 262 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:09,520 Speaker 2: to treat it like every single day that I was 263 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:12,159 Speaker 2: training for half pyper competing and half pipe, trying to 264 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 2: have fun at the same time, just really grateful to 265 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:15,760 Speaker 2: be there. 266 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:20,280 Speaker 1: Some of the reaction was online anger, the idea that 267 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:25,719 Speaker 1: Elizabeth cheated the system, an unseerious participant amongst a field 268 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:27,440 Speaker 1: of dedicated competitors. 269 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 5: But Elizabeth Sweeney is not average. She is incredibly, incredibly 270 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:34,960 Speaker 5: below average. 271 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 1: She's really not that good to be in the Olympics. 272 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:40,680 Speaker 3: She doesn't have Olympic standard skills. 273 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 5: She decided to do absolutely nothing. She may have done 274 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:52,720 Speaker 5: the most embarrassing thing I had ever witness. 275 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:57,800 Speaker 3: Liz did nothing wrong. She didn't hack the system, she 276 00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:02,000 Speaker 3: didn't do anything. She followed the rules to the letter. 277 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:04,320 Speaker 3: She knew the rules better than anyone. 278 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:09,199 Speaker 1: Brendan Newby says all this newfound attention on freestyle skiing 279 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:12,879 Speaker 1: was not a good thing. The jokes, the memes, it 280 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 1: didn't help, but he says the blame should be directed 281 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:18,400 Speaker 1: away from Elizabeth. 282 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:23,120 Speaker 3: As far as Liz goes, I'll say there's two schools 283 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:27,000 Speaker 3: of thought. Mine is she did nothing wrong, she followed 284 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:31,159 Speaker 3: the rules to the letter, and the only people to 285 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:34,120 Speaker 3: blame if there is anyone to blame. I don't think 286 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:36,600 Speaker 3: this is like a she didn't do anything wrong, so 287 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:40,040 Speaker 3: it's not like blame, but it would be the qualification 288 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:45,399 Speaker 3: criteria that the IOC and FIS had set up. The 289 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:49,040 Speaker 3: other school of thought that frustrates people is the other 290 00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:51,480 Speaker 3: girls that go out there and fall and get hurt 291 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:55,679 Speaker 3: that Liz beats by not doing anything. That's frustrating to 292 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:57,919 Speaker 3: the other girls. I know a woman's coach that was 293 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:01,480 Speaker 3: really frustrated by it. I've never once in my whole 294 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:04,720 Speaker 3: life seen Liz crash, so I do see why people 295 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:08,800 Speaker 3: got frustrated, but like they took their anger out on 296 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:12,640 Speaker 3: the wrong people. They took it out on her when 297 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 3: she just followed the rules. 298 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:19,119 Speaker 1: For Elizabeth, she drew encouragement from her fellow competitors while 299 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:21,399 Speaker 1: she was in the eye of the social media storm. 300 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:25,320 Speaker 2: Whenever I would hear like a negative thing, that really 301 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:29,200 Speaker 2: wouldn't affect me that much at all, because I would think, Okay, 302 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:33,160 Speaker 2: who are the experts in this sport. They're not someone 303 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:37,480 Speaker 2: who's just making commentary online. They are my fellow competitors 304 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 2: and fellow medal winners, and they were all supportive of me, 305 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:42,680 Speaker 2: Like Maddie Bowman she told me personally like we love 306 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:46,879 Speaker 2: you after the competition, so I knew I had the 307 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:50,199 Speaker 2: support of the best like athletes in the world. 308 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:54,080 Speaker 1: For a brief moment, Elizabeth was one of the most 309 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 1: talked about athletes in the world. But even as the 310 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:01,960 Speaker 1: closing ceremonies were wrapping up and she was flying back home, 311 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:06,000 Speaker 1: all of that attention was already dying down, and that 312 00:20:06,119 --> 00:20:10,200 Speaker 1: left Elizabeth in an odd position. You see, a lot 313 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:13,600 Speaker 1: of her life had been focused around achieving this goal 314 00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:18,920 Speaker 1: of becoming an Olympic athlete, and she did it. Then 315 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:22,120 Speaker 1: she was left with the question, what do you do 316 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 1: after you achieve your big dream? 317 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:30,679 Speaker 2: It was just always a dream since age seven, and 318 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:33,440 Speaker 2: I was just guided by that dream. I'm not sure 319 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:36,760 Speaker 2: if there's a good reason behind that, but I'm like, wow, no, 320 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 2: I think back, like, oh, my my seven year old 321 00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 2: self kind of guided a lot of my life and 322 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:47,760 Speaker 2: into my twenties thirties. I think it's the power of 323 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 2: the dream really kept me going and kept motivating me 324 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:54,960 Speaker 2: to keep training, keep competing. 325 00:20:55,520 --> 00:21:00,480 Speaker 1: Elizabeth found new mountains to tackle, a focus other high 326 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:05,879 Speaker 1: achieving Olympians have shared. Bill Bradley played for Team USA's 327 00:21:05,920 --> 00:21:09,679 Speaker 1: basketball team in the nineteen sixty four Olympics, became a 328 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:13,480 Speaker 1: two time NBA champion with the New York Knicks, then 329 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:17,680 Speaker 1: switched to politics, spending eighteen years as a US Senator 330 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:22,480 Speaker 1: representing New Jersey. Gold medal winning boxer George Foreman is 331 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:26,680 Speaker 1: probably known as much for selling plug in countertop grills 332 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:31,679 Speaker 1: as he is for throwing punches for Elizabeth, she still 333 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:35,399 Speaker 1: needed an outlet to put her energy. She competed in 334 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:40,119 Speaker 1: American Ninja Warrior. A connection there got her into stuntwork 335 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:44,439 Speaker 1: for movies, including the Steven Spielberg film The Fablemans. She 336 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:49,040 Speaker 1: now runs a comedy show called Snarktang. It mixes roast 337 00:21:49,119 --> 00:21:54,000 Speaker 1: comedy with business feedback to startups. When Elizabeth meets other 338 00:21:54,119 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 1: people with big dreams, she tells them that the journey 339 00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:01,520 Speaker 1: towards a goal is worth pursuing, even if the math 340 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:02,800 Speaker 1: is stacked against you. 341 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:07,360 Speaker 2: I would say, there are no odds. There's more. There 342 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:11,200 Speaker 2: are sometimes obstacles, but you can use the obstacles as 343 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:15,600 Speaker 2: ways to help make you stronger. And if there's haters 344 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:18,760 Speaker 2: along the way, I've realized and someone told me that, oh, 345 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:22,160 Speaker 2: haters are often just confused lovers. So why else would 346 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:26,000 Speaker 2: they spend so much like energy and time thinking about you. Also, 347 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:30,080 Speaker 2: there always are going to be supportive people for like 348 00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:33,440 Speaker 2: a positive goal that someone has, there's almost always a 349 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:38,080 Speaker 2: path to achieve something, And even if you don't get 350 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:42,320 Speaker 2: to your final destination, there's going to be a great 351 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:44,400 Speaker 2: story to tell on a great journey along the way. 352 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:49,399 Speaker 1: Eight years after making the Olympics, Elizabeth decided to chase 353 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:54,480 Speaker 1: that dream one more time, this time headfirst down in 354 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 1: icy Bob's led track, trying to qualify for skeleton for 355 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:03,560 Speaker 1: Team Is. It didn't take her back to the Winter Games, 356 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:09,200 Speaker 1: but that first dream had already changed her life, and honestly, 357 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:13,560 Speaker 1: skeleton sounds terrifying. This might be for the best. 358 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:23,080 Speaker 4: Very Special Episodes is made by some very special people. 359 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:27,040 Speaker 4: The show was hosted by Danish Wartz, Zaron Burnett, and 360 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:32,520 Speaker 4: Jason English. Our senior producer is Josh Fisher. Today's episode 361 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:36,359 Speaker 4: was written by Mike Smeltz, editing and sound design by 362 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:41,600 Speaker 4: Chris Childs, mixing and mastering by Josh Fisher. Additional editing 363 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:46,560 Speaker 4: by Mary Doo, original music by Alice McCoy, Show logo 364 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:52,280 Speaker 4: by Lucy Kintamia. Our executive producer is Jason English. Got 365 00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 4: another Olympics tale coming next week. We'll see you back 366 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 4: here next Wednesday. Very Special Episodes is a production of 367 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:00,840 Speaker 4: iHeart Urt Podcasts.