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Speaker 1: Hi, everyone, and welcome back to another episode of Wide Open.

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Speaker 1: I'm your host, Ashlyn Harris, and I'm so happy to

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Speaker 1: have you guys back this week. So much is moving

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Speaker 1: so fast. I'm excited that I finally just wrapped a

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Speaker 1: project I can't talk about just yet, but I will.

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Speaker 1: I've been working on a secret little thing for the

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Speaker 1: last few months that has taken up a lot of

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Speaker 1: my time and it's been really really inspiring and fun

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Speaker 1: and has really ignited a lot in me about you know,

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Speaker 1: what I want to do next and what my career

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Speaker 1: looks like in this new chapter of retirement. And I

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Speaker 1: can't say too much, but just know that when I

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Speaker 1: can talk about the project, you will hear it from

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Speaker 1: me first here. And I'm excited to share this with

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Speaker 1: you all, especially those of you who have been writing

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Speaker 1: with me for decades. With my career and who I

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Speaker 1: am on and off the field, this project will really

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Speaker 1: tie a bow on everything, and I'm very grateful for

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Speaker 1: the opportunity to work with a lot of incredible people,

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Speaker 1: so I look forward to sharing that with you soon.

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Speaker 1: Stepping into this new chapter of sport and entertainment and

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Speaker 1: really trying new things in this new phase in my

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Speaker 1: life after retirement. I'm really starting to love the work

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Speaker 1: behind the camera. I'm really wanting to get into more

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Speaker 1: scripted work and I never thought I would say that

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Speaker 1: as someone who now can check the box of doing

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Speaker 1: documentaries on women's sports with Red Bull and Hello Sunshine,

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Speaker 1: the new series The Rise, I think it's time for

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Speaker 1: me to really start to write and create uh, scripted

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Speaker 1: shows and important scripted shows that really push the envelope

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Speaker 1: and embody the journey and what you know it's like

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Speaker 1: to be in sport and to be a woman in

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Speaker 1: a male dominated industry. And I want to create really

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Speaker 1: really fun scripts that embody all of these things. So

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Speaker 1: fingers crossed, I'm speaking it into existence and I want

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Speaker 1: to bring you all with me, and I appreciate you

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Speaker 1: constantly pushing me to dig deeper and have like, you know,

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Speaker 1: this career I've always imagined and not feeling scared to

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Speaker 1: attack it. And you know, we have you know, speaking

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Speaker 1: of we have a really special guest UH this week,

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Speaker 1: Brittany Britney Bow, who has done just that. She has

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Speaker 1: pushed the envelope and shifted and changed and reinvented herself

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Speaker 1: over and over and over again and charged it with

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Speaker 1: zero regret and it's opened so many incredible doors. And

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Speaker 1: as someone who sits on the HRC board, she just

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Speaker 1: got a visibility award at the LA Dinner and I'm

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Speaker 1: so incredibly proud to have her on the podcast. And

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Speaker 1: she's so articulate and insightful, and I think it's going

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Speaker 1: to teach a lot of us about going after something

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Speaker 1: even when it might seem crazy to most people, and

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Speaker 1: really betting on yourself. So here's this week's episode with Britney.

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Speaker 2: Loves.

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Speaker 1: Hi, everyone, and welcome back to another episode of Wide Open.

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Speaker 1: I have a very special guest today, Brittany bo Is

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Speaker 1: on today's podcast, and Wow, I'm really looking forward to

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Speaker 1: this conversation because we got to see so much at

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Speaker 1: the Winter Olympics this year, and the most beautiful part

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Speaker 1: was her engagement with Hillary Knight. There are athletes and

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Speaker 1: then there are people who completely rewrite what's possible. Britney

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Speaker 1: Bow wasn't supposed to end up on the ice. She

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Speaker 1: grew up in Central Florida, playing everything, chasing everything, competing

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Speaker 1: in anything she could get her hands on, but basketball

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Speaker 1: was her dream. She played at FAU and that was

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Speaker 1: supposed to be the path until it wasn't. What followed

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Speaker 1: was one of the most unlikely pivots in sports, trading

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Speaker 1: hardwood for ice, Florida for the world stage, and becoming

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Speaker 1: one of the best speed skaters on the planet. But

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Speaker 1: this conversation isn't about metals or moments. It's about identity.

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Speaker 1: It's about what it means to carry parts of yourself

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Speaker 1: quietly while chasing great It's about love, finding it, choosing

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Speaker 1: it and celebrating it out loud. And it's about letting go,

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Speaker 1: letting go of a career, of a version of yourself

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Speaker 1: and stepping into something unknown. Brittany is at that edge

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Speaker 1: right now, walking away from the sport that defined her

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Speaker 1: and stepping into a life that's still unfolding. Let's get

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Speaker 1: into it. This is wide open and this is Britney Bow.

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Speaker 1: Welcome to the show, Brittany.

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Speaker 2: How are you God, I'm doing well. Thanks for having me.

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Speaker 1: Well, uh, just getting off of an insane like the

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Speaker 1: Winter Olympics were so good this year. I just like

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Speaker 1: really was in it. I know you were there and

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Speaker 1: you don't get to see it. Like it's nice to

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Speaker 1: just to not feel in it anymore and to experience

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Speaker 1: it with a cold little beverage and my kid and

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Speaker 1: we're wearing dripped out USA gear. But yeah, I bet

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Speaker 1: reality feels a little different right now for you, especially

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Speaker 1: you just newly retired. There's a lot of great things

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Speaker 1: going on in your world. I you know, viral moment

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Speaker 1: of the engagement. Such a really cool time for you

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Speaker 1: right now. So I'm really excited to dive into everything.

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Speaker 1: But before we get there, I need to know everything

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Speaker 1: about your childhood in Florida, because we are literally neighbors

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Speaker 1: and we have never met, and I hate that.

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Speaker 2: I know, girl, we're both in Florida. Like for you,

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Speaker 2: it makes more sense being a professional soccer player, but

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Speaker 2: for me being a professional speed skater, people are like,

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Speaker 2: how the heck did you get involved in speed skating

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Speaker 2: coming from Florida? And like, I grew up in the

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Speaker 2: basketball gym. My dad was a high school basketball coach

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Speaker 2: for the majority of my life, so I found myself

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Speaker 2: in the gym doing what we would call or consider

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Speaker 2: a traditional sport. And then when I was growing up,

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Speaker 2: I went to a friend's birthday party at the local

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Speaker 2: roller skating rink, not thinking about anything, just going to

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Speaker 2: this birthday party and the inline skating coach from that rank.

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Speaker 2: Mind you, I had no idea inline skating was even

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Speaker 2: a sport. She came up to me and my family

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Speaker 2: and you know, she just saw me zooming around. She

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Speaker 2: explained a little bit about you know, what she does,

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Speaker 2: and about the sport of inline skating and invited me

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Speaker 2: out to an inline skating practice. So of course I

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Speaker 2: get a pair of skates, I go to practice, and

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Speaker 2: very quickly I find out that I have like an

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Speaker 2: absolute need, a need for speed. So I I, yeah,

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Speaker 2: so I just get involved in this super niche sport

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Speaker 2: that really nobody knew about. Still people don't know about,

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Speaker 2: and it is a world championship level sport. It's a

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Speaker 2: Pan American level sport, but it's not an Olympic sport.

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Speaker 2: But I dove into this and I started traveling around

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Speaker 2: the world and I was on a professional race team

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Speaker 2: when I was probably twelve or thirteen. No, yeah, so

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Speaker 2: I just you know, I remember, I think I was

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Speaker 2: maybe twelve, and it was the first time I went

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Speaker 2: to a pro race, which was a marathon in California,

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Speaker 2: and my mom shipped me off and that was when

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Speaker 2: she could like still go through TSA and actually I

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Speaker 2: don't even know if TSA was a thing. No, you

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Speaker 2: walk to the gate, Yeah, puts me on the airplane.

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Speaker 2: And I remember just being terrified to travel across the

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Speaker 2: country by myself, but had the time of my life

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Speaker 2: and really never looked back. I had so much success

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Speaker 2: in the sport of inline skating, and you know, but

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Speaker 2: to fast forward a little bit, I played every sport

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Speaker 2: under the sun growing up in Florida, volleyball. I was

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Speaker 2: the only girl on the boys soccer team, the only

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Speaker 2: U girl on the boys baseball team, because I'm like,

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Speaker 2: I'm not playing with the girls. I'm not playing softball, this,

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Speaker 2: that and the other, like I want to play with

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Speaker 2: the boys for you know, writing must have been on

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Speaker 2: the wall, but here we are.

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Speaker 1: Everyone's like, when did you know you were queer?

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Speaker 2: And I'm like, yeah, I was on the wall going

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Speaker 2: very early. And yeah maybe it was me playing basketball

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Speaker 2: or football out in the backyard with my dad with

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Speaker 2: no T shirt on when like that was allowed back

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Speaker 2: in the day. Like so many sides on the way,

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Speaker 2: we were the same kid from Florida.

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Speaker 1: I never had a shirt on and I never had

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Speaker 1: shoes on, so here we are same.

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Speaker 2: But yeah, so like there were so many things, but

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Speaker 2: like growing up, like in high school, I started to

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Speaker 2: have to narrow down some of these sports. And my

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Speaker 2: two main sports were basketball and in line skating. And

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Speaker 2: when I was graduating from high school, I had two

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Speaker 2: really cool opportunities. One was to take advantage of this

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Speaker 2: program that the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee had in place,

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Speaker 2: which took the top inline skaters in the US and

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Speaker 2: funded them for twelve months to move out to Salt

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Speaker 2: Lake City and try ice speed skating. The other opportunity

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Speaker 2: I had was an offer to play Division one basketball

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Speaker 2: at Florida Atlantic University. And from a young age, I

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Speaker 2: always wanted to play D one ball, so at no

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Speaker 2: point in my mind did I even consider going to

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Speaker 2: try ice skating. At this point, it was like, I'm

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Speaker 2: going to Florida Atlantic and I'm playing D one ball.

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Speaker 1: Yeah wow, yeah.

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Speaker 2: So you know, I had four great years at Florida

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Speaker 2: Atlantic and you know my graduating year. Here we are

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Speaker 2: twenty ten and the Winter Olympics were airing from Vancouver,

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Speaker 2: and I was sitting on the couch with my roommate

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Speaker 2: and I was watching and I saw a lot of

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Speaker 2: my inline skating friends and competitors, walking and opening ceremonies, competing,

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Speaker 2: winning medals, and at this point I was really like,

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Speaker 2: I want to go play professional ball overseas and then

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Speaker 2: hopefully make it into the WNBA. And watching the twenty

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Speaker 2: ten Vancouver Games, I had a total change of heart.

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Speaker 2: Seeing people that I grew up with, you know, having

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Speaker 2: success at that Olympic level. I was like, no, when

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Speaker 2: I graduate, I'm not going to play basketball anymore. I'm

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Speaker 2: moving out to Salt Lake City and I'm becoming a

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Speaker 2: speed skater.

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Speaker 1: Wow, okay, okay, pause, because do you know what it

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Speaker 1: tells me you were intent early on as a kid

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Speaker 1: like I loved I loved to compete like I was crazy.

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Speaker 1: I was competing all the time, and like that sounds

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Speaker 1: exactly like you right now. So when you were a

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Speaker 1: kid before all of this, did you just want to

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Speaker 1: compete at everything? Were you just intense early on?

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Speaker 2: Because that tense?

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Speaker 1: Okay, okay, yes, I want to know. This is totally

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Speaker 1: making sense because how many people their last year of

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Speaker 1: college are just like, oh, I'm playing Division one college basketball.

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Speaker 1: But you know what I want more? I want to

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Speaker 1: go after this. I can do this, Like what I'm

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Speaker 1: sorry that I've never heard that before. Yeah, how many

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Speaker 1: years have you paused? How many years have you like

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Speaker 1: not been like on the ice at this point playing basketball?

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Speaker 1: Did you even touch an ice rink in college? No?

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Speaker 2: I mean I you know, like grewing up, maybe went

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Speaker 2: to like the ice skating rink here and there, but

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Speaker 2: for like absolutely yes, Like nothing serious. So I would say, yeah,

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Speaker 2: like I never tried speed skating until I graduated from college.

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Speaker 2: So what twenty two, twenty two years old, so that

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Speaker 2: was two thou ten And yeah, it was just like

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Speaker 2: seeing somebody I'm sure you can relate. You're like, if

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Speaker 2: they can do it, I can do that, Like I

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Speaker 2: bet I beat their butts back then, And if they

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Speaker 2: can do it, like I'm about to beat their butt here.

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Speaker 1: Well, it's really interesting that what most people don't know

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Speaker 1: is it's so different Like team sports and basketball, there's

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Speaker 1: such a culture and it's like you've got like you're

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Speaker 1: only as good as the other people around you. Like

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Speaker 1: you can show up and be great one day and

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Speaker 1: half of your team, you know, had a shit off

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Speaker 1: day and it affects the outcome. Like it's it's great

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Speaker 1: too because when you're that person having a shit day.

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Speaker 1: You can have other people carry you, not in not

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Speaker 1: when you're like fucking ice skin that is you homegirl.

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Speaker 1: You are by yourself. You are putting everything on your

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Speaker 1: back and you're like, well, let's hope I don't feel

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Speaker 1: like shit today and have a bluebird.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, that's like the beauty and the beast of

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Speaker 2: like the individual and team sport thing. Like I miss

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Speaker 2: team sports so much. I mean, like, you win together,

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Speaker 2: you lose together. You have this sister fans camaraderie. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: and then it's like for ice skating or really any

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Speaker 2: individual sports, like nobody is as happy for you as

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Speaker 2: you are for you when you win, and nobody feels

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Speaker 2: that same disappointment when you don't win. But like you

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Speaker 2: get to step up to that line and you're like,

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Speaker 2: this is all me right now. So there's something like

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Speaker 2: really powerful about that too.

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Speaker 1: Pressure is a privilege. Who Pressure is a privilege. That

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Speaker 1: is why I wanted to be a goalkeeper. Yeah, I

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Speaker 1: was like.

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Speaker 2: You can't have any off days.

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Speaker 1: No, No, I'm either the hero or I'm the goat.

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Speaker 1: It's either I want to walk out with my head

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Speaker 1: held high or I want to crawl in every crack

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Speaker 1: and hopefully no one sees me. And I'm like, I

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Speaker 1: thought it was awesome. I was like, well, you can't

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Speaker 1: hide in this position.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it's such as you like say, pressure is

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Speaker 2: a privilege, because I love that and I always always

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Speaker 2: remind myself of that, But there are many times where

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Speaker 2: it's like, why did I sign up for this? Like

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Speaker 2: this is self inflicted like torture and misery right now,

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Speaker 2: And you're like, nope, pressure is a privilege, But that

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Speaker 2: like literally saves me, and I'm sure it saves a

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Speaker 2: lot of people because a lot of times you do

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Speaker 2: not feel that.

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Speaker 1: No we athletes who make it at the top like yourself,

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Speaker 1: like you don't just accidentally stumble on six World championships

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Speaker 1: or you don't accidentally become a four time Olympian, like

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Speaker 1: you move differently in the world. But this is gonna

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Speaker 1: be a big topic of discussion that's been going on

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Speaker 1: for a lot of people our age, because we're pretty

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Speaker 1: similar in age. Specialized sports early is the death of

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Speaker 1: a lot of kids who want to develop to be great.

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Speaker 1: There is no coincidence when you look at people like yourself, me,

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Speaker 1: Abby Wamback, Magan repeat you, Sue Bird, some of the

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Speaker 1: greatest Diana Tarazzi. Like all of these people played so

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Speaker 1: many different sports, they were excellent at so many different sports,

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Speaker 1: they did not choose until much later. I'm curious, and

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Speaker 1: I genuinely feel this. When I see babies, I'll call

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Speaker 1: them already and like drills, doing organized like training and

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Speaker 1: having weights, and I'm like, you're gonna hate. You're gonna

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Speaker 1: hate this sport soon because you still have so many

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Speaker 1: years and there's no freedom to express yourself or be

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Speaker 1: curious or creative in other sports. Like I love baseball.

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Speaker 1: I was a catcher. It made me a fantastic fucking goalkeeper.

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Speaker 1: It did my eye like my hand eye coordination was insane.

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Speaker 1: And I feel that so many of these younger kids

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Speaker 1: in this young generation feels like for me to be

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Speaker 1: the best, like I gotta start early and I got

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Speaker 1: to stick to it, and you know, and they end

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Speaker 1: up hating sports by the time they're fifteen, and like,

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Speaker 1: that's just when you're starting to get rolling. I'm curious

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Speaker 1: of how you feel about getting specialized too early, because

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Speaker 1: a lot of athletes are talking about it now. And

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Speaker 1: I will be on the record all damn day saying

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Speaker 1: play everything, do everything, do theater, do fucking frisbee. I

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Speaker 1: don't give a shit what it is.

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Speaker 2: Do it all?

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Speaker 1: Do you agree?

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Speaker 2: I could not agree more. I could not agree more.

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Speaker 2: It breaks my heart when I see kids specializing in

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Speaker 2: one thing from a very early age, and breaks my

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Speaker 2: heart even more like that the parent is like almost

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Speaker 2: forcing them to do that because that's what they think

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Speaker 2: is best for their kid. And of course, like the

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Speaker 2: kid that's specializes at an early age, there may be

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Speaker 2: some that go on to be very good at that sport,

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Speaker 2: but the majority absolutely not. You're gonna burn out your

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Speaker 2: you know, yeah, you're you're gonna regret like even going

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Speaker 2: into sport. You're gonna hate sport for me, like and

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Speaker 2: I spoke to a lot of different parent groups, and

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Speaker 2: the one thing I preach to them is let your

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Speaker 2: kid play anything they want to play, let them do

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Speaker 2: whatever they want to do, and most importantly, let them

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Speaker 2: be a kid. I think something that I am so

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Speaker 2: grateful for is, of course, when we show up to practice,

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Speaker 2: we are one hundred Like I was always one hundred

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Speaker 2: percent committed and focused and gave my all during that

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Speaker 2: practice or training. But then I also was able to

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Speaker 2: do all of the social events in middle school and

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Speaker 2: high school and homecoming and prom, and of course there

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Speaker 2: are times where you have to pick and choose. But

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Speaker 2: the fact that my fit like my mom and my

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Speaker 2: dad let me do everything that I wanted to do

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Speaker 2: was a gift honestly.

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Speaker 1: Well, it also gives you the ability to adapt. What

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Speaker 1: makes great athletes great their ability to just adapt quickly

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Speaker 1: to all different circumstances changes things that they can predict

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Speaker 1: or that are unpredictable. I think that is so key,

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Speaker 1: but it's important, I think, especially for the people listening

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Speaker 1: and watching this is to bet on yourself when there's

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Speaker 1: no guarantee. To me, that tells me a lot about

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Speaker 1: your character. And I'm curious because for you to put

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Speaker 1: so much into basketball, to go to college, to eat, breathe, sleep,

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Speaker 1: and not want to go into the w NBA or

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Speaker 1: not want to try to be a professional, like you

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Speaker 1: really were betting on yourself and you didn't know what

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Speaker 1: the outcome could be, but you wanted to chase it.

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Speaker 1: And that's what people don't realize, Like chasing that greatness

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Speaker 1: and chasing that edge what gave you that internal drive

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Speaker 1: to just be like, well, this could work out or

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Speaker 1: totally couldn't, but I'm going to bet on myself.

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Speaker 2: Well, I think some people are just born with it,

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Speaker 2: like as easy as that, and even more than that,

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Speaker 2: having that support and people that also bet on you

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Speaker 2: the same amount that you bet on yourself as a

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Speaker 2: young child and kid. And that was my mom, that

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Speaker 2: was my dad, that was every coach I had as

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Speaker 2: a little kid. I am just so grateful to have

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Speaker 2: been blessed with this support system around me that never

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Speaker 2: questioned any belief that I had, or any dream or

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Speaker 2: goal that I had. I really can't remember anybody in

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Speaker 2: my close inner circle ever in my life that were like,

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Speaker 2: I don't know me, maybe not like everyone around me always,

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Speaker 2: you know, supported everything I did. And you like when

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Speaker 2: people ask like what would you tell your younger self

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Speaker 2: or what would you tell kids, it's just like believe

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Speaker 2: in yourself, believing or like having the belief in something,

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Speaker 2: especially in yourself, to me, is the most powerful thing

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Speaker 2: that you can hold.

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Speaker 1: Stay tuned. I'll be back in just a moment after

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Speaker 1: this brief message from our sponsors. I do think when

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Speaker 1: I started to fully be myself in sports and fully

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Speaker 1: accept my queerness and be celebrated for my queerness and

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Speaker 1: being authentic and really talking about who I am outside

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Speaker 1: of what I do is really when I started showing

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Speaker 1: up as my full self? Did you feel that in

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Speaker 1: a way? And I don't know if that's our relationship,

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Speaker 1: you know, in terms of us coming from Florida where

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Speaker 1: it's a very conservative place to live, which tells us

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Speaker 1: you know, I moved and we were laughing before the

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Speaker 1: show started, but we're like, there were there were signs, right,

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Speaker 1: We all know that there were signs, right, Hello, Like

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Speaker 1: we should have listened. But I do think I didn't

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Speaker 1: have access to certain things in Florida that allowed me

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Speaker 1: to show up as my true self until way later

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Speaker 1: in life. When did you start to understand your queerness

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Speaker 1: and how it related to your sport and what you

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Speaker 1: were chasing.

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Speaker 2: It wasn't until I was in college that I could

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Speaker 2: express my queerness. I think growing up from a relatively

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Speaker 2: early age, I kind of understood my queerness but couldn't

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Speaker 2: express it. And growing up in a small town in Florida,

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Speaker 2: growing up in Okalla, you know, very concernservative, grew up

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Speaker 2: in kindergarten through twelfth grade, went to a private Catholic church,

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Speaker 2: and private Catholic school, and you know, I was a

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Speaker 2: great student, a great athlete, had great friends. But when

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Speaker 2: it came to you know, the homecomings or the proms,

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Speaker 2: or when girls start talking about having crushes on boys,

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Speaker 2: like I knew that I was not aligned with the

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Speaker 2: other girls in my class. And because I had so

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Speaker 2: much success in all of these other areas, I didn't

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Speaker 2: want to spoil that. And for me, it was easier

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Speaker 2: just to keep that inside of me and kind of

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Speaker 2: like move the way the people moved around me, because

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Speaker 2: I didn't want to upset anyone around me. Growing up,

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Speaker 2: even in my family, like conservative Catholic family, I knew

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Speaker 2: that was probably a topic that wouldn't be you know,

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Speaker 2: wanted to be discussed, so I just didn't. But then

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Speaker 2: when I went to college at Florida Atlantic, being in

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Speaker 2: South Florida, that's much more of a melting pot, and

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Speaker 2: it was for the first time that I saw what,

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Speaker 2: you know, people from different backgrounds, different ways of life,

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Speaker 2: having different beliefs, different cultures, different you know, religious beliefs,

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Speaker 2: and like everybody just got along. And for some reason,

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Speaker 2: the moment I stepped on campus, I just felt like, Okay,

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Speaker 2: it's now, you know, time to be my true authentic

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Speaker 2: self and the way I'm going to present myself is

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Speaker 2: how I feel. And you know, love me or hate me,

396
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Speaker 2: accept me or don't, but this is me. And I

397
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Speaker 2: can honestly say I was met with nothing but love respect.

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Speaker 2: I was included my basketball team, like they became my

399
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Speaker 2: family immediately. So it wasn't until I stepped foot on

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Speaker 2: college to where I could express my queerness. And I

401
00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:04,480
Speaker 2: love that, you know, It's like that was just I

402
00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:06,679
Speaker 2: feel like every step of my life has been like

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Speaker 2: a learning point and a gift in some capacity, because yeah,

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00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:13,160
Speaker 2: growing up in Florida and you know, early two thousands,

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Speaker 2: that was not a topic that.

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Speaker 1: Was disguised, no, and and you knew it, and you

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Speaker 1: knew that that was something that like it just it's

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Speaker 1: a very interesting place to live. I'll just tie that

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Speaker 1: on a bow. But I like, I love it. Florida

410
00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:33,119
Speaker 1: is so much of like who I am and the

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Speaker 1: way I move and my crazy beachy like Patrick Swayze cut,

412
00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:42,320
Speaker 1: like everything ties back to that like laid back culture

413
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Speaker 1: of Florida, and it's just I hope we can move

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Speaker 1: forward from that because there's a lot of kids there

415
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Speaker 1: that are trapped, you know, they don't have access like

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Speaker 1: we had access. They didn't have a way out like

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Speaker 1: we had a way out. So I do think it's

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Speaker 1: so great, And that was so beautifully said, and there's

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Speaker 1: so much power and hearing you reclaim that and feeling

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Speaker 1: safe enough to do it, and look, look what it's done.

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Speaker 1: Look what if you've accomplished being exactly who you were

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Speaker 1: meant to be. And I think that's so special. And

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Speaker 1: I hope you know, anyone out there who feels like

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Speaker 1: they don't have a safe place to be, there is

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Speaker 1: community out there, and I think that's the important you know,

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Speaker 1: sometimes we do have to be brave enough to just

427
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Speaker 1: step into our own and be like, yeah, like if

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Speaker 1: I'm going to do this, I'm going to own it,

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Speaker 1: but I'm going to make sure I'm safe doing it

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Speaker 1: and make sure like the people around me are going

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Speaker 1: to lift me up too. And you know, you know,

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Speaker 1: more than anyone, community is the most important thing we

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Speaker 1: can have to make sure we're safe and we can

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Speaker 1: actually be our authentic self. Because it's a weird time

435
00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:51,520
Speaker 1: for the queer people right now.

436
00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:55,680
Speaker 2: Yeah, sure, yeah, And I you like, I feel really

437
00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:58,399
Speaker 2: lucky that I was met with you know, the love

438
00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:02,520
Speaker 2: and the grace, and but I'm very aware that that

439
00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:06,719
Speaker 2: is not the case for a lot of people, and

440
00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:10,359
Speaker 2: it just breaks my heart. And yeah, I just you know,

441
00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:13,720
Speaker 2: for us to be able to step up and you know,

442
00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:17,280
Speaker 2: live in our queerness and our true authentic self, I

443
00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:20,639
Speaker 2: just hope that it gives you, know, that younger generation,

444
00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:24,200
Speaker 2: the power that you know, there is a really high

445
00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:28,000
Speaker 2: chance that you will find this amazing community if you're

446
00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:31,200
Speaker 2: not surrounded with it right now, that people will love

447
00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:34,879
Speaker 2: you and accept you and continue to lift you up.

448
00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:38,520
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I mean, look look at where you are

449
00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:43,120
Speaker 1: right now. You you just had an incredible I mean

450
00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:45,520
Speaker 1: I think you won the gold at the Olympics getting

451
00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:48,159
Speaker 1: proposed to. I mean, I don't know what more you

452
00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:51,200
Speaker 1: want to walk away than a ring on your finger

453
00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:55,400
Speaker 1: forever being like, yeah, we did that, And I want,

454
00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:59,960
Speaker 1: like tell me about it. What? What when did you

455
00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:02,439
Speaker 1: and Hillary meet? I want to know who made the

456
00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:04,720
Speaker 1: first move because it's gonna tell me a lot about

457
00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:09,760
Speaker 1: both of you. But yeah, it was so lovely that

458
00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:12,159
Speaker 1: it went. It was so viral, it was so and

459
00:28:12,359 --> 00:28:17,480
Speaker 1: for me, it's representation, you know, visibility, visibility and the

460
00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:22,360
Speaker 1: acceptance that came with it. Was so beautiful, and I

461
00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:25,199
Speaker 1: hope you felt that because so many people are like,

462
00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:30,600
Speaker 1: thank god, we need fucking something to cheer for as

463
00:28:31,119 --> 00:28:34,159
Speaker 1: everything's on fire back at home. It really it was

464
00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:37,720
Speaker 1: a nice moment just to be like, oh love, we

465
00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:38,520
Speaker 1: need more of it.

466
00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:43,720
Speaker 2: Yeah, my heart was full of so much joy and

467
00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:48,000
Speaker 2: love that whole Olympic Games. And it's like, side note,

468
00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:50,880
Speaker 2: could you imagine something like that happening in like the

469
00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:54,680
Speaker 2: nineties or the early two thousands and that being okay, no,

470
00:28:54,760 --> 00:28:57,280
Speaker 2: but like, you know, the fact that how far we

471
00:28:57,400 --> 00:29:01,640
Speaker 2: have come, and you know, there wasn't a moment of

472
00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:04,560
Speaker 2: doubt to like, let's do this, you know, and post

473
00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:06,760
Speaker 2: this in front of the world, and you know, we

474
00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:11,480
Speaker 2: both were flooded with hundreds of messages and then you know,

475
00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:13,640
Speaker 2: as I'm sure you can imagine, you know, we broke

476
00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:16,719
Speaker 2: the internet there for a couple of days. So it

477
00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:20,960
Speaker 2: was just so cool. But yeah, going back, we met

478
00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:23,120
Speaker 2: like we've known each other for a number of years,

479
00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:26,840
Speaker 2: just crossing paths through different Team USA events and over

480
00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:31,200
Speaker 2: the years we've randomly slid into each other's Instagram dms,

481
00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:34,840
Speaker 2: but never you know, I would be in a relationship

482
00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:36,840
Speaker 2: or she would be in a relationship and it just

483
00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:41,440
Speaker 2: never really aligned. But then going into Beijing, I can't

484
00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:44,120
Speaker 2: even remember what she asked me, something like what you know,

485
00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:46,800
Speaker 2: what are you taking? Like, what are you doing in Beijing?

486
00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:50,360
Speaker 2: You know you I think she's like, are you watching

487
00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:53,120
Speaker 2: anything on Netflix? Or playing any games? And I'm like,

488
00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:55,040
Speaker 2: what what is this?

489
00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:59,240
Speaker 1: What is this small talk? What is this? There's something

490
00:29:59,240 --> 00:29:59,800
Speaker 1: else here?

491
00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:02,160
Speaker 2: Yeah, what is this? Like, you know, you don't care

492
00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:05,520
Speaker 2: what you don't care what I'm watching? But no, it

493
00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:08,200
Speaker 2: was funny. And then we just like started texting in

494
00:30:08,360 --> 00:30:14,120
Speaker 2: Beijing and she, you know, COVID times super weird, everybody

495
00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:17,920
Speaker 2: masked up, everyone, you know, scared to death to test positive.

496
00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:20,920
Speaker 2: You test positive, you're you know, essentially kicked out of

497
00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:24,200
Speaker 2: the Olympics. So one day after dinner, she asked, like,

498
00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:25,600
Speaker 2: you want to go on a walk. So that was

499
00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:28,080
Speaker 2: kind of our first date. So we're walking around the

500
00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:32,640
Speaker 2: Olympic village fully masked, you know, distanced and just talking

501
00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:36,000
Speaker 2: and I'm that was kind of the start of honestly

502
00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:39,040
Speaker 2: really getting to know each other at a deep level,

503
00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:43,680
Speaker 2: you know, not having any distractions, kind of living in

504
00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:46,160
Speaker 2: a bubble. We didn't have family, we didn't have friends.

505
00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:48,280
Speaker 2: We didn't have fans, so it was just like us

506
00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:52,480
Speaker 2: stuck in this Olympic village, and you know, late night

507
00:30:52,600 --> 00:30:55,240
Speaker 2: walks became yeah, you want to go to dinner, so

508
00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:59,240
Speaker 2: then really gets romantic. We're going to dinner with plexiglass wall.

509
00:30:59,320 --> 00:30:59,400
Speaker 1: Oh.

510
00:31:01,640 --> 00:31:06,120
Speaker 2: I love it. Yeah, So, I mean it was unique

511
00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:10,200
Speaker 2: to say the least, but we just had this connection

512
00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:16,120
Speaker 2: that was really really strong. And after Beijing, I you know,

513
00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:20,920
Speaker 2: we were inseparable, really and our relationship just really bloomed

514
00:31:20,920 --> 00:31:21,360
Speaker 2: from there.

515
00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:27,040
Speaker 1: I love that. And truthfully, two elite athletes, two intense

516
00:31:27,520 --> 00:31:31,240
Speaker 1: successful careers, like, what makes it work? How do you

517
00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:34,440
Speaker 1: make it work? Because if most people don't realize how

518
00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:38,320
Speaker 1: hectic our lives are and how you know, we're so

519
00:31:38,560 --> 00:31:42,760
Speaker 1: on a schedule and every moment matters and it's just relentless.

520
00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:46,760
Speaker 1: So I'm curious with both of you, how do you

521
00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:47,680
Speaker 1: make it work?

522
00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:51,360
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean with both of our schedules, like the

523
00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:56,120
Speaker 2: chaos of the travel, the competition, the pressure of competing

524
00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:59,200
Speaker 2: at a high level, and all of our schedules, like

525
00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:02,720
Speaker 2: just having each other is our one constant, and the

526
00:32:02,840 --> 00:32:06,120
Speaker 2: fact that we just continue to show up for one another,

527
00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:09,120
Speaker 2: and you know, there's been more times of being a

528
00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:13,920
Speaker 2: part than together. And you know, we realize sometimes we

529
00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:17,400
Speaker 2: get you know, our tunnel vision and our caught up

530
00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:19,480
Speaker 2: in our own thing and our own stress and our

531
00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:22,719
Speaker 2: own pressure. But us both knowing that that is what

532
00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:28,960
Speaker 2: comes with high performance and professional sports really keeps us

533
00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:34,560
Speaker 2: together and really creates a special bond, Like we both

534
00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:37,000
Speaker 2: know what it takes to get to the top to

535
00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:42,120
Speaker 2: stay at the top. So with all that craziness, like

536
00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:46,640
Speaker 2: continuing to choose one another, continuing to show up for

537
00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:50,560
Speaker 2: one another knowing you know what that one is feeling,

538
00:32:51,600 --> 00:32:54,920
Speaker 2: makes for a really strong connection and partnership for sure.

539
00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:59,320
Speaker 1: That's so sweet And there is something powerful about loving

540
00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:03,680
Speaker 1: someone who gets you like fully, they understood what it takes.

541
00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:09,320
Speaker 1: They understood the selfishness. They understood like the intensity of

542
00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:12,160
Speaker 1: choosing yourself a lot of the time to be the

543
00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:15,560
Speaker 1: best version of you as a person, as an athlete

544
00:33:15,600 --> 00:33:18,680
Speaker 1: and as a teammate. And what do you think that

545
00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:24,080
Speaker 1: she understands about you that no one else does based

546
00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:27,920
Speaker 1: on being such exceptional elite athletes.

547
00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:33,040
Speaker 2: God, that's a great question. I don't I mean you

548
00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:36,959
Speaker 2: actually said it, Like understanding like that selfishness and putting

549
00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:41,520
Speaker 2: yourself first in these times. You know, these are unique times.

550
00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:45,120
Speaker 2: These aren't going to last forever. There is an end

551
00:33:45,200 --> 00:33:49,320
Speaker 2: game to this, so really, you know understanding, like I

552
00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:51,800
Speaker 2: have to put myself first here, she has to put

553
00:33:51,840 --> 00:33:58,360
Speaker 2: herself first there. You know, sometimes it requires somewhat of

554
00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:00,800
Speaker 2: a reminder because of course we both have feelings and

555
00:34:00,840 --> 00:34:03,560
Speaker 2: want each other to put one another first all the time.

556
00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:05,560
Speaker 2: But you take a moment and you're like no, like

557
00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:08,160
Speaker 2: you're right, Like I would do the same exact thing

558
00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:12,080
Speaker 2: in this moment. So I think that's really really special.

559
00:34:12,680 --> 00:34:15,040
Speaker 1: It really is. And I want to ask this because

560
00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:18,040
Speaker 1: it's so sweet and I want everyone to hear it.

561
00:34:18,120 --> 00:34:20,960
Speaker 1: Because you know, as we spoke about coming from Florida

562
00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:28,200
Speaker 1: and conservative backgrounds with not much visibility, the younger version

563
00:34:28,239 --> 00:34:30,960
Speaker 1: of you growing up in Florida, if you got to

564
00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:36,440
Speaker 1: watch that viral moment between two women at the Olympic village,

565
00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:37,480
Speaker 1: what would it mean to you?

566
00:34:38,640 --> 00:34:42,439
Speaker 2: It would make me feel seen. It would definitely give

567
00:34:42,560 --> 00:34:48,080
Speaker 2: me the power inside of me that it is okay

568
00:34:48,280 --> 00:34:51,600
Speaker 2: to be me. It is okay to love who I

569
00:34:51,680 --> 00:34:56,000
Speaker 2: want to love, identify how I want to identify. Because

570
00:34:56,440 --> 00:35:00,560
Speaker 2: other people are doing that and they're being accepted and

571
00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:05,600
Speaker 2: loved and praised and honored, and it's a beyond special moment.

572
00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:08,640
Speaker 2: So I think it would just yeah, make me be

573
00:35:08,719 --> 00:35:12,160
Speaker 2: seen and give me the power to step out into

574
00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:13,600
Speaker 2: the world as my true self.

575
00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:17,760
Speaker 1: I love that so sweet and it's so well put,

576
00:35:17,920 --> 00:35:21,839
Speaker 1: and I agree. I think I would have saved And

577
00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:25,319
Speaker 1: this is why I'm so visible about everything I do

578
00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:29,120
Speaker 1: when it comes to my sexuality and my relationships. It

579
00:35:29,160 --> 00:35:31,880
Speaker 1: would have saved me a lot of heartache of trying

580
00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:34,560
Speaker 1: to figure out who I was and resisting it because

581
00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:38,680
Speaker 1: I thought it was wrong. You're right, you say it

582
00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:43,680
Speaker 1: so perfectly. Just to be seen to scene is believing

583
00:35:44,040 --> 00:35:48,359
Speaker 1: and that visual, that visual moment. You know, we didn't

584
00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:51,120
Speaker 1: have social media when we were kids, Like we got

585
00:35:51,120 --> 00:35:54,320
Speaker 1: to see magazines, Sure as hell, not many gay people

586
00:35:54,360 --> 00:35:57,279
Speaker 1: on those magazines. So it's like I was just like,

587
00:35:57,360 --> 00:35:59,680
Speaker 1: why can't I get it right? Why does it feel

588
00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:03,840
Speaker 1: not good? And it just I felt sad, and I

589
00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:07,440
Speaker 1: just think about these young kids who get to see that,

590
00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:10,319
Speaker 1: who get to see that moment. You know, whether it's

591
00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:14,000
Speaker 1: two women, two men, uh, you know, someone who you

592
00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:19,920
Speaker 1: know identifies a person exactly, whatever the fuck is you

593
00:36:20,080 --> 00:36:24,279
Speaker 1: want just to be able to see it and know like, oh,

594
00:36:24,560 --> 00:36:28,279
Speaker 1: I'm not alone, Like, oh I do have community. Oh

595
00:36:28,440 --> 00:36:31,680
Speaker 1: people do move like me or think like me. I

596
00:36:31,760 --> 00:36:35,359
Speaker 1: see myself in them. I can be them. Like there's

597
00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:40,359
Speaker 1: so much that goes into being able to show this

598
00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:44,080
Speaker 1: young generation, not even this young generation, I would even

599
00:36:44,120 --> 00:36:46,959
Speaker 1: say the older generation who's still stuck in the old

600
00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:52,000
Speaker 1: ways that are scared. I'm seeing more women come out

601
00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:55,480
Speaker 1: later in life than I ever have, And I'm just like,

602
00:36:56,280 --> 00:36:58,960
Speaker 1: go on, sister, You've been doing this long enough, like

603
00:36:59,080 --> 00:37:00,400
Speaker 1: drop the rope good.

604
00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:04,279
Speaker 2: Yea, yeah, but I think, yeah, but I think.

605
00:37:04,160 --> 00:37:05,680
Speaker 1: I was just going to say to just kind of

606
00:37:05,719 --> 00:37:11,400
Speaker 1: sum it up. You know, you you now after getting

607
00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:13,960
Speaker 1: proposed to by Hillary, and you know you both have

608
00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:17,360
Speaker 1: been traveling a lot, and you know, going to Saturday

609
00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:20,200
Speaker 1: Night Live and god knows everything else under the sun,

610
00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:27,640
Speaker 1: the oscars really cool things, And do you feel good

611
00:37:27,880 --> 00:37:35,440
Speaker 1: about what's next and rebirth in retirement and walking away

612
00:37:35,560 --> 00:37:39,719
Speaker 1: into this new future with your future wife, Like, I

613
00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:42,080
Speaker 1: want to know how you're feeling and how you're sitting

614
00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:43,920
Speaker 1: with it right now, because I know what it's like

615
00:37:44,000 --> 00:37:48,520
Speaker 1: to retire, and I know it's scary and it's unfamiliar,

616
00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:51,640
Speaker 1: and I want to check in and know like how

617
00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:54,200
Speaker 1: are you, how are you feeling? What, what are we

618
00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:55,120
Speaker 1: what's going on?

619
00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:58,920
Speaker 2: Yeah, thank you for asking me, yause that is a

620
00:37:58,960 --> 00:38:03,200
Speaker 2: real thing. But yeah, just to touch on like some

621
00:38:03,320 --> 00:38:05,680
Speaker 2: of the things Hillary and I have done and her

622
00:38:05,719 --> 00:38:08,560
Speaker 2: being you know on SNL, this, that and the other,

623
00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:12,520
Speaker 2: and to be you know, by her side through those things,

624
00:38:12,560 --> 00:38:14,960
Speaker 2: it's really cool and it just makes like I'm just

625
00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:18,880
Speaker 2: so proud of her and so happy for her that

626
00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:22,200
Speaker 2: she and the other girls are getting, you know, the

627
00:38:22,280 --> 00:38:25,920
Speaker 2: recognition that they deserve, like they are killing it out there,

628
00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:29,000
Speaker 2: and you know, I just you know, know a little

629
00:38:29,040 --> 00:38:32,480
Speaker 2: bit of what Hillary has given back to the sport

630
00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:35,800
Speaker 2: and her you know, playing a huge part and creating

631
00:38:35,840 --> 00:38:39,200
Speaker 2: the professional Women's Hockey League. Like so to be able

632
00:38:39,239 --> 00:38:42,240
Speaker 2: to be in these moments with her has just been

633
00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:45,839
Speaker 2: so incredible and I'm just so proud to stand by

634
00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:48,520
Speaker 2: her and just so happy to be able to see her,

635
00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:53,120
Speaker 2: you know, being acknowledged for these things. So that's been great,

636
00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:55,919
Speaker 2: and you know, I am ready to take the skin

637
00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:59,440
Speaker 2: suit off and be a fan of Hillary and the

638
00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:01,720
Speaker 2: and the women team for as long as she wants

639
00:39:01,719 --> 00:39:06,240
Speaker 2: to play. But just talking about my retirement. I feel

640
00:39:06,960 --> 00:39:11,719
Speaker 2: very content in this moment. After Beijing. I knew, I,

641
00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:14,160
Speaker 2: you know, I wanted to go four more years, but

642
00:39:14,200 --> 00:39:18,200
Speaker 2: I would be ready to be done this time around.

643
00:39:18,440 --> 00:39:22,239
Speaker 2: I feel really blessed that I was able to end

644
00:39:22,480 --> 00:39:25,319
Speaker 2: on my terms when I want to, because I know

645
00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:32,120
Speaker 2: a lot of athletes don't have that, yeah, you know freedom.

646
00:39:32,120 --> 00:39:37,360
Speaker 2: Looking back on this Olympics, finishing fourth place in all

647
00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:40,840
Speaker 2: three of my events, you know, arguably the toughest spot

648
00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:45,040
Speaker 2: to finish in the Olympic Games, I can really really

649
00:39:45,080 --> 00:39:49,360
Speaker 2: say my heart was so full of joy every single

650
00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:51,080
Speaker 2: moment of that games.

651
00:39:51,160 --> 00:39:51,360
Speaker 1: You know.

652
00:39:51,680 --> 00:39:55,040
Speaker 2: Going back to Beijing, I win my first individual medal,

653
00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:59,480
Speaker 2: I felt emptiness. I mean, my family wasn't there, My friends,

654
00:39:59,480 --> 00:40:02,279
Speaker 2: weren't there. All of these awesome people that have been

655
00:40:02,400 --> 00:40:06,000
Speaker 2: such a pivotal part of my journey weren't there. So

656
00:40:06,200 --> 00:40:09,400
Speaker 2: to you know, win this medal, to win, you know,

657
00:40:09,520 --> 00:40:13,200
Speaker 2: accomplish this lifelong dream and to feel a sense of

658
00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:19,279
Speaker 2: emptiness was really really bizarre. So given that I really knew,

659
00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:21,520
Speaker 2: I was like, I want to go four more years,

660
00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:24,959
Speaker 2: and you know, I am like the oldest, I think

661
00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:27,920
Speaker 2: girl out there, and it was going to be tough

662
00:40:27,960 --> 00:40:31,320
Speaker 2: to get onto that podium this time around. But I

663
00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:34,880
Speaker 2: knew I had a chance. I believed in myself, and

664
00:40:34,960 --> 00:40:38,920
Speaker 2: you know, three fourth place finishes devastating, but at the

665
00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:42,920
Speaker 2: same time, looking up seeing my mom, my dad, my sister, Hillary,

666
00:40:43,080 --> 00:40:45,920
Speaker 2: Hillary's whole family, and the stance, I'm like, that's what

667
00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:49,960
Speaker 2: this is all about. And you know, through our whole career,

668
00:40:50,920 --> 00:40:54,320
Speaker 2: you know, as athletes were most of the time defined

669
00:40:54,400 --> 00:40:58,239
Speaker 2: by our wins and our losses. But knowing that this

670
00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:01,239
Speaker 2: was going to be my last quot four years ago,

671
00:41:01,400 --> 00:41:04,840
Speaker 2: being able to kind of reflect on my entire career

672
00:41:05,360 --> 00:41:10,200
Speaker 2: through this last four year process has been a huge blessing.

673
00:41:10,520 --> 00:41:13,640
Speaker 2: And I you know, ending the Olympics, I know, my

674
00:41:14,080 --> 00:41:18,799
Speaker 2: last Olympic event, the fifteen hundred meter, really really emotional.

675
00:41:18,840 --> 00:41:23,560
Speaker 2: And I remember after that race, the men's hockey team

676
00:41:23,640 --> 00:41:26,560
Speaker 2: had their semi final game and I'm on the bus

677
00:41:26,920 --> 00:41:30,080
Speaker 2: back to the village in Hillary text me asking if

678
00:41:30,120 --> 00:41:32,239
Speaker 2: I wanted to go to the men's hockey game with

679
00:41:32,280 --> 00:41:37,080
Speaker 2: her and the team, and my initial response was like, yeah, absolutely,

680
00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:39,000
Speaker 2: let's do it. But I sat there for a second,

681
00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:41,719
Speaker 2: I'm like, you know what, No, I need like this

682
00:41:41,880 --> 00:41:46,200
Speaker 2: moment to myself as I'm sure. You can imagine when

683
00:41:46,200 --> 00:41:48,880
Speaker 2: you know, what's your last time, you're holding in, you know,

684
00:41:49,120 --> 00:41:52,640
Speaker 2: so many emotions because you still have to perform. And

685
00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:56,360
Speaker 2: I just needed a moment to feel all of the things,

686
00:41:56,400 --> 00:42:00,840
Speaker 2: the happiness, you know, the sadness. I just I really

687
00:42:00,840 --> 00:42:03,400
Speaker 2: needed to just go back to my room in the

688
00:42:03,480 --> 00:42:06,520
Speaker 2: village and cry for a little bit. And they were

689
00:42:06,600 --> 00:42:09,680
Speaker 2: tears of sadness, tears of joy, tears of you know,

690
00:42:10,160 --> 00:42:14,680
Speaker 2: you know, thankfulness. So I just needed to pause for

691
00:42:15,120 --> 00:42:19,520
Speaker 2: that evening and have that evening to myself and just

692
00:42:19,600 --> 00:42:23,960
Speaker 2: to think through, you know, the wonderful sixteen years and

693
00:42:24,200 --> 00:42:25,680
Speaker 2: you know, to say you could. Can you do all

694
00:42:25,719 --> 00:42:27,560
Speaker 2: that in one night? Maybe not, but I just I

695
00:42:27,600 --> 00:42:30,280
Speaker 2: didn't want to, you know, keep doing things and pushing

696
00:42:30,360 --> 00:42:33,200
Speaker 2: off these emotions that I was really having to bottle

697
00:42:33,280 --> 00:42:35,280
Speaker 2: in to try to execute a perfect race.

698
00:42:35,680 --> 00:42:38,600
Speaker 1: Yeah, and it's it's so real and it's so raw,

699
00:42:38,680 --> 00:42:44,240
Speaker 1: and I appreciate you being so vulnerable. This is wide open,

700
00:42:44,400 --> 00:42:47,640
Speaker 1: and I'm your host, Ashlyn Harris. Thanks for listening. We'll

701
00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:54,919
Speaker 1: be right back now. That you are stepping into this

702
00:42:55,400 --> 00:42:58,960
Speaker 1: new phase of life and this beautiful new chapter, what

703
00:42:59,120 --> 00:43:02,719
Speaker 1: parts of your identity are you holding on too, and

704
00:43:02,760 --> 00:43:05,520
Speaker 1: what parts are you ready to release to start this

705
00:43:05,600 --> 00:43:06,320
Speaker 1: new chapter?

706
00:43:07,640 --> 00:43:13,480
Speaker 2: Wow, I mean I will forever be like longing for

707
00:43:13,560 --> 00:43:16,759
Speaker 2: this competitive edge. I mean I have been driven to

708
00:43:16,880 --> 00:43:22,400
Speaker 2: be the best for so long. But what is really exciting.

709
00:43:22,480 --> 00:43:25,520
Speaker 2: I've actually I've worked with a hypnotherapist for a number

710
00:43:25,520 --> 00:43:30,319
Speaker 2: of years now, and these last number of years in

711
00:43:30,400 --> 00:43:34,320
Speaker 2: my career, I've become really curious about like this inner

712
00:43:34,360 --> 00:43:37,560
Speaker 2: world and in my mind, you know, where does my

713
00:43:37,680 --> 00:43:43,560
Speaker 2: identity lie? And I know my identity does not sit

714
00:43:43,800 --> 00:43:47,359
Speaker 2: with my results, but at the same time, like that

715
00:43:47,640 --> 00:43:51,120
Speaker 2: is what my identity has been for so many years.

716
00:43:51,160 --> 00:43:54,400
Speaker 2: So to try to work through like that ebb and

717
00:43:54,440 --> 00:43:57,200
Speaker 2: flow of like what is true and what do I believe?

718
00:43:58,320 --> 00:44:01,400
Speaker 2: Trying to you know, explore like what are my fears?

719
00:44:01,440 --> 00:44:07,640
Speaker 2: What are my belief systems? You know, our metals and

720
00:44:07,680 --> 00:44:11,400
Speaker 2: our accomplishments define us in a certain sense. But I

721
00:44:11,440 --> 00:44:14,680
Speaker 2: think the real story of I'm sure you can relate

722
00:44:14,719 --> 00:44:18,200
Speaker 2: to this of our careers is learning how to rebuild

723
00:44:18,280 --> 00:44:22,440
Speaker 2: when things don't go good, Learning how to deal with pressure,

724
00:44:23,040 --> 00:44:26,600
Speaker 2: with shortcomings, failures, learning how to pull yourself out of

725
00:44:26,640 --> 00:44:31,480
Speaker 2: these feelings of self doubt, overcoming obstacles and what I've

726
00:44:31,560 --> 00:44:35,040
Speaker 2: learned in this world of hypnotherapy is it's essentially like

727
00:44:35,560 --> 00:44:41,760
Speaker 2: rewiring your belief at a subconscious level. Our subconscious truly

728
00:44:41,880 --> 00:44:46,480
Speaker 2: shapes our entire belief system. So I am really exciting

729
00:44:46,520 --> 00:44:50,440
Speaker 2: to like dive into this world, and I'm really eager

730
00:44:50,480 --> 00:44:55,760
Speaker 2: to help other high performers strengthen and control the one

731
00:44:55,920 --> 00:44:59,000
Speaker 2: thing that we can all control, and that's how we

732
00:44:59,040 --> 00:45:01,080
Speaker 2: think in the p of our minds.

733
00:45:01,280 --> 00:45:03,800
Speaker 1: I love that, And you're right, there's not enough people

734
00:45:03,920 --> 00:45:07,680
Speaker 1: out there talking about it, you know, mental health Now, yeah,

735
00:45:07,760 --> 00:45:10,640
Speaker 1: people are talking as hard as hell to even access

736
00:45:10,719 --> 00:45:14,200
Speaker 1: Most people can't access a therapist at two hundred dollars

737
00:45:14,239 --> 00:45:18,400
Speaker 1: an hour like that doesn't that doesn't exist. So I

738
00:45:18,880 --> 00:45:22,960
Speaker 1: love that you bring that topic up because it will

739
00:45:23,080 --> 00:45:26,040
Speaker 1: make the transition better. It's not going to make it easy.

740
00:45:26,080 --> 00:45:30,840
Speaker 1: There's nothing about shedding the skin of what you once

741
00:45:30,960 --> 00:45:34,720
Speaker 1: were and starting and new. There's it is a hard

742
00:45:34,840 --> 00:45:37,400
Speaker 1: place to sit at the edge of and I know

743
00:45:37,520 --> 00:45:39,640
Speaker 1: you're sitting in that, but I love to hear you're

744
00:45:39,680 --> 00:45:44,080
Speaker 1: doing the work because it's not easy and you have to.

745
00:45:44,520 --> 00:45:48,000
Speaker 1: You know, in what world do you dedicate your whole

746
00:45:48,040 --> 00:45:51,080
Speaker 1: fucking life to this craft and then at thirty eight

747
00:45:51,120 --> 00:45:54,920
Speaker 1: you walk away and you're like, what's next? What do

748
00:45:55,000 --> 00:45:59,239
Speaker 1: I do? But the mind is a big component and

749
00:45:59,280 --> 00:46:02,800
Speaker 1: not everyone gets it, and it is very very clear

750
00:46:02,960 --> 00:46:05,759
Speaker 1: that you get it. So would do you want this

751
00:46:05,880 --> 00:46:09,920
Speaker 1: to be your next chapter? Like a sports psychologist or

752
00:46:10,520 --> 00:46:14,440
Speaker 1: a mental coach or like what is it that you feel?

753
00:46:14,880 --> 00:46:18,319
Speaker 1: Because you are curious and you are adventurous and you

754
00:46:18,760 --> 00:46:20,560
Speaker 1: are going to go out clearly are going to go

755
00:46:20,600 --> 00:46:24,480
Speaker 1: after whatever it is your mind is set to. I'm curious,

756
00:46:24,520 --> 00:46:28,040
Speaker 1: Like what are you excited about right now? That you've

757
00:46:28,040 --> 00:46:31,279
Speaker 1: got to shed your skin? You're starting anew and the

758
00:46:31,400 --> 00:46:34,640
Speaker 1: possibilities are endless. Yeah.

759
00:46:34,760 --> 00:46:37,720
Speaker 2: So, like I said, I've been working with a mindset

760
00:46:37,760 --> 00:46:41,760
Speaker 2: coach and he specializes in hypnotherapy. His name's Elliott Rowe,

761
00:46:41,800 --> 00:46:46,200
Speaker 2: and he has a team of mindset coaches who use

762
00:46:46,320 --> 00:46:49,680
Speaker 2: hypnotherapy in their practice. In the past couple of years,

763
00:46:49,680 --> 00:46:52,040
Speaker 2: he's been planting the seed because I've done a ton

764
00:46:52,080 --> 00:46:55,840
Speaker 2: of work with him, a ton of sports psychs, psychiatrists,

765
00:46:56,239 --> 00:46:59,440
Speaker 2: and so I've like lived this for so long on

766
00:46:59,560 --> 00:47:01,560
Speaker 2: the app fleet's side, and He's like, if you ever

767
00:47:01,600 --> 00:47:03,200
Speaker 2: want to be, you know, a part of the team,

768
00:47:03,239 --> 00:47:05,120
Speaker 2: I'd love to have you. I'd love to coach you up.

769
00:47:05,160 --> 00:47:08,480
Speaker 2: So this past summer I actually took a six month

770
00:47:08,560 --> 00:47:13,359
Speaker 2: course and got certified in hypnotherapy, and so I am

771
00:47:13,600 --> 00:47:17,719
Speaker 2: really interested in stepping into that world, and not just athletes,

772
00:47:17,760 --> 00:47:22,840
Speaker 2: but any high performer, Like I think so many people

773
00:47:23,120 --> 00:47:27,359
Speaker 2: don't work on the growth between their ears because you

774
00:47:27,400 --> 00:47:31,520
Speaker 2: can't see it growing. It's really really hard to measure.

775
00:47:31,960 --> 00:47:36,600
Speaker 2: And I didn't do a ton of mindset work until

776
00:47:36,880 --> 00:47:40,720
Speaker 2: probably so twenty eighteen, I had a really bad head

777
00:47:40,800 --> 00:47:44,560
Speaker 2: injury that could have taken me out of sport completely.

778
00:47:44,600 --> 00:47:46,920
Speaker 2: It took me out of my sport for a whole year.

779
00:47:47,480 --> 00:47:51,439
Speaker 2: And prior to that, I never had anxiety. I never

780
00:47:51,560 --> 00:47:54,920
Speaker 2: had panic attacks. I was always what I thought like

781
00:47:55,239 --> 00:48:00,359
Speaker 2: very strong minded, and that really stripped me of my

782
00:48:00,840 --> 00:48:06,719
Speaker 2: entire being. I had really nothing. I didn't know who

783
00:48:06,760 --> 00:48:08,839
Speaker 2: I was. I didn't know how to think, like how

784
00:48:08,840 --> 00:48:12,320
Speaker 2: do I overcome this? And at that moment I really

785
00:48:12,360 --> 00:48:15,520
Speaker 2: got a lot of help from different individuals. And then

786
00:48:15,560 --> 00:48:19,200
Speaker 2: when I got back into high performance with skating, I

787
00:48:19,320 --> 00:48:23,319
Speaker 2: found Elliott and being able to tap into like that

788
00:48:23,480 --> 00:48:27,160
Speaker 2: subconscious mind or that part of you that you don't

789
00:48:27,200 --> 00:48:30,920
Speaker 2: even know exists a lot of the times that that

790
00:48:31,160 --> 00:48:34,120
Speaker 2: is the reason that you are the way you are.

791
00:48:34,160 --> 00:48:36,520
Speaker 2: So if you were able to access that and you

792
00:48:36,600 --> 00:48:40,200
Speaker 2: find it for yourself, you're not told, you know, you

793
00:48:40,880 --> 00:48:43,239
Speaker 2: were guided. And when I could find a part of

794
00:48:43,320 --> 00:48:47,480
Speaker 2: me that was, you know, inhibiting me from doing the

795
00:48:47,520 --> 00:48:49,319
Speaker 2: things that I wanted to do and a lot of

796
00:48:49,320 --> 00:48:53,720
Speaker 2: it was fear driven. Yeah, that was just so life

797
00:48:53,800 --> 00:48:56,520
Speaker 2: changing for me that I'm like, I want to be

798
00:48:56,560 --> 00:48:58,880
Speaker 2: able to help people do that. And of course I

799
00:48:58,920 --> 00:49:02,440
Speaker 2: can relate the most athletes. You see so many people

800
00:49:02,920 --> 00:49:05,839
Speaker 2: that you know, you could say buckle under pressure or

801
00:49:05,880 --> 00:49:08,839
Speaker 2: you know, get the yips or whatever. So to have

802
00:49:09,080 --> 00:49:13,520
Speaker 2: lived that and then to explore this mental side of things,

803
00:49:13,600 --> 00:49:16,920
Speaker 2: I really believe that I could be helpful to a

804
00:49:17,000 --> 00:49:20,160
Speaker 2: lot of people. And so that's what excites me.

805
00:49:20,880 --> 00:49:24,200
Speaker 1: I love that. That's incredible and it's it's such a

806
00:49:24,400 --> 00:49:28,080
Speaker 1: cool space to sit in because not enough people do

807
00:49:28,239 --> 00:49:32,080
Speaker 1: it and so many people need it. So the last

808
00:49:32,120 --> 00:49:34,680
Speaker 1: question I want to ask now, and when you really

809
00:49:34,840 --> 00:49:36,879
Speaker 1: zoom out and you look at your life so far,

810
00:49:37,040 --> 00:49:41,360
Speaker 1: you're you know, from Central Florida to Olympic podiums to

811
00:49:41,480 --> 00:49:44,880
Speaker 1: this moment, what are you most proud of that no

812
00:49:44,960 --> 00:49:45,600
Speaker 1: one sees.

813
00:49:46,520 --> 00:49:49,200
Speaker 2: I mean, there are a few things, but the first

814
00:49:49,360 --> 00:49:54,719
Speaker 2: thing that comes to mind is overcoming this head injury

815
00:49:54,840 --> 00:49:57,600
Speaker 2: that some people know about, a lot of people don't.

816
00:49:59,200 --> 00:50:04,800
Speaker 2: But I had, yeah, a concussion that turned into post

817
00:50:04,880 --> 00:50:10,880
Speaker 2: concussion syndrome, panic attacks, anxiety attacks, vertigo attacks, and I

818
00:50:10,960 --> 00:50:15,280
Speaker 2: was also diagnosed with this condition called POTS. And being

819
00:50:15,440 --> 00:50:19,600
Speaker 2: able to work through those things. I mean, there was

820
00:50:19,640 --> 00:50:23,160
Speaker 2: a time where I couldn't get off the couch. My

821
00:50:23,680 --> 00:50:26,319
Speaker 2: heart rate would elevate, my blood pressure would drop, I

822
00:50:26,320 --> 00:50:30,800
Speaker 2: would have a number of fainting episodes. I was scared

823
00:50:30,840 --> 00:50:33,080
Speaker 2: to drive a car. I was scared that I would

824
00:50:33,120 --> 00:50:36,920
Speaker 2: have a vertigo attack. I couldn't walk through a grocery

825
00:50:36,920 --> 00:50:39,960
Speaker 2: store because I would get overwhelmed by the colors and

826
00:50:40,040 --> 00:50:43,400
Speaker 2: the aisles. I wouldn't be able to go to a

827
00:50:43,480 --> 00:50:49,640
Speaker 2: restaurant because just the loud noises would be debilitating to me.

828
00:50:51,400 --> 00:50:56,800
Speaker 2: So the work that I did to not just become

829
00:50:56,960 --> 00:51:02,799
Speaker 2: somebody that could live in society peacefully, but to be

830
00:51:02,880 --> 00:51:05,279
Speaker 2: able to put my skates back on, to be able

831
00:51:05,280 --> 00:51:08,520
Speaker 2: to compete at the highest level, to be able to

832
00:51:08,840 --> 00:51:12,000
Speaker 2: win an Olympic medal. After that, to be able to

833
00:51:12,040 --> 00:51:16,640
Speaker 2: set a world record after that is something I'm really

834
00:51:17,320 --> 00:51:21,799
Speaker 2: really proud of. But then on the same note, I

835
00:51:21,880 --> 00:51:26,399
Speaker 2: must say something that makes me proud that people have

836
00:51:26,600 --> 00:51:30,160
Speaker 2: reminded me of is the way that I've made them feel.

837
00:51:30,320 --> 00:51:35,600
Speaker 2: Like the impact that I've had on so many different people, kids, adults,

838
00:51:35,640 --> 00:51:39,279
Speaker 2: people that I would never think that I would have

839
00:51:39,320 --> 00:51:43,239
Speaker 2: a positive impact on is something I'm really proud of

840
00:51:43,360 --> 00:51:45,239
Speaker 2: because at the end of the day, you know, our

841
00:51:45,600 --> 00:51:50,040
Speaker 2: accomplishments and medals, Yeah, it's cool, but it doesn't matter.

842
00:51:50,320 --> 00:51:54,040
Speaker 2: What really matters to me, and I think to everyone

843
00:51:54,280 --> 00:51:57,279
Speaker 2: is the impact that you have on people and the

844
00:51:57,320 --> 00:52:01,040
Speaker 2: way that people remember you. So to continue to get

845
00:52:01,080 --> 00:52:05,759
Speaker 2: a number of different messages from people like that have

846
00:52:05,880 --> 00:52:09,200
Speaker 2: been very, very touching, and I'm proud that I've been

847
00:52:09,200 --> 00:52:12,200
Speaker 2: able to have such a positive impact to so many people.

848
00:52:12,800 --> 00:52:16,280
Speaker 1: That's beautiful. Thank you, Brittany. And it's the truth. People

849
00:52:16,320 --> 00:52:20,800
Speaker 1: don't people won't remember what you did. People will always

850
00:52:20,880 --> 00:52:24,080
Speaker 1: remember how you made them feel. And you have done

851
00:52:24,120 --> 00:52:29,080
Speaker 1: that at every level, at every turn, every corner. And

852
00:52:30,239 --> 00:52:35,120
Speaker 1: I wish you nothing but the continued success and happiness.

853
00:52:35,239 --> 00:52:39,000
Speaker 1: And thank you for sharing your love story and being

854
00:52:39,120 --> 00:52:43,920
Speaker 1: vulnerable and giving us hope. From at home, and watching

855
00:52:43,960 --> 00:52:48,160
Speaker 1: this journey with both you and Hillary. It's been really

856
00:52:48,280 --> 00:52:53,520
Speaker 1: fun to see from Afar and I know it's helping

857
00:52:53,800 --> 00:52:58,120
Speaker 1: your stories helping so many people. So thank you for

858
00:52:58,200 --> 00:53:01,440
Speaker 1: being here today. Thanks for coming on. I'd open, you

859
00:53:01,600 --> 00:53:05,480
Speaker 1: delivered as always. I'm not surprised. You're so smart, you're

860
00:53:05,560 --> 00:53:09,960
Speaker 1: so articulate. You just seem like a really incredible human

861
00:53:10,560 --> 00:53:13,640
Speaker 1: And I hope where our paths cross. I want to

862
00:53:13,680 --> 00:53:15,160
Speaker 1: hang out, I want to break bread, I want to

863
00:53:15,160 --> 00:53:16,720
Speaker 1: get dinner, I want to do all the things.

864
00:53:17,480 --> 00:53:20,160
Speaker 2: Yes, please, let's do it now. Thanks for having me.

865
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Speaker 2: I really appreciate It's always fun to get to share

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00:53:24,320 --> 00:53:27,160
Speaker 2: different parts of me. And so yeah, thank you for

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00:53:27,280 --> 00:53:30,200
Speaker 2: asking the questions that you did, because yeah, this, these

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00:53:30,280 --> 00:53:34,760
Speaker 2: kind of conversations and sharing these stories are life changing

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00:53:34,920 --> 00:53:36,880
Speaker 2: to people and it's so important.

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00:53:37,480 --> 00:53:41,160
Speaker 1: There you have it, everyone, Brittany, thanks for being Wide Open.

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00:53:41,680 --> 00:53:45,320
Speaker 1: We'll see everyone next time on Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris.

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00:53:46,880 --> 00:53:51,680
Speaker 1: All Right, everyone, what a beautiful conversation with a beautiful person.

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00:53:52,200 --> 00:53:56,520
Speaker 1: There's something really powerful about hearing someone stand at the

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00:53:56,680 --> 00:54:01,120
Speaker 1: edge of who they've been and still chew to walk forward.

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00:54:01,800 --> 00:54:06,960
Speaker 1: Brittany spent her life chasing seconds, chasing perfection, chasing a

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00:54:07,120 --> 00:54:11,839
Speaker 1: vision of excellence that most people will never understand, and

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00:54:11,880 --> 00:54:15,040
Speaker 1: she did that at the highest level. But what stuck

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00:54:15,080 --> 00:54:19,080
Speaker 1: with me more than anything wasn't about what she accomplished,

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00:54:20,080 --> 00:54:23,400
Speaker 1: but who she became along the way. The courage to

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00:54:23,520 --> 00:54:27,160
Speaker 1: pivot when it didn't make sense, the strength to carry

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00:54:27,200 --> 00:54:32,200
Speaker 1: her identity even when it felt complicated, the vulnerability to

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00:54:32,280 --> 00:54:35,640
Speaker 1: love out loud, and the bravery to walk away when

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00:54:35,640 --> 00:54:39,360
Speaker 1: it's time, because the truth is, walking away from something

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00:54:39,400 --> 00:54:42,480
Speaker 1: that defined you might be the hardest win of all.

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00:54:43,440 --> 00:54:47,560
Speaker 1: But Brittany's not done. She's actually not even close. She's

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00:54:47,719 --> 00:54:51,160
Speaker 1: just getting started in a different way. So if this

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00:54:51,320 --> 00:54:55,879
Speaker 1: conversation tells us anything it's that the best chapters don't

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00:54:55,920 --> 00:54:59,840
Speaker 1: come from holding on. They come from having the courage

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00:54:59,840 --> 00:55:04,600
Speaker 1: to to evolve over and over again. I'm Ashlin Harris

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Speaker 1: and this is Wide Open. Wide Open with Ashland Harris

891
00:55:15,800 --> 00:55:19,239
Speaker 1: is an iHeart women's sports production. You can find us

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00:55:19,239 --> 00:55:23,120
Speaker 1: on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get

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00:55:23,120 --> 00:55:28,880
Speaker 1: your podcasts. Our producers are Carmen Borca Correo, Emily Maronoff,

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00:55:29,160 --> 00:55:34,960
Speaker 1: and Lucy Jones. Production assistants from Malia Aguidello. Our Executive

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00:55:35,040 --> 00:55:39,680
Speaker 1: producers are Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rudder. Our

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00:55:39,840 --> 00:55:43,399
Speaker 1: editors are Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder and I'm Your

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00:55:43,400 --> 00:55:51,759
Speaker 1: Host Ashlin Harris