WEBVTT - It’s Not That Serious with Brenna Huckaby 0:00:00.840 --> 0:00:02.960 Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're headed 0:00:03.000 --> 0:00:05.720 home from the epicenter of women's sports in Portland with 0:00:05.840 --> 0:00:09.360 eleventy new badass women's sports friends, a purse full of 0:00:09.400 --> 0:00:12.680 Tillamook cheese, and quads made of jelly from doing a 0:00:12.720 --> 0:00:15.640 workout with performance Coach to the Stars, and last chance 0:00:15.640 --> 0:00:17.959 to fix my spine made a dust. Friend of the show, 0:00:17.960 --> 0:00:22.720 Susan Porchard, y'all, these WNBA player workouts are no joke. 0:00:23.560 --> 0:00:25.799 It's Monday, August twenty fourth, and you'll get a full 0:00:25.800 --> 0:00:29.360 debrief of the Portland trip, the new practice facility, thorns 0:00:29.400 --> 0:00:31.840 and fire games, and so much more later this week. 0:00:32.080 --> 0:00:35.559 But on today's show, five time Paralympic medalist Brenna Hackabee 0:00:35.600 --> 0:00:40.479 joins us, now fully mostly recovered from she weekend in 0:00:40.600 --> 0:00:42.720 Vegas where the two of us got to hang out 0:00:42.720 --> 0:00:45.960 and chop it up, and she is a delight. I 0:00:46.040 --> 0:00:47.800 knew we had to have her on the show, so 0:00:47.840 --> 0:00:49.680 we sat down last week to talk about how she 0:00:49.720 --> 0:00:53.040 became a winter sports athlete despite growing up in Louisiana, 0:00:53.240 --> 0:00:56.440 why she can't help but be outspoken, how she handled 0:00:56.480 --> 0:00:59.480 being a teen mom while keeping her Paralympic dream, alive 0:01:00.000 --> 0:01:03.200 and the important difference between being kind and being nice 0:01:03.760 --> 0:01:08.560 plus double trouble Sanchez shines and Tosh reads them for filth. 0:01:08.959 --> 0:01:19.600 It's all coming up right after this Welcome Back Slays. 0:01:19.680 --> 0:01:24.280 Here's what you need to know today, Starting with tennis. 0:01:24.640 --> 0:01:27.440 While Serena Williams won't be playing in the singles tournament 0:01:27.440 --> 0:01:29.720 in the upcoming US Open in New York, she is 0:01:29.800 --> 0:01:32.120 teaming up with one of the biggest stars in the game, 0:01:32.440 --> 0:01:36.039 seven time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcarez, to form a 0:01:36.080 --> 0:01:39.600 formidable mixed doubles duo. The mixed doubles' main draw begins 0:01:39.640 --> 0:01:42.759 on Tuesday, with the winning team sharing a million dollars. 0:01:43.400 --> 0:01:46.160 Speaking of scrilla, it's been announced that the US Open 0:01:46.200 --> 0:01:49.160 will offer the biggest prize pool in Grand Slam history, 0:01:49.360 --> 0:01:52.000 with a total of one hundred eight million dollars handed 0:01:52.040 --> 0:01:54.960 out across the tournament. That's a twenty percent increase from 0:01:55.080 --> 0:01:57.840 last year, and the singles champions will take home five 0:01:57.880 --> 0:02:00.600 and a half million each, a ten percent increased from 0:02:00.680 --> 0:02:03.520 last year. You remember, the world's best players have been 0:02:03.560 --> 0:02:06.240 asking for a higher revenue share at the major tournaments, 0:02:06.480 --> 0:02:08.840 and when it hasn't come through at other Slams, some 0:02:08.880 --> 0:02:11.800 athletes have chosen to limit their media appearances as a 0:02:11.840 --> 0:02:15.400 form of protest, per The Guardian, after this prize pool 0:02:15.440 --> 0:02:18.239 was announced, top players have promised not to continue those 0:02:18.240 --> 0:02:22.200 protests at the Open. More Tennis, the four tennis Grand 0:02:22.200 --> 0:02:24.920 Slams have announced the creation of a Grand Slam Player 0:02:24.960 --> 0:02:29.160 Advisory Council to service the forum for direct communication, feedback 0:02:29.240 --> 0:02:32.800 and collaboration between the Grand Slams and players. According to 0:02:32.840 --> 0:02:35.680 a press release, the council will launch after the upcoming 0:02:35.800 --> 0:02:38.160 US Open and players will be able to apply to 0:02:38.200 --> 0:02:41.040 take part. It's unclear how those players will be chosen 0:02:41.120 --> 0:02:43.680 or how many will be selected, but one can expect 0:02:43.680 --> 0:02:45.920 that the players who have been more vocal in advocating 0:02:45.960 --> 0:02:49.880 for increased revenue share this year, like US pro Jessica Pagula, 0:02:50.000 --> 0:02:53.200 will be interested in applying to soccer and a new 0:02:53.240 --> 0:02:57.360 Golden Boot. Leader Ashley Sanchez tallied twice on Saturday, including 0:02:57.360 --> 0:02:59.639 a penalty kick in the seventeenth minute of second half 0:02:59.639 --> 0:03:02.520 stop time, and the North Carolina Courage defeated the Boston 0:03:02.600 --> 0:03:06.079 Legacy two to one. Sanchez's penalty strike was the latest 0:03:06.120 --> 0:03:09.679 goal in NWSL regular season history, and with her pair 0:03:09.720 --> 0:03:12.040 of goals. The Courage Star took the lead in the 0:03:12.120 --> 0:03:15.799 race for the NWSL Golden Boot heading into Sunday's contests. 0:03:15.919 --> 0:03:18.399 The Golden Boot is awarded annually to the highest goal 0:03:18.440 --> 0:03:22.600 scorer in the regular season. Also Saturday, Sophia Wilson scored 0:03:22.639 --> 0:03:25.160 her tenth goal of the season and the Portland Thorns 0:03:25.160 --> 0:03:28.720 best at the Denver Summit One. Nil Thorn's legend Tobin Heath, 0:03:28.800 --> 0:03:31.519 was honored before the game. She'd signed a one day 0:03:31.560 --> 0:03:34.080 contract to retire with the Portland team she helped to 0:03:34.120 --> 0:03:38.440 two NWSL titles. The Portland Cherrybombs mascot Mary T. Cherry 0:03:38.560 --> 0:03:42.080 was at that game and I'm miss her. Y'all gotted 0:03:42.520 --> 0:03:45.160 lots more in the game, Experience and Portland later this 0:03:45.240 --> 0:03:49.080 week more NWSL and news last week that the San 0:03:49.160 --> 0:03:52.400 Jose Earthquakes have hired Gavin Wilkinson as a consultant through 0:03:52.440 --> 0:03:55.560 the end of the season. Wilkinson's long tenure as GM 0:03:55.600 --> 0:03:58.200 and president of soccer for the Portland Timbers and Portland 0:03:58.240 --> 0:04:01.160 Thorns ended with his fire when he was named in 0:04:01.160 --> 0:04:04.240 the Yates Report. He recommended head coach Paul Riley to 0:04:04.280 --> 0:04:08.400 another NWSL team, despite having recently dismissed him for cause 0:04:08.720 --> 0:04:12.200 due to sexual coercion of multiple Thorn's players. Wilkinson was 0:04:12.200 --> 0:04:16.080 also implicated in the Timbers failure to report domestic violence allegations. 0:04:16.600 --> 0:04:19.960 BAFC has denounced the hiring, telling USA Today Sports in 0:04:20.000 --> 0:04:23.919 a statement quote, as an organization committed to building a safe, inclusive, 0:04:23.920 --> 0:04:27.280 and respectful environment, we believe the actions in history associated 0:04:27.279 --> 0:04:30.640 with Wilkinson's time in professional soccer are inconsistent with the 0:04:30.680 --> 0:04:33.359 standards we hold for those entrusted to lead in our sport. 0:04:33.800 --> 0:04:36.919 We stand with the players, survivors, and advocates who have 0:04:36.960 --> 0:04:40.279 worked tirelessly to make soccer a safer and more inclusive place, 0:04:40.520 --> 0:04:42.800 and we will continue to put the safety, dignity, and 0:04:42.839 --> 0:04:46.159 well being of our players in our community first enquote. 0:04:46.480 --> 0:04:49.480 The Earthquakes and BFC are not affiliated, but they share 0:04:49.520 --> 0:04:53.200 a stadium to the WNBA, where Angel rescored a career 0:04:53.240 --> 0:04:56.080 high thirty one points and added fourteen rebounds for her 0:04:56.120 --> 0:04:59.080 twenty fifth double double of the season, leading the Atlanta 0:04:59.120 --> 0:05:02.240 Dream past the Phoenix Mercury ninety nine eighty nine Saturday night. 0:05:02.600 --> 0:05:04.840 The wins secured a playoff berth for the Dream, who 0:05:04.880 --> 0:05:07.880 have won five of their last six games. The loss 0:05:08.040 --> 0:05:12.440 ended the Mercury's postseason chances. Out at Barclay Center on Saturday, 0:05:12.440 --> 0:05:14.640 the New York Liberty topped the Indiana Fever one oh 0:05:14.680 --> 0:05:16.800 nine to one oh two behind twenty two points from 0:05:16.839 --> 0:05:21.000 Brianna Stewart. Kelsey Mitchell extended her WNBA record twenty plus 0:05:21.000 --> 0:05:24.200 points scoring streak to twenty two games, finishing with a 0:05:24.200 --> 0:05:26.919 game high twenty five points in the Fever's losing effort. 0:05:27.160 --> 0:05:29.760 The Liberty are still pushing for a playoff spot, while 0:05:29.760 --> 0:05:32.320 the Fever secured a postseason birth on Friday when the 0:05:32.360 --> 0:05:36.560 Portland Fires loss ended any reasonable path for Indiana getting caught. 0:05:36.880 --> 0:05:39.880 Speaking of playoff chances, the Toronto Tempo's loss to the 0:05:39.920 --> 0:05:43.719 Washington Mystics on Wednesday officially eliminated them from playoff contention 0:05:43.839 --> 0:05:48.120 in their inaugural season, ending head coach Sandy Brondelo's WNBA 0:05:48.200 --> 0:05:51.279 record playoff streak. Her teams had made the postseason in 0:05:51.360 --> 0:05:54.320 each of her first thirteen seasons as a head coach. 0:05:55.160 --> 0:05:58.680 More WNBA and the return of the dildos, you might 0:05:58.680 --> 0:06:01.400 remember last July, second toys were thrown onto the court 0:06:01.480 --> 0:06:05.120 during six w games. Two men were ultimately arrested and 0:06:05.160 --> 0:06:07.080 the acts were revealed to be in connection with a 0:06:07.120 --> 0:06:11.719 cryptocurrency scheme. Well mean green, as sid Colson put it 0:06:11.800 --> 0:06:15.120 last year, is back. On Thursday, someone tossed a green 0:06:15.160 --> 0:06:17.480 sex toy onto the court during the Sparks Dream Game 0:06:17.560 --> 0:06:20.480 in LA, and the next night in Chicago, multiple sex 0:06:20.520 --> 0:06:22.520 toys were thrown, at least one of them landing on 0:06:22.560 --> 0:06:24.880 the court during the Sky's seventy three to seventy win 0:06:24.920 --> 0:06:27.600 over the Golden State Valkyries. Now, by the way, if 0:06:27.640 --> 0:06:30.120 you heard about the dil dos but not Sidney Taylor's 0:06:30.160 --> 0:06:33.159 sick game winning three pointer, please check the show notes 0:06:33.200 --> 0:06:36.760 for the video. The Sky's undrafted rookie sensation is putting 0:06:36.800 --> 0:06:40.520 on a show this season anyway. Per the Athletic, the 0:06:40.560 --> 0:06:44.840 individual in LA was arrested and indefinitely banned from all WNBA, 0:06:45.080 --> 0:06:48.760 NBA and affiliated league games and events. As for the 0:06:48.800 --> 0:06:53.839 culprit or culprits in Chicago, investigations are underway. After that game, 0:06:53.920 --> 0:06:56.440 Natasha Cloud took a moment to speak to the return 0:06:56.520 --> 0:06:59.080 of these incidents. Take a listen, y'all. 0:06:59.160 --> 0:07:03.080 Lame is sorry, Mama. I just in most of these 0:07:03.680 --> 0:07:07.480 occasions it's men, and I want you to know. That 0:07:07.560 --> 0:07:09.960 is the gayest thing that you can do is to 0:07:10.040 --> 0:07:13.239 go to a store, a sex shop, buy a dildo, 0:07:13.480 --> 0:07:16.160 come to a woman's game, to throw the dildo on 0:07:16.200 --> 0:07:16.559 the court. 0:07:16.600 --> 0:07:18.400 That is the gayest shit that I've ever heard. 0:07:18.480 --> 0:07:22.960 So I'm a firm believer, and anyone that has so 0:07:23.120 --> 0:07:27.880 much problem with a certain marginalized group just come out 0:07:28.040 --> 0:07:30.040 and say that you're a part of our marginalized group, 0:07:30.040 --> 0:07:34.200 because that hate is unwarranted, it's not factual, and it 0:07:34.320 --> 0:07:38.120 says more about the internal struggles of that individual than 0:07:38.200 --> 0:07:40.880 it ever will say about the collective group the men 0:07:40.920 --> 0:07:43.880 that are throwing it, But also shows that you are weak, 0:07:44.600 --> 0:07:47.480 like extremely weak, and it says a lot about how 0:07:47.520 --> 0:07:48.320 you feel about women. 0:07:48.880 --> 0:07:51.120 Oh one last word from Cloud. 0:07:51.440 --> 0:07:56.600 And Green, like get your skin color, my man, Sorry, 0:07:57.000 --> 0:07:58.720 thank you for asking, and that I've been waiting for 0:07:58.760 --> 0:08:01.120 this question. Y'all weird? 0:08:02.320 --> 0:08:02.600 All right? 0:08:02.640 --> 0:08:04.760 This was well, Like it says dildo on their credit card, 0:08:04.920 --> 0:08:07.360 Like they have to go through their financial advisor and 0:08:07.400 --> 0:08:10.559 be like, what's this green dildo? Are you good? 0:08:10.640 --> 0:08:13.880 Chad? You good? Richard? Are you good? 0:08:13.920 --> 0:08:14.200 Paul? 0:08:15.280 --> 0:08:17.480 Because it also is a certain demographic. 0:08:17.040 --> 0:08:21.360 Y'all cool? Are y'all cool? Now, this is obviously not 0:08:21.520 --> 0:08:23.679 the kind of hoops and gay shit we like talking about. 0:08:23.720 --> 0:08:26.560 And whether the men doing this are dealing with internalized 0:08:26.600 --> 0:08:30.720 homophobia or hatred of women. They're back on some crypto 0:08:30.760 --> 0:08:34.360 scheme bullshit, We're making bets on some prediction market. This 0:08:34.440 --> 0:08:39.720 shit's exhausting still more. WNBA News ownership of the Minnesota 0:08:39.720 --> 0:08:43.720 Links and Minnesota Timberwolves is changing once again. Former minority 0:08:43.760 --> 0:08:46.680 owner Mark Stad, a tech founder and investor, is taking 0:08:46.760 --> 0:08:49.960 over controlling ownership after purchasing a majority stake from Mark 0:08:50.040 --> 0:08:53.160 lore Laura will take a step back. Stad and Alex 0:08:53.280 --> 0:08:55.760 Rodriguez will work side by side on day to day 0:08:55.840 --> 0:08:59.079 leadership of the teams. This is the second major ownership 0:08:59.080 --> 0:09:00.640 ship for the teams and in the last year and 0:09:00.679 --> 0:09:03.880 a half, as Lauren Rodriguez joined the franchise as limited 0:09:03.880 --> 0:09:06.400 partners in twenty twenty one, but didn't officially take full 0:09:06.440 --> 0:09:09.480 control until June of last year. The Links have won 0:09:09.600 --> 0:09:13.360 sixteen of their last seventeen games. They sit comfortably atop 0:09:13.400 --> 0:09:17.360 the WNBA standings to baseball and another home run for 0:09:17.480 --> 0:09:20.280 Kelsey Whitmore, the friend of the show and star two 0:09:20.280 --> 0:09:22.760 way player for the San Francisco Fire, Bells notched another 0:09:22.840 --> 0:09:24.880 long ball in her team's twelve five went over the 0:09:24.880 --> 0:09:28.200 Boston Hunters on Saturday. Whitmore is tied for the league's 0:09:28.200 --> 0:09:32.400 home run lead with New York's Dene Benitez Aka Danita Benita. 0:09:32.720 --> 0:09:35.720 Both have eight on the season. Heading into Sunday's action, 0:09:35.760 --> 0:09:38.440 Whitmore's fire Bells sat atop the league standings at six 0:09:38.480 --> 0:09:40.920 and four. We're now in the final two weeks of 0:09:40.960 --> 0:09:45.960 the wpbl's inaugural regular season playoffs begin September ninth. Finally, 0:09:46.040 --> 0:09:48.920 to the Track and an update on Olympian Jenny Simpson. 0:09:49.280 --> 0:09:51.720 We told you a couple months ago that on June sixteenth, 0:09:51.800 --> 0:09:54.680 Simpson went into sudden cardiac arrest while taking part in 0:09:54.679 --> 0:09:57.800 a community running event. She's been recovering ever since, and 0:09:57.920 --> 0:10:00.640 last week she shared an update on Instagram, saying that 0:10:00.760 --> 0:10:03.080 after that event at the track, her heart continued to 0:10:03.120 --> 0:10:06.920 fail at the hospital, but miraculously, within days her heart 0:10:06.960 --> 0:10:08.800 and lungs were strong enough to work on their own. 0:10:09.120 --> 0:10:13.800 Simpson was ultimately diagnosed with a rhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, 0:10:14.120 --> 0:10:17.680 a rare inherited heart condition, writing that the diagnosis quote 0:10:17.720 --> 0:10:20.000 means it would be dangerous for me to return to running. 0:10:20.400 --> 0:10:24.360 That chapter has ended, thankfully, my story hasn't end. Quote. 0:10:24.720 --> 0:10:27.400 Simpson was a mainstay of the US and international track 0:10:27.440 --> 0:10:29.840 scene for well over a decade, and she reflected on 0:10:29.840 --> 0:10:31.600 her career in the post. We'll put a link in 0:10:31.600 --> 0:10:33.280 the show notes if you want to read the whole thing. 0:10:33.520 --> 0:10:36.200 We're wishing her all the best as she continues to recover. 0:10:38.280 --> 0:10:40.680 We're going to take a break slices when we come back. 0:10:40.760 --> 0:10:52.280 My conversation with the lovely Brenna Huckabee joining us now. 0:10:52.320 --> 0:10:55.320 She's a five time Paralympic medalist, winning gold in bank 0:10:55.360 --> 0:10:57.840 slalom in twenty eighteen and twenty twenty two and bronze 0:10:57.840 --> 0:11:00.280 in twenty twenty six, and in snowboard cross she won 0:11:00.360 --> 0:11:02.600 gold in twenty eighteen and bronze in twenty twenty two. 0:11:02.880 --> 0:11:05.959 A gymnast as a kid, she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, 0:11:06.320 --> 0:11:08.719 a rare bone cancer, and had her right leg amputated 0:11:08.720 --> 0:11:12.680 at age fourteen, discovering snowboarding soon after, the first Paralympian 0:11:12.720 --> 0:11:15.520 to appear the SI Swimsuit issue. An SB Award winner, 0:11:15.559 --> 0:11:18.760 mom of two girls and a kitty, she loves sewing, gardening, 0:11:18.800 --> 0:11:21.080 biking and glitter. It's Brenna Huckabee. 0:11:21.200 --> 0:11:23.760 Hi Brenna, Hi, thanks for having me. 0:11:24.200 --> 0:11:26.360 Well, thanks for coming on. I'm so excited because you 0:11:26.400 --> 0:11:28.760 were supposed to come on during the Paralympics and we 0:11:28.840 --> 0:11:30.760 just didn't have time because you were too busy competing 0:11:30.800 --> 0:11:34.200 and winning and being popular. So we get to talk now, 0:11:34.240 --> 0:11:36.280 and now we actually got to hang out in Vegas 0:11:36.280 --> 0:11:38.520 together before this, so it'll be all the more fun. 0:11:39.080 --> 0:11:40.880 Are you fully recovered from she Weekened? 0:11:41.200 --> 0:11:44.160 Yes? Barely. It felt like it took a minute. 0:11:44.280 --> 0:11:47.440 Yeah. Maybe physically, maybe not mentally. Maybe we'll never recover 0:11:47.559 --> 0:11:49.440 from from the joys of she Weakened. 0:11:49.640 --> 0:11:51.480 No, I think I need to, like, maybe we just 0:11:51.480 --> 0:11:53.840 have to do it again, Like yes, maybe it's just 0:11:54.080 --> 0:11:57.719 we just need to keep experiencing it and then maybe 0:11:57.840 --> 0:12:00.640 one day we'll recover from it. But there's only one 0:12:00.640 --> 0:12:02.280 way to know, run it back. 0:12:02.520 --> 0:12:04.319 It's like if you never stopped drinking, you can't be 0:12:04.400 --> 0:12:07.199 hungover exactly. 0:12:07.200 --> 0:12:09.400 I literally see no downsides. 0:12:09.400 --> 0:12:12.280 Except for the whole competing as a Paralympian and making 0:12:12.600 --> 0:12:14.760 you know, making a career and winning more medals. Let's 0:12:14.800 --> 0:12:16.120 go back to the beginning. I want to talk about 0:12:16.120 --> 0:12:18.240 the start of your snowboard career. Tell us about getting 0:12:18.240 --> 0:12:19.080 started in sport. 0:12:19.320 --> 0:12:22.840 Yeah, so I grew up in Batner's, Louisiana as a gymnast, 0:12:23.040 --> 0:12:26.960 so snowboarding was never on my radar. I like have 0:12:27.120 --> 0:12:30.600 one memory of watching it on TV. I was watching 0:12:30.640 --> 0:12:33.080 the Olympics at some point, and then I have another 0:12:33.120 --> 0:12:37.760 memory of always playing this snowboard like Xbox game. It 0:12:37.840 --> 0:12:40.760 was actually Snowboard Cross, which is my sport now, and 0:12:40.840 --> 0:12:43.160 I loved that game. So those are like the only 0:12:43.240 --> 0:12:46.559 experiences with snowboarding that I had most of my childhood. 0:12:46.600 --> 0:12:50.320 And then after I was diagnosed with ostio star cooma 0:12:50.320 --> 0:12:56.040 bone cancer, my whole identity and life completely shifted and changed, 0:12:56.080 --> 0:13:00.680 and I went from being this you know, athlete gymnast 0:13:00.760 --> 0:13:05.559 with these plans of college and scholarship to someone that 0:13:05.600 --> 0:13:10.080 I did not recognize at all. And my hospital sent 0:13:10.120 --> 0:13:13.600 me on a rehabilitation ski trip. Their whole idea was 0:13:14.280 --> 0:13:19.040 if they could take kids who lost mobility from cancer skiing, 0:13:20.040 --> 0:13:22.640 then when they got home and had to do like 0:13:22.760 --> 0:13:26.520 everyday things, it would be easier because they did something 0:13:26.559 --> 0:13:29.960 that was just objectively difficult. Skiing is just objectively hard. 0:13:30.760 --> 0:13:32.480 So when they got home, they could do the things 0:13:32.480 --> 0:13:35.000 that felt so hard, and so I went on that trip. 0:13:35.559 --> 0:13:39.520 I begged and pleaded to let them let me snowboard 0:13:39.760 --> 0:13:43.600 because one I thought it looked cooler, and two it 0:13:43.600 --> 0:13:45.840 reminded me of a balance beam and like, I would 0:13:45.880 --> 0:13:48.640 have done anything to have my life back at that moment. 0:13:49.080 --> 0:13:51.840 And they didn't want me to snowboard because as an 0:13:51.880 --> 0:13:58.000 above anyputee and especially this was like twenty eleven at 0:13:58.040 --> 0:14:00.160 the time, there were like hardly any above than the 0:14:00.240 --> 0:14:02.600 AMPT snowboarding, so they thought it was too dangerous. They 0:14:02.600 --> 0:14:04.160 were like, nope, it's too dangerous for you to be 0:14:04.160 --> 0:14:06.199 on a snowboard. And I'm like, please, like I can 0:14:06.280 --> 0:14:10.600 handle it, and so I begged. I was insufferable, but 0:14:10.640 --> 0:14:12.760 they finally let me do it, and I fall in 0:14:12.760 --> 0:14:13.440 love immediately. 0:14:13.920 --> 0:14:15.840 We're going to talk about you advocating for yourself because 0:14:15.840 --> 0:14:17.960 it seems to be a theme, but very quickly X 0:14:18.000 --> 0:14:20.840 Game Snowcross in case you have ever played the actual 0:14:20.920 --> 0:14:22.880 version in an arcade where you sit on a thing 0:14:23.360 --> 0:14:26.160 and do it, that is my voice for the video game. 0:14:26.400 --> 0:14:29.000 So if you ever come across the sit on the 0:14:29.000 --> 0:14:33.040 snowmobile thing Snowboard X Cross, that is me saying good trick, 0:14:33.200 --> 0:14:33.760 Wait to go. 0:14:34.600 --> 0:14:35.400 That's awesome. 0:14:35.680 --> 0:14:38.360 Yeah. Okay, so let's talk about the advocacy, because your 0:14:38.360 --> 0:14:41.200 incredible haul of medals is way more impressive when one 0:14:41.240 --> 0:14:44.400 realizes that you had to fight to be able to 0:14:44.480 --> 0:14:46.840 get those medals, not just to win them, but to 0:14:46.920 --> 0:14:50.200 actually compete. So tell me about the IPC cutting the 0:14:50.200 --> 0:14:52.520 above the knee amputee events that you want in Pyeongchang 0:14:52.640 --> 0:14:54.520 and your fight to be able to compete in metal 0:14:54.520 --> 0:14:57.800 events that were initially limited only to less impaired athletes. 0:14:58.120 --> 0:15:01.200 Yeah. So the Paralympics are in resting space. Like the 0:15:01.240 --> 0:15:04.840 whole idea is to have equal or equitable sports as 0:15:04.840 --> 0:15:07.560 best as we can. You know, there's not as many 0:15:07.720 --> 0:15:10.800 athletes that are disabled doing sports at this level, so 0:15:10.840 --> 0:15:12.640 there is a smaller field than you would see at 0:15:12.640 --> 0:15:16.280 the Olympics. There are just some unique rules, I mean 0:15:16.400 --> 0:15:20.240 in guidelines that the IPC has to follow. One of 0:15:20.320 --> 0:15:23.280 them is there needs to be a certain amount of 0:15:23.360 --> 0:15:28.160 athletes from a certain amount of countries competing throughout the 0:15:28.200 --> 0:15:33.120 World Cup and World Championship seasons to justify having those 0:15:33.160 --> 0:15:37.440 categories in those sports at the Paralympic Games. So with 0:15:37.600 --> 0:15:40.920 that said, in twenty eighteen, we had a lot of 0:15:40.960 --> 0:15:46.080 women retire, especially in my category, the L one category, 0:15:46.120 --> 0:15:49.720 which is above the nemputee or something similar double below 0:15:49.720 --> 0:15:52.000 the amputees or in that category, and a couple other 0:15:52.080 --> 0:15:57.520 neurological disabilities. Because of this, the IPC said we didn't 0:15:57.560 --> 0:15:59.920 have enough women to compete in our own separate CAUs 0:16:00.000 --> 0:16:04.160 category at the twenty twenty two Paralympic Games. However, during 0:16:04.160 --> 0:16:07.600 this time, myself and another athletes is still Hernandez, who 0:16:07.640 --> 0:16:10.440 is in my category. We were competing on the World's 0:16:10.440 --> 0:16:14.400 Cup circuit in the other category, the LL two category, 0:16:14.920 --> 0:16:21.200 because us being there is not taking anything away from 0:16:21.360 --> 0:16:24.840 these less impaired athletes. If anything, we're helping the field 0:16:24.840 --> 0:16:29.680 because there's more women. Unfortunately, when the Qualification Guide, which 0:16:29.720 --> 0:16:32.120 is basically the rules for the Paralympic Games, came out, 0:16:32.680 --> 0:16:35.880 the rule stated that myself and Cecil and any other 0:16:36.040 --> 0:16:38.920 L one that could could show up that season would 0:16:38.960 --> 0:16:43.200 not be eligible to compete anywhere not combined, like could 0:16:43.240 --> 0:16:47.320 not compete. And when I heard this, I was confused, 0:16:47.360 --> 0:16:51.960 because like, why can I compete everywhere else except for 0:16:52.200 --> 0:16:55.520 this one stage that ultimately matters because it's the only 0:16:55.560 --> 0:16:57.920 time that we get visibility. It's the only time that 0:16:57.960 --> 0:17:00.320 you can make any money from the games, seat only 0:17:00.360 --> 0:17:02.800 time people want to partner with you. So I'm like, 0:17:02.960 --> 0:17:05.720 this is crazy. Why is it the way that this is? 0:17:05.800 --> 0:17:08.959 And I could not get a single answer as to 0:17:09.080 --> 0:17:12.520 why I was myself an l one was ineligible to compete. 0:17:12.640 --> 0:17:15.320 Yeah, because like track and field and swimming, athletes are 0:17:15.400 --> 0:17:17.919 often able to compete in the more able classification if 0:17:17.920 --> 0:17:20.320 their classification isn't available exactly. 0:17:20.640 --> 0:17:23.320 I also equate it to like wrestling sports, right, it's 0:17:23.400 --> 0:17:27.080 like a weight class, but it's disability, Like why again, 0:17:27.200 --> 0:17:30.119 not taking anything away, and like you said, it happens 0:17:30.160 --> 0:17:33.000 in other paras sports. So that was one of the 0:17:33.320 --> 0:17:36.280 arguments that we made. But I found a lawyer, ended 0:17:36.320 --> 0:17:40.879 up having to hire a German lawyer, and we sued 0:17:40.920 --> 0:17:45.560 the IPC on the basis of disability discrimination. Like they 0:17:45.560 --> 0:17:47.840 could not give me a reason why I couldn't compete, 0:17:47.880 --> 0:17:51.160 so the only logical reason was I was too disabled. 0:17:51.720 --> 0:17:56.600 That's discrimination. So we won. We won the case, we 0:17:56.600 --> 0:18:01.399 were eligible to compete, and at that games, Cecile, my 0:18:01.520 --> 0:18:04.240 other l one counterpart, won a gold medal and so 0:18:04.320 --> 0:18:06.400 did I. So it was really amazing poetic. 0:18:06.760 --> 0:18:09.560 Yeah, is there any chance that they thought your prosthetic 0:18:09.680 --> 0:18:10.879 might be an advantage? 0:18:11.240 --> 0:18:13.479 No? No, And if you look at the data, you 0:18:13.520 --> 0:18:16.240 can tell that, like truly, I mean you can look 0:18:16.280 --> 0:18:18.480 at the men's data, the women's data, we are at 0:18:18.480 --> 0:18:19.240 a disadvantage. 0:18:19.480 --> 0:18:22.320 Yeah. Well, it's badass that you fought for it, and 0:18:22.359 --> 0:18:24.439 badass that you made it worth fighting for. I mean, 0:18:24.440 --> 0:18:25.919 it would have been worth fighting for just to be 0:18:26.000 --> 0:18:29.159 able to compete, but to win is pretty awesome. You 0:18:29.440 --> 0:18:31.399 said in an old interview that I read with you 0:18:31.600 --> 0:18:35.199 that you can sometimes be quote too outspoken. Now I 0:18:35.359 --> 0:18:38.600 say no such thing, but I mean people in my 0:18:38.640 --> 0:18:41.520 life would disagree. What do you mean when you say 0:18:41.560 --> 0:18:43.280 that you're too outspoken sometimes? 0:18:43.520 --> 0:18:45.520 I mean, I guess, like if you're just comparing it 0:18:45.560 --> 0:18:48.919 to like the whole or like the majority of people. 0:18:49.040 --> 0:18:51.480 But I'm definitely someone that if I see something wrong, 0:18:51.480 --> 0:18:55.640 I'm gonna say, hey, that's wrong, or like why are 0:18:55.680 --> 0:18:58.480 we doing that? Or there's God Like, I'm just someone 0:18:58.480 --> 0:19:02.159 that's gonna speak up, which does, unfortunately get you in 0:19:02.160 --> 0:19:05.560 a lot of trouble. But also that's how change is 0:19:05.640 --> 0:19:08.200 made and that's how things get better. So as hard 0:19:08.200 --> 0:19:10.400 as it is like, I know that it's necessary. 0:19:10.560 --> 0:19:13.000 Yeah, I mean I feel the same way, And like, 0:19:13.119 --> 0:19:15.640 if you're built to be someone who can be outspoken 0:19:15.640 --> 0:19:18.520 about things and take the sometimes negative responses to them, 0:19:18.520 --> 0:19:20.639 I think it's basically your duty to speak up for 0:19:20.720 --> 0:19:24.439 people who are either less capable or are saddled with 0:19:24.520 --> 0:19:26.760 more things that make it hard for them to speak up. 0:19:27.000 --> 0:19:28.520 I feel that way a lot about being like a 0:19:28.600 --> 0:19:31.840 cis white, straight, able bodied person, like I don't have 0:19:31.880 --> 0:19:34.200 a lot of barriers, so I should be out front, 0:19:34.280 --> 0:19:36.840 like fighting the battles that I can because I'm strong 0:19:36.960 --> 0:19:39.399 enough to do so and can handle it. And I 0:19:39.440 --> 0:19:41.800 was so impressed by what you said about the White 0:19:41.800 --> 0:19:45.000 House visit recently. Part of the reason she weekend happened 0:19:45.080 --> 0:19:47.720 is because the US women's hockey team wasn't really invited 0:19:48.200 --> 0:19:51.800 correctly to the White House or at all really, and 0:19:52.119 --> 0:19:55.720 so the invite recently came for the twenty twenty six 0:19:55.760 --> 0:19:58.960 Olympic and Paralympic team to be honored. I guess is 0:19:58.960 --> 0:20:01.320 what you would call it you weren't in attendance. You wrote, 0:20:01.320 --> 0:20:03.080 it's a shame such an honor as tainted because of 0:20:03.119 --> 0:20:05.479 the administration in office. And I could not stomach endorsing 0:20:05.520 --> 0:20:08.280 the president, even just being there. Was that an easy 0:20:08.320 --> 0:20:10.600 decision for you? And was it hard to see other 0:20:10.680 --> 0:20:13.200 teammates like being there and their content of being there. 0:20:13.520 --> 0:20:16.680 It was a very easy decision for me because I 0:20:16.720 --> 0:20:20.119 feel very strongly against the current administration, Like there was 0:20:20.160 --> 0:20:23.680 no way I would be there. However, it still sucks, right, 0:20:23.800 --> 0:20:25.800 Like that is such an honor to be able to 0:20:25.800 --> 0:20:27.240 go to the White House, to be able to meet 0:20:27.240 --> 0:20:29.679 the President, to be able to experience that. And so 0:20:30.520 --> 0:20:33.680 I can understand and I have a level of understanding 0:20:33.720 --> 0:20:35.840 for teammates who might have chosen to go to the 0:20:35.840 --> 0:20:39.960 White House because that could be their only time ever. 0:20:40.160 --> 0:20:41.919 And I get that, And like, we all have to 0:20:41.960 --> 0:20:43.879 look back one day in our life and look at 0:20:43.880 --> 0:20:46.200 the choices that we made. And I would rather tell 0:20:46.240 --> 0:20:48.600 my kids and my grandkids, like, yeah, I got invited 0:20:48.640 --> 0:20:51.320 to the White House, but because of the things that 0:20:51.359 --> 0:20:53.760 were happening in America, I chose not to go. And 0:20:53.800 --> 0:20:56.959 for me, that feels better than saying I went, so 0:20:57.000 --> 0:20:58.800