1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:02,800 Speaker 1: Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're eating 2 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:05,880 Speaker 1: our waffles dry. Today the Rivalry series is back, and 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: we're not giving those Canadians the satisfaction of seeing us 4 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: enjoy their delicious syrupy bounty. It's Wednesday, December tenth, and 5 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 1: on today's show, we're skipping the need to know and 6 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:17,280 Speaker 1: getting straight to produce her Alex's interview with an expert 7 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:21,480 Speaker 1: in the art of sledding aka elite skeleton athlete Mystique Row. 8 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:24,480 Speaker 1: Alex sat down with Mistiq at the TMUSA Summit in 9 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: October to discuss how she made the transition from track 10 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:29,479 Speaker 1: and field to skeleton, her goals looking ahead to the 11 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 1: Milan Courtina Olympics, and what it'll take to disrupt the 12 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: monopoly one man has on the skeleton shoe market. 13 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:38,160 Speaker 2: As for at home regular. 14 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 1: Sledding, tips that you can use while wax the bottom 15 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:42,479 Speaker 1: of your sled with cooking spray, maintain a low position 16 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: to reduce drag and unlike skeleton, never ever go head first. 17 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 1: That interview, plus stick around for our Good Game Holiday 18 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: gifting guide and adopt kit No One Wants. But first, 19 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 1: it's Alex's conversation with the Steak Row from October that's 20 00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: coming up right after. 21 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:05,319 Speaker 3: This, joining US now. She competes in the sport of skeleton, 22 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 3: aka the one in which human penguins speed faced first 23 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:10,400 Speaker 3: down an icy track at speeds of eighty plus miles 24 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 3: per hour. She's a two time World championship medalist, and 25 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 3: her silver in the individual event at Worlds in twenty 26 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 3: twenty five and did an eight year metal drought for 27 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 3: Team USA. She competed in track and field at Queen's 28 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:23,759 Speaker 3: University of Charlotte, but got her start in skeleton after 29 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 3: getting an invite to a rookie camp hosted by USA 30 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:29,680 Speaker 3: Bob sled and Skeleton. She minored in theater performance in 31 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 3: stage combat, and her luggage weighs in at six hundred 32 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 3: pounds when she hits the road. It's miss Dekro, thanks 33 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 3: so much for being here, Mistique. 34 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 4: Thank you for having me. That's a lot of news 35 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 4: in your homework. 36 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 3: So I'm going to go out on the limb here 37 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 3: and guess that probably no one listening to this episode 38 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 3: right now has ever tried skeleton. It's unlike skiing or skating, 39 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 3: where people might be really bad at those sports, but 40 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 3: at least they have stepped foot on a mountain or 41 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 3: onto the ice. So skeleton you take four runs split 42 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 3: over two days. The athlete with the fastest combined time 43 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 3: at the end wins. But can you take us to 44 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 3: the start and just paint the picture for us of 45 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 3: what that run looks like for you? 46 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 4: Yeah, So depending on what track you're at, there's different 47 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 4: levels of fear and the nerves, and so you have 48 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 4: to try to address sooes before you get to the line, 49 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 4: because once you're there, it's game time. So we have 50 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:18,799 Speaker 4: our number warm up, going in, spiking up, suiting up, 51 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 4: and then we get called up and there's a countdown. 52 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 4: So once we get to the block, we're looking to 53 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 4: make sure we know second guessing everything it is what 54 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:28,680 Speaker 4: it is, and so we want to be very confident. 55 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 4: You could there's time that stuff on line. I don't 56 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:32,560 Speaker 4: know what I'm doing, but we're gonna We're gonna take 57 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:34,359 Speaker 4: it to make it so once you get to the line, 58 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 4: we want to make sure that it's calm. 59 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 2: The heart right needs to drop. 60 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:40,239 Speaker 4: So contrary to our sliding cousins, BOPSA, they get a 61 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 4: little empt up. For a lot of former football players, 62 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:44,239 Speaker 4: they're hitting each other and I'm like, you don't, don't 63 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 4: hit me, please, I'm fragile. But so when I get 64 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 4: to the line, I'm swaying usually just kind of calming 65 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 4: myself down, kind of a little pendulum, and because the 66 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 4: first fifty meters is pure speed and power and then 67 00:02:56,639 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 4: I have to calm down, so I'm not trying to 68 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 4: end myself up too much. But once I get off 69 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 4: the block, it's it's committed. So you got to push hard. 70 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:04,519 Speaker 4: You gotta push fast, and they get on the sled. 71 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:06,119 Speaker 4: You could carry the bloss can do the track. 72 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 3: You mentioned spiking up? Is that the shoes that. 73 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 4: You wear, So we wear some brushpikes. These are very 74 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 4: very rare to find and they're very expensive. So imagine 75 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 4: buying a pair of Jordan's and dragging your feet on 76 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 4: concrete every day and then pennies just stripped away. So yeah, wow. 77 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 3: You mentioned they're hard to find. Where where does one go? Amazon? 78 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:26,239 Speaker 4: Uh No, you gotta find it. You gotta know a 79 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 4: guy in Germany and hopefully he answers his emo. But again, 80 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:31,920 Speaker 4: he's the one guy in the whole world that you 81 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 4: have the contact. So it makes it really tough because 82 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 4: he's kind of the distributor. So and obviously they're they're 83 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 4: very expensive, so it's very niche sports, so it's very 84 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 4: difficult to get your hands on them in that regardless, 85 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 4: so the price is not really negotiable. 86 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 3: So one person supplies the entire world. 87 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 4: Conn Yeah, it's yeah. 88 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 3: I feel like that could be a good business opportunity 89 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 3: to get some competition. 90 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 4: Yeah, so Adidas used to do it and now on 91 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 4: Clop picked it up, but there's other companies that are 92 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 4: stepping up to try to help break the expense of it, 93 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 4: but on the qual control and trying to make sure 94 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 4: it's accessible as in the challenge right now, So we're 95 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 4: trying to make sure we have an alternative. 96 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 3: How often do you go through a pair of those shoes? 97 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 3: Is shoes even the right word here? 98 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: Yet? 99 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 4: Shoe spikes similar to track, It depends on the outrun, 100 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 4: tends on the run you have. And last year I 101 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 4: went I broke too in the outrun and at different tracks, 102 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:18,280 Speaker 4: and that's their hundred fifty dollars. I just went away 103 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 4: right there another three und fifty dollars, So it adds 104 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 4: up very quickly. So that's not even from the sliding, 105 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 4: it's just trying to slow down, so trying to make 106 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:26,240 Speaker 4: sure we don't destroy them. And so I travel with 107 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 4: like five pairs of spikes, which is obviously very expensive 108 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 4: times three fifty. 109 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, do the math. 110 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:30,719 Speaker 4: Yeah. 111 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:33,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, Well I mentioned that you used to compete in 112 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:35,920 Speaker 3: track and field and I think even heptathlon, so it 113 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:38,360 Speaker 3: seems like you maybe have some experience with working with 114 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:39,840 Speaker 3: lots of different shoes at the same time. 115 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 2: Yeah. 116 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:42,719 Speaker 4: Bag is full of shoes, douffle bag full of shoes 117 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 4: and different equipment pieces that you need to do each 118 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:47,480 Speaker 4: sport and each discipline. So I'm used to being a 119 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 4: bag lady. That's just kind of my calling. I think 120 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,720 Speaker 4: I call them Mary Poppins bag. But obviously now we 121 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 4: have winter stuff, so you have all this extra beer 122 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 4: and you have to see warm on top of that, 123 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 4: so the heated stuff you need to stay warm because 124 00:04:57,880 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 4: you're experiencing pretty cold temperatures. 125 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:00,279 Speaker 1: Yeah. 126 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 3: I imagine it's a sport where a lot of times 127 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 3: people are used to doing an athletic thing and heating 128 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 3: up and sweating as part of it. But when you're 129 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:08,799 Speaker 3: actually on the run, are you sweating? 130 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 4: So in the warm up, if you sweat, if you 131 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 4: sweat too much, I am nervous and do hypothermia. So 132 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 4: I kind of I call it my crock pot warm up, 133 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 4: So you kind of warmed just a little bit, sit down, 134 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 4: warm a little bit more, sit down. You can't just 135 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:25,040 Speaker 4: start sweaching and drenched because and another thing, I'm just 136 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 4: it gross me out. I'm not getting into my speech tootsbudding. 137 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:29,800 Speaker 4: I'm sorry, it smells horrible. I'm not gonna do it. 138 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 4: You can't wash it enough. It's just it nasty. So 139 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 4: I typically switch out my T shirt and what I'm 140 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 4: wearing just so I can have a bit of a 141 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 4: fresher feel into it. But yeah, you don't want to 142 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 4: warm too much because then your body's gonna instantly feel 143 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 4: the cold. So it's gonna be tough to balance that. 144 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:45,239 Speaker 3: I want to go back in time for a minute 145 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 3: to that rookie camp you attended in twenty and sixteen. 146 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 3: What were your expectations heading into it? 147 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:51,719 Speaker 1: I zero. 148 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 4: I just heard about Bob sled and remember we had 149 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:58,280 Speaker 4: a guy sky Houlkom, the the guy back in twenty ten. 150 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:00,600 Speaker 4: And there's different things that blots hit the media a 151 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:02,440 Speaker 4: little bit but not a lot. It's social media is 152 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:05,160 Speaker 4: very different than it was then. So I was very 153 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 4: like green in the whole subject matter. So I just 154 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 4: just have fun, see what happens. And that's kind of 155 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 4: what my approach was, just try different things and see 156 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 4: if it works. It works, if it doesn't, too bad 157 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 4: or not too bad, but like move on something else. 158 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 4: So yeah, just being open minded. And they had reached 159 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:20,480 Speaker 4: out to you, right, So Alana myristatee, which is one 160 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 4: of the pilots we have on the women's side, she 161 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 4: sent an email blast out to other different coaches around 162 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 4: the country and actually my teammate who I was bumming 163 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 4: the couch off of, was invited and I was like, 164 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 4: should have to staggle along a teammate for a college contract? Yeah, 165 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:36,480 Speaker 4: So she actually was like, you know, a NCAA champion 166 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 4: and like one hundred meters and I think the long jump. 167 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 4: So they were looking at her because she obviously had 168 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 4: b accolades and I was just there. So I was like, yeah, 169 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 4: we'll go hang out with you in South Carolina for 170 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:47,600 Speaker 4: the combine and we both did well enough to get 171 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 4: invited up. And I was kind of like the start 172 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:51,720 Speaker 4: and I was very much looking at bobsleid because I 173 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:53,920 Speaker 4: thought skeleton was insane. Like, why would I want to 174 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:54,840 Speaker 4: do that? That's stupid. 175 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 3: But now we're here for that college teammate. Did they 176 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:00,839 Speaker 3: have any interest in continuing on after that first camp? 177 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 4: She stood out a little bit. I think it was 178 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 4: just there's a lot of things you have to sacrifice. 179 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 4: Is balances, so you have life, you have you know, partners, 180 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 4: or just work, so it's very challenging. I didn't have 181 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:13,640 Speaker 4: anything going on. I was just like, sure, why not. 182 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 4: I was I can travel the world and see what's 183 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 4: going on, so I don't have any commitments or anything 184 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 4: holding me down. So I had that mobility, and I 185 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 4: think she's had some obligations. 186 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 3: So that camp was in twenty sixteen, but your World 187 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 3: Cup debut wasn't until twenty twenty three, So can you 188 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 3: describe what those intervening years were like for you and 189 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 3: how you were growing in the sport but not on 190 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 3: the top stage at that point. 191 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 4: Yeah, the first five years is a lot of ping pong. Actually, 192 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 4: when I coaches when I got to the World Cup, 193 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 4: he's like, you're still pingponging. 194 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 2: I was like, I'm trying my best. 195 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:42,120 Speaker 3: Oh you mean literally ping ponging? 196 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I'm hitting everything. I'm hitting everything inside. 197 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:47,240 Speaker 4: So the thing is like with my push, like you 198 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 4: have great velocity, but with great velocity comes faster speed 199 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 4: and hits her harder. So you have to learn how 200 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 4: to manage that. So I pulled my push back a 201 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 4: little bit to have little more control down the track. 202 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 4: So I actually started butting up with another teammate, Dan Barefoot, 203 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:02,920 Speaker 4: to help me learn how to slide, because he's an engineer. 204 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 4: He's I didn't take physics, I don't know what I'm doing, 205 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:06,880 Speaker 4: so I'm just I'm just has to go down somehow. 206 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 4: So he actually slowed it down from me and helped 207 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 4: me understand where to put pressure to, where to have 208 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 4: input and so a lot of it was robotic at first, 209 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 4: but then I started to feel, and that's something that 210 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 4: you can't teach. You have to actually feel it. You 211 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 4: have to experience it yourself. Once I got that and 212 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,520 Speaker 4: I put the push with it, it was like game changer, 213 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:25,840 Speaker 4: big time. So learning how to put that together. But 214 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 4: now every track is different, so there's no there's not 215 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:30,440 Speaker 4: like track is the same foreign demeters. Every track is different, 216 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 4: so you have to learn how to adapt to each track. 217 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:34,559 Speaker 4: And we changed tracks every other week, so you have 218 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 4: to learn how to switch. So the quicker you are 219 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:37,720 Speaker 4: up pivoting, that's the better you're going to be. 220 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:38,640 Speaker 2: Along the way. 221 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 3: As you were kind of working your way up to 222 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:42,800 Speaker 3: the World Cup level, how are you funding that journey? 223 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 3: Because I think a lot of people don't know that 224 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:47,200 Speaker 3: it takes a lot of money to fundamental dream. 225 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:50,560 Speaker 4: Bob said, skeleton is I think top five most expensive 226 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:53,199 Speaker 4: Olympic sports. BOSSA is definitely more than the skeleton. But 227 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:56,959 Speaker 4: lots and prayers. Honestly so a lot of times. But 228 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 4: a lot of us have like multiple jobs, like side households, 229 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:01,839 Speaker 4: were working on place, came from full time jobs into 230 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 4: the sport, so they arely able to work remote. I 231 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:06,360 Speaker 4: did not because I was still coming off of college. 232 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:10,040 Speaker 4: So I've been working odd jobs since and it's very 233 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 4: colorful summers. You know, no what's you gonna you never 234 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 4: know what you're gonna do, So yeah, it's fun. 235 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:15,240 Speaker 3: Boss is supportive of like, oh, I have to go 236 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:17,440 Speaker 3: take off for a week and do this skeleton thing. 237 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:19,480 Speaker 4: So I managed to actually get a job at the 238 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:21,840 Speaker 4: venue that I train at, so in mett ben Hoveenberg 239 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:23,360 Speaker 4: and they I'm a tour guide, so I get to 240 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:25,920 Speaker 4: talk about skeleton NonStop, which is great. Just keep it, 241 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 4: keep to the support alive and you know, share to 242 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:30,839 Speaker 4: the information. So they're more than a understanding because I 243 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:33,200 Speaker 4: come home when a medal yay in summertime, and I'll 244 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:34,720 Speaker 4: go back come home when I've been on the medal yay. 245 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:37,439 Speaker 4: So I think it's been a good, good environment and 246 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 4: that's support because they're in it and we're living the 247 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:40,680 Speaker 4: history that they're talking about. 248 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:43,960 Speaker 2: We got to take a quick break more with mystique 249 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 2: row right after this. 250 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:55,560 Speaker 3: I remember once interviewing a Loja athlete who described her 251 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 3: training including lying down on a bench with her face 252 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:00,959 Speaker 3: facing the ceiling and I think with seventy pounds that 253 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:03,360 Speaker 3: she would put on her forehead to strengthen her neck 254 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:06,320 Speaker 3: muscles and prepare for like the G forces. And I'm curious, 255 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 3: in skeleton, your face is in the complete opposite orientation. 256 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:11,480 Speaker 3: But is there anything like that where you're like, oh, I. 257 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:13,200 Speaker 4: Have to go do this and not putting seventy pounds 258 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 4: on my neck. No, So we use a similar tool. 259 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 4: Actually Emlely Sweeney started this, which she brought it in. 260 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:20,520 Speaker 4: So there's a device called a top spin three sixty 261 00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:22,080 Speaker 4: which sents you have a football helmet with a little 262 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:23,439 Speaker 4: weight on the end and you kind of spin like 263 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 4: a helicopter. So it helps work them like neck muscles 264 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 4: in a three sixty motion, so we can strengthen it. 265 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:30,439 Speaker 4: So Luja actually has a stronger anterior. We have a 266 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:32,480 Speaker 4: stronger postery, and Bob said as stronger lateral. 267 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:35,320 Speaker 3: So you're motioning but for our listeners, so the front 268 00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:36,440 Speaker 3: of the neck, the back of the neck. 269 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:36,840 Speaker 2: In the side. 270 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:40,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, So a lot of the time is just until 271 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 4: you actually get to slide, you don't so they feel 272 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:43,520 Speaker 4: the same pressure. So the best we can do is 273 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:46,840 Speaker 4: simulate it through different ISO holds or using this device. 274 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:48,040 Speaker 2: So it helps strengthen these muscles. 275 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:51,959 Speaker 4: So it's I I'm sure we could benefit. I'm scared. 276 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:54,959 Speaker 4: I yeah, no, I'm not putting twenty pounds in my head. Sorry, 277 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:56,000 Speaker 4: fair enough. 278 00:10:57,480 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 3: In slang sports, As you mentioned, the track makes a huge, 279 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:02,439 Speaker 3: huge difference, and the track and the sliding center in 280 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:05,600 Speaker 3: general for the Milan Cortina Games was a question mark 281 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:07,719 Speaker 3: for a very long time and still kind of is. 282 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:10,199 Speaker 3: Have you yet been able to go and test it out? 283 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:13,520 Speaker 4: No, actually I'll be heading that way earlier November to 284 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 4: get eyes on the track. And watch some LuSE sleds 285 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:17,719 Speaker 4: to kind of get an understanding and the gist of 286 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 4: how things work, and then the team will join us 287 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 4: later and then we'll actually get to get on the 288 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:23,199 Speaker 4: ice and kind of see what's see what's happening, and 289 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 4: see what amount of pictures being to make. 290 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 3: What does the process look like in order to learn 291 00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:27,760 Speaker 3: a new track for you. 292 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:31,160 Speaker 4: So I'm very obsorbent and like to watch a lot 293 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:33,600 Speaker 4: of stuff. So I'm absorbing everything I could see. I'm 294 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:37,040 Speaker 4: filming and I'm listening. I'm listening to scratches and listen 295 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:39,559 Speaker 4: to people skidding. I'm listening to the trouble sections of 296 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:41,760 Speaker 4: the track. And essentially what it comes down to is 297 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 4: it's a mile of ice. You can't cover that in 298 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:44,640 Speaker 4: a week. I don't care. You can't cover that in 299 00:11:44,679 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 4: a month, honestly. So you have to pick up certain 300 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:49,679 Speaker 4: corners and then you focus on those and thankfully with 301 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:51,640 Speaker 4: the fast push to kind of mitigate some issues, but 302 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:54,480 Speaker 4: it can create other problems. So just hopper focusing on 303 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:57,079 Speaker 4: those situations where you cannot lose speed. You cann't afford 304 00:11:57,120 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 4: to loose speed. 305 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 3: Here, how much can a track change over time, whether 306 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 3: the amount of ice in certain places gets worn down. 307 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:06,000 Speaker 3: Can that just completely change it? Or once the turns 308 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 3: are there and kind of locked and loaded. 309 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 2: It's similar. 310 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 4: It can change by the hour, honestly, which is very unfortunate. 311 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 4: There's no consistency anywhere. So generally speaking, if the weather 312 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:17,599 Speaker 4: is cooperative, the ice will change throughout this season. But 313 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 4: if you could have a warm day and you have 314 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:21,719 Speaker 4: a cold day, and you can have another wet day 315 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:24,000 Speaker 4: or in the same day, it can happen. So the 316 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:26,840 Speaker 4: variables are so drastic that it's more of a consistency 317 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 4: battle now. So you can have the best set up 318 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 4: for the first heat and it could be completely trash 319 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:31,640 Speaker 4: for the next. So you want to make sure you 320 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:33,319 Speaker 4: kind of meet in the middle and learn how to 321 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:35,280 Speaker 4: steer input like for the moment. 322 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:37,800 Speaker 3: Is it hard? You mentioned the listening to the scratches 323 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 3: and the skidding. Once a competition gets going, I imagine 324 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 3: there are people in a lot of sounds and all 325 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 3: these other things. Can you still be hearing that as 326 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:45,800 Speaker 3: your competitors are. 327 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:48,040 Speaker 4: Going, not when they're going. Because I'm up top and 328 00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:51,640 Speaker 4: if there's cameras, I'm watching to see where people have 329 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:54,720 Speaker 4: having struggles, I'm listening to splits. But when I'm sliding, 330 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:56,880 Speaker 4: I know if I lose pressure or if I'm skidding, 331 00:12:56,880 --> 00:12:58,679 Speaker 4: and I'm like, well that's not good. But now I'm 332 00:12:58,679 --> 00:13:00,319 Speaker 4: two curves away, so I got to refocus. So it's 333 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 4: kind of a mental note because you're going seventy plus 334 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:04,600 Speaker 4: miles an hour, so you can't like, darn, I missed 335 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:06,400 Speaker 4: that curve. Oh we're two curves away. So you have 336 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:07,720 Speaker 4: to really be present when you're sliding. 337 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mentioned the six hundred pounds of luggage that 338 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:12,640 Speaker 3: you carry me now and know that you have a 339 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:15,240 Speaker 3: few pairs of shoes in there. What else is going 340 00:13:15,320 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 3: into that six hundred pounds off luggage? 341 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:21,439 Speaker 4: So the slued itself is about eighty eighty three pounds 342 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:22,880 Speaker 4: with the runners and stuff. So the runners have to 343 00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 4: go in a case and we have we travel with 344 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:27,319 Speaker 4: maybe ten sets each, so that's a lot right there, 345 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:29,160 Speaker 4: and those are that adds up real the quickest. So 346 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:31,760 Speaker 4: that's equipment. The luggage is if you have normal clothes, 347 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 4: the winter gear you need, but I also travel my 348 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 4: own recovery stuff. That's very important for me to make 349 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 4: sure I can Actually, you know, after sliding, you're fried, 350 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:40,560 Speaker 4: so I don't want to don't want move, so everything's 351 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:43,360 Speaker 4: with an arm reach. So and then I like snacks. 352 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 4: IM a lot of girl dinners, so I like to 353 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:49,000 Speaker 4: have some creature comforts I have on tour with me. 354 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:50,560 Speaker 4: So because once you get in the middle of season, 355 00:13:50,559 --> 00:13:52,319 Speaker 4: you're kind of like, I'm tired of rat worst. I 356 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 4: want something like goldfish. They don't have that eur so 357 00:13:55,559 --> 00:13:57,320 Speaker 4: said girl dinners, A lot of girl dinners. 358 00:13:57,440 --> 00:13:59,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, what defines a girl dinner for you? 359 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:04,640 Speaker 4: It is not it's not any nutritional balance. Okay, that's 360 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:05,880 Speaker 4: what am I craving at this moment. 361 00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:08,840 Speaker 3: So like mine nachos with like just chips and cheese 362 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:10,079 Speaker 3: melted on them is girl dinner. 363 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:12,439 Speaker 4: Yeah, that's actually put together. It's it's a theme like 364 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:15,439 Speaker 4: I'll have the journal and some gumming rooms. You know 365 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:17,320 Speaker 4: what does that mean? Like, I don't know. It tastes good. 366 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:20,760 Speaker 3: So yeah, gender inequity and skeleton on the outside, at 367 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:22,960 Speaker 3: least in the near twenty twenty five, it feels pretty 368 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:25,960 Speaker 3: even in terms of competitors, prize money, number of events, 369 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:28,760 Speaker 3: things like that. From your perspective, though, are there still 370 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:31,240 Speaker 3: things that need to happen to make it a more 371 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:34,320 Speaker 3: competitive and fair landscape for women the. 372 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:36,720 Speaker 4: General interest, and I think I would like to say 373 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:39,600 Speaker 4: girls little have a little more logic. So you want 374 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:41,040 Speaker 4: me to do a sport, and the wars of funding, 375 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:43,400 Speaker 4: wars of support for that, that's tough. We go to 376 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 4: some tracks and they're they're very old, so a lot 377 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 4: of the infrastructure is in. It's a male dominated sport 378 00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 4: with male history. So trying to figure out where's the 379 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:53,440 Speaker 4: women's backroom, I figured out can we get it? Can 380 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 4: make it a toilets, but the door, you know, it'd 381 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:57,400 Speaker 4: be nice. So I'll go moving that direction for sure. 382 00:14:57,440 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 4: And I think just making sure that we keep peep 383 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:01,240 Speaker 4: on them, don't let them but like pushes around, you know, 384 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:02,800 Speaker 4: make sure that we have a space, we protect that 385 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:03,840 Speaker 4: space for women in the future. 386 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 2: I have to let you go. 387 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:07,880 Speaker 3: But final question from me looking back at ten year 388 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 3: old mystique, what would she think of what you're doing 389 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:10,400 Speaker 3: right now? 390 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:10,640 Speaker 1: Oh? 391 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:12,640 Speaker 2: She called me nuts? What are you doing? 392 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:15,080 Speaker 4: I thought were like, you know, the projection what we thought, 393 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 4: like the American dream at then is like, oh, have 394 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 4: a house, have a kids, blah blah Blah'm like, no, 395 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:21,280 Speaker 4: we're we're we're doing bad as stuff. We're doing cool stuff. 396 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 4: So enjoying the moment and riding the wave of just 397 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 4: like you know, women's sports is it in right now, 398 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:26,960 Speaker 4: and like you know, we're gonna keep it that away. 399 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 4: It's not gonna be a trend, it's gonna be a 400 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:30,320 Speaker 4: permanent thing. So and we're part of the history and 401 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:31,440 Speaker 4: slowdi find that for the future. 402 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:32,120 Speaker 2: I love that. 403 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:33,520 Speaker 3: Well, thank you so much for taking the time and 404 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:34,080 Speaker 3: appreciate you. 405 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:34,920 Speaker 4: Thanks for having me. 406 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 1: Thanks again to Mistique for taking the time, and to 407 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:43,040 Speaker 1: Alex for a great interview. One note, by the way, 408 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:45,560 Speaker 1: Alex wants everyone to know that she's now caught up 409 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:47,960 Speaker 1: on the concept of girl dinner. She didn't know what 410 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:50,240 Speaker 1: it was when Mystique mentioned it, and I wonder if 411 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 1: anyone else out there is unfamiliar. It's actually a phrase 412 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:55,680 Speaker 1: made popular by a lone Mar's sister Olivia on TikTok. 413 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:58,280 Speaker 1: I know, very random, but she posted a video a 414 00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 1: while back assembling a plate of bread and butter, cheese, 415 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:03,640 Speaker 1: grapes and a glass of red wine, calling it girl 416 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:07,320 Speaker 1: dinner or peasant dinner, and a trend was born. Basically, 417 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:10,040 Speaker 1: it's just a snack plate put together without an aim 418 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:12,880 Speaker 1: of hitting all the food groups or achieving any nutritional balance, 419 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 1: no meat and two vegs, just skipping cooking and dishes 420 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 1: all together and instead eating some bits and bobs of 421 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:21,520 Speaker 1: whatever you're craving. And Alex says, after looking it up, 422 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:23,480 Speaker 1: she realized that girl dinner is just. 423 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 2: Dinner for her. 424 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:27,600 Speaker 1: She ain't ever worried about nutritional balance, and you know, 425 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 1: we should actually talk about that out because as you 426 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 1: get older, you know, you got to get your protein, 427 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 1: your fiber, your vitamins, DNC, your healthy fats. You know what. 428 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:37,080 Speaker 2: I'll take this offline back to mystic. 429 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 1: Since this interview was recorded, the Skeleton World Cup season 430 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 1: got underway in late November, with the Olympic Track and 431 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 1: Cortina playing host to the first. 432 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 2: Stop of the season. 433 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:46,640 Speaker 1: Roe had a bit of a tough go of it 434 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:49,440 Speaker 1: on the newly completed track, finishing fifth in the mixed 435 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:52,800 Speaker 1: team event and twenty sixth in the individual women's event, 436 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 1: but she had a good attitude about it, posting a 437 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 1: fun video on Instagram showing off all the bruises she 438 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 1: earned after a couple bumpy rides down on the track. 439 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:02,920 Speaker 1: We'll link to that in the show notes. All Right, 440 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 1: we got to pay the bills when we come back. 441 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:08,320 Speaker 1: Free shampoo is great, but prize money is much better. 442 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:17,920 Speaker 2: Stick here welcome backslices. 443 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:20,280 Speaker 1: It's time to deliver on my promise of a little 444 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:24,119 Speaker 1: good game with Sarah Spain Holiday gift guide featuring books, clothes, 445 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 1: and other goodies from guests of the show, brands we 446 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:29,479 Speaker 1: love and more. Shout out to super Slice Aaron raw 447 00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:33,480 Speaker 1: for her continuously updating spreadsheet of show guests, pod. 448 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:34,960 Speaker 2: And book recommendations and more. 449 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:39,000 Speaker 1: It's a super helpful resource always, but especially when attempting 450 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:40,719 Speaker 1: to curate some of the stuff we shouted out over 451 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:42,720 Speaker 1: the course of this year's shows. We'll link to that 452 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:44,760 Speaker 1: spreadsheet again in the show notes in case you don't 453 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:48,000 Speaker 1: already have it bookmarked. Okay, let's start with the most 454 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:51,160 Speaker 1: obvious gift, perfect for everyone in your family old enough 455 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:51,920 Speaker 1: to know how to read. 456 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:56,000 Speaker 2: My book Runs in the Family. It's available in. 457 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:59,040 Speaker 1: Book, audiobook and ebook, and I promised you it's for 458 00:17:59,119 --> 00:18:02,639 Speaker 1: both sports fans and non sports fans. Tons of fascinating 459 00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 1: insight on nature versus nurture, epigenetics, ending cycles of trauma, 460 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:10,240 Speaker 1: the outcomes of adoption and importance of found family, and 461 00:18:10,359 --> 00:18:13,640 Speaker 1: lots of lessons in grace and forgiveness. It really means 462 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:15,000 Speaker 1: a lot to me that many of you have already 463 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:16,280 Speaker 1: reached out to tell me what it meant to you 464 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:19,080 Speaker 1: and to share your photos reading it. I really truly 465 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:20,920 Speaker 1: can't tell you how much that means to me. So 466 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:22,800 Speaker 1: if you're someone who hasn't read it yet and you 467 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:25,040 Speaker 1: buy the book for yourself or for friends in a 468 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 1: physical book version, I'm happy to mail out a signature 469 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:29,640 Speaker 1: on a sticker that you can affix to the title 470 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:32,159 Speaker 1: page to make it a signed copy, to shoot me 471 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:32,639 Speaker 1: an email. 472 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:34,520 Speaker 2: And that goes for anty of you that already bought 473 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:34,960 Speaker 2: it as well. 474 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:37,720 Speaker 1: Speaking of books, a couple friends of the show wrote 475 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:40,160 Speaker 1: fantastic books this year or near the end of last 476 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:43,480 Speaker 1: year that are definitely worth your time. Jane McManus's fast 477 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:46,159 Speaker 1: Track Inside the Surging Business of Women's Sports is a 478 00:18:46,359 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 1: must read for any. 479 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:48,600 Speaker 2: Slices you got. 480 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:52,800 Speaker 1: Don Staley's Uncommon Favor volleyball analyst A and Marie Anderson's 481 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:57,280 Speaker 1: Cultivating Audacity, Former Harvard hoops coach Kathy Delaney Smith's Grit 482 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:00,920 Speaker 1: and Wit Empowering Lives and Leaders, La Grundy and Susan 483 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:04,400 Speaker 1: Shackelford's Shattering the Glass the Remarkable History of Women's Basketball, 484 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:08,520 Speaker 1: Candae Parkers That Can Do Mindset and Abby Wambach, Glennon 485 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:11,159 Speaker 1: Doyle and Amanda Doyle's We Can Do Hard Things, in 486 00:19:11,240 --> 00:19:13,960 Speaker 1: which yours truly has a little cameo. And while you're 487 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:17,360 Speaker 1: in the book section, get anything by the incredible Andrea Gibson, 488 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:20,200 Speaker 1: who was a gift and who left us far too soon. 489 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:23,159 Speaker 1: This year you better be lightning and pole dancing to 490 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:26,679 Speaker 1: gospel hymns are particularly good ones. And if you're one 491 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:29,680 Speaker 1: to aggressively and theatrically read in public, you'll need some 492 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:32,200 Speaker 1: slick apparel to make like a performative male and look 493 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:32,720 Speaker 1: good doing it. 494 00:19:33,359 --> 00:19:34,280 Speaker 2: Google it Olds. 495 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:37,159 Speaker 1: Friends of the Show offer plenty of options, from the 496 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:40,399 Speaker 1: merch at Round twenty one to the sneaks at Moolah Kicks, 497 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 1: Tisha Allin's golf gear, great goodies from the sports spra 498 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:47,960 Speaker 1: athlete Barbie Dolls either with Python arms alone mar or 499 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:51,640 Speaker 1: regular arms, Venus Williams, Immigrant City Football Club, teas from 500 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:55,520 Speaker 1: Angel City Underdogs, My Ass teas from Gotham FC, and 501 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:58,280 Speaker 1: all the great merch Truly great merch over at our 502 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:01,920 Speaker 1: team side, the Minnesota Aurora FC website and of course, 503 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:04,520 Speaker 1: all the leagues have great merch for sale WNBA and 504 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:09,200 Speaker 1: wsl PWHL, AUSL love Volleyball, Unrivaled, the Northern Super League 505 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:12,280 Speaker 1: and more. And they're not friends of the show yet, 506 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:14,560 Speaker 1: but we obviously got to get that a one merch 507 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:17,200 Speaker 1: to rep Asia Wilson and hit up the rebox site 508 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: for the Angel Reese collection. You can also get to 509 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:21,240 Speaker 1: pay them what You Owe Them shirt to rep the 510 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:24,760 Speaker 1: WNBPA from the Breaking t site. And while you're there, 511 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:26,640 Speaker 1: grab a bunch of good Game with Sarah Spain merch 512 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:30,000 Speaker 1: for your friends and fam Breakingtea dot com slash Spain. 513 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:33,520 Speaker 1: And while we're talking good game merch, Alex and I 514 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 1: have gotten requests for show hats and stickers, so hit 515 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:39,159 Speaker 1: us up via social or email and tell us if 516 00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:42,080 Speaker 1: you're interested. Breaking Tea only does shirts, but if there's 517 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:44,560 Speaker 1: enough interest in hats and stickers and other stuff, we'll 518 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:47,160 Speaker 1: try to make it happen for you. Speaking to making 519 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:49,800 Speaker 1: it happen, the amazing beat reporters and journalists that we 520 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:51,879 Speaker 1: have on the show are the engine behind all the 521 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:54,000 Speaker 1: great coverage that we use to bring you the need 522 00:20:54,119 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 1: to know get inspired to have certain athletes and coaches 523 00:20:57,080 --> 00:20:59,639 Speaker 1: on and give us perspective on the topics and issues 524 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:02,400 Speaker 1: innerse with women's sports every day. Now, you can't buy 525 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:05,439 Speaker 1: the journalists this isn't the Trump administration. But you can 526 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:08,440 Speaker 1: buy subscriptions for yourself and others to support their work. 527 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:11,280 Speaker 1: And even better, you can indicate that the women's sports 528 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:14,480 Speaker 1: coverage there is the reason you subscribed. Support folks like 529 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:17,680 Speaker 1: Tamara Griffin, Ben Pickman, and others by subscribing to The Athletic, 530 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 1: Maurice and Jemmy at the San Francisco Chronicle, Jamel Hill 531 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:23,960 Speaker 1: at The Atlantic, Howard Magdial and his staff of women's 532 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:27,240 Speaker 1: sports writers over at the Nine, Nancy Armor at USA Today, 533 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:30,760 Speaker 1: or sign up for Lindsay Gibbs newsletter Power Plays. By 534 00:21:30,840 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: the way, my current stance on funding places that have 535 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:37,080 Speaker 1: some problematic stories and reporters is that I still believe 536 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:40,359 Speaker 1: in funding journalism and supporting the availability of jobs for 537 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:41,960 Speaker 1: those who do do good work. 538 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:43,960 Speaker 2: So I urge you to keep subscribing. 539 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:46,280 Speaker 1: There are, of course lines that need to be drawn, 540 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 1: and yours might be different from mine, but especially in 541 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:52,000 Speaker 1: the current political climate, canceling subscriptions might end up hurting 542 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,240 Speaker 1: the folks you actually like to read and want to support. 543 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:56,600 Speaker 1: And as far as keeping up with all your subscriptions, 544 00:21:56,960 --> 00:21:59,240 Speaker 1: I say, even if you can't read everything, consider it 545 00:21:59,359 --> 00:22:01,720 Speaker 1: a donation with the bonus gift whenever you get the 546 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:04,879 Speaker 1: chance to dive in Ah. There are so many more 547 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:07,760 Speaker 1: gift suggestions to offer. Band aids that look like pickles, 548 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:11,120 Speaker 1: a book of old fashioned literary insults, a banana phone, 549 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:12,960 Speaker 1: a pad of paper that looks like a stick of butter. 550 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:15,240 Speaker 1: We got to stick to show related stuff or we'll 551 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:18,639 Speaker 1: be here all day. That being said, though, there's just 552 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:20,800 Speaker 1: one thing that I have to recommend that I happened 553 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:23,040 Speaker 1: upon while I was searching for a white Elephant gift. 554 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:26,320 Speaker 1: It's called thirty second Dance Party. And it's just a 555 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:28,719 Speaker 1: button that you can hit whenever you need a reset, 556 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:32,000 Speaker 1: reset your attitude, your nervous system, maybe in the middle 557 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:35,120 Speaker 1: of a family fight, when you're falling asleep mid work assignment. 558 00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:37,760 Speaker 1: You just tap the button and hear the British man 559 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 1: say thirty second dance, Pattie, and then you get after it. 560 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:44,119 Speaker 1: Ever in the room must spend the next thirty seconds 561 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:46,320 Speaker 1: bust in a move. I feel like this could be 562 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 1: the thing we all need. In twenty twenty six, You're welcome. 563 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:51,520 Speaker 1: We always love that you're listening, but we want you 564 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 1: to get in the game every day too, So here's 565 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:55,399 Speaker 1: our good game play of the day. Got a truly 566 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:58,240 Speaker 1: incredible sports related gift you can't wait to give someone 567 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:00,520 Speaker 1: you love this year, something we might not have seen 568 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:00,920 Speaker 1: or heard of. 569 00:23:01,359 --> 00:23:02,879 Speaker 2: Send it our way so we can share it with 570 00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:04,040 Speaker 2: the slices, and you. 571 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:05,640 Speaker 1: Can check out links to all of our gift guide 572 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:08,640 Speaker 1: suggestions on my Instagram and Blue Sky accounts. And don't 573 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:11,359 Speaker 1: forget to follow mystique on social media. We'll link to 574 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:13,760 Speaker 1: her Instagram in the show notes. We always love to 575 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:15,400 Speaker 1: hear from you, so hit us up on email Good 576 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:18,320 Speaker 1: game at wondermedianetwork dot com or leave us a voicemail 577 00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:21,280 Speaker 1: at eight seven two two o four fifty seventy, and 578 00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 1: don't forget to subscribe, Rate and review. It's easy watch 579 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:29,119 Speaker 1: ski jumping still being a big old boys club, rating 580 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:33,280 Speaker 1: five out of five failures in the Crotch Machine review. 581 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:36,000 Speaker 1: Shout out to Slice Michelle, who sent us a post 582 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:39,440 Speaker 1: you saw on social media about pay inequality in ski jumping. 583 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:41,600 Speaker 1: Now it actually centers on an event that happened a 584 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:43,840 Speaker 1: year ago, but it recently got picked up again by 585 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:46,440 Speaker 1: social media aggregators, so we're just learning about it for 586 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:47,000 Speaker 1: the first time. 587 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 2: Here's the gist. 588 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:51,160 Speaker 1: Last December, the winner of men's qualifying at a World 589 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:53,760 Speaker 1: Cup ski jumping stop in Germany earned the equivalent of 590 00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:56,840 Speaker 1: about thirty two hundred US dollars, while the top athlete 591 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:03,040 Speaker 1: in women's qualifying Germany, Selina Freytag, was gifted shower gel, shampoo. 592 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:03,960 Speaker 2: And hand towels. 593 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:07,920 Speaker 1: When media outlets reached out to FISS, ski Jumping's international 594 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:10,920 Speaker 1: governing body to ask about the discrepancy, they learned that 595 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:13,919 Speaker 1: the bundle of toiletries was a bonus, not a mistake. 596 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:17,080 Speaker 1: FISS rules state that only the men's qualifying winner is 597 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:19,560 Speaker 1: guaranteed prize money of any kind, and they felt it 598 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:23,240 Speaker 1: was a nice gesture to offer her something. Now, there's 599 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:25,720 Speaker 1: a long history of sexism and ski jumping a sport 600 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:28,480 Speaker 1: that only added a women's Olympic event in twenty fourteen. 601 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:31,000 Speaker 1: But we were curious to see if maybe the outcry 602 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:33,399 Speaker 1: over fry tag swagbag would cause the ORG to make 603 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:38,120 Speaker 1: things right this year, and no. We checked the rule 604 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:40,480 Speaker 1: book and it's still only the men who get anything 605 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:41,480 Speaker 1: for winning qualifying. 606 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:43,959 Speaker 2: And if you think it gets better once the athletes 607 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:46,760 Speaker 2: advance out of the qualifying rounds. I'll think again. The 608 00:24:46,840 --> 00:24:47,800 Speaker 2: winner of a men's. 609 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:51,000 Speaker 1: World Cup event is guaranteed fifteen thousand euros compared to 610 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:52,920 Speaker 1: five thousand euros on the women's side. 611 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:54,000 Speaker 2: Oof. 612 00:24:55,119 --> 00:24:57,960 Speaker 1: Now it's your turn, rate and review. Thanks for listening, 613 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:01,320 Speaker 1: See you tomorrow. Good game, Mystique. Good games, Selena for 614 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:03,240 Speaker 1: speaking out, even if it took us a while to 615 00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:07,560 Speaker 1: hear your message. You playing that awkward gift dance. If 616 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:09,440 Speaker 1: I get you a gift, how do I communicate that 617 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:12,920 Speaker 1: you really don't need to get me one back? And conversely, 618 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:14,680 Speaker 1: oh shit, you got me a gift, I definitely have 619 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:17,000 Speaker 1: one for you too. It's just it's back at the house. 620 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:22,200 Speaker 1: Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports 621 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:25,359 Speaker 1: production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You 622 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:28,159 Speaker 1: can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 623 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:31,359 Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network, 624 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:34,879 Speaker 1: our producers are alex Azzie Grace, Lynch, Taylor Williamson, and 625 00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:38,919 Speaker 1: Lucy Jones. Our executive producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, 626 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:42,320 Speaker 1: Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder. Our Editors are Emily Rudder, 627 00:25:42,359 --> 00:25:46,520 Speaker 1: Britney Martinez, and Gianna Palmer. Production assistants from Avery LOFTUS 628 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:48,480 Speaker 1: and I'm Your Host Sarah Spain