1 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:05,960 Speaker 1: This is Let's be clear, who's Shannon Doherty. 2 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 2: Hi, let's be clear listeners. I'm Mary Jones, and you 3 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 2: might know me as a former track and field athlete, 4 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:17,319 Speaker 2: or maybe you know me from my time playing in 5 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 2: the WNBA or college basketball, or maybe even most recently, 6 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 2: you may see me compete on the Hits show Special Courses. 7 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 2: And I'm so honored to be here hosting this episode 8 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:30,480 Speaker 2: of Cannon Dougherty's podcast. 9 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 3: I know I've become a special gathering place for her. 10 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:36,919 Speaker 2: Fans, as well as a positive space where folks can 11 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:39,920 Speaker 2: share their stories and their lessons that they've learned along 12 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:42,519 Speaker 2: the way. So I'm excited to share my journey with 13 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:44,600 Speaker 2: you all today and I hope that maybe just a 14 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 2: little bit of it resonates with you today in a 15 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:49,480 Speaker 2: very special way. So I thought I would start out 16 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 2: by telling you all just a little bit about the 17 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 2: highs and lows of my career. I am a California native. 18 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 2: I was born and grew up in the Los Angeles area, 19 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 2: and my mother and I knew at a very young 20 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 2: age that I was just really blessed with an incredible 21 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:10,200 Speaker 2: amount of talent. I have one older brother, and I 22 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:12,960 Speaker 2: like to joke and say that when your older brother 23 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 2: picks you his younger sister to play on his neighborhood team, 24 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:20,760 Speaker 2: you know that there's something very unique about you. 25 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 3: And that was the case with me. 26 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 2: I started participating in all kinds of sport and excelled 27 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 2: in all of them. I was also at that time 28 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 2: figuring out life my mom. My mom and my father 29 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:39,040 Speaker 2: biological father were divorced when I was three years old, 30 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 2: and my mom became a single parent. Thankfully, she found 31 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 2: love again and I had an amazing stepfather. So I 32 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 2: had that really warm, loving family until my stepfather passed 33 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 2: away at the age of nine years old. And that 34 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 2: time that I share with you is very pivotal in 35 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 2: my life and in my career because in nineteen eighty four, 36 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 2: I happened to be nine years old, and that was 37 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 2: the summer that the Olympic Games came to Los Angeles, 38 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 2: the city that I was living in, and my mother 39 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 2: took me to the Olympic Parade where all of the 40 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:16,639 Speaker 2: athletes are paraded down the street. That summer, I sat 41 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 2: in front of my television and for the first time 42 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 2: I watched in amazement as the athlete across the Finch line, 43 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 2: and many of them won Olympic gold and I made 44 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 2: the decision, but this is what I wanted to do 45 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,920 Speaker 2: with my life. I wanted to achieve success. I wanted 46 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 2: to win gold medals, I wanted to run and I 47 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 2: just I wanted that to be me. And everything from 48 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 2: that point on in my life revolved around that goal, 49 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,359 Speaker 2: to the point I even wrote on my chalkboard that 50 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 2: I wanted to be an Olympic champion. Fast forward a 51 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:54,959 Speaker 2: few years. It was just going through a very difficult. 52 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 3: Time in my life. I was an adolescent. 53 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 2: My mom was working very hard to support my older 54 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,360 Speaker 2: brother and I and I was just going through it 55 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 2: with my emotions, not understanding why I had a biological 56 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 2: father who just really. 57 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 3: Didn't want to be in my life. 58 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 2: And I think a lot of people even listening for 59 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 2: this kind of understand that where maybe you don't have 60 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 2: somebody in your family who is you know, it's supposed 61 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:23,360 Speaker 2: to be supportive, and for whatever reason, they choose they're not. 62 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 2: And so I gave it to my mom. As we 63 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 2: like to say, I was rebellious. I lashed out. I 64 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 2: was one of those adolescents where when your parent asked you, 65 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 2: how are you doing, honey, I would respond with, I'm 66 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:41,119 Speaker 2: fine that you all know what I'm seeing what I say, 67 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 2: I'm fine. That was me, and now, as a parent 68 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:48,119 Speaker 2: of an actual fifteen year old who gets a lot 69 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 2: of those I'm fine, mom, I absolutely understand how difficult 70 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 2: it is to parents, especially at that time when you're 71 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 2: the only parent. 72 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 3: Thankfully, though, for me, I had an outlet. 73 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 2: My outlet was sport, and as I shared earlier, my 74 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 2: mom and I knew that there was something unique about me. Faster, 75 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 2: I was stronger. I loved it. 76 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 3: I was passionate about it. 77 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:17,159 Speaker 2: I think a lot of young people at that age twelve, thirteen, 78 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 2: fourteen through high school, they want to be on the 79 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 2: social scene. I, on the other hand, was waiting by 80 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 2: the door with my backpack and shoes and equipment, and 81 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 2: waiting on my mom so that I wouldn't be late 82 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 2: for Prictice. So that gave you a little idea of 83 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 2: the mindset that I had even at that young age. 84 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 2: All of that got you to the age at fifteen 85 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 2: years old where I was blessed enough to make my 86 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 2: first Olympic team. The team that the USA team that 87 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 2: summer was traveling to Soul, Korea, I decided that I 88 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 2: would hold off even though I made the team, I 89 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:57,599 Speaker 2: would pull off on pursuing my Olympic dream and my 90 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 2: Olympic journey because I really didn't think that it was 91 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 2: going to be the right time. So I decided to 92 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:08,720 Speaker 2: stay and continue to hone all of my athletics hills, 93 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:12,800 Speaker 2: particularly basketball at that time. A few years later, I 94 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 2: decided to accept a basketball scholarship to the University of 95 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 2: North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I was going to 96 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:21,840 Speaker 2: be a dual sport athlete. So I traveled across the 97 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 2: country from California to North Carolina to start this incredible 98 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:29,920 Speaker 2: athletic and academic journey in Chapel Hill. 99 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:31,839 Speaker 3: So at this point, I've. 100 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:34,480 Speaker 2: Shared some highs, I've shared some lows when it comes 101 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 2: to relationships, but it was all just the beginning. I 102 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:45,040 Speaker 2: had the opportunity to be on a women's basketball team 103 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:48,160 Speaker 2: at the University of North Carolina that in my freshman 104 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 2: year nineteen ninety three, we won the national championship. And 105 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:54,160 Speaker 2: of course there's so much. 106 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: In the news right now about women's basketball and March Madness, 107 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:01,920 Speaker 1: and I just feel feel very fortunate to have been 108 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:06,360 Speaker 1: on a team of women where we can experience winning 109 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:06,839 Speaker 1: it all. 110 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 3: It happened to be on the last second shot. So 111 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:11,040 Speaker 3: if you're looking for something to. 112 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 4: Do after hearing this podcast, type in nineteen ninety three, 113 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 4: nineteen ninety four buzzer Beater Women's National Championship and you'll 114 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 4: see Mike tar Hills winning it all. 115 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:23,839 Speaker 3: Certainly a highlight in my life. 116 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:28,279 Speaker 2: Decided that I loved the sport, was going to continue 117 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 2: dabbled in track and field while I was at the 118 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:34,479 Speaker 2: University of North Carolina and four years was really decided 119 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 2: that I wanted to for all of my attention into 120 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 2: my first love, which. 121 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 3: Was track and field. I graduated from the University of 122 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 3: North Calnon. 123 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 2: Nineteen ninety seven and quickly began the trajectory of my 124 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:50,599 Speaker 2: track and field career. 125 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 3: It happened very quickly, as in about eighteen. 126 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 2: Months, I became arguably one of the fastest women in 127 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 2: the world, became a world champion at that time, and 128 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 2: things in my life were fairly well, apparently going fairly well. 129 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 3: In nineteen ninety eight, I. 130 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 2: Was traveling around the world competing because, as you might 131 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 2: know listening to this, many of the track and field 132 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 2: athletes in the US have to travel abroad in between 133 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:24,720 Speaker 2: the years of the Olympic Games. Of course, the Olympic 134 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 2: Games are every four years, and these athletes have. 135 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 3: To spend a majority of their. 136 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 2: Time traveling in Europe and Africa and South and Central 137 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 2: America literally for a living to run these big races. 138 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 2: And so in nineteen ninety eight, I was at a 139 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:44,640 Speaker 2: press conference in Bruckels, Belgium, and a reporter asked me, Marion, 140 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 2: you know, what are your plans for the near future, 141 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 2: particularly the two thousand Games in Sydney. And I don't 142 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 2: know my exact age, but I was early twenties, mid twenties, 143 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 2: and I flippantly answered, just like any twenty year old, 144 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 2: I flippantly answered, I planned to compete in five events 145 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 2: in Sydney, and I planned to win. 146 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 3: Five events, so five golds. 147 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 2: And I said that, and I stayed flippantly because unbeknownst 148 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 2: to me, it had never been done before. So that's 149 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 2: press conference was the catalyst to the world and Hi, hey, 150 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 2: there's this young athlete, incredible and he wants to achieve 151 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 2: history in Sydney. And that kind of took on a 152 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:34,320 Speaker 2: wave and a momentum of its own, whereby the lead 153 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 2: up to the Olympic Games. I was the poster child 154 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:40,560 Speaker 2: for the Olympics. So I was on the cover of 155 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:45,000 Speaker 2: every major magazine from Vogue to Sports Illustrated to. 156 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 5: Ebony, to Time to Life, and I was that athlete 157 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 5: going into the Sydney Olympics. I went to Sydney achieved 158 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 5: a lot of success. 159 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 2: I won five medals, three of them gold two of them, 160 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:07,679 Speaker 2: and left Sydney on the most incredible there was len 161 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 2: We get a little bit of context to you all. 162 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 2: During that time in two thousand till about two and ten, 163 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:15,439 Speaker 2: and about a ten year span. 164 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:20,440 Speaker 6: There had did a lot a lot of news about 165 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 6: athletes and performance enhancing drugs and trying to get a 166 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:28,440 Speaker 6: handle of that in the sport. Well, I've always been 167 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:31,320 Speaker 6: a proponent, proponent for a drug free sport. 168 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 2: But because I was an elite athlete, I needed to 169 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 2: make sure that any type of vitamin, any type of 170 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:42,960 Speaker 2: supplement that I was taking was going to be free 171 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 2: from any other substances. 172 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 3: So I hired a company to create the supplement for 173 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:52,080 Speaker 3: me right, and I also had a team around, a 174 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 3: manager and coach it is, and everybody to protect my 175 00:09:54,559 --> 00:09:58,319 Speaker 3: best interest, or so I thought. So again achieved a 176 00:09:58,360 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 3: lot of success in Sydney. 177 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:02,880 Speaker 2: A few years later, two thousand and three, I get 178 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 2: a phone call from federal prosecutors asking me inviting me, 179 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:11,840 Speaker 2: I say that, loosely, inviting me to come and sit 180 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 2: with them in San Francisco and share any knowledge so 181 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 2: that I might have known about performance handing drugs during 182 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:24,199 Speaker 2: that time, a particular company that was creating them. And 183 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 2: I just quickly said, sure, I don't have any problem. 184 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 2: I don't have anything to hide. Understand that during that 185 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 2: time I was also the most tested athlete in the world, 186 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 2: meeting every few weeks, somebody would come to my home 187 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:41,280 Speaker 2: and I would have to go to the bathroom and urine. 188 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 2: They would text my urine to make sure there were 189 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:46,440 Speaker 2: no performance to handing drugs, and every single time it 190 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:47,000 Speaker 2: was negative. 191 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:49,800 Speaker 3: So I had nothing to hide. I had hired this company. 192 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 2: I felt very confident that they knew there was nothing 193 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:54,559 Speaker 2: tainted in it at all. 194 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:57,400 Speaker 3: So I traveled to In two thousand and three, I 195 00:10:57,480 --> 00:11:01,440 Speaker 3: traveled to San Francisco with my attorneys and prior to 196 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 3: the meeting, I sat down with federal investigators and signed 197 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:09,040 Speaker 3: what it's called a clean for a day letter, and 198 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:09,960 Speaker 3: if you've never heard of that. 199 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:13,959 Speaker 2: What it is essentially is you sign this document saying 200 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:17,679 Speaker 2: that you will be honest with the federal prosecutors that 201 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:21,040 Speaker 2: no matter what they asked you, no matter how brutal, 202 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 2: no matter what you've done, if you tell the truth, 203 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 2: they will not prosecute you. Right So, because I went 204 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 2: into this meeting with absolutely nothing too high, I signed 205 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:34,360 Speaker 2: a letter. Very quickly, my attorney looked it over. Everything 206 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:38,080 Speaker 2: was fine. We go into the interview with the federal 207 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:44,720 Speaker 2: prosecutors and very quickly we determined that they felt that 208 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:47,080 Speaker 2: I knew a lot more than what I was sharing 209 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:50,439 Speaker 2: with them, and their questions became a little more intense 210 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:53,680 Speaker 2: and aggressive, to the point about three hours into this 211 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:56,000 Speaker 2: interview they pulled something out of the bag and they 212 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:59,800 Speaker 2: kind of push it towards me, and I quickly realized 213 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,440 Speaker 2: in a very short amount of time, I couldn't realize 214 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:05,280 Speaker 2: that there was something that had been given to me 215 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 2: years prior, right before the Olympic Games, by the team 216 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 2: that I had hired, and it's something that I had 217 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 2: taken with the the size of it being something else. 218 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:19,360 Speaker 2: So in that moment, I knew that everything that I 219 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:22,520 Speaker 2: had heard about in the news about these athletes and 220 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:25,800 Speaker 2: performance enhancing drugs, and this particular one called but Clear 221 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:28,840 Speaker 2: was indeed what I was looking at and was indeed 222 00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 2: actually something that I had been given. So in that 223 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:35,600 Speaker 2: short amount of time, I made the decision to lie 224 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 2: for fear that everything I had dreamt of, everything I 225 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:44,120 Speaker 2: had worked towards my entire career leading up from nineteen 226 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 2: eighty four when I was nine years old and wrote 227 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 2: I wanted to be an Olympic Champion on my talkboard 228 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:51,520 Speaker 2: to that moment. I feared that if I was to 229 00:12:51,679 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 2: tell them the truth, that everything that I had worked 230 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:57,160 Speaker 2: for would be taken away, And so I made the 231 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:00,800 Speaker 2: decision to lie. In that moment. Of people when they 232 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:04,120 Speaker 2: hear my story, they say, oh, you know Mary Jones, 233 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:06,080 Speaker 2: she lost it all, or she went. 234 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:09,600 Speaker 3: To prison because she took performance enhancing drugs. 235 00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 2: That's not accurate. I actually went to prison, and we'll 236 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:15,599 Speaker 2: get to that. Because I had signed that Queen for 237 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:18,280 Speaker 2: a Day letter and because I lied to them, they 238 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:20,360 Speaker 2: were able to come back a number of years later 239 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:24,240 Speaker 2: and try me, and I was found guilty, of course. 240 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:26,800 Speaker 2: But so of course there are a lot of high 241 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:30,400 Speaker 2: and loans to all of that. Fast forward from two 242 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:33,280 Speaker 2: thousand and three to two thousand and seven. I had 243 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:38,440 Speaker 2: been carrying this heavy burden with me for quite some time, 244 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:42,520 Speaker 2: four plus years. A lot had happened in that four years, 245 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:46,520 Speaker 2: in that I had my two sons, I was still competing, 246 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:50,000 Speaker 2: I was still running fast and being considered the fastest 247 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:53,080 Speaker 2: women in the world. But the burden of this life 248 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 2: every single time I raced, every interview would ask are 249 00:13:57,080 --> 00:14:00,200 Speaker 2: you a drug free athlete? Do you take right? Just 250 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 2: became heavy. 251 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:03,480 Speaker 3: But the heaviest part of it all. 252 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:07,679 Speaker 2: And many people listening to this will understand this that 253 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:13,120 Speaker 2: when you have since, your perspective in life most times 254 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:16,880 Speaker 2: drastically changes and you realize that everything that you say 255 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 2: and everything that you don't say, everything that you do 256 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:24,680 Speaker 2: and sometimes don't do, can and will affect them. And 257 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:27,520 Speaker 2: I was telling my boys, hey, you know, when you 258 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 2: make a poor choice, and it happens in life to everybody, 259 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 2: but when it happens to you, son, like, you need 260 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 2: to come back and you need to tell mom and 261 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:38,800 Speaker 2: we'll deal with the consequences and then we can move 262 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 2: on and be done with it. And I certainly wasn't 263 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 2: living that life. I was quite the hypocrite at that time, 264 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:48,160 Speaker 2: and it just became too much, and I said to myself, 265 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 2: you know what, like like I need a fresh start. 266 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:54,760 Speaker 2: I need to just make this right. And I know 267 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:57,800 Speaker 2: the consequences would be severe. Didn't know they. 268 00:14:57,760 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 3: Would be as severe as they were. 269 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:02,360 Speaker 2: And so in two thousand and seven, I've led guilty 270 00:15:02,640 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 2: to applying to the federal investigators and was sentenced to 271 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:11,280 Speaker 2: six months incarceration. The only athletes that had served any 272 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:15,160 Speaker 2: time in all of that. So, of course that's the 273 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:18,920 Speaker 2: low and probably the lowest point in my career where 274 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 2: the forty nine days spent in solitary confinement. But I 275 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:26,080 Speaker 2: also tell people in all of that, like, I'm not 276 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:30,080 Speaker 2: looking for empathy or sympathy. I certainly made four choices. 277 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 2: But I also say during that time it was a 278 00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:38,880 Speaker 2: blessing in disguise because it forced me to analyze my past, 279 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:42,960 Speaker 2: who I was, and more importantly figure out, all, right, well, 280 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 2: what's the next step, what's my tomorrow look like, what's 281 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 2: my next year, what's my five year outlooks look like? 282 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 2: But also I like to say that it forced me 283 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:56,240 Speaker 2: to slow down. Right, there was so much pressure, there 284 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 2: was so much same and fortune as a twenty something 285 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:07,040 Speaker 2: year old that can be enormously overwhelming, and the time 286 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:10,320 Speaker 2: away was really just an opportunity for me to slow 287 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:17,720 Speaker 2: down and to also realize that I had allowed my 288 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 2: sport of choice, track and field, to dominate my life. 289 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:25,760 Speaker 2: Like when people ask me Mary Jones, who are you 290 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:29,720 Speaker 2: back then, my quick response to be, I'm attracting cial 291 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:33,880 Speaker 2: athletes right, which I think a lot of young athletes 292 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 2: get go down that road whereby they identify by who 293 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:44,960 Speaker 2: they are with what they do, and that causes a 294 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:47,800 Speaker 2: lot of problems, particularly towards the end of your career. 295 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:03,480 Speaker 2: So that was the lowest point of my life. I 296 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 2: will tell you that the highlights, of course was winning 297 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:10,879 Speaker 2: the gold medal, but more so the biggest highlight is 298 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 2: now I have three kids twenty one, seventeen, and fifteen, 299 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:19,320 Speaker 2: and I'm proud to say that I am probably the 300 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 2: most joyful and happiest that I've ever been in my life. 301 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:27,920 Speaker 2: I have created such an incredible business around sharing this 302 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:32,159 Speaker 2: idea with people that their failure in life does not 303 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:37,280 Speaker 2: have to be forever that no matter who you are. Yes, 304 00:17:37,359 --> 00:17:41,640 Speaker 2: I understand people don't have the incredible life story potentially 305 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:42,480 Speaker 2: that I do. 306 00:17:43,119 --> 00:17:45,840 Speaker 3: It's not all it's to be so to take that 307 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:46,640 Speaker 3: in your account. 308 00:17:47,119 --> 00:17:51,560 Speaker 2: But everybody from all walks of life have some type 309 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 2: of failure that they deal with. It could be a 310 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:59,920 Speaker 2: business that has failed, your finances, your relationship, whatever it is, right, 311 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:03,840 Speaker 2: everybody has been knocked down and everybody needs to learn 312 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:07,920 Speaker 2: tools on how to pick yourself back up and that success, 313 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:13,159 Speaker 2: whatever you identify success as, can be had again and 314 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 2: maybe even more so if you know the right tools right. 315 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:18,600 Speaker 2: So what I share with people is that, hey, you 316 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:22,400 Speaker 2: need a living example of somebody to look forwards that yeah, 317 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:25,040 Speaker 2: they've had so much success, they've lost it all for 318 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:28,280 Speaker 2: various reasons, and they are on the comeback of sport too. 319 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:33,120 Speaker 2: Not I make it identical in terms of the height 320 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:35,800 Speaker 2: of my success, but for me, success and now looks 321 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:39,800 Speaker 2: like people realizing that they are strong, that they can 322 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:43,879 Speaker 2: overcome anything, that their setbacks in life do not have 323 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:47,520 Speaker 2: to define them, that their mistakes don't have to be 324 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 2: their narrative for the rest of their life. 325 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:51,560 Speaker 3: And that's what I hope to do. 326 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:55,080 Speaker 2: So that's actually the high of my career and where 327 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:57,320 Speaker 2: I'm at right now, I'm not such a wonderful feeling. 328 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:02,119 Speaker 2: So I share some of the challenges that I faced 329 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:06,760 Speaker 2: that changed me as a person, certainly as an athlete. 330 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:10,560 Speaker 2: I would say that that the challenges of surrounding what 331 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:13,960 Speaker 2: are the challenges that I faced was that I made 332 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:20,240 Speaker 2: the decision to surround myself during that time with what 333 00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:23,760 Speaker 2: I call yes people, right. And these are people whom 334 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:27,560 Speaker 2: you make a decision that they're gonna be your community. 335 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:32,600 Speaker 2: They're your people, and they're gonna stay and do anything 336 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:35,480 Speaker 2: that you want them to do, right, and usually it's 337 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:39,360 Speaker 2: for reasons that would benefit them, not too These are 338 00:19:39,359 --> 00:19:42,960 Speaker 2: people that if you're making poor decisions, they're gonna say, oh, 339 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 2: I don't have to get a good idea or even 340 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:52,160 Speaker 2: something simple like that output on you. And I made 341 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:56,200 Speaker 2: make a choice during my twice right to surround myself 342 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:59,399 Speaker 2: with people who would just say, Mary, I think that's 343 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:02,840 Speaker 2: a great idea, instead of surrounding myself with people who 344 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:05,000 Speaker 2: would give it to me straight. What do I mean 345 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:08,960 Speaker 2: by that? These are people most likely your parents, right, 346 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:12,720 Speaker 2: not every case, but people who've known you for a 347 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:15,720 Speaker 2: significant amount of time or know you really well, and 348 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:19,200 Speaker 2: who are not afraid to just say, hey, married, maybe 349 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:22,160 Speaker 2: you should rethink that, or hey Mary, maybe you should 350 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:25,120 Speaker 2: look at it from this angle, and so I think 351 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:29,200 Speaker 2: in regard to how I've changed as a person now, 352 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:33,080 Speaker 2: I certainly identify the need to have a strong, strong 353 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:38,320 Speaker 2: community around me that pours into me in a healthy way. Right. 354 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:41,159 Speaker 2: The people that I surround myself now certainly are not 355 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:44,800 Speaker 2: get people. These are people that love me for who 356 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:49,359 Speaker 2: I am, right and are willing to say the hard 357 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:53,399 Speaker 2: things to help me navigate this thing called life. And 358 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 2: I am so very grateful for them in my life. 359 00:20:57,800 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 2: I want to tell you all why it's so important 360 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:04,040 Speaker 2: I said to surround yourself with the right team, because 361 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:09,280 Speaker 2: if you go through life thinking that it's it's going 362 00:21:09,359 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 2: to be what social media looks like. Because that's the 363 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 2: big thing right now, Everything on social media is it's beautiful, 364 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:19,399 Speaker 2: general and pretty, and everybody wants to portray their life 365 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:24,720 Speaker 2: as something magical, which we know is not active. Right. 366 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:29,080 Speaker 2: There are moments in life that are, but many thingses 367 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 2: there are at people moments that are not. And I 368 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:35,480 Speaker 2: think people just kind of get stop thinking that's the 369 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:38,720 Speaker 2: way it is, and that there will be no picked 370 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:42,879 Speaker 2: upsk in life. And it's so sad that young people 371 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:47,919 Speaker 2: in particular see this example every day as they scroll Instagram, 372 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 2: tick pout, Facebook, whatever it looks like, whatever social media platform, 373 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:56,960 Speaker 2: and that's what they see all the time. And so again, 374 00:21:57,240 --> 00:22:04,040 Speaker 2: surrounding yourself with reality, right they're on yourself with people 375 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:07,560 Speaker 2: who will keep it real is so important, I believe 376 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:09,960 Speaker 2: in our lives. So I also want to share with 377 00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:13,840 Speaker 2: you. You know, there was a time when, of course I 378 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:16,240 Speaker 2: surrounded myself with I'm not going to take the wrong people. 379 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:19,760 Speaker 2: They just weren't the right people for me, right, And 380 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:25,040 Speaker 2: that led to obviously a lot of disappointment, uh. 381 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:28,320 Speaker 3: And just a lot of feeling of hanging there. 382 00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:30,560 Speaker 2: You put like there are a lot of wood haves 383 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:34,119 Speaker 2: and puttos right, and then you could have been X, 384 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:36,760 Speaker 2: Y and Z, or you could have achieved this right. 385 00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:39,960 Speaker 2: And I don't really allow myself to go there very 386 00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:43,760 Speaker 2: often because it's hard to pull yourself out of that place. 387 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:48,359 Speaker 2: People see particularly now on social media and on interviews 388 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:53,800 Speaker 2: or whatnot, and it looks like one percent I've always 389 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:57,720 Speaker 2: had it together. That's not the case. There are good days, 390 00:22:57,760 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 2: there are bad days. But now I just learned how 391 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:00,880 Speaker 2: to hope with it all. 392 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:04,560 Speaker 3: So I want to pivot a little bit. 393 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:07,679 Speaker 2: We've talked about from UPSTI downs in my life. But 394 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 2: I know a lot of my listeners and followers and 395 00:23:10,359 --> 00:23:15,359 Speaker 2: people who watch the Legs Clear podcast just want to 396 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:20,160 Speaker 2: know what it takes to be a disciplined elite athlete 397 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:23,760 Speaker 2: and how people can embrace that discipline in all areas 398 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:25,960 Speaker 2: of their life. And I love to speak on that 399 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:30,239 Speaker 2: because currently what I do. In addition to being on 400 00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:35,399 Speaker 2: shows like Speciful Forces, I also am so blessed to 401 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:41,160 Speaker 2: have started my own podcasts with my business partners tou 402 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:45,040 Speaker 2: Van Evans called Second Wind, where we have the opportunity 403 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:47,720 Speaker 2: to sit down with guests from all walks of life 404 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:51,399 Speaker 2: who we believe are on their second wind in life. 405 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:55,399 Speaker 2: They keep achieve some type of success, have hit the roadblock, 406 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:58,879 Speaker 2: people have written them off and all of a sudden 407 00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 2: but whatever different reason, they've been able to come back 408 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:06,680 Speaker 2: and it's cake. You know, you'll find that a lot 409 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:12,920 Speaker 2: of companies love to hire former athletes, former champions, and 410 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:14,520 Speaker 2: the reason is very simple. 411 00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:18,240 Speaker 3: Is because to be a success, you really in. 412 00:24:18,359 --> 00:24:22,359 Speaker 2: Sport, you have to have self discipline. You have to 413 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:28,159 Speaker 2: have figured out the formula to wake up in the 414 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:31,200 Speaker 2: morning when you're tired, or when you're hurt, or when 415 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:35,480 Speaker 2: you're sick, or when you're like, you have social pressure 416 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:38,600 Speaker 2: pulling you away, right, you have to have a certain 417 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:40,800 Speaker 2: discipline to say, you know what, this is my goal 418 00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:44,920 Speaker 2: and I'm going to sacrifice everything else for that goal. 419 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:47,560 Speaker 2: So well, that's why you see these Fortune five hundred 420 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:51,240 Speaker 2: companies like when they look at their list of potential candidates, 421 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:57,120 Speaker 2: they're generally lean towards the side of hiring former college 422 00:24:57,200 --> 00:25:00,679 Speaker 2: athletes because they know that in the ground, in the 423 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:05,000 Speaker 2: thick of it, these people will get the job done. 424 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 2: For me, I have always been self driven, self motivated. 425 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:18,960 Speaker 2: I had some wonderful coaches and mentors along the way 426 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:21,440 Speaker 2: in my life that I've just been fortunate. I had 427 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:24,119 Speaker 2: some that were horrible. To be honest with you, it 428 00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:27,120 Speaker 2: didn't really make a difference for me because I knew 429 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:30,160 Speaker 2: what for me the end game was. The end game 430 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:32,440 Speaker 2: for me was to be a success. 431 00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:35,720 Speaker 3: The endgame for me was to make my mother proud. 432 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:40,760 Speaker 2: And people sometimes will say, well, Mary, you messed all 433 00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:44,200 Speaker 2: day up, and I will quickly respond and say, you 434 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:48,399 Speaker 2: think I have the one person who was there for 435 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:53,280 Speaker 2: me when all of that negative stuff happened on the 436 00:25:53,359 --> 00:25:57,399 Speaker 2: courtroom steps after I played guilty. My mom's hand is 437 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:00,159 Speaker 2: on my shoulder and she's tapping my shoulder rubbing. I 438 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:02,399 Speaker 2: told her, and she's my biggest. 439 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:06,159 Speaker 3: Supporter, saying, I love you, everything will be okay. I 440 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:06,960 Speaker 3: believe in you. 441 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:10,040 Speaker 2: I believe in this next chapter for you. They're gonna 442 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:14,720 Speaker 2: be amazing. And so there's nothing that anybody says on 443 00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:20,080 Speaker 2: social media anywhere that can make me believe otherwise. I've 444 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:23,919 Speaker 2: just been grateful for that support for my mother and 445 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:29,240 Speaker 2: just seeing her and all the sacrifices that she has 446 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:34,399 Speaker 2: made in her life has told with the discipline that 447 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:38,400 Speaker 2: I was speaking of earlier, Right, Like, my mom came 448 00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:41,600 Speaker 2: here from a small, beautiful country by the name of Believe. 449 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:45,639 Speaker 2: She came here very young, wanting a better life for 450 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:50,840 Speaker 2: herself and for her kids, and she sacrificed time away 451 00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:54,639 Speaker 2: from family. She sacrificed so much for a better life 452 00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:57,600 Speaker 2: for her kids. And people say, oh, it would be 453 00:26:57,680 --> 00:27:00,639 Speaker 2: so difficult to be an elite athlete, so difficult to 454 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:02,360 Speaker 2: do this, And I'll tell you this. I'll say, No, 455 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:06,760 Speaker 2: what's difficult. It's coming to a new country, right leaving 456 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:11,280 Speaker 2: your family behind, having a young child, not knowing what 457 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:16,040 Speaker 2: the future would look like, and waking up every day 458 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 2: with this desire that no matter what, you're going to 459 00:27:19,680 --> 00:27:23,480 Speaker 2: make a better life for your kids, like don't is 460 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:27,280 Speaker 2: that is sacrifice? And so when people ask me that, 461 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 2: I just kind of sit back and I say, I like, 462 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:32,320 Speaker 2: you have no idea, right, It might look like, yeah, 463 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:34,919 Speaker 2: the athlete a lot of success, and yes it is. 464 00:27:35,119 --> 00:27:37,800 Speaker 2: But then when you have gotten a chance to witness 465 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:41,240 Speaker 2: through greatness and I have with my mom, everything else 466 00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:46,560 Speaker 2: is much more simpler. Let's move a little bit more 467 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:50,720 Speaker 2: to like like's talking about fitness and the body, which 468 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:53,840 Speaker 2: I love. I am a certified personal trainer. I have 469 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:58,879 Speaker 2: such a passion for healthy living and for helping people 470 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:04,399 Speaker 2: live longer, happier, healthier lives. Over a decade ago I 471 00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:10,919 Speaker 2: got my certification and training people virtually the proper technique 472 00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:13,520 Speaker 2: on how to stay fit and run and lift and 473 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:16,840 Speaker 2: all that. And I want to share with you how 474 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:20,320 Speaker 2: I've been able to connect the body, you know, and 475 00:28:20,359 --> 00:28:24,040 Speaker 2: as it's older, I will be fifty years old October 476 00:28:24,119 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 2: of this year, and it's it's. 477 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:30,119 Speaker 3: It's amazing me to even say. 478 00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:33,080 Speaker 2: That that I've been on this planet for fifty years 479 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:38,040 Speaker 2: and the incredible life that I've been given. But naturally, 480 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:41,200 Speaker 2: at this age you start to see cases in your body. 481 00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:43,960 Speaker 2: I start to see aches and pains and things that 482 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:47,920 Speaker 2: I never knew existed. But I have found with a 483 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 2: good nutrition and with a consistent movement pattern, meaning yeah, 484 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:57,680 Speaker 2: I work out every day, full struggle. I have great 485 00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:01,160 Speaker 2: four art writings who both needs. You know, I struggle 486 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:03,520 Speaker 2: with certain things. I don't nearly run it. I don't 487 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:05,960 Speaker 2: run nearly as fast as I used to or jump 488 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:08,800 Speaker 2: that side. But every single day of my life there 489 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:11,840 Speaker 2: is some movement right. It's a non negotiable. I share 490 00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:15,160 Speaker 2: this with my clients often. Movement every day is a 491 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 2: non negotiable. Good eating right, making sure at this age 492 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:26,440 Speaker 2: protein is everything, particularly for premenopausal and menopausal women. Making 493 00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:31,240 Speaker 2: sure that you get the proper amount of protein, healthy water, intake, 494 00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:36,200 Speaker 2: good sleep, relieving stress and so to me, just making 495 00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:38,640 Speaker 2: sure that is a priority in my life as I 496 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:56,640 Speaker 2: age is so very important. I decided a few. 497 00:29:56,520 --> 00:29:57,720 Speaker 3: Years fact that. 498 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:02,160 Speaker 2: I would notice a good amount of my friends who 499 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:06,520 Speaker 2: are my age. I would see them getting heavier, I 500 00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:09,400 Speaker 2: would see them stressed out. I would see them dealing 501 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:13,520 Speaker 2: with work and relationships and just really struggling overall in 502 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:18,640 Speaker 2: their life. And I was been having those struggles and 503 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:21,440 Speaker 2: I decided number of years fact that. 504 00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:27,840 Speaker 3: Making a decision to one plunging thing every. 505 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 2: Year of my life, something that's going to get me 506 00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 2: out of my comfort zone, I think is the recipe 507 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:37,040 Speaker 2: for a long and healthy life. So this year I 508 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 2: made the decision that I was going to attempt to 509 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:43,560 Speaker 2: compete in my first triathlon. I had had an affinity 510 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:46,960 Speaker 2: for the sport for many years, lots of respect for 511 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:49,480 Speaker 2: these athletes who have to commit so much of their 512 00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:55,760 Speaker 2: time to perfecting three different disciplines or really four if 513 00:30:55,800 --> 00:31:00,520 Speaker 2: you consider nutrition as one cycling, biking, swimming, good nutrition. 514 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 2: And I decided that I wanted to compete this year 515 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:05,560 Speaker 2: and see what I can do. And I've taken that 516 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:08,080 Speaker 2: on and he has taken over my life. But I'm 517 00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:10,880 Speaker 2: excited to say that in about one month time, I 518 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:14,520 Speaker 2: will be competing in Honolulu in a triathlon. And really, 519 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:15,040 Speaker 2: what it. 520 00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:17,400 Speaker 3: Has taught me at this stage of my life. 521 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:23,560 Speaker 2: Is an endurance component that I have been unfamiliar with, 522 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:30,480 Speaker 2: particularly because in my prime, endurance was not the thing 523 00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:34,520 Speaker 2: right I was intended. I was chosen to run fast 524 00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:39,160 Speaker 2: from here to there, very fast, not around around, around, 525 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:41,960 Speaker 2: around me tract lots of times and so taking on 526 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:45,959 Speaker 2: a sport where endurance is everything. You can't go out 527 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:48,080 Speaker 2: too hard, you can't go out too fast. You have 528 00:31:48,200 --> 00:31:50,960 Speaker 2: to learn and hate that you can maintain at a 529 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:55,280 Speaker 2: high level for an extended period of time. It's such 530 00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:59,240 Speaker 2: a challenge for me participating in disciplines that I didn't 531 00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:04,040 Speaker 2: have a background. The pop swimming, I knew how to swim, 532 00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:07,360 Speaker 2: but the swimming that I did was hey, with my friends, 533 00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:09,680 Speaker 2: I'm jumping off the diving board and getting over to 534 00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:11,880 Speaker 2: the side, or with my kids making sure that they 535 00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:13,800 Speaker 2: don't drownd, nor do I. 536 00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:16,600 Speaker 3: I've never really swam left from. 537 00:32:16,360 --> 00:32:19,520 Speaker 2: Here to there. I learned proper technique and that is 538 00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:23,000 Speaker 2: mind blowing, especially learning to do that as an adult. 539 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:26,440 Speaker 2: So that is the first challenge, the swimming component. The 540 00:32:26,440 --> 00:32:30,120 Speaker 2: second challenge was the fipling component. Did I know how 541 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:33,280 Speaker 2: to ride my bike? Sure, my little Puffy and if 542 00:32:33,320 --> 00:32:36,960 Speaker 2: you're a third age you know all about puffy. I 543 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:39,000 Speaker 2: could ride that around the block, or I can ride 544 00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:40,960 Speaker 2: that fast. But it had been a number of years 545 00:32:40,960 --> 00:32:43,520 Speaker 2: before I had really been on a bike for a 546 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:46,200 Speaker 2: good amount of time, and there is a skill set 547 00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:49,520 Speaker 2: associating with that that I did not have that I 548 00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:52,280 Speaker 2: had had to learn. And then, of course the third 549 00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:55,760 Speaker 2: discipline is the running component, and most people hearing from 550 00:32:55,760 --> 00:32:59,800 Speaker 2: me might say, oh, that portion he must have down packs. 551 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:03,640 Speaker 2: Got agatn't? I can run? Used to run fast from 552 00:33:03,680 --> 00:33:07,280 Speaker 2: here to there right short distance, but to have to 553 00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:11,400 Speaker 2: run a five k or further was mentally exhausting in 554 00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:13,280 Speaker 2: addition to physically exactly so. 555 00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:14,720 Speaker 3: Having to train my body for that. 556 00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:19,200 Speaker 2: It has forced me to learn balance in my life 557 00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:22,560 Speaker 2: because I when I competed at the highest. 558 00:33:22,320 --> 00:33:24,720 Speaker 3: Level, like that was all that. 559 00:33:24,720 --> 00:33:28,840 Speaker 2: I was supposed to do. Train At this point in 560 00:33:28,840 --> 00:33:30,960 Speaker 2: my life, It's not all I supposed to do. I 561 00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:34,320 Speaker 2: have a family, I have a business that need as 562 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:38,040 Speaker 2: much science as my training. So learning balance in my 563 00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:42,040 Speaker 2: life and not allowing it to overwhelm me, not allowing 564 00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:45,479 Speaker 2: it to start to define again who I am and 565 00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:47,960 Speaker 2: want to be, has been the challenge. But it has 566 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:51,480 Speaker 2: taught me so many new things about myself and whom 567 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:54,840 Speaker 2: I want to be as a person, a mother, a partner, 568 00:33:55,080 --> 00:33:59,640 Speaker 2: an athlete, and I do things that I didn't even realize. 569 00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:02,720 Speaker 2: So that is my journey on triathlon. Every year from 570 00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:04,960 Speaker 2: this point out, I plan. 571 00:34:04,840 --> 00:34:07,960 Speaker 3: To choose something new, something that. 572 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:11,160 Speaker 2: I a new skill, set a new challenge, something that 573 00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:15,040 Speaker 2: I've never done before, and I'm just so excited to 574 00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:19,160 Speaker 2: have discovered that and the need for that really in 575 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:23,640 Speaker 2: my life. So with all of that, you know, my 576 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:29,160 Speaker 2: kids have watched me transform and through all of this 577 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:32,680 Speaker 2: all along with them. My mom, I've always just been 578 00:34:32,760 --> 00:34:38,280 Speaker 2: mom for them. It's funny. They know about my success 579 00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:41,920 Speaker 2: in sport, they also know about my challenges in life. 580 00:34:42,680 --> 00:34:44,520 Speaker 3: But at the end of the day, I'm his mom. 581 00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:46,560 Speaker 2: If you're listening to this, you know about that that 582 00:34:46,920 --> 00:34:48,960 Speaker 2: As long as I have their cash app and their 583 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:53,840 Speaker 2: Venmo and I'm the mama Uber, they're perfectly happy. But 584 00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:58,120 Speaker 2: people always ask me why I made certain choices to 585 00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:01,560 Speaker 2: come back onto the scene, why I even decided to 586 00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:05,360 Speaker 2: play professional basketball I had after I had been released 587 00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:08,480 Speaker 2: from prison, And I tell them it's this simple fit, 588 00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:13,320 Speaker 2: simple equations for me. My kids, particularly with social media 589 00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:16,560 Speaker 2: and the internet, like they even if I made a 590 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:17,440 Speaker 2: choice not to. 591 00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:20,399 Speaker 3: Tell them about what I did in my past. 592 00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:23,200 Speaker 2: They would know. I certainly wanted to be able to 593 00:35:23,480 --> 00:35:28,000 Speaker 2: explain things to them how they understand which I've done right. 594 00:35:28,320 --> 00:35:31,440 Speaker 3: But also as they get older and they have their 595 00:35:31,480 --> 00:35:34,680 Speaker 3: own families and they many dive. 596 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:39,520 Speaker 2: In deeper into their mom's life. I wanted them to 597 00:35:39,600 --> 00:35:43,080 Speaker 2: be able to follow the trajectory of my life and 598 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:47,440 Speaker 2: my career and see certain things that were important to me. 599 00:35:47,600 --> 00:35:54,120 Speaker 2: One sure, had a childhood and an adolescence whereby I 600 00:35:54,239 --> 00:35:56,960 Speaker 2: learned to love spork, found out I was very good 601 00:35:56,960 --> 00:36:01,560 Speaker 2: at it, achieved some hues dry and successes in sport, 602 00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:06,440 Speaker 2: Olympic champion, all of that. Along the way on this timeline, 603 00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:10,359 Speaker 2: Mom made some poor choices, right, lost it all right, 604 00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:14,600 Speaker 2: had to figure out how to refrain whom she was, 605 00:36:15,080 --> 00:36:17,480 Speaker 2: how to figure out what is she going to do 606 00:36:17,640 --> 00:36:19,800 Speaker 2: with her world and with her life, and to build 607 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:25,200 Speaker 2: her reputation back. And again they're following this timeline and notice, 608 00:36:25,280 --> 00:36:27,960 Speaker 2: oh yeah, you know she had come back from it all. 609 00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:31,359 Speaker 3: You know, She's had the opportunity to share. 610 00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:34,359 Speaker 2: Her story with the world with the hope that people 611 00:36:34,440 --> 00:36:40,000 Speaker 2: can make better choices for their own lives and the 612 00:36:40,160 --> 00:36:43,839 Speaker 2: fact that I can be a living example to them, 613 00:36:44,239 --> 00:36:47,319 Speaker 2: and even once I'm gone from this world, they can 614 00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:50,799 Speaker 2: share with their kids and their families like this is 615 00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:54,480 Speaker 2: this is what real life looks like, if not what 616 00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:57,399 Speaker 2: you see on social media. Always right, this is what 617 00:36:57,520 --> 00:37:00,279 Speaker 2: real life looks like you have to set them time. 618 00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:03,520 Speaker 2: Sometimes you make a wrong whom you make a wrong call. 619 00:37:03,800 --> 00:37:07,680 Speaker 2: Sometimes something knock you down. Maybe it's a death in 620 00:37:07,719 --> 00:37:10,360 Speaker 2: your family, Maybe it's a divorce. Maybe it's something you've 621 00:37:10,400 --> 00:37:13,520 Speaker 2: done and not git down right, and you do not 622 00:37:13,719 --> 00:37:17,760 Speaker 2: know how you're gonna take another step, and you figure 623 00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:21,640 Speaker 2: it out, You repray, You create your own legacy, you 624 00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:24,840 Speaker 2: create your own narrative, and you pull yourself out of 625 00:37:24,880 --> 00:37:27,319 Speaker 2: that dark place, and all of a sudden you find 626 00:37:27,360 --> 00:37:31,040 Speaker 2: yourself knocking on the doors and then actually being opened 627 00:37:31,080 --> 00:37:34,239 Speaker 2: for you whatever that looks like the next season of 628 00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:37,080 Speaker 2: your life. And and for me, I can sit back 629 00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:41,640 Speaker 2: and say, Okay, a life well lived because my kids 630 00:37:41,680 --> 00:37:44,920 Speaker 2: can identify and see the timeline and say, you know what, 631 00:37:45,520 --> 00:37:48,440 Speaker 2: like my mom is a bad mammage general or she 632 00:37:48,680 --> 00:37:50,719 Speaker 2: was a bad mamma gemma. And for those of you 633 00:37:50,760 --> 00:37:54,080 Speaker 2: all hearing this and they're not certain way Mamma Gemma is, 634 00:37:55,560 --> 00:37:57,240 Speaker 2: it's a badass woman. 635 00:37:59,600 --> 00:37:59,880 Speaker 5: Oh. 636 00:38:00,840 --> 00:38:03,279 Speaker 2: I am excited just to be in this season of 637 00:38:03,320 --> 00:38:07,279 Speaker 2: my life. As I've shared, I had the opportunity on 638 00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:11,280 Speaker 2: Special Forces and I did well and I have launched 639 00:38:11,320 --> 00:38:14,439 Speaker 2: along with my business partners Susan Evans, The New York Times, 640 00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:18,960 Speaker 2: step Zone author our own podcast all called Second Wind. 641 00:38:20,120 --> 00:38:23,960 Speaker 2: You can find Second Win wherever you find your podcast. 642 00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:27,400 Speaker 2: We've brought in some incredible guests in our first season, 643 00:38:27,719 --> 00:38:31,560 Speaker 2: and I'm just excited to explore where that's going to 644 00:38:31,640 --> 00:38:35,000 Speaker 2: go and to continue to share my story, but even 645 00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:39,560 Speaker 2: more so like share the stories of people who inspire 646 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:43,719 Speaker 2: me for various reasons, particularly those who are on their 647 00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:47,760 Speaker 2: second win in life. So that's my story in a nutshell. 648 00:38:47,880 --> 00:38:49,960 Speaker 2: In a nutshell, I'm going to wrap it up now, 649 00:38:49,960 --> 00:38:52,200 Speaker 2: and I want to thank you all really for listening 650 00:38:52,440 --> 00:38:56,160 Speaker 2: to this episode of Let's Be Clear. I'm Mary Jones 651 00:38:56,160 --> 00:38:59,960 Speaker 2: and you can follow me on Instagram at the Mary Jones. 652 00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:01,560 Speaker 2: Until next time