1
00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,000
Speaker 1: Be you, embrace it, enjoy it. It's awesome to be different.

2
00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:21,520
Speaker 1: What's going on, everyone, Emily A Badi Here.

3
00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:25,239
Speaker 2: You're listening to episode three hundred and twenty of Hurdle,

4
00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,840
Speaker 2: a wileless focused podcast where I talk to inspirational people

5
00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:31,840
Speaker 2: about everything from their highest ties and toughest moments to

6
00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:35,840
Speaker 2: essential tips on how to live a healthier, happier, more

7
00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:39,800
Speaker 2: motivated life. We all go through our fair share of hurdles,

8
00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:42,519
Speaker 2: and my goal through these discussions is to empower you

9
00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:45,879
Speaker 2: to better navigate yours and move with intention so that

10
00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:48,919
Speaker 2: you can stride towards your own big potential and of

11
00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:54,080
Speaker 2: course have some fun along the way. For episode three

12
00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:58,000
Speaker 2: hundred and twenty, I am chatting with Melissa Ortiz. She's

13
00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:03,240
Speaker 2: a former pro soccerl and Olympian and currently a broadcaster

14
00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:04,480
Speaker 2: and host.

15
00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:06,639
Speaker 3: We have the opportunity to catch up.

16
00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:11,520
Speaker 2: Shortly before she ran the Marathon for two in Paris

17
00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:14,560
Speaker 2: earlier this year, and I am happy to report that

18
00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:17,880
Speaker 2: not only did she finish the race, but she had

19
00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:21,680
Speaker 2: an absolutely remarkable time. I'm going to link to her

20
00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:24,920
Speaker 2: Instagram recap in the show notes. It was such an

21
00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:28,679
Speaker 2: honor to hear not only about Melissa's journey to that

22
00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:32,440
Speaker 2: starting line, but also the journey of her career. She

23
00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:36,640
Speaker 2: talks about the highs and lows of playing soccer professionally,

24
00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:39,520
Speaker 2: what it was like for her to get to the

25
00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,800
Speaker 2: Olympic level, and how it felt for her to walk

26
00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:46,280
Speaker 2: away from the pitch and then segue this passion for

27
00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:50,440
Speaker 2: soccer into a broadcasting career. Now. She shares with me

28
00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:53,040
Speaker 2: all of the hard work that gets her to a

29
00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:55,720
Speaker 2: place where she is confident in her ability to show

30
00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:58,800
Speaker 2: up on screen day in and day out, and offers

31
00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,320
Speaker 2: advice for anyone who who is in a place where

32
00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:05,520
Speaker 2: they are working diligently to master their craft. I admire

33
00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:09,880
Speaker 2: Melissa's tenacity. I can relate to her takeaways about trying

34
00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:12,400
Speaker 2: to fit in the training wherever you can to the

35
00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:17,920
Speaker 2: best of your ability, and her overall positivity, great vibe.

36
00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:21,320
Speaker 2: It's something that I really appreciated, and I know you

37
00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:22,480
Speaker 2: too are going.

38
00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:22,880
Speaker 3: To dig it.

39
00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:25,920
Speaker 2: Make sure if you're not yet following along with Hurdle,

40
00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:28,880
Speaker 2: you go do so over on social It's at Hurdle Podcast.

41
00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,519
Speaker 2: I am over at Emily a Body and if you

42
00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:34,640
Speaker 2: wouldn't mind head on into wherever you are listening to

43
00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:38,400
Speaker 2: this podcast. Give it a five star review. Write something nice,

44
00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:41,840
Speaker 2: Tell the world why you're a hurdler. It means the

45
00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:44,160
Speaker 2: world to me. It makes a difference in all of

46
00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:47,800
Speaker 2: the charts and the readings. And yeah, it would just

47
00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:50,639
Speaker 2: be really great. And I promise only takes a couple

48
00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:54,079
Speaker 2: of seconds. With that, Let's get to it. Let's get

49
00:02:54,320 --> 00:03:03,440
Speaker 2: to hurdling today. I am sitting down with Melissa Ortiz. Melissa,

50
00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:04,040
Speaker 2: how are we doing?

51
00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,680
Speaker 1: Doing good? Super excited, excited to be here in Paris?

52
00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,639
Speaker 1: Talk to you and they've taken everything about the games

53
00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:13,160
Speaker 1: and everything that the summer has offered.

54
00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:16,200
Speaker 3: Really Yeah, you're doing something kind of crazy tomorrow. I

55
00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:19,480
Speaker 3: am they call me a soccer player of but now

56
00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:20,720
Speaker 3: I'm a marathon or I am a.

57
00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:24,520
Speaker 2: Marathon or upending a loading marathon or how does it

58
00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:28,399
Speaker 2: feel gearing up for this big moment, especially considering where

59
00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:29,079
Speaker 2: we are right now?

60
00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:30,600
Speaker 3: It feels really great.

61
00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:35,240
Speaker 1: You know. I think when any former athlete, athlete, anyone

62
00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:38,440
Speaker 1: really training for such a great event marathon, you have

63
00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:41,240
Speaker 1: a goal, there's some nerves that set in. You want

64
00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:43,920
Speaker 1: to know if you've prepared enough and all of those

65
00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:47,119
Speaker 1: factors around it. But I keep on reminding myself, whether

66
00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,560
Speaker 1: it was a month ago, whether it's now having arrived

67
00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:53,080
Speaker 1: to Paris, enjoy the journey, enjoy the experience, you know,

68
00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:55,720
Speaker 1: and take it as we go and as I go,

69
00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:59,640
Speaker 1: And ultimately, yeah, like I have a goal, but I

70
00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:03,680
Speaker 1: just want to really enjoy the experience and be here

71
00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:07,320
Speaker 1: with obviously amazing people at Nike. But then also my

72
00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:10,000
Speaker 1: family's here, my husband's here, my best friends here. So

73
00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:12,600
Speaker 1: I have a great crew, a great cheerleading squad.

74
00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:13,680
Speaker 3: How special is that?

75
00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:15,800
Speaker 2: I love to hear that you shared a video the

76
00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:18,120
Speaker 2: other day speaking of setting goals, and you said that

77
00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:20,280
Speaker 2: you set goals and things happen and you.

78
00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:21,080
Speaker 3: Try to achieve it.

79
00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:25,400
Speaker 2: Anyway, Is that a mindset one that you are willing

80
00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:28,440
Speaker 2: to overcome the hurdles as they show up that you

81
00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:30,960
Speaker 2: have had for some time or is it something that's

82
00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:32,520
Speaker 2: been acquired for you?

83
00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:34,360
Speaker 3: Definitely acquired. Yeah.

84
00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:38,080
Speaker 1: I played professional soccer and I represented Columbia for many

85
00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:41,760
Speaker 1: years and on the world's greatest stage, and right before

86
00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:45,039
Speaker 1: one of the biggest tournaments, I tore my Achilles five

87
00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:48,520
Speaker 1: days before. And that was before not only World Cup

88
00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:52,800
Speaker 1: and Pan American Games, two very important tournaments in a

89
00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:57,400
Speaker 1: soccer player's career, and so that really taught me that

90
00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:01,160
Speaker 1: there will be setbacks no matter what, and especially as

91
00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:02,920
Speaker 1: as athlete. It's part of it's part of the job.

92
00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:05,800
Speaker 1: It's part of it, and it's just how can you

93
00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:09,240
Speaker 1: maneuver and get back and mamouver around it and set

94
00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:12,400
Speaker 1: new goals and just keep going, you know, not to

95
00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:14,800
Speaker 1: give up and not to be so cliche. But at

96
00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:17,159
Speaker 1: the same time, when I got back from that injury

97
00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:18,840
Speaker 1: and I set the goals of you know, I want

98
00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:21,239
Speaker 1: to play here, I want to go to the next

99
00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:24,560
Speaker 1: you know, big tournament and represent my country. It's what

100
00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:26,720
Speaker 1: I did, and I knew that there was big hurdles

101
00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:30,200
Speaker 1: around it to do and it included a lot of

102
00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:32,560
Speaker 1: hard work, but a really.

103
00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:35,239
Speaker 3: Big mind game, mindset, game, mentality was everything.

104
00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:40,600
Speaker 2: Bring us to that point after hurting your achilles and

105
00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:44,320
Speaker 2: coming to terms with what was despite it not being

106
00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:45,839
Speaker 2: as you'd hoped.

107
00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:50,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, Emily, it was. I was the most Depressi've ever

108
00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:52,560
Speaker 1: been in my life. You know, when you have a

109
00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:54,760
Speaker 1: goal and it's ripped away from you out of something

110
00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:59,640
Speaker 1: that's uncontrollable, it's really heartbreaking and you have to remind

111
00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:02,640
Speaker 1: yourself you can only control the controllables and for me

112
00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:06,040
Speaker 1: to have had set that goal to represent my country

113
00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:07,880
Speaker 1: and that would have been my debut, and I was

114
00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:10,599
Speaker 1: at the peak of my soccer career, and to have

115
00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:15,000
Speaker 1: suffered that achilles injury, missed out on two big tournaments

116
00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:17,880
Speaker 1: that I was already named to the roster for, I

117
00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:21,599
Speaker 1: just just hit a wall, just you know, massively depressed

118
00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:24,520
Speaker 1: when I was coming back from from the injury.

119
00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:25,880
Speaker 3: Would of course, you know, in a boot.

120
00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:31,000
Speaker 1: My teammates were playing in the game at the tournament,

121
00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:35,520
Speaker 1: and I sat back, watched TV and watched my teammates

122
00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:37,800
Speaker 1: on television with my foot up in the air and

123
00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:38,640
Speaker 1: in a boot.

124
00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:41,160
Speaker 3: One of the most special moments back then.

125
00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:43,760
Speaker 1: I think one of the things that like, I guess

126
00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,320
Speaker 1: got me out of that first like put like it

127
00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:49,119
Speaker 1: pushed me out of that first big like depression moment

128
00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:53,000
Speaker 1: was my teammates scored. It was the first time Columbia

129
00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:56,760
Speaker 1: had scored a goal in the tournament history, and right

130
00:06:56,760 --> 00:06:58,320
Speaker 1: away they went to the corner flag and put up

131
00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:01,599
Speaker 1: my jersey into the Yeah. The next game after that

132
00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:04,599
Speaker 1: they huddled around. It was actually against the US, so

133
00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:07,040
Speaker 1: it was Columbia against the USA, A game that's very

134
00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:11,160
Speaker 1: special to me being Columbian American, and in the team

135
00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:13,640
Speaker 1: huddle right before kickoff, they all gathered around like this.

136
00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:15,320
Speaker 3: I have no idea this is all happening.

137
00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:17,240
Speaker 1: I'm sat on my couch at home, my boot is

138
00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:21,400
Speaker 1: up and I'm just watching on TV and the camera

139
00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:24,080
Speaker 1: just pans over the top of the huddle and in

140
00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:25,840
Speaker 1: the middle of the huddle on the floor is my

141
00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:27,040
Speaker 1: jersey with the number five.

142
00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:30,960
Speaker 3: Yeah. I broke out in tears and I'm about to

143
00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,880
Speaker 3: cry sitting there right now. Yeah. What a special moment.

144
00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:37,080
Speaker 1: Yeah, so special. And that was just like a push

145
00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:40,000
Speaker 1: like okay, like let's go, Mellie.

146
00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:42,840
Speaker 3: You can come back. You can get back to where

147
00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:43,280
Speaker 3: you were.

148
00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:45,760
Speaker 1: You also have the support not all of your family

149
00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:48,160
Speaker 1: that's that was with me, but also of your teammates,

150
00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:50,880
Speaker 1: of your squad, and so, you know, those are types

151
00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:53,680
Speaker 1: of moments that I've learned from. You know, there's setbacks,

152
00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:56,720
Speaker 1: but there's there's certain things in life that push you

153
00:07:56,760 --> 00:07:59,440
Speaker 1: forward that are like signs, and so that was one

154
00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:02,680
Speaker 1: of them. And then that whole next year. Look, it

155
00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:05,880
Speaker 1: was tough, like any injury. Athletes do go through them

156
00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:09,880
Speaker 1: all the time. And I just think that the mindset,

157
00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:12,520
Speaker 1: like I mentioned is just so key, It's so important,

158
00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:16,000
Speaker 1: and so when I run this marathon tomorrow, you know,

159
00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:19,560
Speaker 1: the mindset of mentality is definitely going to be big,

160
00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:20,200
Speaker 1: very big.

161
00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:22,800
Speaker 2: Talk to me about the way that you talk to yourself,

162
00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:25,360
Speaker 2: because we know that mindset is important. But do you

163
00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:28,360
Speaker 2: typically use mantras or what is the way that you

164
00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:31,280
Speaker 2: promote positive self talk during these difficult moments?

165
00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:33,720
Speaker 3: Yeah, I do before and during.

166
00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:36,760
Speaker 1: So I try to relate what I did in my

167
00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:39,800
Speaker 1: soccer career to everything actually in life. So my full

168
00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:42,800
Speaker 1: time job is a broadcaster now and now even in

169
00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:46,360
Speaker 1: marathon training, So I do a lot of visualizations. When

170
00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:48,080
Speaker 1: I was playing soccer and we'd be in the team

171
00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:50,520
Speaker 1: bus going to the stadium, I'd close my eyes, I'd

172
00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:54,480
Speaker 1: have my headphones on nice like chill music, like more

173
00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:58,400
Speaker 1: into the zone meda sate, and I would visualize myself

174
00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:01,520
Speaker 1: with the ball, you know, dribbling, doing my moves, doing

175
00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:04,480
Speaker 1: what I'm great at and scoring or whatever it was

176
00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:06,120
Speaker 1: that I was really trying to do in that game.

177
00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:07,559
Speaker 1: When I was a striker, for instance, when I was

178
00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:10,360
Speaker 1: a defender, it would be you know, those movements getting

179
00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:13,360
Speaker 1: into big tackles and stuff like that. So like when

180
00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:17,280
Speaker 1: I relate it to now my current life broadcasting. For instance,

181
00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:20,400
Speaker 1: right before, say I'm in the hotel in the morning,

182
00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:22,120
Speaker 1: going to go on camera, there's always a little bit

183
00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:23,079
Speaker 1: of nerves and butterflies.

184
00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:23,960
Speaker 3: It's super normal.

185
00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:26,760
Speaker 1: I if I'm in that, I close my eyes and

186
00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:29,360
Speaker 1: I visualize myself just like in the stadium, you know,

187
00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:32,040
Speaker 1: doing my hits, doing whatever, and just like really just

188
00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:35,160
Speaker 1: being a badass and like having the confidence to do whatever.

189
00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:38,360
Speaker 1: You could do so much prep work, like in sports,

190
00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:40,760
Speaker 1: like in broadcasting, like in marathon training, there's so many

191
00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:43,280
Speaker 1: behind the scenes that you have to do so much studying,

192
00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:46,960
Speaker 1: as you know, but you know you could study so much,

193
00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:48,200
Speaker 1: but at the end of the day, it's when you're

194
00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:51,959
Speaker 1: in the moments when it counts, and it's what your

195
00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,400
Speaker 1: mental game is, and it's your confidence, it's your aura

196
00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:57,200
Speaker 1: and everything in the moment. And so that's what I

197
00:09:57,280 --> 00:10:00,840
Speaker 1: try to mentally put myself in. So comes to marathon,

198
00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:06,199
Speaker 1: I've been like having moments throughout, especially the past few weeks,

199
00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:09,040
Speaker 1: just like closing my eyes and like picturing myself finishing,

200
00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:12,160
Speaker 1: like crossing the finish line. I understand that, you know,

201
00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:16,600
Speaker 1: there's some incredible branding of the big games here and everything,

202
00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:18,640
Speaker 1: and there's gonna be a lot of people and my

203
00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:21,360
Speaker 1: family and my husband and my best friend like I mentioned,

204
00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:23,200
Speaker 1: are going to be here, and people who have supported

205
00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:25,520
Speaker 1: me along the way, even people here from Nike, and

206
00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:26,120
Speaker 1: then people I.

207
00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:28,080
Speaker 3: Work with in the States are here as well.

208
00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:33,120
Speaker 1: So just visualizing, you know, celebrating and being proud of

209
00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:34,880
Speaker 1: the moment has been key in.

210
00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:36,400
Speaker 3: Game or in marathon.

211
00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:39,880
Speaker 1: As I say, that's that's one that I'm I think

212
00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:41,120
Speaker 1: is going to be a new challenge for me.

213
00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:42,960
Speaker 3: Yeah, because it's quite different.

214
00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:46,520
Speaker 1: Whereas like in a soccer game, you're like you're chasing

215
00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:48,360
Speaker 1: after ball, There's like so much going on.

216
00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:50,559
Speaker 3: And you have so much experience with that now.

217
00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:52,920
Speaker 2: So this is just a very different type of challenge,

218
00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:55,840
Speaker 2: but one that you have, as you pointed out, so eloquently,

219
00:10:56,080 --> 00:11:00,920
Speaker 2: done so much preparation for, albeit not within running specifically, right,

220
00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:02,840
Speaker 2: Like you have all of these tools at your disposal

221
00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:07,200
Speaker 2: now that you are entirely capable to then bring those

222
00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:08,480
Speaker 2: into this special moment.

223
00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:10,960
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely, which is so exciting.

224
00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:14,040
Speaker 1: Yeah. I have to share with you one thing which

225
00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:17,520
Speaker 1: was so freaking cool. Yesterday I went to the Athlete House,

226
00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:21,079
Speaker 1: Nike's athlete house that they have here for all the Olympians,

227
00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:25,160
Speaker 1: and upstairs it's exclusive only to the Nike athletes. And

228
00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:27,000
Speaker 1: so I got to go up there and they have

229
00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:29,679
Speaker 1: this one room it's like a recovery room. But then

230
00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:31,200
Speaker 1: also I guess you could call it like a mental

231
00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:33,320
Speaker 1: prep room too, because they have this one area the

232
00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:34,000
Speaker 1: shift wave.

233
00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:35,240
Speaker 3: What is a shift wave?

234
00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:37,920
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a great question. I think we need a

235
00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:40,960
Speaker 1: support scientists to really explain it all. But it was

236
00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,040
Speaker 1: an incredible experience because you lay down, like in this lounger,

237
00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:46,520
Speaker 1: you have a blanket, they cover your eyes with like

238
00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:48,960
Speaker 1: this mask, and you put on noise canceling headphones on,

239
00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:52,560
Speaker 1: and this lounger, like this chair has all of these

240
00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:58,280
Speaker 1: like things that send vibrations to your body. And it's

241
00:11:58,559 --> 00:12:01,360
Speaker 1: nuts because what they would the person in your ear

242
00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:04,000
Speaker 1: and the noise canceling headphones. It's like a meditating coach,

243
00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:07,079
Speaker 1: and the coach is telling you like do you have pain?

244
00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:10,840
Speaker 1: Do you feel pressure? Do you are you dealing with pressure?

245
00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:13,000
Speaker 1: And you know you're going through this spiset. You're you're

246
00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:15,560
Speaker 1: answering the questions to yourself and your brain, and then

247
00:12:15,559 --> 00:12:17,560
Speaker 1: all of a sudden, the vibrations in the chair are

248
00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:20,960
Speaker 1: just like yeah, going crazy and you're just like this,

249
00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:23,000
Speaker 1: and all of a sudden, it's like and now you

250
00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:25,480
Speaker 1: will float and it stops and it literally feels like

251
00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:28,240
Speaker 1: your body is just floating in the air and you're

252
00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:32,640
Speaker 1: releasing all of that like pressure, nervousness, whatever it is.

253
00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:34,760
Speaker 1: And then the guy's like telling you in your ear,

254
00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:37,920
Speaker 1: like you know you're dealing with in these pressure moments,

255
00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:40,880
Speaker 1: but like it's it's you're in the zone now and

256
00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:41,600
Speaker 1: like it's crazy.

257
00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:42,360
Speaker 3: It was amazing.

258
00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:45,079
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, So I gotta act like I gotta

259
00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:48,720
Speaker 1: think I'm on the shift wave while I'm on mile twenty.

260
00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:50,120
Speaker 3: I need to do the shift wave.

261
00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:52,960
Speaker 2: Like after every flight I ever gone, I had a

262
00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:55,440
Speaker 2: similar experience. I'll be it very different, and that there's

263
00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:58,040
Speaker 2: a new adults one lounge at JFK. I don't know

264
00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:00,240
Speaker 2: if you've been in yet, but they have these like

265
00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:03,160
Speaker 2: full body massage chairs that literally tilt back and you're

266
00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:06,960
Speaker 2: like in the chair and all of these like rainforest

267
00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:08,800
Speaker 2: sounds are playing and you're in a dark room and

268
00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:11,200
Speaker 2: I'm like, i am not a JFK right now.

269
00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:12,120
Speaker 3: Very different.

270
00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:14,360
Speaker 2: Yeah, No one was coaching me to be my best self.

271
00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:18,440
Speaker 2: But similar experience for sure. That's sick though similar experience

272
00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:21,960
Speaker 2: for sure. So obviously you don't get to be in

273
00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:26,600
Speaker 2: a place where you are running a marathon, working with Nike,

274
00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:30,000
Speaker 2: broadcasting all the amazing things that you do owning a

275
00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:34,280
Speaker 2: coffee company overnight. Let's dial it back just a little bit,

276
00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:37,880
Speaker 2: and I actually want to start not necessarily at the

277
00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:40,960
Speaker 2: beginning of your soccer career, but more so when you

278
00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:45,160
Speaker 2: started to realize that you were ready to graduate within sport.

279
00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:48,240
Speaker 2: Talk to me a little bit about that transition for

280
00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:52,000
Speaker 2: you and if it was one that was welcomed or

281
00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:54,440
Speaker 2: one that had some resistance with it.

282
00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:57,640
Speaker 1: It's a great question. I'm the youngest girl, I have

283
00:13:57,679 --> 00:14:01,000
Speaker 1: two older brothers and my family. My parents are Colombian

284
00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:05,160
Speaker 1: and let's just say sport soccer specifically is like a

285
00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:09,000
Speaker 1: religion in Colombia. But my parents never played sports. Yeah,

286
00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:12,120
Speaker 1: they were active, you know, they're both immigrants, some first

287
00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:15,960
Speaker 1: generation American, and they worked so much, worked so much,

288
00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:18,920
Speaker 1: and they also wanted to provide a better life, better

289
00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:21,880
Speaker 1: future for my brothers and I, and so I think

290
00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:26,840
Speaker 1: that they used sport and activities even like other extracurricular

291
00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:31,160
Speaker 1: activities like music and instruments whatever. It was as a

292
00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:36,080
Speaker 1: way for us to experience the American dream or experience

293
00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:39,720
Speaker 1: just a better life than what they had. You know,

294
00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:43,800
Speaker 1: they wanted to give us everything, and they sure worked

295
00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:47,000
Speaker 1: for it. But in return, I think we, my brothers

296
00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:49,600
Speaker 1: and myself, you know, have worked so hard to just

297
00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:55,360
Speaker 1: be grateful for it. And sport for me, and specifically soccer,

298
00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:58,040
Speaker 1: has been that vehicle of.

299
00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:00,880
Speaker 3: Opportunity for me specifically.

300
00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:05,760
Speaker 1: Yes, I did play other sports growing up, lacrosse, basketball maybe,

301
00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:08,920
Speaker 1: you know, flirted with volleyball here and there, certain certain.

302
00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:11,480
Speaker 3: Things I flirted it flirted.

303
00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:13,440
Speaker 1: I flirted with a few sports when I was you know,

304
00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:16,520
Speaker 1: in high school just being athletic, right, But soccer for

305
00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:19,000
Speaker 1: me was it. I loved it and I was really

306
00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:20,800
Speaker 1: good at it, and I think that's just what kept

307
00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:23,000
Speaker 1: me going and wanted to be a better athlete in general.

308
00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:25,800
Speaker 1: And it also taught me so many life lessons, not

309
00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:32,360
Speaker 1: only confidence that I had mentioned before, but also teamwork, dedication, commitment,

310
00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:37,960
Speaker 1: just setting goals and making sure I kept working at it.

311
00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:40,960
Speaker 1: And as we even talked about before, setbacks, there was

312
00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:43,680
Speaker 1: always setbacks, not just injuries, but not making a squad

313
00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:46,920
Speaker 1: my second year playing pro soccer, I didn't make a team,

314
00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:52,080
Speaker 1: So like there's always been setbacks, but growing up, you know,

315
00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:55,920
Speaker 1: support for me has been that outlet too. I'm Latina,

316
00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:58,680
Speaker 1: I'm Colombian and Columbia American. I grew up in a

317
00:15:58,680 --> 00:16:02,000
Speaker 1: predominantly you know area in West Palm Beach, Florida. My

318
00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:05,960
Speaker 1: parents hustle their asses off to pay private schools for us,

319
00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:12,080
Speaker 1: and I was, you know, one of the only Latinas always, always, always,

320
00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:14,000
Speaker 1: so it was always like there's there's a term in

321
00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:17,560
Speaker 1: Spanish called nidiaquinia. Yeah, so you're not from here, you're

322
00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:21,040
Speaker 1: not from there, and you're trying to find which area

323
00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:26,360
Speaker 1: or country like that you feel from. But many Latinos

324
00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:29,840
Speaker 1: or Latinos like myself, we feel from both. And so

325
00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:33,680
Speaker 1: if I was like to Latina to be part of

326
00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:37,400
Speaker 1: like that private school or that soccer team, and then

327
00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:40,000
Speaker 1: I'm too wide or too American in that sense to

328
00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:43,000
Speaker 1: be like Colombian when I go to Colombia on the

329
00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:45,520
Speaker 1: Columbia national team. So it was always like that, always

330
00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:48,640
Speaker 1: kind of like the outsider and the outlier. But soccer

331
00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:52,960
Speaker 1: and sports has always been my inn to either side that,

332
00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:58,000
Speaker 1: the confidence, the personality like we say in Spanish buenos vivras,

333
00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:01,480
Speaker 1: like the good vibes and music like certain many, so

334
00:17:01,560 --> 00:17:04,919
Speaker 1: many things have been my my in to both, to

335
00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:10,600
Speaker 1: both angles into both, I guess like communities and sport

336
00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:15,080
Speaker 1: has absolutely made me feel so included in these communities,

337
00:17:15,119 --> 00:17:17,960
Speaker 1: especially growing up and kind of being the outsider.

338
00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:21,880
Speaker 2: I can't even imagine then the feelings that go hand

339
00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:26,080
Speaker 2: in hand with saying I'm ready to progress from sport,

340
00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:29,639
Speaker 2: knowing that it was such a great unifier for you.

341
00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:32,600
Speaker 2: Talk to me about that transition.

342
00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:36,440
Speaker 3: Yeah, it was tough. It's really tough.

343
00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:39,800
Speaker 1: I think what we're seeing right now, even this summer

344
00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:42,040
Speaker 1: in the games, you know, you see a lot of

345
00:17:42,119 --> 00:17:45,199
Speaker 1: athletes at there high right and then right after you

346
00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:48,320
Speaker 1: it's such a common conversation. All of a sudden, there's

347
00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:50,800
Speaker 1: a big drop off and it's a low, especially if

348
00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:53,360
Speaker 1: it's your last games, or especially if it's your last

349
00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:58,120
Speaker 1: year as a pro. So for me personally, I kind

350
00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:01,720
Speaker 1: of like didn't plan to have quote unquote retire at

351
00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:04,160
Speaker 1: the given point. I dealt with a lot of inequalities

352
00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:07,359
Speaker 1: on the national team. Our coach was like just it

353
00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:12,000
Speaker 1: was a very sketchy environment, but also the way that

354
00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:16,240
Speaker 1: they treated female footballers was just absolutely ridiculous. And I

355
00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:18,439
Speaker 1: got to a point in my career where I was like,

356
00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:21,440
Speaker 1: you know what, I'm not only a professional soccer player,

357
00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:23,920
Speaker 1: but I have an MBA, I have like all these things,

358
00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:26,240
Speaker 1: and like these people are not valuing me nor my

359
00:18:26,280 --> 00:18:30,920
Speaker 1: teammates as women. And after my Achilles injury, it actually

360
00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:33,280
Speaker 1: during that year of reflection, it gave me a lot

361
00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:35,200
Speaker 1: of time to think of, like what do I really want.

362
00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:37,399
Speaker 1: Do I want to keep playing soccer, yes, Do I

363
00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:39,159
Speaker 1: want to play on the national team, yes, But I

364
00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:41,960
Speaker 1: want to be valued And I just felt that our

365
00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:44,800
Speaker 1: federation was it was just terrible the way that they

366
00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:47,040
Speaker 1: were treating us. So I came back from my Achilles

367
00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:50,639
Speaker 1: injury with vengeance, with vengeance not only to get back

368
00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:53,600
Speaker 1: on the pitch, but to fight for women's equality and

369
00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:57,760
Speaker 1: especially in South America. And then also vengeance of like, Okay,

370
00:18:58,000 --> 00:18:59,760
Speaker 1: I did this in soccer, I did this in my career.

371
00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:02,639
Speaker 1: It's next for me after I compete in like the

372
00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:04,800
Speaker 1: next games, after I do all this stuff and kind

373
00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:08,600
Speaker 1: of close out my career. I think injuries and then

374
00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:11,240
Speaker 1: dealing with the inequalities led me to just kind of say,

375
00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:12,920
Speaker 1: you know, what I'm going to take some time off

376
00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:16,879
Speaker 1: of competing and out of soccer and see what.

377
00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:17,320
Speaker 3: I want to do.

378
00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:20,840
Speaker 1: And I had a maybe plan to like get back

379
00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:25,320
Speaker 1: and play, but life, life and life worked out in

380
00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:29,879
Speaker 1: a way where other windows started opening for me in

381
00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:34,920
Speaker 1: the content space, in you know, creating content. It wasn't easy, though.

382
00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:39,760
Speaker 1: I just remember trying to figure out what was next

383
00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:40,000
Speaker 1: for me.

384
00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:42,200
Speaker 3: Who am I? It's a huge identity loss.

385
00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:45,320
Speaker 1: A lot of athletes go through this, and you're trying

386
00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:48,960
Speaker 1: to figure out, well, my sport always like represented me.

387
00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:51,320
Speaker 1: It's like when you you know, Hi, I'm Emily, Hi,

388
00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:53,240
Speaker 1: I'm Melissa, and then they're like, oh yeah, Melissa's like

389
00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:54,720
Speaker 1: this as a soccer player. And then all of a

390
00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:57,239
Speaker 1: sudden it's like, no, I'm not, you know, like I was,

391
00:19:57,320 --> 00:19:58,240
Speaker 1: And it's like what am I?

392
00:19:58,240 --> 00:19:59,879
Speaker 3: I don't know? And so.

393
00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:04,600
Speaker 1: I try to like knock on doors at big outlets,

394
00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:07,840
Speaker 1: at big networks, like, hey, you know, I'm an olympian,

395
00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:10,199
Speaker 1: I'm a former professional soccer player. I would love to

396
00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:13,000
Speaker 1: like get on camera, be a broadcaster, YadA ya YadA,

397
00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:15,640
Speaker 1: and like nobody gave me the time of the day, nobody.

398
00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:19,400
Speaker 1: But that's also just shows it depicts where women's sports was.

399
00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:22,840
Speaker 1: You know, just six years ago, seven years ago, there

400
00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:28,280
Speaker 1: was no respect for women's sports or you know, women's careers.

401
00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,760
Speaker 1: And I also came from a Columbia national team, not

402
00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:35,040
Speaker 1: the US USA, not the US one's national team, so

403
00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:38,680
Speaker 1: it's very different. I thought, Hey, with my resume, someone

404
00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:40,760
Speaker 1: was going to hire me like this. Oh it was

405
00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:44,280
Speaker 1: not like that. So I actually listened to an audiobook.

406
00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:48,359
Speaker 1: It was Gary Ve's Crushing It, and it just literally said,

407
00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:50,800
Speaker 1: you know, f what anybody thinks about you, and if

408
00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:54,080
Speaker 1: what anybody you know says about you, do your thing,

409
00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:57,560
Speaker 1: Create your own content, build your own brand, do what

410
00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:01,760
Speaker 1: you're passionate about. So I literally body camera that week

411
00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:05,080
Speaker 1: with the little money that I had at the time,

412
00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:08,920
Speaker 1: and started creating content around soccer. And here we are

413
00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:15,400
Speaker 1: seven years later and I'm a full time broadcaster, and

414
00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:18,119
Speaker 1: it all was with that goal in mind. I'm going

415
00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:21,000
Speaker 1: to start creating content around soccer some producer. One day,

416
00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:23,520
Speaker 1: we'll see it on social media and someone will put

417
00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:26,359
Speaker 1: me on camera because I want to be on TV.

418
00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:29,159
Speaker 1: I want to tell stories about these soccer players. I

419
00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:33,359
Speaker 1: want to show like expertise analysis of the games, because

420
00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:36,680
Speaker 1: before you just didn't. You didn't really see many women

421
00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:41,320
Speaker 1: doing what I do, And now, thankfully it's becoming more common.

422
00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:45,520
Speaker 1: And I am really proud and grateful that even as

423
00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:48,480
Speaker 1: a Latina there's not many Latinas that do what I do,

424
00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:53,680
Speaker 1: and so to be the voice in soccer specifically even

425
00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:55,760
Speaker 1: before Latinas is really special for me.

426
00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:58,800
Speaker 3: But it's it's been a it's been a road, it's

427
00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:00,120
Speaker 3: been a journey. It's been a journey.

428
00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:04,439
Speaker 2: You know, I appreciate what you said before about feeling

429
00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:06,560
Speaker 2: a little bit othered, feeling a little bit like you

430
00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:10,800
Speaker 2: weren't Latina enough and you weren't American enough, and that

431
00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:14,720
Speaker 2: confusion between the two sides. I'm sure there are many

432
00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:17,320
Speaker 2: women that are listening to this now that can really

433
00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:21,280
Speaker 2: relate to that. How did you navigate the feelings that

434
00:22:21,359 --> 00:22:24,719
Speaker 2: went hand in hand with being othered at times and

435
00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:28,120
Speaker 2: really embrace all the good parts of who it is

436
00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:30,040
Speaker 2: that you are and what you have to offer.

437
00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:32,920
Speaker 3: It comes with time and maturity.

438
00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:36,560
Speaker 1: When I was in high school, it's like everybody goes

439
00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:39,560
Speaker 1: through all these life lessons in high school, right, like, gosh,

440
00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:44,240
Speaker 1: glad that page has turned Amen. Yeah, that's what it's

441
00:22:44,280 --> 00:22:46,399
Speaker 1: actually like. I think the most challenging when you're younger

442
00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:50,320
Speaker 1: and you're trying to figure out who you are. And

443
00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:55,000
Speaker 1: my parents raised us in a household that was very Colombian,

444
00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:59,520
Speaker 1: although they did make us like learn English first, they

445
00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:01,919
Speaker 1: always said, we struggled so much at first, that we

446
00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:05,080
Speaker 1: want you to speak perfect English and then we'll speak

447
00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:10,920
Speaker 1: Spanish of course too. So music, food, like Audipus in

448
00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:15,840
Speaker 1: the morning, you know, Salasa blasting at seven am, you know,

449
00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:19,800
Speaker 1: on the television, Spanish speaking like it. At home, I

450
00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:22,320
Speaker 1: was so Latina and so Colombia, and then when I

451
00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:25,840
Speaker 1: went into school or even like in college, it was

452
00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:28,160
Speaker 1: just like Okay, let me like not do that here,

453
00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:34,679
Speaker 1: you know. And I think though over years, I started

454
00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:37,680
Speaker 1: like embracing it more, and even like even the latter

455
00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:39,399
Speaker 1: years of high school, because that's when we started, like

456
00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:44,240
Speaker 1: I started traveling more to Columbia and you know, meeting family,

457
00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:48,119
Speaker 1: and that opened my eyes to be like, Mellie, you

458
00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:51,679
Speaker 1: should be proud of who you are. And in high school,

459
00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:54,040
Speaker 1: like I started, I just remember like I will listen

460
00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:57,440
Speaker 1: to this music, you know, I will. I don't know,

461
00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:00,320
Speaker 1: like talk to my friends about certain certain artists or

462
00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:04,639
Speaker 1: where these types of earrings or whatever it was, and

463
00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:07,680
Speaker 1: I think just over the course of years, I really

464
00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:13,080
Speaker 1: started embracing like who I was. It was tough at first, because,

465
00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:17,160
Speaker 1: like I said, it's like a learning curve, but I

466
00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:21,639
Speaker 1: think it's I love the way that latiniad is what

467
00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:24,679
Speaker 1: you say, and it's like the Latin culture has been

468
00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:28,480
Speaker 1: growing so much in the US, whether it's music, whether

469
00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:31,480
Speaker 1: it's sports, whether it's athletes that are competing in the games.

470
00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:35,120
Speaker 1: Like it's just it's incredible to see where we are now.

471
00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:39,960
Speaker 1: And it's because of people like us that we've been

472
00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:43,879
Speaker 1: so authentic and open and public about embracing who we

473
00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:47,320
Speaker 1: are and just showing others that are maybe that we're

474
00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:50,639
Speaker 1: in the same boat that we were. Just be you,

475
00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:54,359
Speaker 1: you know, embrace it, enjoy it. It's awesome to be different.

476
00:24:55,560 --> 00:25:01,400
Speaker 2: When you said that you read Gary V's book and

477
00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:04,639
Speaker 2: you decided to buy the camera, and you wanted to

478
00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:10,240
Speaker 2: start creating content surrounding female soccer players, and you went

479
00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:13,359
Speaker 2: on this journey and eventually you knew in your gut

480
00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:15,560
Speaker 2: that someone was going to say yes to you, that

481
00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:18,240
Speaker 2: someone was going to see your content and say that's

482
00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:19,840
Speaker 2: exactly who we need to be working with.

483
00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:23,400
Speaker 3: Where did it begin so I feel like there's two

484
00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:24,920
Speaker 3: points in this. Yes.

485
00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:29,680
Speaker 1: One of them is I went to a World Cup,

486
00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:34,440
Speaker 1: a soccer tournament in Russia actually in two thousand and eighteen,

487
00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:38,600
Speaker 1: and it was the men's soccer tournament on my own

488
00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:42,400
Speaker 1: dime with my then boyfriend now husband, and I said,

489
00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:44,760
Speaker 1: you know what, there's not many one former players that

490
00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:47,240
Speaker 1: are covering that are doing content too, showing what it's

491
00:25:47,359 --> 00:25:51,240
Speaker 1: like to like actually have a whole on experience and

492
00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:54,400
Speaker 1: also like who knows soccer, we'll talk about the game

493
00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:58,879
Speaker 1: and like previews whatever. So I got back from you know,

494
00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:02,639
Speaker 1: the two weeks trip that we did traveling throughout Russia,

495
00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:07,159
Speaker 1: like just covering the soccer tournament, and I'm literally in

496
00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:11,080
Speaker 1: like trains and partying with like people from Ghana, people

497
00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:12,600
Speaker 1: from I don't know, like.

498
00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:13,800
Speaker 3: All over the world.

499
00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:16,560
Speaker 1: But like it was awesome because it was a true

500
00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:18,840
Speaker 1: POV of what it's like to either a be a

501
00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:22,280
Speaker 1: fan or to like be like an analyst. I get

502
00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:23,960
Speaker 1: back from a trip and all of a sudden, I

503
00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:27,160
Speaker 1: open my email inbox and it's like, we would love

504
00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:30,920
Speaker 1: to send you to like this other tournament to capture content,

505
00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:33,640
Speaker 1: and I'm like cool, and it shows like the budget

506
00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:36,800
Speaker 1: of like what they were offering, and I'm like, shut up.

507
00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:39,800
Speaker 1: I'm like, you're telling me that, like I could do

508
00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:43,200
Speaker 1: this as a living and like actually make a decent

509
00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:45,040
Speaker 1: amount of money more than I'd make, you know, in

510
00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:48,399
Speaker 1: a few weeks in my previous office job, in my

511
00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:51,520
Speaker 1: transition point, and uh, I was like, oh my god,

512
00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:53,320
Speaker 1: I think I'm onto some things. That was like my

513
00:26:53,359 --> 00:26:55,200
Speaker 1: first thing, and it was like it was a brand

514
00:26:55,240 --> 00:26:58,399
Speaker 1: It was a brand specific, you know, content piece that

515
00:26:58,400 --> 00:26:59,920
Speaker 1: they wanted me to go to a tournament in the

516
00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:02,720
Speaker 1: US soccer tournament to cover. So that was my one yes.

517
00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:08,920
Speaker 1: My second yes was actually my current producer. His name

518
00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:11,920
Speaker 1: is Shaw Brown. He's definitely one of the best producers

519
00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:15,399
Speaker 1: in the US for soccer. He's been in the business

520
00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:17,919
Speaker 1: for like twenty five plus years. He was looking for

521
00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:22,359
Speaker 1: a female talent to cover South American soccer. I was

522
00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:26,359
Speaker 1: like world up Paulifiers and someone had recommended me, and

523
00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:28,560
Speaker 1: he gave me my first shot. He saw my stuff online,

524
00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:30,920
Speaker 1: like social media stuff, that's all, and like I said,

525
00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:32,439
Speaker 1: I wanted to put it out there so that one

526
00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:33,679
Speaker 1: day a producer would see it.

527
00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:35,359
Speaker 3: And he saw it.

528
00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:38,080
Speaker 1: He gave me the shot, and that was at this

529
00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:42,919
Speaker 1: point maybe four years ago, and that was my first

530
00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:46,480
Speaker 1: into TV and live stuff and now here we are.

531
00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:49,320
Speaker 1: Now I'm a full time broadcaster, you know, with a

532
00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:53,400
Speaker 1: big network under with Warner Brothers and TNT and he's

533
00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:55,680
Speaker 1: the main producer and now I get to cover US

534
00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:59,320
Speaker 1: Men's and US Women's national team throughout the entire year,

535
00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:01,919
Speaker 1: which is a reading come true. And you know, one

536
00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:04,440
Speaker 1: of the biggest networks in the United States. So that

537
00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:07,040
Speaker 1: was that was my big, big, big yess on on

538
00:28:07,160 --> 00:28:09,320
Speaker 1: too main TV. Two things to double click on.

539
00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:12,440
Speaker 2: The first thing to double click on is this concept

540
00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:16,560
Speaker 2: of someone recommended me for the job, someone saying your

541
00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:18,320
Speaker 2: name in a way that is positive in a room

542
00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:21,080
Speaker 2: that you are not in. And we know as women

543
00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:24,200
Speaker 2: within business that there is so much that comes hand

544
00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:27,680
Speaker 2: in hand with your relationships and the network that you're building.

545
00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:30,840
Speaker 3: How did it feel for you to know.

546
00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:35,879
Speaker 2: That, despite maybe not having an established track record working

547
00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:39,960
Speaker 2: for a brand, you had a good reputation as someone

548
00:28:39,960 --> 00:28:41,320
Speaker 2: that could get shit done.

549
00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:45,960
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, it's man.

550
00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:49,520
Speaker 1: I feel like the quote is your your network is

551
00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:53,080
Speaker 1: your net worth? Right, and man like that is so

552
00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:56,440
Speaker 1: so true. And for the moment, let's just say, for

553
00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:59,120
Speaker 1: the moment that I moved to New York City, which

554
00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:02,600
Speaker 1: was six years ago. It's never like I set up

555
00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:05,160
Speaker 1: planning like let me like grow my network. No, it

556
00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:08,800
Speaker 1: just happens like authentically over time, and one door will

557
00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:10,440
Speaker 1: lead to the next door, the next door, and that

558
00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:12,760
Speaker 1: one person will lead you to this person, and that

559
00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:15,960
Speaker 1: person will lead you to the next person. And I think,

560
00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:19,640
Speaker 1: you know, reputation is just so incredibly important, and that's

561
00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:24,680
Speaker 1: one that I take really good care of. I am

562
00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:27,959
Speaker 1: very passionate not only with you know, what I do

563
00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:30,000
Speaker 1: in my work, but also with the people I'm surrounded

564
00:29:30,040 --> 00:29:33,200
Speaker 1: by how I can help them, even around my team,

565
00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:35,680
Speaker 1: like in the broadcasting world, it's where we work as

566
00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:37,680
Speaker 1: a team and it's like, hey, you need help, Yeah,

567
00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:39,240
Speaker 1: oh you need the stat ya, I'll give it to

568
00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:42,560
Speaker 1: you like whatever it is. And I think that, just

569
00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:45,440
Speaker 1: like the good karma is so important and and like

570
00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:50,120
Speaker 1: you said, like that, reputation and there's nothing more like

571
00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:52,520
Speaker 1: one of the most things that makes you so proud

572
00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:54,280
Speaker 1: is when other people are advocating for you in a

573
00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:57,400
Speaker 1: room that you're not in. And that's happened to me

574
00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:00,160
Speaker 1: time and time and time again. I tell you you,

575
00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:03,400
Speaker 1: over these past few years, and it just shows that

576
00:30:03,440 --> 00:30:06,680
Speaker 1: the work that you put in is coming out in

577
00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:07,800
Speaker 1: other in other rooms.

578
00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:09,720
Speaker 2: Yeah, And what I mean, what I'm hearing you say

579
00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:13,880
Speaker 2: also is that you have this extremely beautiful level of

580
00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:17,240
Speaker 2: passion and dedication, and that's something that can be contagious

581
00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:17,840
Speaker 2: to others.

582
00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:18,080
Speaker 3: Right.

583
00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:21,480
Speaker 2: So it's no surprise to me that people have great

584
00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:23,560
Speaker 2: things to say about you when you're not standing with

585
00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:27,280
Speaker 2: them in the room, because you empower them and enable

586
00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:29,600
Speaker 2: them to do what they need to do, and you

587
00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:33,840
Speaker 2: uplift them to then be the best version of themselves.

588
00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:36,520
Speaker 2: You also just spoke about the opportunities that you have

589
00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:39,680
Speaker 2: now to commentate for the US women's and men's national team.

590
00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:43,320
Speaker 2: I want to dial back then to our conversation about

591
00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:44,920
Speaker 2: being not enough American.

592
00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:46,480
Speaker 3: Yeah, not enough Latina.

593
00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:49,720
Speaker 2: Talk to me about how it feels for you to

594
00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:54,760
Speaker 2: be in this position with a unique perspective as now

595
00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:55,840
Speaker 2: a first generation here.

596
00:30:56,720 --> 00:31:00,239
Speaker 1: It's when they when they offer me the job, like

597
00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:01,760
Speaker 1: did I think I deserved it?

598
00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:02,440
Speaker 3: One hundred percent?

599
00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:05,280
Speaker 1: But you know when you have those moments when it's

600
00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:07,600
Speaker 1: actually something's offered to you and you're like, wait, is

601
00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:09,000
Speaker 1: this really happening right now? Yeah?

602
00:31:09,640 --> 00:31:11,400
Speaker 3: That one hundred percent happened.

603
00:31:11,560 --> 00:31:14,280
Speaker 1: Because what's crazy to me is like I used to

604
00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:20,280
Speaker 1: play against the US women's national team and they saw

605
00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:26,160
Speaker 1: a big, like something unique, which is I'm American, I'm Colombian.

606
00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:28,960
Speaker 1: I also cater to not only the Latin audience, but

607
00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:32,200
Speaker 1: I also speak Spanish, So it's having that bilingual talent

608
00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:37,680
Speaker 1: on air. There's so many advantages of being you know, diverse,

609
00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:41,440
Speaker 1: or so many advantages of knowing different languages and being

610
00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:44,880
Speaker 1: able to be versatile in different positions and roles. And

611
00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:47,600
Speaker 1: that's essentially what I am. Like I am a sideline

612
00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:50,200
Speaker 1: reporter when I talk to the US women's US men

613
00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:52,680
Speaker 1: national team and I you know, interview them pre during

614
00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:55,280
Speaker 1: post games. But then I also go to the desk

615
00:31:55,560 --> 00:31:57,080
Speaker 1: and they bring me to the desk and I'm able

616
00:31:57,080 --> 00:31:59,959
Speaker 1: to analyze games and things like that. And so for me,

617
00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:05,120
Speaker 1: as a Latina covering USA, I was like, okay, you

618
00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:07,080
Speaker 1: guys know that, Like I used to play against them

619
00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:10,520
Speaker 1: and like, but they loved it. And also because I

620
00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:14,360
Speaker 1: would provide a different point of view. And I also

621
00:32:14,440 --> 00:32:16,440
Speaker 1: am just so grateful that the way that like, let's

622
00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:18,920
Speaker 1: just say, US Soccer has opened their arms to me.

623
00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:22,400
Speaker 1: It's too and it's a joke actually, like say Carly

624
00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:25,160
Speaker 1: Lloyd Heather, O'Reilly there are two former legends.

625
00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:28,200
Speaker 3: Yeah, amazing best vibes.

626
00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:32,520
Speaker 1: Ever, it's a joke because I've worked with them on

627
00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:35,640
Speaker 1: air at different tournaments and they know how kind of

628
00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:40,240
Speaker 1: like ingrained I've become like in the US soccer like world,

629
00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:43,400
Speaker 1: and they're like, Melly, like we feel like you're like

630
00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:45,880
Speaker 1: an adopted like sister or something like that.

631
00:32:45,960 --> 00:32:47,240
Speaker 3: You know, it's true.

632
00:32:47,280 --> 00:32:50,200
Speaker 1: It's like as if like I'm adopted to the team

633
00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:52,239
Speaker 1: or not the team, but like to like I don't know,

634
00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:54,560
Speaker 1: like the country and like you just the world just

635
00:32:54,600 --> 00:33:01,080
Speaker 1: literally just literally yeah exactly. Yeah, So yeah, it's just

636
00:33:01,280 --> 00:33:04,080
Speaker 1: it's it's a big pride that I have to have

637
00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:06,720
Speaker 1: reached this point in my career and like I said,

638
00:33:06,720 --> 00:33:11,200
Speaker 1: like be the voice, the Latin of voice covering US

639
00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:14,840
Speaker 1: men's and women's national teams, and I am appreciative to

640
00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:18,520
Speaker 1: to not only network but like the players. Yeah, the players,

641
00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:21,040
Speaker 1: the players, as you know, like you interview people and

642
00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:23,040
Speaker 1: the players have to trust you, but you also have

643
00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:26,480
Speaker 1: to gain that trust. And you see Lindsay Harran on

644
00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:28,320
Speaker 1: the pitch, like she'll come up to me before and

645
00:33:28,360 --> 00:33:30,200
Speaker 1: after an interview and she'll give me a hug, like

646
00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:33,720
Speaker 1: certain players will, like they know who you are after

647
00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:35,960
Speaker 1: a certain point, and like you just gain that, but

648
00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:38,080
Speaker 1: you also gain it with like good vibes, and you

649
00:33:38,160 --> 00:33:40,240
Speaker 1: gain it with like the confidence that you give them,

650
00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:44,520
Speaker 1: but also just like that just that type of connection

651
00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:47,000
Speaker 1: that you both share when you're in those moments of

652
00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:49,760
Speaker 1: interviews or outside of interviewing.

653
00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:52,040
Speaker 2: I mean, what happens is that you show up and

654
00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:56,160
Speaker 2: then you immediately become an energy dealer, right, part of

655
00:33:56,160 --> 00:33:59,000
Speaker 2: your part of your job is to show up with

656
00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:01,440
Speaker 2: a certain energy that not only enables you to do

657
00:34:01,520 --> 00:34:06,640
Speaker 2: your job, but also gives the goodness to the other people.

658
00:34:06,760 --> 00:34:08,960
Speaker 2: Because once you give it to them, then we know

659
00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:11,880
Speaker 2: that energy attracts like energy and you can then be

660
00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:15,640
Speaker 2: in a position to receive it, which is absolutely critical

661
00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:18,640
Speaker 2: and something that I'm sure that over time, as you

662
00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:22,120
Speaker 2: became more and more familiar with what it required to

663
00:34:22,160 --> 00:34:25,440
Speaker 2: be a broadcaster, that you started to really understand and

664
00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:26,080
Speaker 2: evolve with.

665
00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:27,960
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, totally totally.

666
00:34:28,080 --> 00:34:30,399
Speaker 1: Look, you can know your ex's and o's, you could

667
00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:34,160
Speaker 1: know all these you know, information on teams, and you know,

668
00:34:34,239 --> 00:34:36,400
Speaker 1: be the soccer geek that's going to talk all this

669
00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:39,319
Speaker 1: atalyst stuff. But at the end of the day, you

670
00:34:39,400 --> 00:34:41,640
Speaker 1: need to have that energy, like you said, and you

671
00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:44,839
Speaker 1: need to have the confidence and the ability to even

672
00:34:44,880 --> 00:34:46,400
Speaker 1: do impromptu and be impromptu.

673
00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:49,680
Speaker 3: But that comes with just being yourself and being authentic.

674
00:34:49,160 --> 00:34:52,720
Speaker 1: And being able to balance off of other people's energy

675
00:34:52,760 --> 00:34:55,840
Speaker 1: but then give it, like you sick. It's just how

676
00:34:56,280 --> 00:34:59,560
Speaker 1: you are able to influence others around you. And that's

677
00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:01,640
Speaker 1: essentially the content that you're going to get back or

678
00:35:01,719 --> 00:35:03,719
Speaker 1: the responses that you're going to get back, and that's

679
00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:06,040
Speaker 1: what makes That's what makes TV, that's what makes media,

680
00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:09,239
Speaker 1: that's what makes storytelling. You know, you want to get

681
00:35:09,239 --> 00:35:11,960
Speaker 1: those key moments out of the athletes that you're interviewing

682
00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:13,960
Speaker 1: and talking to, and they're really only going to share

683
00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:16,480
Speaker 1: that with you or open up to if you entice

684
00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:18,560
Speaker 1: them with that energy, if they're open, if you give

685
00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:20,680
Speaker 1: them the confidence and trust in you to do it.

686
00:35:20,960 --> 00:35:25,120
Speaker 2: So, whether or not we're talking about broadcasting, you show up,

687
00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:29,960
Speaker 2: you are having perhaps an off day and there's still

688
00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:33,359
Speaker 2: a job to do. What do you do when you're

689
00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:37,279
Speaker 2: not feeling so bright and shiny and excited. How do

690
00:35:37,400 --> 00:35:39,359
Speaker 2: you show up and how do you get the job

691
00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:40,120
Speaker 2: done anyway.

692
00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:44,840
Speaker 1: That's a great question, and girl, it's happened before. I

693
00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:47,319
Speaker 1: think as women too, we deal in different moments of

694
00:35:47,320 --> 00:35:50,120
Speaker 1: our cycles too, where we're you know, one day we're

695
00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:53,279
Speaker 1: feeling like absolute shit, yeah, totally, you know, and then

696
00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:55,600
Speaker 1: like the next day we're like, oh, hey, I'm here,

697
00:35:55,640 --> 00:35:56,320
Speaker 1: I'm like perky.

698
00:35:56,560 --> 00:35:56,880
Speaker 3: Yeah.

699
00:35:57,440 --> 00:36:00,319
Speaker 1: But there has been some off days in broadcast staying

700
00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:03,520
Speaker 1: where I've stepped away and walked away and I'm like, oh,

701
00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:06,080
Speaker 1: that one was rough, that wasn't that wasn't me, that

702
00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:09,560
Speaker 1: wasn't Mellie. You know, that happens. It happens in sports.

703
00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:12,200
Speaker 1: It happens on the pitch, happens on the court, happens

704
00:36:12,320 --> 00:36:15,400
Speaker 1: on the racetrack, whatever. And I and I actually like relate,

705
00:36:15,480 --> 00:36:16,960
Speaker 1: like I said in the beginning of this, like I

706
00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:18,520
Speaker 1: relate a lot of what I do in my day

707
00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:20,759
Speaker 1: to day to sports. You have your off days, but

708
00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:23,720
Speaker 1: tomorrow is a new day and we're gonna do it again.

709
00:36:24,760 --> 00:36:27,000
Speaker 1: And there's days where you don't have that other opportunity

710
00:36:27,040 --> 00:36:29,200
Speaker 1: like in sports, and I am very knowledgeable about that

711
00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:32,359
Speaker 1: you might not have another shot. But this is where

712
00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:35,960
Speaker 1: I'm at with that, where I might not have another shot.

713
00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:39,040
Speaker 1: But as long as I have given my absolute best

714
00:36:39,120 --> 00:36:44,399
Speaker 1: and you know, all of the other races, games, competitions.

715
00:36:43,719 --> 00:36:46,040
Speaker 3: On airs are happening here.

716
00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:50,239
Speaker 2: Yeah okay, this is a podcast, but air quotes are

717
00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:50,719
Speaker 2: being used.

718
00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:53,960
Speaker 3: I am using air quotes, double air quotes.

719
00:36:55,200 --> 00:36:59,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, I related a lot to sports and just say, Okay,

720
00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:01,920
Speaker 1: that wasn't my game, you know, or that wasn't my tournament.

721
00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:05,520
Speaker 1: But like I did everything I can, you know, even

722
00:37:05,560 --> 00:37:08,400
Speaker 1: before it or hopefully I will get in another shot.

723
00:37:08,760 --> 00:37:12,120
Speaker 1: Thankfully to my advantage in this world of broadcasting, when

724
00:37:12,120 --> 00:37:15,279
Speaker 1: I didn't have my my good days in while I'm

725
00:37:15,320 --> 00:37:18,000
Speaker 1: in it and I'm noticing like, okay, like I messed

726
00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:20,560
Speaker 1: up this hit, because it happens, like I'll mess up

727
00:37:21,160 --> 00:37:23,680
Speaker 1: like a whole what I wanted to say didn't come

728
00:37:23,680 --> 00:37:26,839
Speaker 1: out the way, you know, and it happens. But I'll

729
00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:30,000
Speaker 1: just say, take a deep breath, Okay, We'll get the

730
00:37:30,040 --> 00:37:33,640
Speaker 1: next one. And luckily in soccer, a game is you know,

731
00:37:33,880 --> 00:37:37,120
Speaker 1: ninety plus minutes, so I'll have more opportunities and then

732
00:37:37,160 --> 00:37:39,719
Speaker 1: I'll know in the next game, you know what I

733
00:37:39,719 --> 00:37:41,960
Speaker 1: need to review. And believe me, it's like sports too.

734
00:37:42,160 --> 00:37:45,319
Speaker 1: I do reviewing of my on air work I work

735
00:37:45,360 --> 00:37:49,320
Speaker 1: with a broadcasting coach as well. I'll review on camera

736
00:37:49,440 --> 00:37:53,440
Speaker 1: stuff and it's like, you know, you have to practice

737
00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:55,680
Speaker 1: and get better and make things more condensed and shorter,

738
00:37:55,880 --> 00:37:58,759
Speaker 1: more eloquent and all that stuff. So yeah, it's been

739
00:37:58,960 --> 00:38:01,600
Speaker 1: it's been a grind, but I just like you said,

740
00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:04,440
Speaker 1: there's always those stepbacks, but you know, you just keep

741
00:38:04,480 --> 00:38:06,719
Speaker 1: pushing and you try, just try to get better every time.

742
00:38:07,120 --> 00:38:10,680
Speaker 2: Even what you just mentioned is such an important point

743
00:38:10,840 --> 00:38:14,719
Speaker 2: for those that may not understand what goes into the

744
00:38:15,040 --> 00:38:17,680
Speaker 2: broadcast that they see on TV. You mentioned a coach,

745
00:38:17,719 --> 00:38:20,320
Speaker 2: you mentioned reviewing footage, right, there are so many different

746
00:38:20,360 --> 00:38:23,919
Speaker 2: aspects that make you good and then day by day

747
00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:27,560
Speaker 2: even better at the thing that you're so passionate about,

748
00:38:27,800 --> 00:38:31,360
Speaker 2: which is so so critical. And I also really just

749
00:38:31,480 --> 00:38:34,800
Speaker 2: respect the fact that you're willing to go that extra

750
00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:39,640
Speaker 2: mile for someone who may think that they want to

751
00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:44,520
Speaker 2: get into broadcasting a similar field as you, When you

752
00:38:45,040 --> 00:38:48,320
Speaker 2: offer them a piece of advice, what comes to mind

753
00:38:48,440 --> 00:38:49,239
Speaker 2: to offer.

754
00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:51,760
Speaker 1: The first thing I want to say is just be yourself.

755
00:38:52,120 --> 00:38:54,560
Speaker 1: Be authentic, you know, don't try to be anyone that

756
00:38:54,600 --> 00:38:57,879
Speaker 1: you're not. And I think that's what has really catapulted

757
00:38:57,920 --> 00:39:01,120
Speaker 1: me to where I've made it so far are just

758
00:39:01,600 --> 00:39:04,960
Speaker 1: being the spark of energy, being proud of who I am,

759
00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:09,640
Speaker 1: which is like we said, you know, Latina, and honing

760
00:39:09,680 --> 00:39:13,359
Speaker 1: in on my strengths, which is getting the best out

761
00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:19,480
Speaker 1: of others, being you know, personable, giving that energy on air,

762
00:39:20,400 --> 00:39:24,680
Speaker 1: and being bilingual. But just I think at the end

763
00:39:24,680 --> 00:39:26,840
Speaker 1: of the day, just being myself. So like be yourself

764
00:39:26,920 --> 00:39:30,839
Speaker 1: is one hundred percent it. You can study all you want,

765
00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:34,000
Speaker 1: but if you don't have that who you are, your

766
00:39:34,040 --> 00:39:37,359
Speaker 1: concept of you on air, you're not going to give

767
00:39:37,360 --> 00:39:42,480
Speaker 1: that vibe out. And then also there's always that quote

768
00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:45,480
Speaker 1: that I always look back on someone taught me when

769
00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:46,160
Speaker 1: I was in college.

770
00:39:46,160 --> 00:39:48,160
Speaker 3: If you fail to prepare, be prepared to fail.

771
00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:52,280
Speaker 1: And there's a lot of studying that goes on behind

772
00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:54,759
Speaker 1: the scenes, and you have to be prepared for those

773
00:39:54,800 --> 00:39:58,520
Speaker 1: moments that could be that it moment for you. It's

774
00:39:58,600 --> 00:40:02,760
Speaker 1: like when I used to play practice, how you play practice,

775
00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:05,920
Speaker 1: like another coach or a scout or a pro scout

776
00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:08,680
Speaker 1: is watching you on the practice field. Always got to

777
00:40:08,719 --> 00:40:11,640
Speaker 1: practice how you play or play how you practice pat

778
00:40:11,719 --> 00:40:14,479
Speaker 1: how you play, And so that's exactly what comes into

779
00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:17,200
Speaker 1: like real life jobs and broadcasting because you're on air

780
00:40:17,239 --> 00:40:19,759
Speaker 1: and you can't f up on air, right, you can,

781
00:40:19,880 --> 00:40:22,359
Speaker 1: but like you try not to, right, I'm like, please though,

782
00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:27,440
Speaker 1: And so my advice is be yourself, you know, work hard, prepare,

783
00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:29,880
Speaker 1: like I said, and then hopefully in that moment when

784
00:40:29,920 --> 00:40:32,759
Speaker 1: it's your chance, you know you crush it and have

785
00:40:32,800 --> 00:40:34,600
Speaker 1: confidence in yourself that you will crush it in that

786
00:40:34,760 --> 00:40:35,280
Speaker 1: in that moment.

787
00:40:35,520 --> 00:40:39,640
Speaker 2: I think also when we talk about preparation, you may

788
00:40:39,640 --> 00:40:41,799
Speaker 2: not know who's going to be in the room that

789
00:40:41,840 --> 00:40:43,560
Speaker 2: you walk into. There are going to be things that

790
00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:47,400
Speaker 2: are uncontrollable, right, but you do have the opportunity to

791
00:40:47,560 --> 00:40:49,919
Speaker 2: prepare as much as possible. You may not be quote

792
00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:52,640
Speaker 2: unquote the smartest person in the room, but you can

793
00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:54,840
Speaker 2: guarantee that you will be the most prepared.

794
00:40:55,160 --> 00:40:56,799
Speaker 3: And I think that's an opportunity, right.

795
00:40:56,840 --> 00:41:00,520
Speaker 2: It's an opportunity that takes time, It's an opportunity that

796
00:41:00,800 --> 00:41:04,920
Speaker 2: requires learning, but it's one that when you watch it

797
00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:07,800
Speaker 2: pay off, when you experience what happens when you show

798
00:41:07,920 --> 00:41:11,480
Speaker 2: up with that level of preparedness, then you'll never revert

799
00:41:11,640 --> 00:41:13,400
Speaker 2: to your old ways. If that was something that you

800
00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:17,799
Speaker 2: weren't familiar with before. Yeah, now, for you in this

801
00:41:18,160 --> 00:41:21,440
Speaker 2: let's call it era that you're in. What would you

802
00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:25,279
Speaker 2: say you are most looking forward to moving forward as

803
00:41:25,320 --> 00:41:27,000
Speaker 2: you evolve as a broadcaster.

804
00:41:28,880 --> 00:41:32,640
Speaker 1: As a broadcaster, I think I'm mostly looking forward to

805
00:41:34,520 --> 00:41:42,640
Speaker 1: just improving becoming a better person, woman, broadcaster, runner, everything

806
00:41:43,200 --> 00:41:46,400
Speaker 1: every day, just like I did when I was competing

807
00:41:46,440 --> 00:41:50,520
Speaker 1: as an athlete, whether it's gaining more experience on air,

808
00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:53,880
Speaker 1: and look, this type of career takes years.

809
00:41:53,880 --> 00:41:54,879
Speaker 3: It's not like this.

810
00:41:55,640 --> 00:41:58,160
Speaker 1: Yeah, And I look at people that I work with,

811
00:41:58,280 --> 00:42:03,319
Speaker 1: let's just say Julie Faudy, for instance, Oh legend, yeah, legend, which,

812
00:42:03,360 --> 00:42:06,000
Speaker 1: by the way, I'm like, when I first started working

813
00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:09,640
Speaker 1: with Julie, it's funny. We cover games on the road

814
00:42:10,680 --> 00:42:13,880
Speaker 1: and she's she's such a sweetheart, but she's part of

815
00:42:13,920 --> 00:42:18,560
Speaker 1: the ninety nine ers, and I was incredibly inspired by

816
00:42:18,560 --> 00:42:21,480
Speaker 1: the ninety nine ers and I always looked up to her,

817
00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:25,239
Speaker 1: and so it was like one of their first like

818
00:42:25,320 --> 00:42:27,319
Speaker 1: trips on air, covering you from the national team. And

819
00:42:27,600 --> 00:42:29,959
Speaker 1: in the morning, I like to work out on game days,

820
00:42:31,080 --> 00:42:33,359
Speaker 1: and so we're at dinner and I think I think

821
00:42:33,400 --> 00:42:34,640
Speaker 1: she asked, like anybody working.

822
00:42:34,440 --> 00:42:35,680
Speaker 3: Out, anybody want to run whatever?

823
00:42:35,680 --> 00:42:37,359
Speaker 2: I'm like, I love the way that you like get

824
00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:39,920
Speaker 2: a little bit of like a extra American when you

825
00:42:39,920 --> 00:42:42,439
Speaker 2: get like your Julie Foudy accent, you're like anybody wanted

826
00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:43,560
Speaker 2: a little New.

827
00:42:43,520 --> 00:42:47,719
Speaker 3: York Literally, she's not. She's like from California. Now I'm

828
00:42:47,760 --> 00:42:50,120
Speaker 3: all working wet with that. I'm like, yes, done.

829
00:42:50,719 --> 00:42:54,360
Speaker 1: Uh And so she she asked, and I was like yeah,

830
00:42:54,480 --> 00:42:56,359
Speaker 1: like because I would anyways, like yeah, let's do it.

831
00:42:56,600 --> 00:42:59,160
Speaker 1: So there we are, like working out together what you

832
00:42:59,200 --> 00:43:01,480
Speaker 1: do on the So I believe that day we went

833
00:43:01,520 --> 00:43:05,200
Speaker 1: to Orange Theory. Yeah, we went to Orange Theory and

834
00:43:06,000 --> 00:43:07,960
Speaker 1: I had a pinch me moment where she's on the

835
00:43:07,960 --> 00:43:11,080
Speaker 1: treadmill next to me. Man, we're just running, and then

836
00:43:11,080 --> 00:43:13,279
Speaker 1: all of a sudden, I'm like competitive vibes are kicking

837
00:43:13,280 --> 00:43:15,200
Speaker 1: in too, and I'm like, all right, Julie, she ain't

838
00:43:15,200 --> 00:43:17,239
Speaker 1: gonna beat me either, Like you know, she's just no,

839
00:43:17,440 --> 00:43:21,800
Speaker 1: there's no chance. She's like fifty, but she's so in shape.

840
00:43:21,960 --> 00:43:22,600
Speaker 3: She's amazing.

841
00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:24,520
Speaker 1: So then we're like running, we're doing the rower, we're

842
00:43:24,560 --> 00:43:26,399
Speaker 1: doing the lifting, we're all this stuff. And we get

843
00:43:26,400 --> 00:43:28,120
Speaker 1: done with the class and then like literally in the

844
00:43:28,160 --> 00:43:29,960
Speaker 1: uber on the way back to the hotel with her,

845
00:43:30,560 --> 00:43:33,200
Speaker 1: then we grab coffee. We're just chatting, and I had

846
00:43:33,200 --> 00:43:35,880
Speaker 1: a pinch me moment where I'm like, I literally just

847
00:43:35,880 --> 00:43:38,000
Speaker 1: worked out with Julie body and I'm about to get

848
00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:39,440
Speaker 1: on it with her, Like this is crazy, and I'm

849
00:43:39,440 --> 00:43:41,359
Speaker 1: like texting my friends. I'm like, guys, you're not gonna

850
00:43:41,360 --> 00:43:43,399
Speaker 1: believe I just said so. Anyway, So that's just one

851
00:43:43,400 --> 00:43:46,080
Speaker 1: moment as we're training, as I'm training for this marathon.

852
00:43:46,120 --> 00:43:48,200
Speaker 1: So this is a year later of like working with Julie,

853
00:43:48,239 --> 00:43:51,680
Speaker 1: and again, I will never stop repeating this how awesome

854
00:43:51,719 --> 00:43:54,479
Speaker 1: she is as a person, as a woman, not only

855
00:43:54,480 --> 00:43:57,560
Speaker 1: did she fight for women's rights and like equality and

856
00:43:57,640 --> 00:44:00,680
Speaker 1: sport like the ninety nine ers did, but just as

857
00:44:00,719 --> 00:44:03,360
Speaker 1: a as a person and as a human being, she

858
00:44:03,600 --> 00:44:06,839
Speaker 1: is an inspiration. And I always tell people when I'm

859
00:44:07,160 --> 00:44:09,080
Speaker 1: fifty or when i'm her age, like I want to

860
00:44:09,080 --> 00:44:11,760
Speaker 1: be Julie Fouty when I grew up, not only because

861
00:44:11,960 --> 00:44:14,040
Speaker 1: she's badass, but because of the person that she is

862
00:44:14,120 --> 00:44:17,480
Speaker 1: as a human being, her humility, her humbleness, And that's

863
00:44:17,520 --> 00:44:20,080
Speaker 1: something that I've learned throughout like the past year and

864
00:44:20,160 --> 00:44:23,480
Speaker 1: a half of working with her. So I tell I

865
00:44:23,520 --> 00:44:25,360
Speaker 1: tell her and I tell the team I'm like, hey, guys, like,

866
00:44:25,400 --> 00:44:27,160
Speaker 1: I'm training for a marathon that's coming up.

867
00:44:27,200 --> 00:44:29,759
Speaker 3: I'm gonna run with Nike. Like this is incredible. She's like, wow,

868
00:44:29,840 --> 00:44:30,319
Speaker 3: it's sick.

869
00:44:30,760 --> 00:44:34,280
Speaker 1: So again, we train or do workouts in the morning

870
00:44:34,280 --> 00:44:36,600
Speaker 1: when we're on our road trips. So who wants to

871
00:44:36,640 --> 00:44:38,720
Speaker 1: work out? And I go, well, Julie, I got to run.

872
00:44:38,760 --> 00:44:41,359
Speaker 1: I got to run eight miles tomorrow. She's like, okay, yeah,

873
00:44:41,360 --> 00:44:45,120
Speaker 1: I'm not doing that. Like okay, She's like, my limit's three,

874
00:44:45,320 --> 00:44:46,320
Speaker 1: so I'll run three with you.

875
00:44:46,560 --> 00:44:47,520
Speaker 3: Okay. I'm like cool.

876
00:44:47,600 --> 00:44:50,920
Speaker 1: So we're I think we're like in Cincinnati and there's hills.

877
00:44:51,560 --> 00:44:54,840
Speaker 1: So we're running together and it was great. You know,

878
00:44:55,320 --> 00:44:57,400
Speaker 1: she's like fast but you know what I mean, like

879
00:44:57,640 --> 00:45:00,200
Speaker 1: but like but also she keeps telling me like we're

880
00:45:00,239 --> 00:45:02,840
Speaker 1: not going that fast, you know. So we do the

881
00:45:02,920 --> 00:45:07,480
Speaker 1: three miles and she sees a scooter and she's like,

882
00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:09,239
Speaker 1: all right, I'm not gonna do more.

883
00:45:09,280 --> 00:45:10,640
Speaker 3: I'm gonna jump on the scooter. I'm okay.

884
00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:12,680
Speaker 1: So I'm thinking to myself, she's gonna go back to

885
00:45:12,719 --> 00:45:15,520
Speaker 1: the hotel. This woman.

886
00:45:16,920 --> 00:45:18,359
Speaker 3: You did not want to use the word woman.

887
00:45:20,960 --> 00:45:23,960
Speaker 1: She hots on the scooter and she's like, well, how

888
00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:26,400
Speaker 1: many miles you have, you know, and I'm like like five,

889
00:45:26,800 --> 00:45:28,440
Speaker 1: She's like, I'll pay you.

890
00:45:28,600 --> 00:45:30,640
Speaker 3: I'll go with you deceased, I know.

891
00:45:31,480 --> 00:45:33,680
Speaker 1: And so she's on the scooter the rest of the time,

892
00:45:33,760 --> 00:45:36,279
Speaker 1: just pays me. We're talking the whole time, and like,

893
00:45:36,360 --> 00:45:38,920
Speaker 1: you know, like running, especially if you're not used to it,

894
00:45:39,000 --> 00:45:42,239
Speaker 1: like either when you're getting into it. Some people like headphone,

895
00:45:42,280 --> 00:45:44,240
Speaker 1: some people just like to zone out, doos and anything.

896
00:45:44,280 --> 00:45:46,560
Speaker 1: Some people get bored, some people have fun, like it depends.

897
00:45:46,560 --> 00:45:49,279
Speaker 1: Everybody has her thing. She helped me get through that

898
00:45:49,360 --> 00:45:52,239
Speaker 1: one of my first longer distance runs, just by being

899
00:45:52,280 --> 00:45:54,359
Speaker 1: on a scooter right next to me, like on those

900
00:45:54,400 --> 00:45:56,680
Speaker 1: line scooters. Yeah, And I'm like, she didn't have to

901
00:45:56,719 --> 00:45:58,160
Speaker 1: do that. She could have scooter her way back to

902
00:45:58,200 --> 00:45:59,680
Speaker 1: the hotel. Scoot scoot yeah.

903
00:45:59,760 --> 00:46:00,080
Speaker 3: Yeah.

904
00:46:00,120 --> 00:46:02,279
Speaker 1: But there she was through the whole thing. And at

905
00:46:02,320 --> 00:46:05,560
Speaker 1: the end, I had this massive uphill. Oh yeah, not

906
00:46:05,640 --> 00:46:07,600
Speaker 1: as big as an uphill, but I'll be experiencing here

907
00:46:07,640 --> 00:46:11,080
Speaker 1: in Paris, but it was a big uphill, and there

908
00:46:11,120 --> 00:46:11,480
Speaker 1: she was.

909
00:46:11,520 --> 00:46:13,960
Speaker 3: She's like, let's go, Mallie, come on, mel like.

910
00:46:13,920 --> 00:46:16,680
Speaker 1: Pumping me up, and I'm just like, holy crap, that

911
00:46:16,800 --> 00:46:20,360
Speaker 1: is absolutely incredible. So yeah, I don't know where I

912
00:46:20,400 --> 00:46:22,080
Speaker 1: went with this rant, but I had to share it

913
00:46:22,120 --> 00:46:23,960
Speaker 1: because Julie Foudy is is a.

914
00:46:23,920 --> 00:46:25,239
Speaker 3: G MVP, a G.

915
00:46:26,160 --> 00:46:28,919
Speaker 2: You're going to be thinking about Julie Foudy biking next

916
00:46:29,000 --> 00:46:32,200
Speaker 2: to you now, Yes, for the entire duration of the

917
00:46:32,239 --> 00:46:34,320
Speaker 2: twenty six point two mile route.

918
00:46:34,600 --> 00:46:38,480
Speaker 1: I'm sure, yes, absolutely, she's actually here. So if she's away,

919
00:46:38,520 --> 00:46:40,799
Speaker 1: to know that, you're requested. Okay, if she's If she's away,

920
00:46:40,880 --> 00:46:42,480
Speaker 1: if she's because it's at night, it's a night run,

921
00:46:43,280 --> 00:46:44,839
Speaker 1: she might come and help and cheer.

922
00:46:44,960 --> 00:46:45,480
Speaker 3: I know she's on.

923
00:46:45,560 --> 00:46:49,240
Speaker 1: She's working though the US woman's National team final. I'm

924
00:46:49,239 --> 00:46:53,160
Speaker 1: going on Saturday. You are, oh my gosh, so excited.

925
00:46:53,280 --> 00:46:55,359
Speaker 1: She's working it and my racetimes at night. So if

926
00:46:55,360 --> 00:46:59,239
Speaker 1: she's up and about, all right, Julie, we're calling you in, Julie.

927
00:46:58,920 --> 00:47:01,080
Speaker 3: Shoudy or I'll get on. I need that, I need

928
00:47:01,120 --> 00:47:02,279
Speaker 3: your good vibes. Yeah.

929
00:47:02,320 --> 00:47:05,560
Speaker 2: I mean, you just articulated a really special moment. I know,

930
00:47:05,640 --> 00:47:08,319
Speaker 2: another really special moment, as you call it, an it

931
00:47:08,440 --> 00:47:11,839
Speaker 2: moment for you was the opportunity to announce MESSI talk

932
00:47:11,880 --> 00:47:14,560
Speaker 2: to me about what that was like for you and

933
00:47:14,960 --> 00:47:16,600
Speaker 2: what you learned from that that you're going to bring

934
00:47:16,640 --> 00:47:17,920
Speaker 2: forward with you as you move on.

935
00:47:18,640 --> 00:47:23,160
Speaker 1: So being chosen to announce Lionel Messi's arrival was just

936
00:47:23,280 --> 00:47:28,360
Speaker 1: like whoa, yeah, but it's crazy, you know when you

937
00:47:28,360 --> 00:47:30,919
Speaker 1: get these moments and you don't know what to expect yet,

938
00:47:30,920 --> 00:47:32,399
Speaker 1: so you're just like, yeah, I got it.

939
00:47:32,480 --> 00:47:34,840
Speaker 3: Like cool, you know, that's how it was.

940
00:47:36,320 --> 00:47:38,719
Speaker 1: I knew how big of a moment it was going

941
00:47:38,800 --> 00:47:42,040
Speaker 1: to be, but not in no way possible to the

942
00:47:42,040 --> 00:47:46,640
Speaker 1: way that it actually went. And I think that it

943
00:47:46,680 --> 00:47:49,719
Speaker 1: was a moment that was meant for me because I'm

944
00:47:49,719 --> 00:47:50,480
Speaker 1: from South Florida.

945
00:47:50,640 --> 00:47:52,200
Speaker 3: I was born and raised in South Florida.

946
00:47:53,000 --> 00:47:55,719
Speaker 1: I'm former footballers, we know, and you know, soccer's my thing,

947
00:47:55,719 --> 00:47:59,160
Speaker 1: and like Lionel Messi's arrival to the US with such

948
00:47:59,160 --> 00:48:02,879
Speaker 1: a pinnacle moment in soccer history in this country that

949
00:48:03,080 --> 00:48:05,359
Speaker 1: I was just like, this is a moment that I

950
00:48:05,480 --> 00:48:09,440
Speaker 1: deserve and I've worked so hard for and for the club,

951
00:48:09,640 --> 00:48:12,120
Speaker 1: like Inter Miami reached out to me directly first and

952
00:48:12,160 --> 00:48:14,080
Speaker 1: said you're the first personnel list we want to offer

953
00:48:14,120 --> 00:48:17,839
Speaker 1: this too, and I'm like, holy crap, this is incredible.

954
00:48:18,360 --> 00:48:22,200
Speaker 1: And so what is nuts is that that night of

955
00:48:22,640 --> 00:48:27,279
Speaker 1: the announcement, La Presentaciona was called. It was like a

956
00:48:27,360 --> 00:48:31,440
Speaker 1: hurricane went through South Florida that night, and everything was

957
00:48:31,560 --> 00:48:32,960
Speaker 1: so great leading to the moment.

958
00:48:33,000 --> 00:48:34,920
Speaker 3: Rehearsals were great, audio.

959
00:48:34,640 --> 00:48:38,319
Speaker 1: Was amazing, like everything was going so well, and all

960
00:48:38,360 --> 00:48:40,800
Speaker 1: of a sudden, when we're supposed to like actually start

961
00:48:41,080 --> 00:48:46,520
Speaker 1: a literal hurricane, like aka massive lightning storm but like

962
00:48:46,560 --> 00:48:51,719
Speaker 1: with torrential downpour, but crazy winds just rolled in like

963
00:48:51,960 --> 00:48:55,399
Speaker 1: good old South Florida right but to a point where

964
00:48:55,440 --> 00:48:57,319
Speaker 1: I was really nervous because I'm like, I hope they

965
00:48:57,320 --> 00:48:59,080
Speaker 1: don't postpone this. The next morning I had to fly

966
00:48:59,120 --> 00:49:01,760
Speaker 1: out to Australia for the Woman's World Cup. Oh my gosh,

967
00:49:01,880 --> 00:49:03,239
Speaker 1: so I was like, I hope they don't cancel or

968
00:49:03,280 --> 00:49:05,759
Speaker 1: postpone because like I won't be part of it. So

969
00:49:06,200 --> 00:49:08,279
Speaker 1: we just waited like I think an hour or two

970
00:49:08,400 --> 00:49:12,160
Speaker 1: until everything kind of calmed down and then we did it.

971
00:49:12,200 --> 00:49:16,560
Speaker 1: But crazy thing is the audio. Because of the lightning,

972
00:49:16,560 --> 00:49:19,040
Speaker 1: they had to disconnect a bunch of things and they

973
00:49:19,040 --> 00:49:21,880
Speaker 1: had this big like runway into the stage on the

974
00:49:21,920 --> 00:49:26,040
Speaker 1: pitch and we couldn't even walk to that main stage

975
00:49:26,040 --> 00:49:27,040
Speaker 1: because it was so slippery.

976
00:49:27,040 --> 00:49:27,560
Speaker 3: It was led.

977
00:49:27,760 --> 00:49:30,200
Speaker 1: It was so slippery from all the rain, so they

978
00:49:30,200 --> 00:49:32,520
Speaker 1: were like, you need to just walk up to this

979
00:49:32,640 --> 00:49:34,520
Speaker 1: point and that's where you're gonna host.

980
00:49:34,880 --> 00:49:37,880
Speaker 3: Okay, we're actually played out.

981
00:49:37,760 --> 00:49:40,080
Speaker 1: Into my advantage because if we would have been on

982
00:49:40,120 --> 00:49:41,600
Speaker 1: that big stage in the middle of the pitch, we

983
00:49:41,640 --> 00:49:43,640
Speaker 1: would have been all spread out, me and my co

984
00:49:43,719 --> 00:49:47,360
Speaker 1: host David Beckham, the owners and you know, MESSI, Whereas like,

985
00:49:47,600 --> 00:49:49,440
Speaker 1: since we only got to walk to this part, we

986
00:49:49,440 --> 00:49:50,840
Speaker 1: were all so crunched together.

987
00:49:51,080 --> 00:49:51,360
Speaker 3: Yeah.

988
00:49:51,440 --> 00:49:53,600
Speaker 1: That which is why I got to like photo bomb,

989
00:49:53,640 --> 00:50:00,319
Speaker 1: like so many I Messi's photore.

990
00:49:58,040 --> 00:50:00,640
Speaker 2: Like sorry, I'm also over here, hey, hanging out with Beckham. Yeah,

991
00:50:00,640 --> 00:50:02,359
Speaker 2: if you just get me a second, I'll be back.

992
00:50:02,480 --> 00:50:03,240
Speaker 3: Just yeah.

993
00:50:03,320 --> 00:50:04,000
Speaker 2: Yeah.

994
00:50:04,040 --> 00:50:07,080
Speaker 1: But like I say, I think, like, I'm so sure

995
00:50:07,200 --> 00:50:10,000
Speaker 1: the moment was made for me right before you know,

996
00:50:10,000 --> 00:50:12,520
Speaker 1: there's this nerve setting in. But I felt like I

997
00:50:12,560 --> 00:50:14,560
Speaker 1: was about to play in a game because there was

998
00:50:14,680 --> 00:50:17,680
Speaker 1: regghedeton blasting, and it's like, that's so me.

999
00:50:18,440 --> 00:50:19,680
Speaker 3: All my family was up.

1000
00:50:19,600 --> 00:50:23,480
Speaker 1: In the stands and I'm just like, this is me,

1001
00:50:23,600 --> 00:50:25,680
Speaker 1: this is South Florida, this is Soccer's his music is

1002
00:50:25,719 --> 00:50:27,839
Speaker 1: my reggaeton. This is my family here. I'm just like

1003
00:50:27,960 --> 00:50:30,640
Speaker 1: this shit is mine. Yeah, And that was my like,

1004
00:50:30,840 --> 00:50:32,719
Speaker 1: that was my my aura, like that was my vibe.

1005
00:50:32,760 --> 00:50:34,640
Speaker 1: That was everything, just going into it because there was

1006
00:50:34,640 --> 00:50:38,360
Speaker 1: some nervousness and the stadium was packed and it was

1007
00:50:38,880 --> 00:50:42,480
Speaker 1: graining still audio issues. So we start and all of

1008
00:50:42,520 --> 00:50:44,200
Speaker 1: a sudden, the audio is choppy in my ear, so

1009
00:50:44,200 --> 00:50:47,759
Speaker 1: I don't hear my producer, my co host, he's that

1010
00:50:48,000 --> 00:50:50,880
Speaker 1: like like the the ears in his the audio and

1011
00:50:50,920 --> 00:50:53,560
Speaker 1: his ears are dead. His mic is half working, not

1012
00:50:53,600 --> 00:50:55,960
Speaker 1: even fully working. So in my ears and the choppiness

1013
00:50:56,000 --> 00:50:58,120
Speaker 1: that I'm getting in and out, it's like past your

1014
00:50:58,160 --> 00:51:01,719
Speaker 1: mic to to David Beckham, like not his making sure

1015
00:51:01,760 --> 00:51:06,280
Speaker 1: that I'm doing kind of everything. Uh. And then David

1016
00:51:06,280 --> 00:51:09,200
Speaker 1: Beckham almost slipped because it was so slippery, and like

1017
00:51:09,239 --> 00:51:10,160
Speaker 1: I was like making a joke.

1018
00:51:10,200 --> 00:51:11,600
Speaker 3: I was like, well, thank god.

1019
00:51:11,480 --> 00:51:14,760
Speaker 1: You didn't wear the heels, David or something, and uh

1020
00:51:14,800 --> 00:51:17,799
Speaker 1: he was like I was about to something like that. Uh.

1021
00:51:17,840 --> 00:51:20,040
Speaker 1: And then I almost slipped too, which would have been

1022
00:51:20,880 --> 00:51:21,359
Speaker 1: really bad.

1023
00:51:22,120 --> 00:51:23,480
Speaker 3: Oh my god. But no.

1024
00:51:23,640 --> 00:51:25,840
Speaker 1: All in all, it was by far one of the

1025
00:51:25,880 --> 00:51:33,120
Speaker 1: most memorable experiences career pinnacle moments in my life. It

1026
00:51:33,200 --> 00:51:35,719
Speaker 1: meant so much to me, so special. Yeah, it was

1027
00:51:35,719 --> 00:51:36,320
Speaker 1: so special.

1028
00:51:36,800 --> 00:51:39,160
Speaker 2: Someone comes to your Instagram page, and they see a

1029
00:51:39,200 --> 00:51:41,359
Speaker 2: woman now that is living out so many of her

1030
00:51:41,440 --> 00:51:45,560
Speaker 2: dreams as a broadcaster also a former professional athlete. But

1031
00:51:45,640 --> 00:51:48,200
Speaker 2: when you are at home and you look in the mirror,

1032
00:51:48,200 --> 00:51:51,080
Speaker 2: what is it that you see looking back at you?

1033
00:51:52,480 --> 00:51:57,480
Speaker 1: Uh, I just see I just see Mellie, I just

1034
00:51:57,520 --> 00:52:01,719
Speaker 1: see me. I just see someone that is living out

1035
00:52:01,760 --> 00:52:02,400
Speaker 1: her dreams.

1036
00:52:02,719 --> 00:52:03,160
Speaker 3: For sure.

1037
00:52:04,000 --> 00:52:05,880
Speaker 1: I got to live out my dreams up to a

1038
00:52:05,920 --> 00:52:08,880
Speaker 1: certain point on the pitch until you know, my injuries

1039
00:52:08,920 --> 00:52:11,920
Speaker 1: started kicking in and some other factors, like I mentioned,

1040
00:52:12,560 --> 00:52:16,080
Speaker 1: the inequalities that we dealt with, and I think that

1041
00:52:16,760 --> 00:52:21,360
Speaker 1: life and soccer is paying me back. I think for

1042
00:52:21,520 --> 00:52:24,399
Speaker 1: so many things that I have gone through but also

1043
00:52:24,480 --> 00:52:28,960
Speaker 1: given to the game, whether it's fighting for you know,

1044
00:52:29,360 --> 00:52:32,759
Speaker 1: women's rights in soccer. I think now in this later

1045
00:52:32,800 --> 00:52:35,719
Speaker 1: era of like my other career in the broadcasting world

1046
00:52:35,840 --> 00:52:37,680
Speaker 1: or everything that I do, even working with brands and

1047
00:52:37,760 --> 00:52:41,120
Speaker 1: content and everything, I think life in soccer is giving

1048
00:52:41,160 --> 00:52:43,680
Speaker 1: me back so many things that I had to go through,

1049
00:52:43,880 --> 00:52:45,520
Speaker 1: and I'm so grateful for it. So when I look

1050
00:52:45,560 --> 00:52:48,799
Speaker 1: at myself in the mirror and I'm you know, in

1051
00:52:49,000 --> 00:52:52,520
Speaker 1: New York City and in an apartment that I love

1052
00:52:52,760 --> 00:52:57,360
Speaker 1: and you know with my husband, and I just think like, wow,

1053
00:52:57,440 --> 00:52:59,120
Speaker 1: you know you're living out your dream, Melle, but you've

1054
00:52:59,120 --> 00:53:01,920
Speaker 1: worked so freaking hard for this, so like enjoy it.

1055
00:53:02,280 --> 00:53:07,480
Speaker 1: And I like my husband sometimes like puts into perspective

1056
00:53:07,719 --> 00:53:11,719
Speaker 1: like he's like, you know, like you you're a badass.

1057
00:53:12,160 --> 00:53:15,760
Speaker 1: He's the one who's like he's he's my grounding for sure.

1058
00:53:15,960 --> 00:53:18,400
Speaker 1: But like I never like when people ask me for

1059
00:53:18,440 --> 00:53:21,120
Speaker 1: photos or my games and then this and that, like

1060
00:53:22,040 --> 00:53:23,600
Speaker 1: I'm I don't know. I don't know if it's because

1061
00:53:23,600 --> 00:53:26,680
Speaker 1: I'm humble or I don't realize these things. Like he's

1062
00:53:26,719 --> 00:53:28,440
Speaker 1: the one. He's like, Melly, you know that, like a

1063
00:53:28,440 --> 00:53:30,759
Speaker 1: lot of people like look up to you, right, like

1064
00:53:30,840 --> 00:53:33,560
Speaker 1: you know that. And I'm like, yeah, you're right, I

1065
00:53:33,560 --> 00:53:35,960
Speaker 1: should probably, you know, And I always say yes, like

1066
00:53:36,000 --> 00:53:38,640
Speaker 1: I'm very humble, I'm very nice to everybody. Not to

1067
00:53:38,640 --> 00:53:41,319
Speaker 1: say that I'm I don't say yes, pictures something. It's

1068
00:53:41,360 --> 00:53:44,279
Speaker 1: more just like he puts it, you know, into realization

1069
00:53:44,960 --> 00:53:47,600
Speaker 1: because he's seen the up and he's seen so many downs.

1070
00:53:47,640 --> 00:53:49,560
Speaker 1: I met him when I tore my achilles. Yeah, so

1071
00:53:49,600 --> 00:53:51,880
Speaker 1: he's seen the down of the downs and he's also

1072
00:53:51,960 --> 00:53:55,080
Speaker 1: has has been there for the entire moment, like the

1073
00:53:55,200 --> 00:53:56,840
Speaker 1: Teri journey of the up.

1074
00:53:56,880 --> 00:53:59,279
Speaker 3: Happened for you. All of it happened for you.

1075
00:53:59,760 --> 00:54:01,600
Speaker 2: Win down the podcast every time by giving you the

1076
00:54:01,600 --> 00:54:04,919
Speaker 2: opportunity to give yourself a piece of advice, going back

1077
00:54:04,960 --> 00:54:08,040
Speaker 2: to that devastating hurdle moment of tearing your achilles, talking

1078
00:54:08,080 --> 00:54:10,759
Speaker 2: to me about the depression that you went through and

1079
00:54:10,840 --> 00:54:13,200
Speaker 2: really had to persevere to get out on the other

1080
00:54:13,280 --> 00:54:15,880
Speaker 2: side and find that sense of self worth. When you

1081
00:54:16,600 --> 00:54:19,640
Speaker 2: look back at that hurdle moment, knowing what you know now,

1082
00:54:19,880 --> 00:54:22,280
Speaker 2: what would you tell your younger self.

1083
00:54:23,719 --> 00:54:26,560
Speaker 1: I think I would tell my younger self believe in

1084
00:54:26,600 --> 00:54:32,359
Speaker 1: the run, do everything to your utmost capability to fight

1085
00:54:32,400 --> 00:54:34,759
Speaker 1: and work for your dreams, you know, whether it was

1086
00:54:34,920 --> 00:54:37,120
Speaker 1: on the pitch or whether it's in the latter career.

1087
00:54:37,480 --> 00:54:39,520
Speaker 1: I think my main worry at that point in time

1088
00:54:39,760 --> 00:54:43,239
Speaker 1: when when I got injured was what's my soccer career

1089
00:54:43,280 --> 00:54:43,600
Speaker 1: going to be?

1090
00:54:43,760 --> 00:54:45,960
Speaker 3: But also like who am I? And what's next?

1091
00:54:46,680 --> 00:54:50,880
Speaker 1: And that happens to a lot of athletes and people,

1092
00:54:51,360 --> 00:54:52,720
Speaker 1: and so it's more.

1093
00:54:52,600 --> 00:54:54,840
Speaker 3: Just believe in your journey.

1094
00:54:55,239 --> 00:54:58,479
Speaker 1: You know, things happen as they should, but they will

1095
00:54:58,520 --> 00:55:01,080
Speaker 1: happen as they should if you put in the work

1096
00:55:01,160 --> 00:55:04,600
Speaker 1: for it. You know, you set your goals and little

1097
00:55:04,600 --> 00:55:09,440
Speaker 1: by little you go for them. And that's literally what

1098
00:55:09,480 --> 00:55:13,200
Speaker 1: I've what I've done in and out the grind every

1099
00:55:13,320 --> 00:55:17,200
Speaker 1: day every year, you know. And this is before moving

1100
00:55:17,200 --> 00:55:20,120
Speaker 1: to New York City. It's been, it's been. It's been,

1101
00:55:20,480 --> 00:55:23,440
Speaker 1: you know, a journey, like I say, in years of

1102
00:55:23,800 --> 00:55:27,680
Speaker 1: hard work. So yeah, just keep believing in yourself and

1103
00:55:27,760 --> 00:55:28,239
Speaker 1: in the run.

1104
00:55:28,520 --> 00:55:31,080
Speaker 2: Believe in the run. I love it, Melissa. For those

1105
00:55:31,120 --> 00:55:33,759
Speaker 2: that don't follow along with you, just yet give us

1106
00:55:33,760 --> 00:55:35,359
Speaker 2: the info. Where do they find you? How do they

1107
00:55:35,360 --> 00:55:35,600
Speaker 2: do that?

1108
00:55:36,200 --> 00:55:41,400
Speaker 1: On ig at Melissa Ortiz five, Likewise on TikTok, I

1109
00:55:41,400 --> 00:55:42,160
Speaker 1: think it's the same.

1110
00:55:42,200 --> 00:55:43,399
Speaker 3: On the X, I'm not sure.

1111
00:55:45,120 --> 00:55:48,719
Speaker 1: The eggs on the Ox Twitter on the Ox yeah,

1112
00:55:48,840 --> 00:55:50,280
Speaker 1: let's or teas five beautiful.

1113
00:55:50,320 --> 00:55:53,040
Speaker 2: I'm over at Emily Body and at Hurdle Podcast Another

1114
00:55:53,080 --> 00:55:55,480
Speaker 2: Hurdle conquered. Catch you guys next time.