Episode #77: Shalane Flanagan, Silver Medalist and 4-Time Olympian

01/04/21 • 63 min

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We are excited to kick off the podcast in 2021 with one of the greatest American distance runners of all time - Shalane Flanagan. From the roads to the track to the grass and mud of a cross-country course, her resumé of accomplishments pretty much has it all: 3-time NCAA champion, 4-time Olympian, Olympic silver medalist, 18-time US champion, World XC bronze, NYC Marathon champion, and former American record holder for all distances from 3K, 5K, 10K and 15K.

Even with this amazing list of accolades, we may never know Shalane's true accomplishments because many of her major races were affected in some way by drug cheats.

In this episode, Kara and Chris ask Shalane about it all. We discuss her childhood growing up as the daughter of two elite distance runners, living in Colorado and then Massachusetts, where her parents emphasized surrounding yourself with the right people.

She shares when her Olympic aspirations began and the gory details of getting food poisoning in China before bouncing back to earn Olympic bronze (which was later upgraded to silver). She talks about that medal upgrade and the impact of drug cheats on many of her major races including the Boston Marathon in 2014. Finally, she tells us about the true meaning behind the "f-yeah" moment at the finish line of her NYC Marathon victory and then how she now approaches clean sport as a coach with her athletes at the Bowerman Track Club.

Shalane is an amazing ambassador for #cleansport, and we can't think of a better way to kick off our podcasts as we head into this Olympic year!

Even with this amazing list of accolades, we may never know Shalane's true accomplishments because many of her major races were affected in some way by drug cheats.

Shalane is an amazing ambassador for #cleansport, and we can't think of a better way to kick off our podcasts as we head into this Olympic year!

Previous Episode

Episode #76: Eilish McColgan, 2-Time Olympian for Great Britain

What is it like growing up as the daughter of one of the greatest distance runners of all-time? Surprisingly normal actually.

In this episode, Eilish McColgan, the daughter of episode 60 guest Liz McColgan, joins Chris and Kara to talk about her own running journey from childhood club star to 2-time Olympian. Not pressured into it by her distance-running parents, she fell in love with the sport all on her own, making her journey uniquely beautiful.

Eilish details her up and down journey where she endured a performance plateau in high school before breakout performances in her early 20s led to a 2012 Olympic berth in the steeplechase and eventually to the 2016 Olympics in the 5K. It wasn't easy, however, as multiple injuries and surgeries almost derailed each of those opportunities on the world stage.

Eilish shares so much wisdom in this episode including navigating her changing body as a teenager, learning how to individualize her training for optimal results, and maintaining her passion and commitment to the sport through major injury. Of course, she also provides her perspective on what should be done to level the playing field and ensure all countries uphold similar standards for clean sport.

Throughout the conversation, Eilish's love for running shines brightly through, and we can't wait to root for her in Tokyo next year!

A quick programming note: we will be on hiatus for the month of December to enjoy time with our families for the holidays and will be back to you with new episodes in January.

Next Episode

Episode 78: Mikel Thomas, 3-Time Olympian in the 110m Hurdles

Track and field is full of thousands of athletes who train hard, seeking glory without a sponsor and unsure of where they might earn their next check to cover rent and food. Mikel Thomas is one of those athletes, and in spite of all of his challenges, he's grinded to 3 Olympic Games and podium finishes at the Pan Am Games and NACAC Championships (for North America, Central America, and the Caribbean).

Plus, he is now an advocate on topics that include athletes' rights and clean sport, even while he is attempting to make a 4th Olympic team, because he wants to leave the sport a better place for those who will come after him. He also wants to make his mother proud.

In this episode with Chris and Kara, Mikel shares his story from being born in Trinidad and Tobago to moving to Brooklyn at a young age to the turning-point moment when a school administrator chose not to punish him but instead to give him an opportunity in sport that would change his life forever. He talks about making the most of that opportunity by teaching himself how to run in the high hurdles by watching YouTube videos even as coaches told him he couldn't do it.

He's proved them and others wrong time and time again, not only learning and excelling at the high hurdles but also overcoming countless figurative hurdles from lack of sponsorship to eviction and injury to being forced to speak out against an embezzlement scandal within his own federation.

Regarding clean sport, Mikel discusses seeing organized doping within the sprints as an athlete, and he details his experience seeing it from the top while working as an intern at the International Testing Agency (which is affiliated with WADA).

Mikel says that his story shows that he is either relentless or stubborn. We think it's both... in a good way. Join us in standing with Mikel to support him in his journey to Tokyo and in his fight to empower and educate athletes for clean sport worldwide.