Why Cat Osterman Came Out Of Retirement For The 2020 Tokyo Olympics

06/25/21 • 26 min

There's no crying in baseball. But, the truth is a lot of tears were shed when the Olympics dropped baseball and softball from its sports lineup after the 2008 Beijing Summer Games.

Each host city has the opportunity to add sports to their Olympic schedule.

Japan loves baseball. So, baseball and softball are back for the first time in 13 years.

That was great news for Team USA softball players who have struggled to make a living in the sport since 2008.

The return of softball is also the return of legendary player Cat Osterman.

She's one of two members of the U.S. Olympic Softball Team with any Olympic experience. Osterman came out of retirement for a shot at another Olympic gold.

"It was full circle. I went to the youngest to the oldest (on the team) now but, yeah, there was a 13-year gap between the last Olympics and this one. It's been a sport that I think has been missing the Olympics. I know, specifically I have missed being in the Olympics," said Osterman.

On this Dying to Ask:

How Cat Osterman made the decision to come out of retirement for Tokyo 2020
What she plans to do when she re-retires after the Summer Olympics
The work habits you need to stay at the top of your profession for an extended period of time
How to stay engaged in your job when you've done the same thing for a long time

There's no crying in baseball. But, the truth is a lot of tears were shed when the Olympics dropped baseball and softball from its sports lineup after the 2008 Beijing Summer Games.

Each host city has the opportunity to add sports to their Olympic schedule.

Japan loves baseball. So, baseball and softball are back for the first time in 13 years.

That was great news for Team USA softball players who have struggled to make a living in the sport since 2008.

The return of softball is also the return of legendary player Cat Osterman.

She's one of two members of the U.S. Olympic Softball Team with any Olympic experience. Osterman came out of retirement for a shot at another Olympic gold.

On this Dying to Ask:

How Cat Osterman made the decision to come out of retirement for Tokyo 2020
What she plans to do when she re-retires after the Summer Olympics
The work habits you need to stay at the top of your profession for an extended period of time
How to stay engaged in your job when you've done the same thing for a long time

Previous Episode

Olympic Gold Medalist Missy Franklin On Knowing When To Walk Away

"Absolutely not."

Five-time Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin can't make it any clearer that she has zero intention of coming out of retirement for another shot at Olympic glory.

Franklin was only 17 when she became an Olympic darling at the 2012 London Summer Olympics. She won four golds and a bronze in swimming.

But, back spasms became challenging just two years later at the Pana Pacific Championship.

She went on to make the 2016 Rio Olympic team and won gold in the 4 x 200-meter relay.

Franklin retired in 2018.

At 26, she's newly married and expecting her first child this summer. She's embraced her role as a mentor to Team USA's younger swimmers and is passionate about spreading awareness about water safety to prevent accidental drownings in backyard pools.

On this Dying to Ask:

How athletes know that a sport's mental toll is as great as the physical toll
The advice Missy is giving to Olympic hopefuls during the pandemic
And what it's like to be in your Chapter 2 at the ripe age of 26

Next Episode

A Father And Son's Quest To Become Olympians For A Little-Known Nation

Hey, Disney: I have your next Olympic-themed movie.

It's "Cool Runnings" meets "Miracle on Ice."

A 49-year-old American father and his 23-year-old son represent an island nation few have heard of at an Olympics delayed by a worldwide pandemic. #yourewelcome

I love this podcast episode.

August Wesley is an American wrestler and coach. He's coached high school and college athletes. He's the most decorated Greco-Roman wrestler to have come out of Sacramento, California. And, his cousin, Anthony Amado, represented Team USA in wrestling at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

His son, Anthony Wesley, made national teams as a high school athlete and went on to compete at Iowa State University.

The father and son have dual citizenship with the tiny island nation of Cape Verde, or Cabo Verde.

Cabo Verde is off the west coast of Africa. It's one of the most developed democratic countries in Africa. But, it's never had much luck developing an Olympic team.

Until now.

On this Dying to Ask:

What August Wesley is going through physically and mentally to become an Olympic wrestler at 49
What has to happen to get Cape Verde's wrestling team to Tokyo
And how August Wesley kept his personal Olympic dream alive for decades