Episode 5: The Legacy

08/09/22 • 37 min

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The track in San Jose has been turned into a parking lot. But the legacy of Speed City is alive and well, on and off the track. More than half a century after Tommie Smith and John Carlos sprinted their way into the spotlight and shocked the world with a silent protest on the victory stand, the ripple effects of their actions can still be felt today. Their mentor Dr. Harry Edwards is still a central figure in the world of sports too. He works closely with activist athletes like Colin Kaepernick and consults with professional sports leagues on issues of racial equity. And the coaching methods of Bud Winter? They transformed the sport, and are deep in the DNA of some of the world’s best sprinters.

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Episode 4: The Mexico City Games

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After months of debate about whether to boycott or not, our trio of Speed City sprinters are headed to Mexico City. In this episode, we zoom in on those fateful days: From the penultimate race that left Tommie Smith injured, to the world-record breaking 200M finals, to Smith and Carlos’ protest and expulsion from the games. Then, their teammate Lee Evans is set to run his races, but the pressure of the games – and whether and how to protest – almost keeps him off the track altogether. Coach Bud Winter plays a quiet but important role throughout these days, where his relaxation training faces its biggest challenge yet: Young athletes thrust onto a global stage with the weight of the world on their shoulders.

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Bonus: Just Relax with Malcolm Gladwell

Writer and podcast host Malcolm Gladwell is guest hosting an entire week of the podcast, Radio Headspace. He'll be discussing how to increase performance in your personal and professional life. Today, he talks about how superstar track and field coach, Bud Winter, discovered that relaxation can lead to big wins.