Melody Fairchild - Oregon Ducks Hall of Fame Runner and Boulder Mountain Warriors Director

Explicit content warning

04/04/22 • 39 min

Welcome to the Mental Healthlete podcast. My guest this week is Melody Fairchild. If you're into running, there is a good chance you've heard of Melody. She's arguably the best high school distance runner in US history.
She was the first high school girl to break 10 minutes for 2 miles. She was the NCAA indoor 3000-meter champ while running at Oregon (go ducks) and she's a University of Oregon Hall of Famer - AS SHE SAYS, not because she was the best but because she persisted. Love it.
She kept running after college turning pro and winning medals in world championships AND for the last 11 years, she's directed Boulder Mountain Warriors - a running club for kids.
I've known Melody for nearly a decade and she's one of my favorite people. We had a great talk that I'm so happy to share with you in this episode.
I learned about 'becoming' from Melody. If you've read the Velveteen Rabbit, you'll already know the concept. I hadn't but now I'll never forget it.
Now, here's my conversation with Melody Fairchild.
High fives all around. Let's do this!
Do you have a personal story that you'd like to share? Do you know of other athletes who are open to talking about their mental health and its relationship to sports? Send me a note at [email protected].
And if you're struggling right now, reach out to a loved one, training partner, coach, or doctor, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. You are not alone.
This episode was produced by Mark Still - [email protected] - @uphillstill - @thepracticalstill

Previous Episode

Will Murray

My guest today is Will Murray. Will is a ten-year USA Triathlon Level 1 coach with specialties in mental conditioning, youth coaching, and trauma treatment. He works with athletes in his coaching with D3 Multisport in Boulder, CO and he is a certified administrator of the Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories Protocol.
Will is co-author, with Craig Howie, of The Four Pillars of Triathlon: Vital Mental Skills for Endurance Athletes and Uncle: The Definitive Guide for Becoming the World’s Best Aunt or Uncle.
He is also a mentor in our community, a role model, and my friend.
We had a great time talking about sport and mental health and I think you're going to enjoy the conversation.
High fives all around. Let's do this!
Do you have a personal story that you'd like to share? Do you know of other athletes who are open to talking about their mental health and its relationship to sports? Send me a note at [email protected].
And if you're struggling right now, reach out to a loved one, training partner, coach, or doctor, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. You are not alone.
This episode was produced by Mark Still - [email protected] - @uphillstill - @thepracticalstill

Next Episode

Esra Kellermans - P.h.D, Dog Walker, Athlete

Hey everybody, welcome to the Mental Healthlete podcast. Thank you for listening.
I'm excited for you to hear my conversation with Esra Kellermans. We had a great time hanging out and I know her story will resonate with many of you.
We all evolve as people over time and many of us can look back over the years and almost see ourselves as different people at different points in our personal or professional lives but describing Esra's path takes that to an extreme.
She's a runner, cyclist, and triathlete.
She's a Ph.D. researcher in the field of Zoology.
She's a successful entrepreneur in her dog-walking business - apennyforbones.com
She's an artist who sells her paintings at art fairs - esrasstudio.com

And yes, she's one of the many of us who struggles with the stresses of athletic performance and her mental health.
Talking with Esra always brings me joy and I'm so thankful that she shared her struggles and successes with me. I hope it is as meaningful to you as it was for me.
Here's my conversation with Esra Kellermans. High fives all around. Let's do this.
Do you have a personal story that you'd like to share? Do you know of other athletes who are open to talking about their mental health and its relationship to sports? Send me a note at [email protected].
And if you're struggling right now, reach out to a loved one, training partner, coach, or doctor, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. You are not alone.
This episode was produced by Mark Still - [email protected] - @uphillstill - @thepracticalstill