Becky Sauerbrunn is on the US Women’s National Soccer Team and has been the rock of the back line for the last 8 years. She’s an Olympic gold medalist and has played in both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, won the 2015 and 2019 World Cup championships, and recently became the US Women’s National Team Players Association President.

US Olympic bronze medalist and 2X National Champion figure skater, Bradie Tennell has already made a career out of breaking records…and unfortunately her feet. As of Dec. 31 2021, (just after this interview was recorded), Bradie made the tough decision to withdraw from figure skating Nationals due to her chronic foot injury. Though Bradie’s path to the Beijing Olympics ends here, her journey is well worth celebrating as a fantastic example of her prioritizing herself and her love of the sport over pushing and risking life-long injury.

In this episode, we talk about Bradie’s passion for figure skating, her decision to opt out of Nationals, and how she overcomes hardship.

Camila Pirelli goes by Cami, Pirelli, or Pantera Guaraní, the Guaraní Panther; Guarani is the language, and culture of the community of people Camila belongs to, and for Camila, it’s important to honor where she comes from. Today, we spotlight Paraguayan track and field star, Pantera, who holds more than a dozen gold and silver medals nationally. Her expertise is Heptathlon, a 7-event competition including the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200-meter run, long jump, javelin, and 800-meter run. All that to say, she’s the real deal…and in 7 events! In our conversation she shares about her upbringing in Paraguay, mental health and body image.

Carlotta Nwajide is not only a Vice World and European Champion, but also an outspoken activist who leads by thoughtful example. She believes that inaction is action in and of itself, whether it comes to racism or environmentalism.

Carlotta grew up competing as the only black rower in her community and knows what it’s like to be known for her skin color before people see her character. She fell in love with our planet during the many hours she’s rowed outdoors and has taken it upon herself to minimize the environmental impact of the entire Germany Rowing Team. Now at age 25 and on her way to Tokyo, she’s using her platform to create positive social change for antiracism and environmentalism.

2x Olympic Gold Medalist and 3x World Champion, Caster Semenya has made headlines since winning the 800m at the 2009 World Athletics Championships at the age of 18, yet the media (and many of her fellow athletes) wouldn’t gracefully acknowledge her generational talent for what it was, but rather started accusing her of being a man. This was news to Caster, someone who was born a woman and grew up a woman her whole life. Given her muscular build, speed, deep voice, and color, Caster didn’t look like what many believed a woman “should” look like.

Wednesday is a landmark court case determining the future of women’s track and field. For the last decade Caster has been fighting to compete without changing her natural body. The IIAF (formerly World Athletics) mandated that in order to compete she had to reduce her natural testosterone levels, which according to Caster, left her feeling “like the walking dead.” To hear more of the backstory from Caster’s perspective, check out our season 1 episode elevating Caster right before the Tokyo Olympics. This Wednesday, May 15th, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is examining Caster’s appeal against regulations requiring female athletes with high testosterone levels to take medication.

In our conversation Caster shares “Let’s stop allowing people to give us a view or an opinion of how a woman should look like. You are born with your differences, I’m born with my differences…We need to celebrate one another.” That is the world we are working towards with you, Caster.

It’s been a while since the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, but we wanted to amplify and celebrate a voice the world missed in Japan. 2x Olympic gold medalist and 3x World Champion runner, Caster Semenya was barred from competing in her events because of her higher than ‘normal’ testosterone levels. Caster was legally blocked by the International Association of Athletics Federations (now World Athletics) from competing unless she changed her natural body via hormone shots, surgery, or birth control pills. She didn’t.