Sasha Sessions: A Team USA Podcast: Recent Episodes
U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee
Exceptional individuals share the stories that shaped them, how they define identity, and the motivations, habits, and opportunities that led to personal reinvention. Guests feature athletes from all sports and backgrounds, whose accomplishments inspire millions on the Olympic & Paralympic stage, and people outside of sports, whose work has challenged how we think about the world today.
Meet six Team USA athletes headed to Tokyo for the Olympics and Paralympics this summer. For the final episode of season one, Sasha revisits some of her favorite conversations with six Tokyo-bound athletes: Yul Moldauer (gymnastics), Matt Scott (wheelchair basketball), Haylie McCleney (softball), Alex Massialas (fencing), Heimana Reynolds (skateboarding) and Tyler Merren (goalball). The Olympics begin July 23, and the Paralympics open August 24. Get to know these awesome athletes and join us in cheering them on at the Tokyo Games!
Softball player Haylie McCleney joins Sasha this week. She explains what it means to be able to represent Team USA and be a part of softball's return to the Olympic Games this summer. Haylie and Sasha talk about how Haylie stays focused on her goals when faced with adversity. Haylie shares her passion for growing opportunities in women's sports both as a coach and an athlete.
Gymnast Yul Moldauer joins Sasha this week ahead of competing at 2021 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Gymnastics. Yul walks Sasha through his career - from accidentally discovering gymnastics as a child to becoming the most decorated NCAA gymnast in history. Yul shares how he found his 'why' during the pandemic and how this reinvigorated his training as he looks to qualify for his first Olympic Games this summer.
Tyler Merren, 4x Paralympian in goalball, joins Sasha this week. He shares how he found his love for the Paralympic-only sport of goalball, leading him to a nearly two decade career with the national team. Tyler also shares how sports became a guiding force as he progressively lost his vision throughout his young life. Sasha and Tyler discuss how Tyler maintains balance as an athlete, dad and business owner while training for his fourth Paralympic Games this summer. He also shares why he chose to retire after the 2016 Games and what eventually brought him back to the sport he loves.
Tianna Bartoletta, Olympic gold medalist in Track & Field, joins Sasha this week. Tianna explains the importance of mental training and how it's allowed her to unlock her full potential as a competitor. She also shares the difficult moments that inspired her to share her truth in her book, Survive & Advance.
Yeonmi Park, a human right activist, joins Sasha on this week's episode. She details her escape from North Korea at age 13. Yeonmi describes what it was like to build a new life in a western culture, eventually settling in the United States, and how she continues to fight for her people.
David Brooks, cultural commentator and best-selling author, joins Sasha this week. He shares insight into his writings on morality and his personal struggle to build a meaningful life beyond his career.
Molly Bloom joins Sasha for this week's conversation. Molly shares her story from competitive skier to running an underground high stakes poker game. Sasha and Molly talk about how being an athlete and suffering career-ending injuries shaped each of the incredible highs and lows in Molly's life. She also explains her decision to share her life story, eventually becoming the popular movie Molly's Game.
Sasha's Olympic teammate Jeremy Bloom joins her for this week's podcast. Jeremy talks about his path to the Olympic Games in skiing while playing collegiate football and eventually being drafted into the NFL. Jeremy explains how he transitioned into the tech space and coped with the loss of his identity as an athlete. He shares what he's learned about himself and embracing failure to lead him to each new phase of his adult life.
Olympic Speedskater Maame Biney joins Sasha this week. Maame talks about her Olympic debut as the first Black women to represent Team USA in short track speedskating. She tells Sasha about learning to care for her mental health after the Olympics in 2018 and through the COVID-19 pandemic. Maame also explains how she began using her platform to push for change after the death of George Floyd, and how she wants to use her voice to be more than an athlete.
Peter Attia joins Sasha this week. Peter is a podcaster and doctor with a practice focused on longevity. Peter walks through the progression of his career and how he found a passion for the science of longevity. Peter reflects on his learnings from working with other athletes retiring from an elite career.
Rolf Potts joins Sasha for this week's podcast. Rolf is an author and travel expert, who popularized the concept of vagabonding. Rolf explains how to create a lifestyle around travel. Sasha and Rolf discuss the challenges modern western society presents for travelers and how social media has changed the travel landscape.
Alex Massialas, silver medalist in fencing, joins Sasha this week. They talk about Alex's rich family history in fencing and how his family has changed the career trajectory of today's fencers. Alex explains the mental side of fencing and how he gets in the zone to compete. Sasha asks Alex about using his platform to fight to restore 11 sports varsity programs cut from his alma mater Stanford and speak out against Asian American hate.
Tim Urban joins Sasha on this week's podcast. The two talk about how Tim got the idea for his popular blog 'Wait But Why,' how he's grown and sustained his curiosity about the world over the years and more.
J'den Cox, Olympic bronze medalist in wrestling, joins Sasha this week. They talk about his prep for Olympic Trials later this week and his mentality headed into a big match as a world champion. J'den explains how self-acceptance has allowed him to reach his full potential as an athlete. He shares his struggles with depression and hearing loss, which have broadened his sense of community and allowed him to find his identity outside of sport.
Olympic Swimmer Elizabeth Beisel joins Sasha this week. Elizabeth walks Sasha through the highs and lows of her decorated career, spanning three Olympic Games. She explains how she learned to value her mental health as an athlete. Elizabeth also shares how she learned to love swimming again after a particularly disappointing Olympic Games performance.
Brian Koppelman joins Sasha for this week’s episode. Brian is the co-creator and show running of the hit TV show Billions and co-writer of other well-known movies like Oceans 13 and Rounders. Sasha and Brian talk about how he defines success and how that’s changed over the many phases of his career in entertainment.
Paralympic Snowboarder Brittani Coury joins Sasha this week. Brittani shares how she finds her identity in her love of snowboarding and passion for nursing. Sasha asks her about taking time away from training to be a nurse on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Brittani explains her journey to the Paralympics and her mission to uplift the next generation of athletes.
Meet Paralympic Gold Medalist Brad Snyder on this week’s Sasha Sessions: A Team USA Podcast. Brad shares his journey to the Paralympics after being blinded by an IED in combat. Sasha and Brad talk about how navigating the different phases in his life – his military career, his life after injury, his Paralympic career, switching to paratriathlon – has helped him prepare for retirement from sport and his next phase in life.
Note: This episode was recorded prior to Brad’s wedding.
Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, joins Sasha this week. Susan describes her transition from working as a cooperate lawyer to following her dream as an author. She explains how she navigates the world as an introvert in a society that values extroverted characteristics, especially in professional setting. The two chat about finding your purpose and learning to define success outside of societal norms.
Show Notes:
:28 – Career overlaps between Sasha and Adam
1:31 – Missing two Olympic teams (2010, 2014) and debuting at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018
5:39 – Reflecting on and appreciating difficult career moments later in life
7:01 – Being in the ESPN Body Issue after the Games
8:18 – Adam finding his voice on Twitter and his infamous Twitter exchange with former Vice President Mike Pence
15:52 – Decision to come out ahead of the 2018 Games and become the first openly gay winter Olympian
21:19 – Choosing coaches over his career
26:43 – How the team event at the Olympics changed Adam’s mindset
29:25 – Life in retirement and leaving skating in the past
31:48 – How being an athlete prepared him for life outside of sports
36:22 – Adam’s memoir Beautiful on the Outside
40:02 – One piece of advice Adam would like to share
41:10 – Olympic or Paralympic moment in life
Show Notes:
:30 – How Matt has stayed at the top of his game so long
1:30 – Evolving his training as a mature athlete
4:09 – Goal setting and winning gold in Rio
6:29 – Culture of Team USA’s wheelchair basketball team and Matt’s role on the team
8:57 – Dealing with burnout or loss of motivation
12:05 – What shapes Matt’s positive attitude
16:15 – How Matt thinks about retirement and his identity as an athlete
19:24 – The challenge of being present and sharing your life on social media
21:55 – Seeing visible vs invisible disability in everyone
24:17 – Matt’s experience competing for Team USA as a Black man
27:48 – Being hospitalized in late 2018 and the recovery process to get back to the court
30:34 – Coming back from being in a coma to qualifying for Tokyo within a year
32:08 – Decision to compete professionally in Europe
33:54 – Growth of the Paralympic movement and hopes for the future
36:07 – Introduction to wheelchair basketball and start of Matt’s Paralympic dream
37:42 – Advice for a young kid with a disability
40:02 – Goals and challenges for Matt’s fifth Paralympic Games
42:19 – Olympic or Paralympic moment in life
Show Notes:
:26 – Growing up and her parents’ influence on her life
2:15 – Preparing a potential second Olympic Games
3:57 – Adapting to training at home amid the COVID pandemic
5:20 – Making the most of the extra year to prepare for the Games
6:50 – Taking time off and what it looks like to come back to gymnastics
8:18 – Finding support in2016 teammate Aly Raisman
10:00 – ‘I’ve Got This’ mantra and Laurie’s children’s book
12:36 – Her first Olympic Games in Rio at 16 years-old
15:24 – What does Laurie remember from the Opening Ceremony in Rio
17:08 – Mentally preparing for Trials and a possible second Olympic Games
19:30 – Advice for elite gymnasts growing up in the sport
22:06 – The process of Laurie learning to block out negativity
24:10 – Launching the ‘Stronger Than You Think’ campaign
25:30 – Changes at USA Gymnastics and the sport culture
27:05 – Learning when to push and when to take care of yourself in a sport that focuses on perfection
30:06 – Advice on building a routine focused on mental health to combat burnout
32:50 – Who Laurie is an athlete and learning to use that to her advantage
35:05 – Taking two years off after Rio
36:58 – Being on Dancing With The Stars and finding new creative outlets
39:40 – What Laurie sees herself doing after gymnastics
40:40 – Laurie’s Olympic or Paralympic moment
Show Notes:
:55 – Who is Simon and how does it shape his work
2:21 – What started Simon onto his unique view of the world
6:20 – How does someone start to find their why
10:42 – The theory behind his book The Infinite Game
18:52 – Where does our desire and uplifting of winners come from in our society
27:20 – Identity of leaders and placing your worth in your professional role
30:37 – Finding your identity outside of your work
32:05 – Personal vs societal responsibility in establishing your why
33:50 – How does Simon define success
41:02 – Defining influences in Simon’s life
44:32 – What is Simon’s Olympic or Paralympic moment in life
Show Notes:
- :41 – What it means to have skateboarding in the Olympic Games
- 1:50 – What are the misconceptions about skateboarding
- 4:52 – How will the Olympics help or change skateboarding
- 5:48 – Skateboarding culture
- 7:30 – Explaining two disciplines of skateboarding competition
- 9:32 – Growing up Hawaii
- 11:12 – how surfing influences his skateboarding style
- 12:04 – What it means to ‘draw a line in the bowl’
- 12:48 – How is a ‘run’ competed – improvised vs rehearsed
- 14:20 – Competing in a judged sport
- 16:18 – His strengths as a skater
- 17:23 – Having his father at his coach
- 19:40 – How he mentally prepares to compete
- 21:16 – Managing competitive expectations VS having fun while skating
- 23:57 – How do you stay in the moment while competing
- 25:50 – Olympic qualifications and the unknown path ahead
- 28:57 – How do you train outside of skateboarding
- 30:58 – Cardio training in skateboarding
- 31:58 – Coming back from injuries in skateboarding
- 34:24 – One Year Out Ralph Lauren Campaign
- 36:30 – Hobbies and influences outside of sport
- 39:14 – Veterans VS up-and-comers in skateboarding
- 41:12 – Olympic or Paralympic moment in life
Show Notes:
- :35 – Winning the gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018
- 2:54 – Switching up the team’s focus after devastating loss in 2014
- 6:15 – What did the team put on hold to focus on gold in 2018
- 8:38 – Winning gold being part of the bigger fight for parity in women’s sports
- 10:14 – Seeing the bigger picture and the fight for equality ahead of 2018 Olympic Games
- 13:15 – Balancing advocacy with preparing for the Games
- 18:40 – Three areas of focus in the team’s fight for equality
- 21:00 – Learning to build her leadership style
- 24:45 – Outside influences on her leadership style
- 27:44 – Learning to control her emotions as a player and leader
- 32:42 – Biggest challenge in her career
- 35:50 – Learning to not define herself and her career by the loss in 2014
- 39:42 – Overcoming the loss in 2014 and personal growth to 2018 gold
- 42:17 – Olympic or Paralympic moment in life
Show Notes
· :41 – Life changing accident while on vacation with friends
· 6:40 – Processing and interpreting the accidental circumstances the lead to his accident
· 10:47 – Learning to accept his life circumstances and move forward with a positive attitude
· 14:15 – Mom’s influence on his life and positive mindset
· 16:39 – The role of goal setting in recovery
· 23:33 – Explaining hand cycling and daily training
· 27:27 – Balancing full time job with Paralympic training
· 30:19 – Training amid COVID-19, handling the postponement
· 36:43 – A Paralympian’s journey VS an Olympian’s journey to the Games
· 41:02 – Meeting with USOPC CEO and Operation Gold
· 44:22 – Awareness and Education of the Paralympic movement
· 45:55 – Role of sports in his life and finding his purpose
· 48:46 - How his passion drives him to find his potential
· 50:38 – Olympic or Paralympic moment in life
Show Notes:
- :33 – Learning to make time for yourself
- 3:19 – Traumatic experience and defining success in life
- 8:06 – Spirituality and how it helps define success
- 10:28 – Learning to allow things in life
- 11:59 – How Arianna’s mother shaped her life
- 14:44 – Shifting sense of identity and how Arianna defines herself now
- 16:50 – How to separate who you are from what you do
- 19:40 – The journey to finding validation within and what matters most
- 20:50 – Launching Thrive Global and its mission to end burnout
- 24:27 – Giving yourself permission for self-care, changing our perceptions of sleep
- 27:15 – Failure that shaped her success
- 30:45 – Fundamental optimism
- 35:28 – The creation of ‘Meditative Story’
- 38:12 – Olympic or Paralympic moment in life
Links:
Twitter: @ariannahuff
Instagram: @ariannahuff
Facebook: Arianna Huffington
Thrive Global
‘Mediative Story’ Podcast
Show Notes:
- :55 – Soul searching at age 15 to shape his Olympic career
- 17:00 – Finding identity, transitioning to life after the Olympics
- 28:14 – How he defines success outside of sport
- 35:36 – New book
- 40:52 – Core influences in Apolo’s life
- 46:33– Olympic or Paralympic moment in life
Show Notes
- :28 – Mindset going into Tokyo 2020 in 2021 vs. Rio Games 2016
- 3:42 – Career after Tokyo Games, new professional swimming league
- 6:28 – Competing at your first Games
- 11:36 – Struggles and decision to keep swimming
- 16:10 – Dealing with injuries
- 17:56 – Coaching influences
- 22:03 - Current coach
- 24:31 – Identity outside of swimming
- 31:55 – Vlogging
- 38:13 – Preparing for the Olympics amid COVID closures and uncertainty
- 43:50 – Athletes who are bitter at their sport in retirement
- 48:11 – Olympic or Paralympic moment in life
Sasha Cohen, Olympic silver medalist in figure skating, hosts Team USA's first ever podcast. Sasha speaks with exceptional people - both athletes and thought leaders - about their struggles, motivations and quest to define who they are in the world. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and join Sasha for new episodes every Monday.