120. Kikkan Randall: The 5-Time Olympian Kikkanimal

Jun 18, 2024

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Being an Olympian requires grit, drive, dedication, and the type of discipline most of us will never quite understand. The sacrifices these incredible athletes make daily are unimaginable as they hone and fine-tune their bodies for that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that comes every fourth year. Now, imagine you do this five times. That’s right. Training to be an Olympian for two decades seems unfathomable, but our guest did that today.

On today’s episode of HawkeTalk, we meet the incomparable Kikkan Randall. She’s a five-time Olympian and Breast Cancer survivor who knows a thing or two about how to survive the tough times and make it to the other side. Today, she’ll give us an inside look at the hard work it takes to be a world-class athlete and how she leveraged those experiences to become a Cancer survivor. If you’ve been looking for someone to inspire you to get off that couch and begin going for it and putting your best foot forward, look no further!

In this episode:

(1:45) - Kikkan reveals that she began skiing at the age of 1.
(5:21) – Kikkan reveals why she went back to being a cross-country skier.
(10:00) – Making the Olympics as a youngster.
(16:53) – Competitive life after the Olympics is discussed.
(20:10) – The inspiration to build a women’s team emerges for Kikkan.
(25:50) – The shocking performance of Kikkan and falling short of expectations.
(29:52) – Kikkan develops a stress fracture in her foot and begins to worry.
(35:38) – Her racing career officially comes to an end.
(36:37) – The Breast Cancer diagnosis.
(40:01) – Family becomes first, specifically her young son.
(43:00) – Family and health are her top priorities.
(44:50) – Closing advice for listeners.

Our Guest

Kikkan Randall is a 5-time Olympian, Breast Cancer survivor, public speaker, and mother. When it comes to skiing, she’s royalty, and for more than two decades, her name was synonymous with the sport. A native of Salt Lake City before moving to Alaska, she became an icon early on, qualifying for the Olympians while just a teen. From there, her life as an athlete ascended, and she became the American face of the sport. Her 2018 Olympic Gold Medal race is one of the most captivating moments in the sport's history and the signature moment of those games. After retiring, Kikkan has continued championing the sport while grooming the next generation of American skiing professionals.

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Kikkan Randall

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