Hurdle 291. Paving The Way: Marathoner Joan Benoit Samuelson On Dreaming Big & Her Lasting Relationship With Sport
Look up the word "goat" in the dictionary, and you'll see a photo of Joan Benoit Samuelson. OK, maybe not really — but Joan's the first woman to ever with the Olympic Marathon in its inaugural year for women in 1984. We had the opportunity to sit down in Orlando this year during the Olympic Trials, and this was definitely a pinch-me moment.
With a plethora of wise takeaways, we chat through so many things in this week's episode: Nike’s Project Dreamweaver, navigating injury and longevity, how she balanced the sport with growing her family, and her opinion on how the culture of the sport has changed.
IN THIS EPISODE
All about Nike’s project dreamweaver (7:55)
What is was like to be one of the first women in this sport chasing big olympic dreams (10:01)
Why Joan denotes the 1984 Olympic trials as ‘the race of her life’ (15:30)
How Joan frames her mindset when faced with things outside of her control (17:45)
Joan’s advice to anyone navigating injury (21:00)
A reflection of the 1984 Olympic games (22:01)
How Joan prioritizes sport with personal life and sharing her joy for running with her family (27:35)
What keeps Joan running after all of this time (32:40)
How her experience and role has evolved through the years as a Nike athlete (38:05)
What’s in Joan’s daily wellness routine (42:50)
What keeps her motivated to show up in pursuit for excellence (44:45)
Joan’s opinion on the current state of women in sport (47:00)
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