Episode 567: Kristen Faulkner – Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist & Advocate for Women’s Equality in Sports (Beyond Running Series Episode 1)

Oct 29, 2024

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I’m super excited to kick off a new series on the podcast! We’ve already aired the first half of our coaching series this fall, but now we’re shifting gears to highlight athletes from sports outside the running community. We’ll return to some more coaching episodes later, but for now, we’re so excited about this series!!

Today, I have the honor of speaking with two-time Olympic gold medalist Kristen Faulkner. If you’ve been following cycling this year, you know her name. She made headlines by winning gold at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, marking Team USA’s first women’s road race medal in 40 years! Plus, she became the first US woman to win Olympic gold in two different disciplines at the same Olympics—what an achievement!

Kristen’s journey is fascinating. She grew up in Alaska, attended Harvard, and then worked as a venture capitalist in New York City. Her entry into cycling was in 2017 when she attended a free introductory cycling clinic for women.

In our conversation, we dive into her mindset, her path to making her first Olympic team, and what it felt like to earn those two gold medals. Kristen is also incredibly passionate about women’s equality in sports, and we touch on that important topic as well.

I learned so much from Kristen during our chat, and I can’t wait for you to hear it! If you enjoy the episode, please share it with your friends on social media. I think these discussions will resonate not just with runners but with anyone interested in the world of sports.

Enjoy my conversation with Kristen Faulkner!

What we talked about:

4:30- Catching up with Kristen post summer season

5:45- Kristen’s introduction to cycling

15:00- Her Olympic dream

20:25- The process for qualifying for the Olympics in cycling

25:15- The transition from a corporate career to cycling

28:40- How road racing works

32:00- How she defines greatness

35:15- Curiosity of what I am capable of

36:45- Safety and fear in biking

43:00- Recapping her gold medal race