

Hurdle
Emily Abbate
Join veteran journalist and wellness coach Emily Abbate, on Hurdle — a wellness-focused podcast where she talks to inspirational people about everything from their highest highs and toughest moments to essential tips on how to live a healthier, happier, more motivated life. We all go through our fair share of hurdles. Emily's goal through these discussions is to empower you to better navigate yours and move with intention so that you can stride toward your own big potential and of course — have some fun along the way. Tell us: What's your #hurdlemoment?
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 25, 2025 • 1h 1min
369. A New Era For Women's Sports: How To Create Buzz & Follow Your Instincts With The New York Liberty's Chief Brand Officer Shana Stephenson
Shana Stephenson had her dream job at ESPN years ago. Now, she has her dream job—again. As the New York Liberty's Chief Brand Officer, Stephenson has the opportunity shape the way that fans see the Championship team in the stadium, on television, and beyond. In this week's episode, Stephenson talks about how she ended up in Brooklyn, and what goes into marketing the no. 1 team. She also talks about how she balances work and her personal life, how the WNBA has changed drastically over the past eight years since she came on board, and what she's most looking forward to next. IN THIS EPISODE(7:13) What's been the biggest challenge for Shana Stephenson as a leader at the Liberty organization(13:15) What it was like being in the WNBA "Wubble"(17:40) How did Shana Stephenson concept a brand identity for the New York Liberty(19:00) What it was like to build Ellie the Elephant's brand(21:40) How they were able to pivot from Mattie the mascot to Ellie(24:30) How Ellie has evolved over the years, including brand partnerships with Essie and Away(29:57) Shana Stephenson offers up the best piece of advice she's ever received in her career(34:00) The biggest sacrifices Shana Stephenson made when she was working for herself doing personal marketing for athletes(40:23) What made Shana Stephenson decide to go back in-house for a job when she thought she'd work for herself for the rest of her life(44:15) Shana Stephenson talks about how her upbringing made her a better businesswoman (48:46) Shana Stephenson talks about the corporate culture working for the Liberty(49:10) Shana Stephenson talks about the difference working for the Liberty versus the Nets(53:30) Shana Stephenson talks about balancing her work life versus her personal lifeOFFERSLMNT | Go to DrinkLMNT.com/Hurdle to get a free sample pack with your purchaseAG1 | Head to DrinkAG1.com/Hurdle to get a free welcome kit (valued at $75) with 5 free travel packs and a year's supply of D3K2 with your purchase of AG1 next gen. JOIN: The Daily Hurdle IG ChannelSIGN UP: Weekly Hurdle NewsletterASK ME A QUESTION: Email hello@hurdle.us to ask me a question!

Aug 22, 2025 • 7min
5-MINUTE FRIDAY: You Can't Rush A Good Thing (Trust Me, It's Coming)
FINALLY! The moment I've been waiting for. Plus: Answering a listener question on numb toes (seriously).SOCIAL@emilyabbate@hurdlepodcastJOIN: The Daily Hurdle IG ChannelSUBSCRIBE TO: The Weekly Hurdle newsletterASK ME A QUESTION: Email hello@hurdle.us, to ask me a question.

Aug 18, 2025 • 1h 4min
368. Riding With Purpose: How To Define Success, Trust Your Gut & Build Self-Worth With 2X Olympic Gold Medalist Kristen Faulkner
Kristen Faulkner won two gold medals for cycling at the 2024 Olympics, less than eight years after starting riding competitively. That in itself is an impressive sentence, especially considering she started on the bike as a method to alleviate stress and find community after a move to New York City for a job in finance. In this week’s episode, she talks about the value of trusting your gut, how she knew her big Olympic dream was worth pursuing, and what it meant to her to finally accomplish a lifelong dream. IN THIS EPISODE(8:40) The two important conversations that Kristen had that helped her make the choice to leave finance to turn pro cycling(10:30) What it was about cycling that Kristen loved from the get-go(13:08) Kristen recalls the first time she watched the Olympics at 8 years old and how she knew she wanted to be one(13:35) Kristen talks about swimming as a child(14:45) How to know when a goal is worth pursuing (15:57) Kristen admits that she was almost embarrassed to talk about her Olympic dreams for a while(17:32) How growing up in Alaska shaped Kristen as an athlete and woman (18:40) Kristen talks about how she’d feel if she was older and didn’t pursue this dream(20:00) Kristen talks about how challenging it was to seek out community when she moved to New York City. “It was the first time in my life I had to build a community.”(38:18) How Kristen felt signing her first international lease (42:12) What it was like for Kristen to accomplish her biggest, lifelong dream.(1:01.20) Who is Kristen off the bike?SOCIAL@arcticfaulks@emilyabbate@hurdlepodcastOFFERSLMNT | Go to DrinkLMNT.com/Hurdle to get a free sample pack with your purchaseInsideTracker | Head to Insidetracker.com/Hurder and use code “ITHURDLE” for 20% off. JOIN: The Daily Hurdle IG ChannelSIGN UP: Weekly Hurdle NewsletterASK ME A QUESTION: Email hello@hurdle.us to ask me a question!

Aug 15, 2025 • 12min
5-MINUTE FRIDAY: What Are You Willing To Do About It?
If it doesn't feel good, then it's up to you to make a change. And if you don't make a change? Then you only have yourself to blame. Also: Answering a listener question about what to do when you've accomplished all of your goals. SOCIAL@emilyabbate@hurdlepodcastJOIN: The Daily Hurdle IG ChannelSUBSCRIBE TO: The Weekly Hurdle newsletterASK ME A QUESTION: Email hello@hurdle.us, to ask me a question.

Aug 11, 2025 • 1h 1min
367. More Than Enough: Sunny Choi On Her Path to Breaking At The Olympics, The Power of Self-Belief & Embracing Second Chances
From the age of three, Sunny Choi dreamt of going to the Olympics. She thought that it would be for gymnastics, but she made the difficult decision to forgo that in favor of more stability. At business school at Penn, she first tried break dancing, and ultimately fell in love. In 2022, after making a name for herself on the world stage, Choi made the big decision to walk away from her six-figure salary as the director of global creative operations at Estée Lauder to pursue her lifetime dream of becoming an Olympian. The rest? Well, now it's part of the history books.MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE(8:38) How Sunny uses deep breathing to relax and survey what's going on in her body.(12:50) What it was like succeeding at gymnastics from a young age(17:50) Sunny learns what breaking is in high school from her younger brother, then tries it for the first time at Penn(20:18) Sunny talks about the self confidence that she garnered from dancing(33:20) Sunny talk about sharing her love for breaking with her family, and what it was like to expose them to the sport.(36:48) What it was like to tell her employer about her break dancing, and how she was able to work full-time while traveling internationally to compete(40:32) Sunny shares why breaking is diverse and accessible to so many people, and why it was worthy of an Olympic spot(45:48) Why it's important for Sunny to write about her Olympic experience to process how the moment made her feel(49:15) Sunny talks about the Olympics comedown and how she managed to pull herself out of a funk(52:30) Sunny talks about what her life looks like these days, and why she doesn't think she'd be able to go back into corporate America(57:12) What Sunny sees in the mirrorSOCIAL@_sunnychoi@emilyabbate@hurdlepodcastOFFERSLMNT | Go to DrinkLMNT.com/Hurdle to get a free sample pack with your purchaseAG1 | Head to DrinkAG1.com/Hurdle to get a free welcome kit (valued at $75) with 5 free travel packs and a year's supply of D3K2 with your purchase of AG1 next gen. JOIN: The Daily Hurdle IG ChannelSIGN UP: Weekly Hurdle NewsletterASK ME A QUESTION: Email hello@hurdle.us to ask me a question!

Aug 8, 2025 • 7min
5-MINUTE FRIDAY: Your Future Self Thanks You
What are you doing to help your future self?SOCIAL@emilyabbate@hurdlepodcastJOIN: The Daily Hurdle IG ChannelSUBSCRIBE TO: The Weekly Hurdle newsletterASK ME A QUESTION: Email hello@hurdle.us, to ask me a question.

Aug 4, 2025 • 51min
366. Riding The Wave: Embracing Life As A New Mom & How To Give 100% Of Whatever's In The Tank With Surfer Carissa Moore
Carissa Moore is without-a-doubt one of the best surfers of all time. And after five world championships and two Olympic Games (one where she placed gold)—she’s taken a step back from competing regularly on the tour—to become a mom. In this week’s episode, Moore talks about what it was like to compete in Paris at 9 weeks pregnant (and keeping that a secret, at the time), plus how she feels about slowing down. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEOutrigger x Moore Aloha Foundation weekendMoore Aloha FoundationIN THIS EPISODE(4:38) How Carissa Moore is feeling in this chapter as the mom of a 6-month-old daughter(8:10) How Carissa Moore felt about keeping her pregnancy a secret from her competitors(10:33) What it was like for Carissa Moore to surf again after birth(13:57) What it means for Carissa Moore to “do it all” and how she feels about showing up at 80% instead of 100%(19:10) Carissa Moore shares her core values and how articulating those helped her figure out what’s important in her life(26:15) Carissa Moore talks about her foundation, Moore Aloha(30:16) How it feels for Carissa Moore to be a fan of the WSL tour instead of participating(36:12) Carissa Moore talks about her labor experience(38:58) Why is motherhood so important to Carissa Moore and what legacy means to her(40:07) Carissa Moore talks about the relationship she had with her own mother growing up and how that’s evolved since she’s stepped into parenthood herselfSOCIAL@rissmoore10@emilyabbate@hurdlepodcastOFFERSInsideTracker | Go to InsideTracker.com/Hurdle to and use code "ITHURDLE" to get 20% off.PILLAR | Head to TheFeed.com and use the code "HURDLE" for 15% off your first purchase.JOIN: The Daily Hurdle IG ChannelSIGN UP: Weekly Hurdle NewsletterASK ME A QUESTION: Email hello@hurdle.us to ask me a question!

Jul 25, 2025 • 9min
5-MINUTE FRIDAY: When Did We Get Here?
When did we get here? Plus: Answering a listener question about weak hips. SOCIAL@emilyabbate@hurdlepodcastJOIN: The Daily Hurdle IG ChannelSUBSCRIBE TO: The Weekly Hurdle newsletterASK ME A QUESTION: Email hello@hurdle.us, to ask me a question.

Jul 21, 2025 • 1h 5min
365. Testing Your Limits: Ash Pryor Talks Owning Your Sexy, Healthy Selfishness & Rowing Her Way To Peloton
Sitting down with Ash Pryor is like sitting down with burst of good energy. Brought the Peloton rowing instructor into the studio this week to talk about how she maintains a positive mindset, feels like her most strong and confident self, and the importance of staying true to your gut. She opens up about what it's like for her to teach and live as a bigger-bodied instructor, and what she hopes her presence teaches those that take her classes. IN THIS EPISODE(5:40) Ash talks about joining the rowing team at The Ohio State University(6:30) Emily and Ash define "NARP" (Non-Athletic Regular People)(8:28) What it is about rowing that brings Ash peace(11:00) What it was like for Ash to be one of three Black women on her collegiate team(14:30) How Ash navigated her mental health as a walk-on turned B1G champion(21:40) Ash shares the lessons she's learned about the importance of having grace with herself, and where she learned how to be compassionate with herself(25:55) Ash talks about her experience with Hashimoto's Disease and what her symptoms look like(31:20) Ash talks about the resiliency she's learned being an athlete(44:00) How Ash deals with negative feedback(55:00) What Ash learned running her first half-marathon earlier this year(55:22) How Ash shows up to give all she's got on the days when she's not feeling so shiny and bright.SOCIAL@ashpryor_thatsme@emilyabbate@hurdlepodcastOFFERSLMNT | Head to DrinkLMNT.com/Hurdle to get a free sample pack of their most popular flavors with your purchaseAG1 | Go drinkAG1.com/hurdle to get 5 free travel packs of NextGen AG1, a year's supply of AG D3/K2, and a welcome kit with your purchaseJOIN: The Daily Hurdle IG ChannelSIGN UP: Weekly Hurdle NewsletterASK ME A QUESTION: Email hello@hurdle.us to ask me a question!

Jul 18, 2025 • 7min
5-MINUTE FRIDAY: Can You Break It Up Into Little Doables?
A takeaway from my workout earlier this week, plus answering a listener question on playlists tied to different methods of sweat.SOCIAL@emilyabbate@hurdlepodcastJOIN: The Daily Hurdle IG ChannelSUBSCRIBE TO: The Weekly Hurdle newsletterASK ME A QUESTION: Email hello@hurdle.us, to ask me a question.