“You are stronger than you think, you can withstand more than you think, you can bear more than you think. Don't let fear hold you back from being the most true self that you can be.” - Kara Goucher
What does it mean to have power, courage and integrity?
We throw those words around a lot when talking about athletes or people we admire. Many times it’s justified - but how many truly possess these traits even when the chips are down? Today on the podcast is a human that embodies those three words fully.
Her name is Kara Goucher. You might recognize her as an Olympic runner, the third place finisher in the Boston and New York Marathons, and ranked as one of the fastest female distance runners in American history. That’s power.
And, there's something even more notable to recognize her for - in 2019 and 2023 Kara was instrumental in exposing doping and sexual abuse at the Nike Oregon Project. She put her career and reputation on the line to go up against one of the biggest corporations in the world. That’s courage. And integrity. Full stop.
Kara put it all in writing in her newest book: The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike's Elite Running Team. Today we celebrate her career in endurance running and dive into the pain and controversy she experienced, the aftermath, and why she is an emblem for those three words: power, courage, and integrity.
This is an emotional conversation, and we get into some pretty heavy topics -- but the light Kara represents is so much greater than the darkness she experienced. I hope you'll leave with the knowing that you too have the power to make a difference.
I’ve been looking forward to talking to Kara for a very long time, and I’m excited to share her brilliance with you.
With Fire,
MG and the FM Team
Chapters
00:00 Intro to Kara
03:04 Her Illustrious Running Career
09:17 The Importance of Mental Training
23:15 Trusting Your Intuition
27:28 Compartmentalizing Uncomfortable Experiences
29:59 The Dark Places of High Performance
32:56 Balancing Well-being and High Performance
33:42 Regret and Reflection: Balancing Running and Family
36:06 Toxic Coaching
41:37 Speaking the Truth: Standing Up Against Abuse
44:03 Healing and Finding Peace with Family
51:33 Finding Your Voice: Speaking Your Truth
28 июн 2024
