The Olympics conjure the image of single-mindedness, of an athlete's individual effort to improve, culminating in a medal whose ribbon only fits one. However, the Olympic pursuit is anything but. The reality is that those lofty goals are reached from atop a mountain of support and accomplishment from family, both blood and chosen. From the front stoop to the podium step, gold at the Games is a decidedly family affair.
In this week's episode of The Podium podcast, hear how canoe slalom contender Jess Fox and her nine “paddling” family members stay afloat in all their trophies, listen to how marrying a fellow high jumper has allowed Ty Butts and Roderick Townsend to raise the bar, and get insight into Olympic support systems and pressures from experts Tim Layden and Mike Gervais. Plus Ahmed Fareed tells the story, and incredible history, of the Montano Fencing Dynasty.
Listen to the episode below and make sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes of The Podium will be released weekly ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, followed by daily episodes throughout the duration of the Games.
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