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The Politics Behind The Pilates Boom

What does the rise of Pilates reveal about women, power, and the bodies we value most? This week, I’m joined by fitness instructor, creator, and writer Mary Beth to unpack her viral New York Times feature connects Pilates to larger political and cultural trends. We talk about going viral, desirability, privilege, and what the most …

A Post-Race Mental Sprint with Allie Wilson

The impact of making the Paris Olympics as part of Team USA's squad still resonates with Allie Wilson. She punched her ticket as part of a chaotic women's 800m final in Eugene last year as part of a whirlwind season where she also signed a contract with Nike — part of a sign that things were …

Tara Davis Woodhall

Last Sunday at the second day of world championships in Tokyo, Tara Davis-Woodhall was in a familiar position. She commanded how her competitors would try to react as she continued to push boundaries in the women's long jump final. A world title was on the line, but also a chance to erase some of the …

Marielle Hall

This week we're talking about the fictional characters that made all the athletic girls feel validated, and gave women and girls a chance to see themselves on screen. I'm joined by filmmaker Jac'leen Smith to discuss her short film Flex Venus, inspired by her experiences as a track athlete. Jac'leen is currently crowdfunding for her …

Axel's Personal Best

T'Mars McCallum is accustomed to running in a tough collegiate conference — the SEC — and boldly proud of being one of the leaders of Tennessee's track and field squad. But his world shifted a bit last weekend at the Ed Murphey Classic in Memphis when he ran the world lead in the 200m in …

Unexpected Curves

After years of chasing the elusive sub-two-minute 800m, Skylyn Webb finally did it — but not without a long stretch of feeling stuck in the middle. In this episode, I talk with Skylyn about the slow, often invisible middle parts of pursuing a goal, the burnout that nearly pushed her out of the sport, and …

The Great Progression with Isabella Whittaker

During in the beginning of a pandemic era that rattled the world in 2020, Isabella Whittaker saw her own beginnings as a student at the University of Pennsylvania. But it was after those days at Penn — after enrolling at Arkansas in 2024 as a graduate student — that Whittaker kickstarted the current state of …

Graham Blanks on Axel's Personal Best

The pivot from the classroom to lining up with the top pro runners in the world was an adjustment Graham Blanks had to quickly figure out after announcing last December that the signed with New Balance. His remaining time at Harvard was still a priority, but Blanks knew a portion of the bigger stage was …