Emily Sisson has navigated the track, the road and found her way to the Olympic stage. But with a packed 2025 season fully underway, she opens up about the current generation of American distance running, her ten years with New Balance and finding ways of keeping the feeling of fun in the sport.
In this first episode of Axel's Personal Best, we chat with Olympic 800-meter silver medalist Marco Arop — who has a 1:41.2 PB and Canadian national record — about blazing the track in Grand Slam Track's inaugural season, the state middle distance running and the nuances of training for the 1,500 meter.
This weekend, thousands of women will take to the streets of Los Angeles for the Nike After Dark Tour L.A. In this episode, we catch up with Ayahna Wilbon, founder of Frnds Table and a first-time half-marathoner. Her journey to the starting line is personal, but it also mirrors a broader shift happening across the …
Nia is many things. An Ivy League graduate, U.S. champion, Olympian and singer-songwriter. In this episode, we dive into the unique intersection of songwriting and sport. Nia shares how music has shaped her mindset as an athlete, and how she balances the grind of elite competition with the vulnerability of creative expression. We also get …
The NCAA sports machine is built to celebrate the All-American dream. But sometimes, that narrative sidelines the very international athletes who help keep it running. In this episode, Olympian Síofra Cléirigh Büttner shares the quiet determination that carried her from Ireland to the elite ranks of collegiate running at Villanova University.
Vanessa Fraser isn’t just a fast runner, she’s also a savvy strategist who’s taken control of her own career. From going pro without an agent to juggling corporate work between training blocks, Vanessa shares what it means to be both a competitor, and a career architect.
Teenage girls are often the creators of the most influential slang, and cultural trends, yet in sports, their voices are mostly absent from the dominant narrative. In this episode I'm joined by author, and cultural critic Soraya Chemaly to explore how the language we use in and around sports reflects deeper systems of power. We …
With more money flowing into athletics than ever before, today’s athletes are navigating a space where impact and influence are key to success, but the support to manage it doesn’t always keep up. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Briana Nelson, co-founder of B3 Consulting & Management Agency, to dive into how she’s reimagining what …
At 38 episodes in, now it’s time to rewind. Today’s bonus episode is about the spark that started Unexpected Curves, how it’s evolved and where it's going.
Ten years ago, Emily Infeld won bronze in the 10,000 meters at the World Championships in Beijing. A breakout moment and a historic podium finish for American women’s distance running. In this anniversary episode, Emily looks back on that moment and the years that led to it: the injuries, the pressure, and the complex feelings …