Host Sarah Burke revisits a conversation with Olympian Alysha Newman from August 2021, shortly after the Tokyo 2020 olympics didn’t go as planned…

Alysha Newman went to Tokyo only three months after suffering a concussion. She had some recalibrating to do dealing with both the physical and mental effects of her brain injury.

The now 30 year old from London Ontario is smiling ear to ear three years later…after not only winning the bronze medal in women’s pole vault, but also becoming the first Canadian woman to medal in the pole vault! She's actually the first Canadian athlete to grab a medal since the 1912 Stockholm games. And as most would say, you should be focused on competing with yourself….well she did that too. She beat her own record by two centimeters. So if you want to twerk in celebration after numerous setbacks…go right ahead. 

At the time this episode was published, Alysha was the Commonwealth Games champion in the women’s pole vault (she set a Games record at the 2018 competition with a 4.75m jump). She represented Canada at both the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games, also placing fifth at the 2019 World Championships.

Alysha shares her experience with injuries, mental struggles, and the importance of self-care in high-level competition. She discussed the importance of self-care, mental health, and balancing education with personal aspirations. The conversation also touched on the importance of balancing personal brand and business partnerships, and the need for longevity, consistency, and authenticity.

Alysha was born and raised in London, Ontario, plying her trade as a competitive gymnast before a back injury forced her off the balance beam and into track & field. Alysha is a graduate from the University of Miami where she became a six-time NCAA Division I All-American and currently lives and trains north of Toronto in Caledon, Ontario.

We talk about her passion for working with brands that align with her values, being kind to your body and mind, and being transparent about difficult times as an influencer. I reference this Instagram post from August 3rd, 2021:

"Directly from me to you all, here is my truth of 2021. It was a absolutely sh*t year for me on the track. Completely opposite to my dreams and goals I put out for myself. Everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong. 

You could look at my 2021 year and say I hit rock bottom in my pole vaulting career or you could say damn Alysha, look at the mountains, obstacles and sh*t you put up with. It wasn’t easy, it was really hard on my family, my coaches and especially me and my mental health."

Follow @AlyshaNewman

https://olympic.ca/team-canada/alysha-newman/

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