D1on1

Recent graduate from the UC Berkeley Men’s Gymnastics team Asad Jooma tells his story of growing up playing a not-so-traditional sport and competing for his country. He began his NCAA career at the University of Illinois at Chicago, but transferred to Cal after receiving the devastating news that his program was to be cut after his junior season. At Cal, his time competing was cut short due to covid-19, and he describes losing his senior season as very similar to that of having his program be cut. In this episode, hear his journey and how he remains positive despite the bad luck.

Elijah Mason, a thrower at the University of Washington, finished 7th at nationals as a freshman. In D1on1’s first virtual conversation, Elijah discusses his experience growing up without a father figure, the role coaches play in athletes’ lives, the recruiting process, his faith, and his experience as a black athlete on a predominantly white campus.

Colorado State distance runner and businessman, Jacob Brueckman sits down with D1on1 Founder Andrew Cooper to discuss how latching onto running while his family faced a divorce was his key to consistency. While divorce is unfortunately a common obstacle athletes in our community face, Jacob walks us through how leaning into passions and finding consistency in midst of chaos can lead you to brighter days.

Former Minnesota 2x Track and Field All American runner, Mitch Hechsel, sits down with D1on1 Founder, Andrew Cooper to discuss the beauty in the struggle of not knowing what’s next. He gives our community an insight on how the challenges he faced finding his identity in the process of hanging up the jersey, allowed him to seek what truly fueled his happiness. Mitch’s story is about the transformation from being known as the athletic kid in high school into a Big 10 Champion and receiving offers for a professional running career. This ultimately pushed him to trust his real passion within videography.

Mike Neal, a recently graduate football player from the University of Washington, started his career as an athlete playing into the jock stereotype. After battling injuries and being told he would never play a snap, he rewrote the narrative by excelling academically and professionally. He represented his athlete peers as a leader in the student-athlete advisory committee (SAAC), graduated from the honors college at UW, and earned an internship with Amazon AWS. He hopes his story will inspire others to know that they can succeed no matter the circumstances because we’re all capable of achieving and doing more than we thought possible.

Adam Saleh (Cal track) sits down with D1on1 Founder Andrew Cooper to discuss the various identities that ambitious athletes grapple between and the misconceptions and strategies athletes should use when networking. Adam is a captain and a short sprinter focusing on the 200m and 400m at Cal where he studies cognitive science with a focus on mechanical design.

Cal Football Captain Cam Bynum sits down with D1on1 Founder Andrew Cooper to discuss his framework for success, which is rooted in hard work and clarity of vision – how he hopes to use his platform with sport to inspire others – his perspective on leadership as a team captain – and the deep and lasting impact Kobe Bryant had on his life. Learn more about Cam's story at D1on1.com/Bynum.

D1on1 Podcast available on Apple & Spotify

Follow D1on1 on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn @D1on1Stories

Jake Curhan, a bay area native, didn’t start playing football until his junior year of high school. At the time, only one other athlete from his area became a division I football player. Jake had nearly no guidance on how to compete and attach sport at the highest level, so when he earned a scholarship to attend the University of California, Berkeley, he graduated high school a semester early to get a head start on his career as a college athlete. Jake enrolled early at Berkeley—but he came in anxious and afraid of what the future held. He lacked the confidence necessary to stay afloat in a Division I college football organization. By sacrificing his last semester of high school, he gave himself a shot. After a year and a half of training with 0 playing time, he successfully executed the transition between high school and college. Jake went on to start 38 games, becoming a captain and leader of the team.

As a captain, Jake effortlessly seems to uphold a heavy standard of excellence for a historic and prestigious university — but also in all aspects of his life. He prides himself in being more than a football player, pursuing opportunities in student organizations, networking events, and real-estate. Furthermore, Curhan leverages his platform as a college athlete to inspire and help others pursue their dreams while he pursues his. He has a podcast called Sooo Stignacious! where he interviews experts in various fields to learn more from them. Although Curhan has deep and extensive knowledge around leadership, his framework for success is grounded in maintaining a humble and empty cup that he is constantly trying to fill with knowledge from others. Jake inspires me in this regard. He acknowledges and embraces the beginner mindset, even though he is an elite football player, leader, and person.

Joel Brown, the 2019 Canadian National Player of the Year and a member of the Cal Men’s Basketball team, sits down with Andrew Cooper in Berkeley, CA to discuss his story, the impact of Kobe Bryant & LeBron James, and the death of his brother. Though a freshman in college, Brown holds wisdom beyond his years as he learned how to embrace the adversity of death to preserve and grow. Brown, a Toronto native, spent his entire high school basketball career away from home to chase his dreams. He started his freshman year of high school in Phoenix until the program moved to Kansas, at which point he transferred to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire.Entering his Junior year at Brewster, his team was ranked #1 in the country. Midway through the season, as the team prepared to play their rival, Brown’s brother passes away suddenly. Brown and his team go on to win the national championship. Following the victory, Brown was awarded the 2019 Canadian National Player of the Year award, which was presented by RJ Barrett (the previous recipient of the award). Joel’s motivation is rooted in serving others. When he thinks about his brother or other loved one’s he’s lost, he hopes that his resilience through the adversity will inspire others to keep believing in themselves and their dreams while encouraging them to reach out and ask for help.

Christina Chenault & Andrew Cooper sit down on campus at UCLA to share her story, destigmatize mental health, and address the misconceptions of being a college athlete. Christina is a visionary entrepreneur unafraid to stand up for what is right, especially for those who need it most. While competing as a Division I college athlete, studying both psychology and African-American studies, Christina founded Top Five Media to reclaim the narrative of college sports. She also founded the UCLA undergraduate Sports Business Association to foster a community of students interested in pursuing a career in the sports industry. Christina hopes to leverage her passion for storytelling to create unity, social change, and equity through the world of sport.