D1on1

This conversation is with Abu Kamara. Abu runs the 110m hurdles at WSU and is also the president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), which is the group that bridges the gap between student-athletes and administration. I've gotten much closer to Abu this past year, but I’ve always been really impressed by his ability to help others get the best out of themselves. He's like the best person you'd possibly want in a group project, hard-working, well-spoken, and he's a strong leader. Something that you'll notice about him is that he speaks very softly and he does that intentionally to get people to listen. Abu moved to America from Sierra Leone when he was nine and we talk about how that shaped his character, the values that are important to him, and how he learned to not let other people control his emotions. We also dive deep into racism. I mean, we dive really deep and it's powerful. Abu has been influential in helping me become a better person and I hope this conversation can have a powerful impact on you too.

This conversation is with Rory Linkletter. Rory runs cross country and track at BYU. He has had absolutely tremendous success as a runner. He is the blue jeans mile world recorder holder where he ran a full mile in 4 minutes and 16 seconds at altitude which converts to a 4:11. His PRs include a 13:49 5k and a 28:58 10k. Those are fast times, but his greatest achievement so far is his second place finish at nationals in the 10k. Now, that might change in just a few days because he and his team have a great shot at winning the NCAA Cross Country title this year. We recorded this conversation right before the start of the cross country season. It’s been really really cool to learn how he thinks and works and then to see that translate to athletic success throughout this whole season, not just for himself, but for his team. I'm extremely excited for him, his team, and my team to compete this weekend. Like I said earlier, Rory is fast. He's considered to be one of the best collegiate runners in the country, but It wasn't always like that for him. He struggled to make the transition to college because he had a stress fracture that sidelined him for several months. His story is one of true perseverance and hard work. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

This conversation is with Rory Linkletter. Rory runs cross country and track at BYU. He has had absolutely tremendous success as a runner. He is the blue jeans mile world recorder holder where he ran a full mile in 4 minutes and 16 seconds at altitude which converts to a 4:11. His PRs include a 13:49 5k and a 28:58 10k. Those are fast times, but his greatest achievement so far is his second place finish at nationals in the 10k. Now, that might change in just a few days because he and his team have a great shot at winning the NCAA Cross Country title this year. We recorded this conversation right before the start of the cross country season. It’s been really really cool to learn how he thinks and works and then to see that translate to athletic success throughout this whole season, not just for himself, but for his team. I'm extremely excited for him, his team, and my team to compete this weekend. Like I said earlier, Rory is fast. He's considered to be one of the best collegiate runners in the country, but It wasn't always like that for him. He struggled to make the transition to college because he had a stress fracture that sidelined him for several months. His story is one of true perseverance and hard work. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

Renee Kemp is on the rowing team at Washington State University. This was a really fun conversation because I knew absolutely nothing about rowing, other than the fact that it hurts just like running. Renee is from New Zealand and it was really interesting to talk about what its like to live in America after you've spent your whole life on the other side of the world.

Renee Kemp is on the rowing team at Washington State University. This was a really fun conversation because I knew absolutely nothing about rowing, other than the fact that it hurts just like running. Renee is from New Zealand and it was really interesting to talk about what its like to live in America after you've spent your whole life on the other side of the world.

This conversation is with Ben Rosario! Ben is the head coach for Northern Arizona Elite, which is a professional running team based out of Flagstaff, Arizona and sponsored by Hoka One One. Ben has had tremendous success in running, business, and coaching. He used to run professionally for the Hanson’s Brooks Project. Then he built up a running store from nothing to 2 million in sales. In 2014, he created the professional running team that he coaches today, NAZ Elite. This is a special episode to me because this is actually the first podcast episode I ever recorded. This conversation is the first time I sat down with someone and recorded anything longer than 10 seconds. We recorded this all the way back in early August of 2017. When we recorded this, several of his athletes were gearing up for the Frankfurt marathon. Scott Smith, Matt Llano, and Scott Fauble, who has never run a marathon, were set to compete at Frankfurt in Late October. Llano ran 2:13:42, Fauble 2:12:35, and Smith 2:12:21. Huge congratulations to all of them, especially Scott Fauble who ran the 12th fastest American debut, tied with Meb Keflezghi. If you know anything about running, you know Meb. He’s an absolute legend. This episode is also special because Ben is not a student-athlete, but the topics we discussed can be helpful to anyone wanting to be good at athletics or anything in their life. He works with some of the best athletes in the world to help them get the best out of themselves and I hope he can help you too! Thank you so much for listening! If you have the time, please leave a rating and review! It would mean the world to me!

This conversation is with Ben Rosario! Ben is the head coach for Northern Arizona Elite, which is a professional running team based out of Flagstaff, Arizona and sponsored by Hoka One One. Ben has had tremendous success in running, business, and coaching. He used to run professionally for the Hanson’s Brooks Project. Then he built up a running store from nothing to 2 million in sales. In 2014, he created the professional running team that he coaches today, NAZ Elite. This is a special episode to me because this is actually the first podcast episode I ever recorded. This conversation is the first time I sat down with someone and recorded anything longer than 10 seconds. We recorded this all the way back in early August of 2017. When we recorded this, several of his athletes were gearing up for the Frankfurt marathon. Scott Smith, Matt Llano, and Scott Fauble, who has never run a marathon, were set to compete at Frankfurt in Late October. Llano ran 2:13:42, Fauble 2:12:35, and Smith 2:12:21. Huge congratulations to all of them, especially Scott Fauble who ran the 12th fastest American debut, tied with Meb Keflezghi. If you know anything about running, you know Meb. He’s an absolute legend. This episode is also special because Ben is not a student-athlete, but the topics we discussed can be helpful to anyone wanting to be good at athletics or anything in their life. He works with some of the best athletes in the world to help them get the best out of themselves and I hope he can help you too! Thank you so much for listening! If you have the time, please leave a rating and review! It would mean the world to me!

This conversation is with Jeff Pollard. Jeff is a starter on the basketball team at Washington State University where he is a center. Jeff doesn't take himself too seriously when he's not on the court and it definitely comes out in this conversation. Jeff and I crack a lot of jokes and we talk about his first dunk, the conspiracy that Shaq is able to fit into a Buick, and why basketball players should wear short shorts again. Editing this conversation was tough because I was laughing the whole time. In all seriousness though, Jeff's ability to enjoy life is very special. This conversation is a reminder to take life one step at a time and also not to take yourself too seriously so that you can be happy.

This conversation is with Jeff Pollard. Jeff is a starter on the basketball team at Washington State University where he is a center. Jeff doesn't take himself too seriously when he's not on the court and it definitely comes out in this conversation. Jeff and I crack a lot of jokes and we talk about his first dunk, the conspiracy that Shaq is able to fit into a Buick, and why basketball players should wear short shorts again. Editing this conversation was tough because I was laughing the whole time. In all seriousness though, Jeff's ability to enjoy life is very special. This conversation is a reminder to take life one step at a time and also not to take yourself too seriously so that you can be happy.

This conversation is with C.J. Allen. C.J. Is a 400 m hurdler. He is a two-time PAC-12 champion and a U.S. Olympic trials qualifier. In 2017 he was 13th at the US Championship and has a PR of 49.40. He's currently working to become a professional runner while he chases his Olympic dream. In this conversation C.J. talks about the effect that religion has had on his attitude and perspective. He also talks about failure. His ability to embrace failure is fascinating to me. He could have an Olympic medal and still consider himself a failure. He also talks about, "not dabbling in mediocrity and complacency". C.J. is the hardest worker I know and he might come off as egotistical, but I'm convinced that it's the necessary attitude for him to achieve his absolute full potential and trust me when I say hes incredibly compassionate and wants the best for everybody around him. I really loved this conversation and I hope you do too.