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“Seeing them not just at their highs but also at their lows and how they fought to climb back up has taught me a lot about resilience and being relentless. I've become a better coach because I have the opportunity to work with these pro women and I'm excited to continue to get better, learn from them, and make sure that they're at the center of everything that I do.

My guest for today's episode is Diljeet Taylor. We had her on the show last fall after she won the NCAA Cross Country Championships with her BYU women. For those of you who aren't familiar, she's one of the most transformative coaches in the sport. She's built BYU's women's cross country program and distance program into a national powerhouse, coaching NCAA champions, Olympians, and creating one of the strongest cultures in collegiate running.

Now she's stepping into an even bigger role, leading a professional training group with Nike while continuing to coach at BYU. Nike has announced Swoosh TC for Oregon, Utah, and Arizona. It's being described by the brand as a network of elite athletes, coaches, and innovators working together to push the boundaries of performance and progress.

Coach Taylor will oversee the Utah division, Jerry Schumacher will head Oregon along with Shalane Flanagan, and Mike Smith will lead the club in Arizona beginning in July 2025 in partnership from Rachel Smith. In this conversation, we make sense of what all of that means. 

We get into the behind-the-scenes details of her new role, how she's balancing coaching, both collegiate and professional athletes, and what it takes to develop elite runners at the highest level. We also touch on the mindset of success, the importance of culture, and the transition from NCAA to professional racing.

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram 

Guest: Diljeet Taylor | @diljeetdosanjhtaylor on Instagram

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