Karen Crouse is an award-winning journalist, acclaimed author, and former collegiate swimmer at the University of Southern California. A New York Times sports writer for 16 years, Karen first entered the world of newspaper reporting when she joined the Savannah News-Press, becoming the first woman to work in its sports department. In 2018, Karen released her first book Norwich: One Tiny Vermont Town's Secret to Happiness and Excellence, which explores how a small town in Vermont has prioritized holistic athlete development over performance yet has produced more Olympians per capita than any other place in the country. Karen joins Nick to discuss how youth sports has become hyper-competitive as opposed to communal, the lessons she learned spending time in Norwich, and how her career working with elite athletes has shaped her commitment to telling stories that humanize athletes.

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