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From Nearly Quitting to the World Championships, How Dylan Beard Broke Through
Episode 86 of The Mental Game features Dylan Beard — an American hurdler whose rise is one of track and field’s most compelling breakout stories of the decade.
A Baltimore native, Beard didn’t even start track and field until his sophomore year of high school. He fell in love with hurdling almost instantly, climbing the ranks quickly enough to run collegiately, most notably at Howard University.
After graduating, Beard committed to chasing the sport professionally. Unsponsored and self-funded, he pieced together training and travel while working the deli counter at Walmart. That grind tested both his belief and his endurance, but Beard has continually pushed through.
Beard’s life changed changed in early 2024, when he shocked the sport by winning the 60-meter hurdles at the prestigious Millrose Games in New York, edging an elite field and launching himself onto the global stage, including an impressive performance at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo this summer.
On this episode of The Mental Game, Beard…
- Opens up about the moments he wanted to quit — and what ultimately kept him going
- Describes his pressure-packed reality of balancing Walmart shifts with elite competition
- Shares how his breakout performance changed his life and reshaped his mental approach
- And much more…
The Mental Game podcast is produced by Sam Brief and music is courtesy of David Brief and Channel J. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and TuneIn.
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By Sam Brief
5
2424 ratings
Episode 86 of The Mental Game features Dylan Beard — an American hurdler whose rise is one of track and field’s most compelling breakout stories of the decade.
A Baltimore native, Beard didn’t even start track and field until his sophomore year of high school. He fell in love with hurdling almost instantly, climbing the ranks quickly enough to run collegiately, most notably at Howard University.
After graduating, Beard committed to chasing the sport professionally. Unsponsored and self-funded, he pieced together training and travel while working the deli counter at Walmart. That grind tested both his belief and his endurance, but Beard has continually pushed through.
Beard’s life changed changed in early 2024, when he shocked the sport by winning the 60-meter hurdles at the prestigious Millrose Games in New York, edging an elite field and launching himself onto the global stage, including an impressive performance at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo this summer.
On this episode of The Mental Game, Beard…
- Opens up about the moments he wanted to quit — and what ultimately kept him going
- Describes his pressure-packed reality of balancing Walmart shifts with elite competition
- Shares how his breakout performance changed his life and reshaped his mental approach
- And much more…
The Mental Game podcast is produced by Sam Brief and music is courtesy of David Brief and Channel J. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and TuneIn.