Hurdle with Emily Abbate

Emily's back in the studio after 35 days away! In this episode, Emily reflects on the immense joy of returning home to simple daily routines and the practical ways she resets when a busy schedule starts to feel overwhelming. She also answers a listener question about what makes long-term travel hard and how to preserve your sanity when your regular life is on pause.

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@emilyabbate
@hurdlepodcast
@iheartwomenssports

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Five-time Olympic medalist, NBC track & field analyst, entrepreneur, and author Sanya Richards-Ross sits down to talk about elite performance, mental conditioning, and redefining life after track. From moving to the U.S. from Jamaica as a kid to holding the 400m American record for 19 years, Sanya shares what it truly takes to dial in the mental side of competition, navigate crushing defeat, and step boldly into broadcasting and motherhood.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Navigating the Chaos of Modern Motherhood: Balancing ambition, travel, and career demands while managing working-mom guilt with the support of family.

• Roots, Relocation, and Rising Up: Immigrating from Kingston, Jamaica, adjusting to school in Florida, and finding community on the track.

• The Defining Father-Daughter Talk: How a junior-year hamstring injury sparked an intentional shift toward elite-level discipline and work ethic.

• Why the 400m Chooses You: Breaking down the strategy, pacing, and pain cave that make the 400m arguably the toughest footrace on the oval.

• Reframing Heartbreak at Beijing 2008: The mental recovery required after a crushing Olympic bronze and the rally to win 4x400m gold three days later.

• The Psychology of Gold: Working with a sports psychologist, building vision boards, and internalizing the race-day mantra: "I refuse to lose."

• Manifesting the Broadcast Booth: Stepping away from competitive track due to foot injuries, declaring career ambitions out loud, and debuting live to 30 million viewers.

• Saying Yes When You’re Scared: Facing high-stakes moments with courage, embracing television, and launching businesses like Co-Ordinates and MommiNation.

• Looking Ahead to LA 2028: Highlighting the depth of Team USA talent and the next generation of track and field stars.

QUOTABLE MOMENTS

"In your pursuit of excellence, you never really draw a finish line. You keep on figuring out what is that next level of excellence that I can attain." 

"Being great wouldn't just happen because I was talented. I would have to be intentional about being great." 

"When you get to that level of competition—when you're at the Olympics, at the World Championships—it’s 10% physical and 90% mental. Everybody there is physically capable of winning." 

"Most of us are doing it scared. The biggest stars ... they're not Mr. Cool. You have nerves and anxiety because it matters to you." 

"Closed mouths don't get fed. You want to speak those things into life." 

"Failure is a necessary ingredient in the recipe for success. Embrace it and just keep going." 

SOCIAL
@sanyarichiross
@hurdlepodcast
@emilyabbate
@iheartwomenssports

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ASK ME A QUESTION: Email [email protected] to with your questions! Emily answers them every Friday on the show. 

Listen to Hurdle with Emily Abbate on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emily reflects on wrapping up her travels in Australia, leaning into spontaneous "yes" moments, and answering a listener question about her reading routines. She shares what she’s looking forward to most about returning home to New York City (from her own bed to familiar local spots), the gratitude she’s carrying back with her, and how leaning into open-mindedness led to unexpected local connections in Bondi and an impromptu trip up to Noosa to visit Nike coach Lydia O'Donnell.

BOOKS MENTIONED
Dying to Run by Matt Fitzgerald 
The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
Let's Fking Date by Serena Kerrigan

SOCIAL
@emilyabbate
@hurdlepodcast
@iheartwomenssports

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ASK ME A QUESTION: Email [email protected] to with your questions! Emily answers them every Friday on the show. 

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What does it truly take to disrupt traditional sports and build an organization that puts female athletes first? In this episode, host Emily Abbate sits down with Kayla Green, Acting President of Athlos, fresh off the heels of the groundbreaking Athlos London meet.

Kayla pulls back the curtain on the decision-making process behind Athlos, from navigating the difficult late-August cancellation of the New York event to protect athletes’ well-being, to creating a high-energy meet culture combining world-class track and field with entertainment, Tiffany & Co. crowns, and record-breaking prize purses. She shares what she learned as employee number three at Angel City FC, why Athlos grants participating athletes equity in the league, and the advice she’d give anyone waiting for permission to take a leap.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• The Athlos Formula: How Athlos merges elite competition, entertainment (like DJ Trauma trackside), and culture to make track and field accessible and electric for new and seasoned fans alike [source: 1].

• Protecting the Athletes: The transparent conversation behind calling off the late-season New York meet to prioritize athletes’ physical recovery after a grueling Olympic season [source: 1].

• Speed to Feed & Storytelling: Why Athlos partners with ScorePlay to deliver content directly to athletes' phones immediately post-race so they can own their narratives in real time [source: 1].

• Disrupting the Playbook: Lessons carried over from Kayla’s time as founding CMO (employee #3) at Angel City FC—including challenging traditional sponsorship models and introducing the 10% giveback framework [source: 1].

• Equity & Ownership: Why Athlos is providing participating athletes with equity in the league, investing in their long-term advisory role, and pushing for pay parity and media equity [source: 1].

• Navigating High-Stakes Uncertainty: Kayla’s mindset on operating without a blueprint, finding clarity in your “why,” and why you should never wait for permission to jump into something new [source: 1].

QUOTABLE MOMENTS:

• “I’m really proud of the times when I said ‘yes,’ or the times when I believed with conviction that going against the status quo was the right thing to do.” 

• “Athletes are our North Star and our fans are our compass. As long as we focus on those two points, everything else falls into place.” 

• “When it comes to the physical toll on these women, especially after an intense championship season, putting their bodies and health first isn’t just the right move—it is the only move.”

• “You have to have a lot of bravery. You have to have a lot of belief that like, something isn't right, we can ask the question why and try to come up with a better solution.” 

• “Don’t wait. Just jump, just go do it... because the world is moving too fast and we need to be ahead of it.”

SOCIAL
@athlos
@hurdlepodcast
@emilyabbate
@iheartwomenssports

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ASK ME A QUESTION: Email [email protected] to with your questions! Emily answers them every Friday on the show. 

Listen to Hurdle with Emily Abbate on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back in Australia! In this 5-Minute Friday, I’m checking in from Bondi Beach to clear up my recent travel whirlwind, AKA why I bounced between Sydney and LA, and preview the upcoming live show with Coach Bennett for the Nike After Dark Tour.

Plus, we dive into the psychology of staying consistent on the road. After receiving a bunch of DMs about signing up for a local gym pass right after the marathon, I’m sharing the mindset behind it: where there is a "why," there is a way—and why motivation almost always follows action, not the other way around.

Later, I answer a great listener question: Is running really for everyone, and should everyone run a marathon? I break down why anyone with a body who runs is a runner (pace and distance don't matter!), why you never need to chase someone else’s finish line, and the power of pursuing movement that genuinely feels good to you.

Prompt of the Week: What goal is lighting you up right now? Whether it’s a big milestone, a habit change, or a short-term challenge, reach out and let me know on social.

SOCIAL
@emilyabbate
@hurdlepodcast
@iheartwomenssports

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Sixteen marathons in, and Emily Abbate is still learning what it truly means to hurdle life's surprises. Coming to you live from Melbourne, Emily breaks down the complete journey of running the Sydney Marathon—from the 16-week training cycle and a brutal bout of food poisoning 48 hours before the gun, to conquering the hilliest World Major course and taking on the mindset of "steady is it."

IN THIS EPISODE

• The Sydney Opportunity: Securing the bib courtesy of ASICS, planning the 16-week build, and training via the Runna app with a peak weekly mileage of 38 miles balanced by three days of strength training.

• The 24-Hour Travel Haul: Long-haul logistics from JFK to Sydney, navigating sleep adjustments, exploring the Delta One lounge, and what was packed inside Emily’s Away and Dagne Dover bags.

• The Food Poisoning Hurdle: Getting violently sick just two days before race day, turning to Ritz crackers, white rice, and Pocari Sweat, and the gut-check conversation about whether to line up at all.

• Race Strategy & Pacing: Managing Sydney's massive 313-meter elevation gain, locking into consistent 7:40–7:55 splits through mile 22, pushing past quad burn, and finishing strong in 3:35:30.

• Post-Race Recovery & Next Steps: Celebrating with martinis and french fries, a reset trip to Fiji, managing mild plantar flare-ups, and looking ahead to the After Dark Tour stops in LA and Mumbai.

QUOTABLE MOMENTS

• "I show up and I do hard things, and that is a fact... I am someone who doesn't just do hard things, but she does them well."

• "Knowing the difference between toxic positivity and being open to positivity, being open to the best-case scenario... When you're in a place where you're open to possibility, you allow possibility to find you."

• "You didn't come this far to only come this far."

• "Steady is it."

• "The journey is the destination. It doesn't matter how fast you run a marathon, the fact that you're showing up to do it at all is such an accomplishment."

GEAR AND FAVORITES MENTIONED

• Shoes: ASICS Superblast, ASICS Megablast

• Apparel: Bandit Stamina Race Crop (Printed Cacao), Lululemon Power Stride socks

• Tech: Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, Garmin Forerunner 570, Oakley Sutro Lite sunglasses

• Recovery & Fuel: Runna app, Future app, Pocari Sweat, LMNT, Ozlo Sleepbuds

SOCIAL
@hurdlepodcast
@emilyabbate
@iheartwomenssports

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ASK ME A QUESTION: Email [email protected] to with your questions! Emily answers them every Friday on the show. 

Listen to Hurdle with Emily Abbate on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Fresh off a long-haul flight from Sydney to Los Angeles, Emily reflects on how a chaotic travel day—complete with overweight carry-ons, sprinting through terminals, and a nail-biting luggage scare—served as an unexpected reminder to lead with kindness. When travel (or life) gets stressful and out of your control, leaning into empathy, taking a deep breath, and remembering that "energy attracts like energy" changes everything.

Later in the episode, Emily answers a listener question from Aperna about how to find community and make meaningful, ambitious friends in your 30s while working from home.

Prompt of the Week: Where are you letting overwhelm get in the way? Where can you let go, choose kindness, and consciously flex your empathy muscle today?

SOCIAL
@emilyabbate
@hurdlepodcast
@iheartwomenssports

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This week, two-time Olympic medalist, four-time Diamond League champion, and Emmy Award–winning analyst Dawn Harper-Nelson joins the show. From standing atop the podium in Beijing and London to navigating devastating falls, major career transitions, and the vulnerable leap into motherhood, Dawn’s journey is a masterclass in true resilience.

In this conversation, Dawn breaks down what it really takes to build your "second act," how she pivoted from world-class competitor to commanding the mic for NBC and Athlos, and the daily mindset shifts required to navigate self-doubt. We unpack the power of owning your "no" without guilt, protecting your energy, and building relationships anchored in trust and good intentions. Whether you’re stepping into a new career chapter or learning how to give yourself permission to pursue what fulfills you, Dawn’s perspective delivers the exact dose of motivation you need today.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Finding the Second Act: How Dawn navigated the identity shift from elite hurdler to broadcast analyst and event MC with Athlos.

• Reframing Failure: The lessons learned from falling at the Beijing World Championships and how Bobby Kersee’s high-stakes training prepared her to handle heartbreak.

• Stepping Away & Returning: The decision to step away from the sport to start a family, learning to accept an evolving body, and coming back to competition on her own terms.

• Intentional Relationships & Communication: How radical trust, assuming good intentions, and clear communication carried her marriage through six years of living apart while competing.

• Energy Management & Owning Your “No”: Why setting boundaries and taking guilt-free pauses isn't an inconvenience to others, but a necessary practice to avoid emotional burnout.

• Redefining Female Competition: Embracing the fierce, "killer" edge required to win at the highest level while staying grounded, kind, and authentic off the track.

QUOTABLE MOMENTS

"When the world is burning and crashing around you, will you still say fight for your dream? Will you still say, ‘It’s possible’? Will you still believe you’re a good person? Can you still see the brighter side of tomorrow?"

"You don't put in that type of work to have it not come true... but one, you will realize, 'Oh, I'm stronger than I ever thought I was.'"

"If you take your losses this hard, you will never make it in this sport."

"I am a woman forever. That will never change. But I'm an athlete when I step out there, and I'm ruthless. I'm a killer."

"Chase your dream, because you can’t come home with that void. I can’t fulfill that for you."

"Permission from others to not care gives you permission to have your own permission."

SOCIAL
@dharp100mh
@hurdlepodcast
@emilyabbate
@iheartwomenssports

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Listen to Hurdle with Emily Abbate on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Live from the dreamy landscape that is Fiji, Emily reflects on the art of intentional recovery fresh off 26.2 miles in Sydney. It is easy to step up as an "energy dealer" for everyone else, but you cannot pour from an empty cup. This week is all about prioritizing your own rest, recalibrating after major milestones, and taking real ownership of your self-care.

Later in the episode, Emily answers a listener question from Ella, a volleyball player struggling with comparison and the pressure to prove her worth to others. Emily dives into how to flip the mental script from external validation to internal joy, plus practical tools like using physical anchors on the court to reset between points.

SOCIAL
@emilyabbate
@hurdlepodcast
@iheartwomenssports

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Olympic and World Champion sprinter Twanisha "TeeTee" Terry joins the show to talk about navigating the mental and physical hurdles of forced rest. Sidelined by a lower back injury during what was supposed to be a dominant year, TeeTee opens up about shifting from “Phenomenal 2026” to “Patient 2026,” working through the frustration of moving recovery timelines, and finding clarity alongside her Star Athletics training group. She also discusses the mental shift between running the 4x100m relay versus the open 100m, how she cultivates passions outside of track—from crocheting and Lego building to authoring children’s books and running her nonprofit—and why staying true to yourself is the ultimate measure of success.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Navigating Forced Rest & Injury: TeeTee breaks down the lower back injury that halted her season, managing timeline pushbacks, and the mental shift required to embrace “Patient 2026.”

• The Power of Communication & Clear Milestones: How transparent conversations with coaches Dennis Mitchell and Sharif Lewis, alongside PT Brian, helped align everyone on realistic recovery goals.

• The Need for a True Reset: Why asking for a complete week off to visit family and her college coach helped reset her mental drive.

• Open 100m vs. 4x100m Relay Mindset: Breaking out of robotic “technical mode” in individual blocks to channel the unmatched confidence she brings to the second leg of the relay.

• Track & Field’s Accessibility Hurdle: Why the gap between the everyday running boom and track fandom comes down to broadcasting paywalls, fragmented meet schedules, and media access.

• Life Beyond the Oval: How writing children’s books, crocheting, building Legos, and running Starting Blocks for Dreams provide balance and identity beyond athletics.

• Academic Discipline: Earning a bachelor’s degree from USC in three years, completing a master’s in one, and balancing 20-unit semesters during heavy training blocks.

• Learning Healthy Selfishness: Why the natural “team mom” and eldest of seven had to learn to protect her own cup before pouring into others.

QUOTABLE MOMENTS

• "I really was on go all those years, so I’m definitely looking at it as a moment to be able to step back and just rest. Even though it was a forced rest, I’m okay with it."

• "You have to see yourself working for something. I know you’re not competing, but aim as if you’re working to compete... because that will help your healing."

• "Comparison is the thief of joy. Make sure you’re focusing on yourself and trusting your own journey."

• "I never know who’s watching. You want to make sure you’re you, through and through, and you just stay true to who you are."

SOCIAL
@teeteeterry_
@hurdlepodcast
@emilyabbate
@iheartwomenssports

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ASK ME A QUESTION: Email [email protected] to with your questions! Emily answers them every Friday on the show. 

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