Making Strides

“Until the aftermath of 2020, I felt a sense of embarrassment, sharing some of the [racist] experiences that I’ve had, and I think it stems from the fact that I didn’t want my close friends — who are white — to feel uncomfortable, or like I was pointing fingers.” - @stefanieannflippin

In our fourth episode, ‘De-Centering White Comfort,’ Stef and I (Carolyn) reflect on the events surrounding the Boston Marathon weekend, including the over-policing of the only Black-and-Brown cheer zone at the marathon and its aftermath. We also talk about the ways we are both un-learning the default habit of staying quiet or of modifying our behavior in order to keep from making our white peers feel uncomfortable, as well as the feelings of shame that come when we fail at ‘preserving peace.’

AND!! If you haven’t already heard, #MakingStridesPod is now available on Apple, Spotify, and Overcast! Hope that makes our conversations more accessible to everyone!

If you listen to this episode and can relate, or if you learned something new, or if you have any thoughts you’d like to share (any at all!), we would love to hear from you! Of course, subscribing and leaving a rating and review would also be greatly appreciated, as it helps others find our pod too!

Thanks for being here, and thanks for being YOU.

#togetherforward,

Carolyn & Stef

Show Notes:

01:55 - recap of events surrounding the Boston Marathon and our Live Show

03:15 - unpacking the recent convo with the AAPI Undoing Racism Collective, regarding how Asian Americans cater to white comfort

7:40 - Stef sharing her perspective as a biracial woman

10:05 - the significance of the live show as a personal point of healing and of letting go of shame

12:30 - recognizing white comfort

14:10 - Carolyn sharing the freedom that comes from proudly embracing the ways her culture and ethnic background have shaped her experiences

16:20 - how this student-founded course at UC Berkeley is an example for us in allyship and in making change

20:25 - the problem of racially-targeted policing at the Boston Marathon

35:50 - the significance of being a spectator who is also a Person of Color, at the Boston Marathon

“When we don’t behave how we are expected to, based on stereotypes, it’s jarring for people!” - @irunfortheglory

“I definitely did not see many athletes that looked like me, so that’s been on the forefront of my mind now in my own professional running career.” - @stefanieannflippin

This was an incredibly meaningful and candid conversation between Mirna Valerio, Stefanie Flippin, and Carolyn Su. We covered topics ranging from our own, personal journeys in the sport; to how we push back against the negative stereotypes and status quo of who belongs in the outdoors; to what motivates us to keep showing up!  Thank you to everyone who chose to come to our first, live recording in the midst of a very packed marathon weekend! Your presence meant the WORLD, and the Q&As could’ve easily made for a whole other episode — y’all kept us on our toes!

And of course, a BIG, BIG THANK YOU to the entire lululemon team, particularly the Boston team, for not only making this show happen, but for how you make each of us feel fully seen, valued, and empowered to strive after our goals and to not be deterred by those who don’t yet understand. We hope this episode does the same for everyone who listens!

Please leave a rating and review, and let us know your thoughts! We’d love to hear from you. May we continue to listen, learn, and work together in making strides towards a more equitable and inclusive sport!

“The more we continue to show up in these outdoor spaces, the more we are disrupting the narratives and common perceptions that people have about who we are, who we are ‘supposed’ to be, and what we can or cannot do.” - @themirnavator

Show Breakdown:

06:15 - Stef's time running in 26.True Marathon

07:30 - Mirna's time at Culture Shifters for People of Color in snowsports. "It's often my experience that when POCs are doing things outdoors, it's met with the response, 'I didn't know Black people did that!'

10:50 - Mirna's background and the role of movement in the outdoors in shaping her life

14:50 - Stef's background and the role of sports in her life

16:35 - Carolyn's background and the impact of representation in her running journey

19:40 - Carolyn's first marathon experience

26:00 - Mirna, on the familial and cultural expectations of women, surrounding a family Thanksgiving

30:15 - Carolyn's experience at the Boston Marathon expo

37:00 - Mirna's experiences at races and expos

39:00 - when Mirna had the police called on her during a run

45:00 - when Stef was policed while on a run in her own neighborhood

50:00 - Q: how does Mirna cultivate the ability to respond to policing in ways that are productive for herself while not taking on the burden of educating others?

55:20 - Stef discusses learning how to practice assertiveness and pushing back against racial stereotypes

1:00:15 - Mirna discusses the origins of 'Karens'

1:06:00 - start of Q&A

“Don’t sell yourself short; don’t let imposter syndrome cause you to shrink yourself and settle. A year from now, you want to be able to look back and know in your heart and in your gut that you felt good about the partnership — that you felt seen, understood and known.” - Carolyn

This episode, we talk about WORKING WITH BRANDS: what has been the industry norm? What would it look like for companies to consider athletes, whether professional or amateur, as multi-faceted, comprehensive humans, instead of just as marketing tools or performance stats?

We also share about our own, personal experiences working with different running brands — what it looks like when a brand actually puts actions behind claims, vs how it feels when companies are merely performative — and we share advice to both athletes and brands on how to build relationships that are true partnerships.

What have your experiences been like, working with brands? What kinds of working relationships made you feel the most supported?

We hope you give this convo a listen, and let us know your thoughts!

“These brands need to support athletes — both at the ambassador levels and at the pro levels — as whole people. It’s not just about throwing up the numbers. What are the athletes doing outside of their training, outside of their performances, outside of themselves? What are they bringing in terms of representation for themselves and for the brand? It’s an outdated model — solely focusing on an athletes’ performance. It’s important to understand the work that athletes are doing as a HUMAN, because it all adds up, and it is ALL a part of the industry.” - Stefanie

Announcing, the Making Strides Podcast!

We are so glad you're here! Stefanie and I (Carolyn) are both women who stumbled into the sport of running in our 20s, and neither of us would have ever imagined how running would one day lead to us creating a podcast for YOU, our beloved, running community!

Stef is a coach and professional trail and ultrarunner based out of Colorado, where she also runs her private practice as a foot & ankle surgeon. Carolyn is a writer and marathoner based out of Boston, and she is most known for her advocacy work through the Instagram platform, @DiverseWeRun.

‘Making Strides’ is a space to share our experiences as BIPOC, female runners, as well as a space to discuss the nuances that come with our perspectives: safety, sponsorships and contract negotiations, mental health, current events in the running world and beyond, etc.

We hope this podcast serves to fill in the gaps of what might not typically be covered in running industry media, and we hope that, through our conversations here, we can be a safe space for learning and a launching pad for making the sport more equitable and inclusive for everyone.

Please enjoy our first episode*, where we make introductions and discuss what’s ahead!

Thanks you for joining us,

Carolyn & Stefanie

*apologies in advance, the audio file for the recording was corrupted during download, and we were unable to recover a clearer version. Please bear with us, as this issue is resolved by the next episode!*