“What we do is sometimes the least interesting thing about us.”

That’s how Julie-Anne Staehli—an Olympian from Canada and pro runner with Team New Balance Boston—sees it. With over a decade of experience competing at the highest levels, Julie-Anne has learned that while competing is a big part of her, it's what she does, not who she is.

In this episode, Julie-Anne opens up about her journey, from growing up playing every sport imaginable to finding her stride as an endurance athlete. She shares how resilience, grit, and her “stubborn determination” helped her navigate the ups and downs of elite competition.

Julie-Anne also dives into the importance of joy and balance, guided by her coach’s mantra: “Healthy, happy, and then running fast.” She talks about avoiding burnout, embracing the unique paths that bring athletes to the start line, and the lessons she’s learned about leadership and authenticity. Plus, she offers advice for anyone chasing big goals: stay present, enjoy the ride, and don’t take it all too seriously.

Photo credit: Heather MacEachern-Tarasick

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We heard you loud & clear: you want more athlete's stories, so we responded. Flame Bearers: UNEDITED, a new video and podcast series celebrates the journeys of elite women athletes from around the world at all phases of their journeys: seeking their first international qualifications, at the pinnacle of their careers, and after retirement. In this largely UNEDITED series, we'll meet more athletes than ever before, all at various stages of their paths. This series is different not only because we're broadening who we're featuring, but how we're doing so. In the spirit of bringing you MORE STORIES, the tradeoff is fewer bells + whistles (i.e. animations & fancy sound effects than we normally include in our productions). We think it's worth the trade off so we can elevate more women doing incredible work -- we'd love to hear your thoughts.