Victoria Anderson is a woman of many titles: Nuclear engineer, triathlete, synchonized swimming coach, and chocolate lover. And recently, this 40-year-old from Washington, D.C. also became one of the first people in the country to receive the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine through a clinical trial back in October. On this episode, I talk to Victoria about her decision to enter a trial when we really didn't know much about the vaccine, as well as the stressful time she endured at the start of the pandemic when her parents were virtually trapped on a cruise ship that had active cases of COVID aboard, a story she helped make global news. Later, we dive into Anderson's involvement in synchronized swimming and much more, including her love of chocolate. 

Link to Triple Hot Chocolate Recipe: https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/triple-hot-chocolate/16799/

More about Victoria's Parents Cruise Ship Ordeal: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2020/04/03/holland-america-cruise-ship-nightmare-florida-coronavirus-covid/5110933002/

https://www.wave3.com/2020/04/03/ohio-couple-shares-ups-downs-days-confined-cruise-ship/

Josh Hageman is someone I’ve known for a few years through the local triathlon community. He’s a multidimensional person: He’s a father and a husband, a dog dad, an athlete, a model and commercial actor and even has a side hustle making and selling artisanal marshmallows. What always stands out to me about Josh is that he is truly a choose-your-own adventure kind of guy: He has come up with some epic athletic endeavors simply because he wants to push his own limits and break his own boundaries. A lot of what he has done, including a recent 43-mile jaunt around a local track, which we’ll get into, are totally on his own and done with little to no fanfare. It’s that kind of self-starter attitude and spirit I think we can all adopt as we march into 2021 with still no guarantee that life will be back to "normal." So why not make our own fun? Josh certainly has. Here, he chats about some of those adventures as well as what drives him to do it all. I hope you enjoy.

Fresh off the race of her lifetime, Clarice Lorenzini breaks down Ironman Florida, where she qualified for her pro card by placing 2nd overall among all amateur women in 9 hours and 44 minutes. Not only that, she posted the 3rd fastest run split among *all* women, including the pros with a 3:07 marathon split, which was a 23-minute PR. This was a redemption of sorts as Clarice's last race was a huge personal disappointment, and because of the pandemic, she was forced to wait over a year to compete again. Clarice discusses how she stayed focused on the big picture over the last mine months despite not knowing when her next race would be, as well as what has kept her motivated throughout all of the uncertainty. And, of course, she describes the race itself and how it all went down. I am so excited for Clarice and her future as a pro triathlete. It's going to be so bright! Follow Clarice on instagram @claricelorenzini.