"No one had me making the Olympic team, no one definitely had me winning, and in that moment I felt I proved myself right and I proved everyone else wrong." Masai Russell
On this episode of the Pivot Podcast in partnership with Fanatics, we sit down with Olympic gold medalist Masai Russell, who shocked the world when she took home the gold in the 100m hurdles at just 24 years old after finishing third in the Olympic qualifiers. Masai opens up to Ryan, Fred, and Channing about her journey, sharing how she pushed through the toughest mental and physical moments when quitting felt like her only option. Masai shares the mindset shift that helped her overcome the haters and self-doubt, and ultimately prove herself right- even when no one else had her making the Olympic team, let alone winning Gold in Paris.
The Kentucky Wildcat star is the NCAA record holder in the event, Masai has been incredibly dedicated to track and field since she was eight years old. Her passion for the sport runs deep, and she explains to the guys why her motivation has nothing to do with the money or the fame, but doing what she loves and letting the rest fall into place. The conversation is full of fun and genuine moments, giving us a glimpse into a young black woman with determination, discipline and reveals her future goals, from breaking world records to continuing to grow as an athlete and role model. But as sweet and well spoken as Masai is, don't let the cheery spirit fool you, Masai makes it clear, when it comes to competing, being a savage is all she knows.
Humbled by the opportunities and success in her young life, Masai is grounded by her family roots and uses her life experiences to offer insight into the future of sports, college NIL deals, promoting a personal brand using TikTok- where she shows off a more playful, personal side of herself to her 744K followers as a way of connecting with fans off the track, and feels the platform is beneficial for up-and-coming athletes in the space. She also reveals the most famous person in her Instagram, fills in Channing on what the Olympic Village is really like and the "anti-sex beds" as well as other stories that will lead you to wanting to hear more and more.
Masai ultimately wants to be the athlete role model she didn't always have growing up, and prove to the world that with hard work and the right mindset, anything is possible. Tap in to today's episode for an inside look at the next generation of Olympic athletes- if they're anything like Masai the USA is in good hands!
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