In this heartfelt episode, Will Reeve shares the profound loss of his parents, Christopher and Dana Reeve, and how their resilience shaped his optimistic outlook. He reflects on his father—celebrated as Superman—and finding purpose by honoring their legacy. Through the “Finding My Father" documentary, Will retraced his father’s journey to Mexico, connecting deeply with his parents’ spirit in moments like encountering grey whales, feeling their presence in cherished places. Beyond his role as a Good Morning America journalist, Will’s passion for storytelling shines as he champions stories of human triumph over adversity. Committed to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, he lives a life his parents would admire, driven by the belief that how we face challenges defines who we are.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
What is up, guys. Welcome back to Post Run High.
Before we get into today's conversation, I just want to
take a minute to share why this episode means so
much to me and really to this whole series. I've
always believed that telling real stories reminds us that we
are all human, especially when it comes to resilience. Today's guest,
Will Reeve, has been through so much. His dad, Christopher Reeve,
(00:25):
who many of us remember as Superman, was paralyzed in
a horseback riding accident when Will was really young, and
by the time Will was thirteen, he had lost both
of his parents. But instead of letting that define him,
Will has built a life fule of purpose. He's thriving
today as a journalist and as an advocate for spinal
cord injury research. I hope this conversation moves you as
(00:46):
much as it moved me, And with that being said,
let's get into our conversation today with Will Reeve. I'm
so excited, Will Reeve, but welcome to Post Run High.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Thank you, thank you for having me. I'm honored to
be here. I feel like I'm an esteemed company. You've
had some big names on this thing, lots of people
like to run and talk about their lives.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
I guess you did a great job, Will and I
just ran one mile through Brooklyn and it was a challenge.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
We got almost run over by two cars. Yeah, there
were at least two people on scooters. There was a
dog not on a leash. Those are the only obstacles. Ever.
The conversation was great.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Yeah, we definitely hit some obstacles today. I love a
chaotic grun through New York City.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
I feel like there is is there any other kind?
Speaker 3 (01:35):
There is no other kind.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
When's the last time you ran the mariton?
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Twenty twenty one?
Speaker 2 (01:39):
That's right, I ran it as well. I ran twenty
sixteen and twenty twenty one. I have run the New
York City Marathon two times on behalf of my family's foundation,
the Christopher and Dane Reeve Foundation. We have an arm
of it called Team Reeve, and we do a lot
of events like marathons and stuff like that. And we're
in New York, We've we're in Boston now, London, Marine Corps, Chicago,
(01:59):
and we raise millions of dollars just by people signing
up and running on behalf of the refoundation and the
trade off is we get you a bib in a
marathon you've always wanted to run. You have to raise
X number of dollars, and people always blow through those goals.
And I feel like, if I'm going to be asking
people to donate or to run, I gotta do it
from time to time. So yeah, I've done it twice.
(02:20):
And I go through phases where I love running, and
especially if I'm training for those marathons or half marathons
that I've run, I get into it, and then as
soon as I'm done with that, I'm like, I'm good
on the running, and then I'm off it for a while.
So I'm right now I'm kind of off it. I
more like to go to the gym or do yoga
or whatever.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
But I feel like that's a really healthy way to
be with running. And I always say that to people
that are that want to, you know, sign up for
a big race or get into running.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
I'm like, you can.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
You don't have to be one hundred percent all of
the time with running, Like you can go all in
for a little bit, train for a raise, complete that
goal of yours, and then take a little bit of
a break from it. I feel like that's the healthiest
way to approach running.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yeah, running is also a subjective act. You can go
as fast as slow as you want. No one actually cares.
And my whole thing is like, if you are lucky
enough to be able to move your body, do it.
That's all.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
I love that we touch on your foundation, and I
want to get into kind of the reason why behind it,
And I would love to start off this podcast by
just telling your story, because guys, it's absolutely incredible and
I'm so excited for everybody to hear it. You grew
up in Massachusetts and you were only two years old
when you're larger than life, dad suffered a life changing injury.
Can you take us back and tell us maybe some
(03:27):
of your earliest childhood memories and then just about your
childhood in general.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Sure, well, we'll start at the beginning. It was twelve
thirty seven pm on June seventh, nineteen ninety two. I
came into this world. So it makes me a Gemini
for all you people who love the uh what time
were you born trend? I don't know anything else about
what that means, but anyway, yes, I was born in Massachusetts.
My parents had met up there at a theater festival
in Williamstown, Mass and we bounced around a little bit.
(03:56):
I ended up living just outside New York City in
Westchester County, and I had such a great childhood because
I got to run around with my friends, and I
played sports, and I went to a great school, and
my passions were encouraged, and I felt safe and secure,
and I was raised with what I think to be
really good values. And I had incredible role models in
(04:16):
my parents, Christopher and Dane A Reeve. And yes, my
dad was injured. He was injured on Memorial Day of
nineteen ninety five, so just before my third birthday, and
that was a life changing in many ways, could have
been a life shattering event for all of us. But
I think my parents were the ultimate examples of courage
(04:36):
and commitment and compassion and resiliency and hope. That was
how they lived, That was the model they set for me.
Those are the traits that they instilled in me. And
we just had a great time. I didn't get to
necessarily play catch with my dad in the backyard, or
go on a run with my dad or anything like that,
but we still had a deep, meaningful bond that has
(04:58):
sustained me for so long, and the same thing with
my mom. And I grew up really active and engaged
in sports and in extracurriculars, and I did well enough
in school, and I had friends. I had a great
I have had such a great life, and I'm so
grateful for everything that has happened in that life, because
(05:20):
I've had some bad things happen. My dad's injury. Nine
years later he died. Right after that, my mom ended
up dying. I've dealt with some stuff, I've endured some tragedy,
but the good far out way is that bad. I
have lived an incredible life full of blessings and great fortune,
and I don't take any of that for granted, just
(05:41):
as I don't take for granted that I can get
out and run a mile with you, because I work
on behalf of a foundation that advocates for people who
can't do that and would give anything to walk across
a room, let alone run a mile. So I'm living
a good life, and I have for my whole life.
I've been very fortunate.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
It's so nice sitting down with you and you're so glass,
how full, and you're so optimistic, and you're so positive.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
It's all I knew. It's all I knew. My parents
just that's that was their currency, hope and optimisms. That's
all I knew. It was like, you just got to
be committed to what you believe in and if you
believe Look, I'll say, my dad always said, play the
hand you're delt if you think it's worthwhile. And whatever
hand I've been dealt, I think has been worth playing.
And optimism is in many ways can be a choice.
(06:28):
And I will say, by the way, thank you for
saying that I am a glass half full. Thank you
for those compliments. But I can get as negative and
as pessimistic and as complaining as anyone. Believe me, like
I can have big time mood swings. But on balance,
like the arc of my life, yes I'm optimistic because
I know that I'm living by the right values and
(06:49):
then I've got a great family and sports system and
that goes from work to life to all that stuff.
Like it's a why not be optimistic? That's my choice.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
For people that aren't familiar with your dad's story, let's
talk about, you know, the injury that he had, and
then maybe a little bit about who he was prior
and who he became after, because the after really I
think cemented his legacy.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Sure. So, my dad was an avid adventurer in many ways,
and that included being an expert horseback rider, to the
point that he entered competitions all over the world doing
cross country horseback riding. And in May of nineteen ninety five,
he was in a competition in Virginia. My mom and
I were there, not at the competition, we were nearby,
(07:36):
and it turned out that at three pm on May
twenty seventh, nineteen ninety five, my dad fell over the
front of his horse and landed on his head on
top of the jump that they were going over. And
if he had landed an inch or so to the left,
he would have gotten up and walked away. If he
had landed an inch the other way, he could have
been dead instantly. But he landed the way that he did,
(07:57):
and he was paralyzed from the neck down. He couldn't move,
he couldn't breathe on his own, and that was international
news because my dad was known as Superman back in
the late seventies. He was Superman. He was an unknown
actor at that point. I think he was twenty four
(08:17):
ish when he got the role. I think he was
twenty six when the movie actually came out, young Man
thrust into superstardom, and people thought that he was Superman
because he was big and strong and handsome and all
the things that Superman as the character is. That's how
he was in life too, And so that was the
tragic irony of it all that Superman now couldn't move.
(08:39):
But the tragic irony of the of the life away
from the camera was that this active dude who loved
to ski and run and ride bikes and play pond
hockey and wrestle with his kids couldn't do any of
that stuff either. So then after he was injured, my
dad became the face of spinal cord injury. He became
an icon of a movement that really didn't have much
(09:03):
movement behind it. At the time. Spinal cord injury and
disability more broadly were underfunded. There wasn't enough awareness, there
wasn't enough support, and my dad and my mom daneryve
changed all of that. My dad used his platform and
his connections and resources whatever he had to put pressure
(09:24):
on the political community, the scientific community, the medical community
to work to find cures for paralysis, while my mom
realized there's no handbook for any of this stuff. What
do you do when your husband is suddenly paralyzed and
you're now in charge of taking care of him and
your child and paying the bills and oh my god,
our house has steps where it needs a ramp. All
these things that you would never consider until you were
(09:47):
confronted with them in the worst possible moment. So she
went ahead and made a literal handbook that it's the
guide now. It was the genesis of what is now
called the Paralysis Resource Center, where we can help people
all around the country, all around the world deal with
their new reality in those most crucial moments that twenty
(10:07):
four to forty eight hours after the injury, we're in
every hospital and rehabacility around the country. And it's thanks
to my parents. And that's a very long answer, but
that was the breadth of their life in a lot
of ways. But there's more to them as well.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
I feel like it's such a good example of what
resilience looks like. We can't touch on Chris Reeve's story
right without mentioning data, So let's talk about resilience and
like what resilience means to you.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
That's a great question, what does resilience mean to me?
I will tell you that resilience is an essential tool
in the human toolkit. I think that humans, by nature
are resilient, and the more you can tap into your
own resiliency, the better you will be. You are equipped
to handle far more than you think. And I don't
(10:54):
wish anyone to be in a situation where their resiliency
necessarily has to be tested. But we know part of
the deal of being alive on this earth is that
you're going to face hard times and it's how you
respond to those hard times that defines who you are
and how you'll be remembered. And my parents are remembered
as heroes because of their resiliency. And I'm not talking
(11:17):
about the millions of people who think of my parents
as heroes, though they do. They're my heroes because of
how they responded to all of the challenges that life
presented them. They set such a model for me to
live my life. And I'm not saying that I'm some
resilient hero who always has the correct response to adversity. Whine,
(11:37):
I complain, I avoid, I deflect, I bargain, I do
all the stuff that isn't resilient and is in fact
more human like avoiding the pain. But on balance, I
think that resilience means facing these challenges that you inevitably
and invariably are presented with and giving it everything.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
You have so impressive, and you're incredibly humble because you
are so resilient, and I just I can't even imagine
what you went through losing not only one of your parents,
but both of your parents so close to one another.
I mean, it's horrible. You've obviously gone on, You've lived
this incredible career. You're creating an incredible legacy for yourself,
you know when you of course have these incredible values
(12:22):
that you've learned from your parents and you embody them.
And everybody listening to this interview can see that when
you went through this at such a young age, what
kept you so motivated.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
I was raised in a household where doing well in
school was non negotiable, So I don't actually know if
I was that motivated generally. I don't know if I
was the hardest worker. I just that was a thing
you had to do. You had to do well in school,
You had to do whatever you did, you had to
do well. Right, and failure was allowed, and experimentation was
(12:55):
encouraged in my household growing up like there was no
I never felt in the short time I had of
my parents, or after any undue expectations externally from anyone
saying you have to be this, that or the other.
But there were standards that had to be met academically,
standards that had to be met in the way of
how you treat other people, how you treat yourself, And
(13:20):
any time that I've not met those standards, I am
my own harshest critic. But I also know that I
have this amazing group of people in my life and
I always have who will hold me to account or
not let me get off the tracks and keep moving forward.
And I also know that I am trying my best
(13:41):
to honor my parents' legacy by being the person that
they would want me to be. And I don't judge
my daily life by the rubric of what I think
my parents would think of one decision or the other.
But on balance, I do try to uphold the values
that I know they instilled in me, and I guess
that's my motivation, but I don't think of it. It's
(14:03):
not It's not a conscious motivation. It's just sort of
the setting that I've been tuned to. I guess.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
When your parents passed away, who became the parental figure
for you?
Speaker 2 (14:25):
I was adopted by a very close family friend of ours. Like,
my life stayed about as as normal as it could
have given the circumstances. And I have I'm close with,
you know, my extended family and my half brother and sister,
Matthew and Alexander, who there's no half like. We share
a dad and not a mom, but we're as tight
(14:46):
as anyone could ever be. I've had them forever, and
their families have grown, and so my family has grown.
I've now got this amazing fiance of mine, Amanda, and
her family who are just so wonderful. So I've had
this growing but still very tight circle of support throughout
my life, and that's been if anything's made all the difference,
(15:10):
it's been the people I've been around, and that extends
to at work. The people who have supported me, believed
in me, encouraged me, taught me my social circle, my family, like,
I try my best to be around people who know
me for me and motivate me, because I'm actually not
that self motivated okay, Like that's why I sign up
(15:32):
for marathons.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
Let's talk about that.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
I'm not okay.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
I'm shocked by that.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
I am. I am driven, and I am ambitious, and
I am purposeful, and I have a plan long term
and short term. Like I'm very I'm committed to the
to the cause, whatever it is. But I'm lazy. So
that's why I need external motivators. I need to set
goals to reach, which might that might sound like it
(15:59):
is in itself self motivated, but to me, it's like
I signed up for the first marathon that I ran
in twenty sixteen because I was feeling like I was
not I wasn't accomplishing anything. I felt like I wasn't
doing anything. I was in my early to mid twenties.
I was like, I need to do something, so I'll
sign up for a marathon, like at least there's that,
and that will get me running because I was not
(16:19):
a runner, so like, at least that'll get me running.
And then I ended up loving it. And then I
came back and I was like, I want to do
it again, but I want to raise double the money
that I raised for the Refoundation the first time. The
second time, and that was my external motivator to like
really keep going, like do it run a better time.
I go to the gym or get exercise every day
(16:41):
because I know that I have to for my mental
and physical health, not because which I.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
But you're describing all of the things I'm self motivated.
Yes it does, but I.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Want to do it for other people like I want
to I will.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Okay, listen, I get it, Like, okay, So I'm curious here.
This is kind of a different direction too, is all right?
So I feel like, you know, we talked the importance
of like having you know, people in.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Your life that you love, trust, support you, lift you up.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
I don't want to let them down.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
You don't want to let them down.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
For me, it's so important to having like a supportive
partner in my life. And my fiance is literally my
rock through every single thing that I go through. Congratulations
on getting engaged.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
What would you say are the qualities about Amanda that
like really compliment you and help you stay self motivated?
Speaker 2 (17:23):
You know? Oh gosh, Oh she's just so great. She's
so awesome. She's she is so kind and compassionate. She
is an amazing friend. Above all else. She sees everybody
(17:45):
who for who they are, but she also sees their potential,
and she believes in people, and she helps people get
to where she knows they can be. And I know
that certainly she makes me want to be better in
some way for her at all times. Not that she's
holding me to some standard, not that she's dictating anything,
(18:08):
but I just I love her so much and I'm
so I admire her so much that I want to
do everything in my power for her to make our
life together better, to make her life easier and better,
to hopefully one day grow a beautiful family that has
the same values that we both have, because we both
come from really strong family units, and that's really family
(18:30):
is so central to each of us. She's so compassionate
and really fun, just like a great hang And if
you put all of those things together on package, it
sounds like it would be over stuff, but no, it all,
it all exists in Amanda, and I think I just
I like, right right now, while we're having this conversation,
(18:53):
she's out of town working, and I'm very sad about that.
I want to leave here and go home and talk
about how I did on this Podcas because she watches
she before before I actually was I knew I was
coming on here, but I hadn't yet told Amanda, and
she shows me like, you should do this. It showed
(19:13):
up on whether it was her TikTok or her Instagram
or something. She's like, you should do this, like running show.
I'm like, I actually just got asked to do it.
So she's a fan. Well, I don't know, not enough
time in the day to talk about all the ways
that Amanda motivates me to be a better version of
myself because I want to be great for her and
for our family one day.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Yeah, and you are self motivated. So that was like
a long circle. But you are self motivating.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Apreciate that. But it's really like, I don't want to
let people down. I'm the ultimate people pleaser. So it's
like that's kind of why I don't think of it
as self motivation, because I'm like, I know a lot
of people believe in me. I gotta make sure their
bets pay off. That's kind of the difference in my mind.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
I congratulated you on this before we started, but I
watched your documentary last night Finding My Father and guys,
if you haven't seen it. After this interview, you're gonna
go have to go and watch it. It is so
beautifully done, It is so good. What made you want
to finally share your story now? Because I know you
said that this is something that you've wanted to do
for a while, So why now?
Speaker 2 (20:12):
So I had to back up. Right before my dad
was injured in nineteen ninety five, he had been spending
parts of a full year following the migration of the
Pacific gray whale from the far reaches of Alaska up
in the Arctic Circle down to Baja Mexico. It's the
longest migration of any mammal. My dad flew his own
(20:33):
plane to follow them. He scuba dived with them, He
met locals and natives in both Alaska and in Mexico,
and it all became this hour long documentary that I
watched on repeat because it was the last thing my
dad ever filmed before his accident. And I didn't have
much experience with my dad, not in a wheelchair, so
(20:56):
it was a portal for me into a version of
him that I didn't get enough time with, and a
version I wanted to get to know better. So then
as I grew up and I developed my own interests
and passions and skills and talent. I realized that I
needed to go to those places that he went and
(21:18):
see what he saw, and hopefully find the people that
he found and turn it into a product, in this case,
a documentary that might be able to give people a
portal into their own relationships with their father or mother
or someone else they loved but didn't know enough or
(21:40):
want to know more about. So that was almost a
lifelong pursuit. But then I got really serious about it
about three years ago. I realized, all right, I've I
think I understand how to do this, and I think
I know who to talk to, and if not, they'll
help me. And bump up, up, up, And we finally
figured it all out. And it started with a cold
(22:01):
email to the son of the man who took my
dad around in Mexico. I reached out to him. He
responded and said he was running the family business now
and I should come down. So I did that, brought
a camera crew down to this remote outpost in a
lagoon in Mexico hang out with Pancho Myrale, son of Pachico.
(22:22):
So he took Pachico took my dad around, Pancho took
me around, did the same thing up in Alaska with
the son of the guy who took my dad around Alaska,
and it was an exploration of the connectivity between generations
using the whales and the connectivity between their generations that
have been going on for millennia. They do the same
migration migratory pattern every year, and it just it was
(22:42):
so enriching for me as a son to understand that
I had this profound connection to my dad, separated by
thirty years in space and time, but connected by the
fact that we were both there thirty years apart, seeing
(23:03):
the same things, finding versions of the same people, next
generations of the same people, and learning that in each
of these remote places, those people who met my dad
remembered him not because he was superman, but because of
how he treated them and for how he moved through
(23:24):
the world as human being, the values that he brought
with him, the spirit that he carried in any any interaction.
And that's what made me proud as his son. It
is like, oh, my dad was just like a great person,
and I wanted to share that with everyone, and so
I did, and we put it on put it on TV,
(23:45):
and it was cool. It was also something I wanted
to accomplish because not to brag, but I was sort
of the driving force behind this whole thing. I came
up with the idea, I did a lot of the writing.
I'm in every frame of the thing, and I had
such I mean, I had a dream to of people
helping me, including Diane Sawyer the Legend, Robin Roberts the
(24:05):
Legend as executive producers and guides and mentors to me
as they have been for a really long time. Having
their names associated with this helped me get into rooms
and open doors that I might not otherwise be able to,
and it gave it some legitimacy, I think beyond just oh,
here's will like this is a nice idea, a cute idea,
(24:26):
but see how it goes when you get some of
the names involved that we had. It added heft to it.
And I was so grateful to the support that ABC
and Disney showed to it to promote it and share
my story. I'm forever grateful. And I really wanted to
do this because it's my thing that I made, and
(24:47):
it was a part of my story and my dad's
story that didn't get told in the theatrical documentary that
came out about my dad that is a amazing as
well and has won a bunch of awards and all
these things. It's been twenty years now since my dad died.
It's crazy, so I wanted to This is a good
(25:08):
time for people to remember.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Remember when you were younger and watching clips from your
dad's journey. Was there one that when you went back
to recreate it for the documentary that you just put out.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
Was there one experience.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
That he had that was always your favorite that you
always hyper fixated on that you really wanted to do.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Yes, there was a list of them, but the number
one at the top by a mile was I needed
to touch a grey whale. There is this lagoon in Mexico,
son Ignacio Lagoon is one of the only places on
Earth where these wild animals, gray whales forty feet long,
weighing many many thousands of pounds, will come up to
your tiny little boat and invite you to touch them.
(25:53):
It's not a petting zoo, This isn't SeaWorld, it's not
this is a wild lagoon, but these whales. Thanks to
that man Pachico who took my dad around. Turns out
that they're really friendly and social and invite human interaction
because they trust humans. And my dad got to touch
(26:14):
a whale in this documentary that he made in nineteen
ninety five, and I have wanted to go do that
since the moment I saw that as a little kid.
So if I do nothing else, I need to go
touch a whale because my dad did, and how cool
would that be? Whales have always been my favorite animal
(26:35):
because my dad loved the whales, and I wanted to
be like my dad, so I loved whales.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
Did filming the doc change the way you saw your
dad in any way?
Speaker 2 (26:44):
I didn't going in. I didn't know if it would
or not. I thought I spend a lot of time
thinking about and talking about my parents. It's a way
to keep them present with me and hopefully in the
minds of other people, because I think what my parents
represented and who they were is worth carrying with us
in the present day. We could use more people like
my parents in today's world. So I talk about them.
(27:07):
I think about them all the time, and as a result,
I feel like I know who they were, right. I
think I knew pretty much everything. And I went into
this project, wondering am I gonna look? Is there gonna
be some revelation, And what ultimately ended up happening was
(27:27):
a crystallization, like the ultimate clarification or confirmation of how
my dad was as a person, what his passions were,
what his values were, what his sense of humor was like,
what his sense of adventure was like, all these things
(27:49):
that I knew and I had been told and I
had sort of seen on film that never really got
to experience. But getting to go to these places there
was there's some sort of special energy there. There were
moments where I would be sitting out on this lagoon
waiting for a whale to show up and maybe let
(28:10):
us touch it, or like I'd just be sitting out
there staring off into the distance, and I would realize,
like I'm in the I know that I am in
the exact physical spot within this lagoon where my dad
was because I recognize it, and here I am, and
I am filled with such enthusiasm and childish wonder and gratitude,
and I know he was too. And that was I
(28:32):
don't mean to get too woo woo on you here,
because it wasn't.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
No, let's get woo woo. I feel like you were
literally seeing the world through his eyes.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
There you go. See, that's exactly what I'm trying to say.
But I'm giving you all these like long winded answers.
That's it. I was seeing the world through his eyes,
and that made me feel closer to him.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
Of course it did.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
That's what I was looking for. Gosh, where were you
on like the original press tour for this, I wasn't
like feeling his spirit. Maybe I was, I don't know,
that's what I'm Sally, I'm not sure you were. I
was feeling an immense and profound connection to him and
my mom because I was in it. I was in
(29:09):
these places that I know they would have wanted me
to be in it. It was like a life checkpoint
because not only did I get myself to these gorgeous,
like naturally beautiful places in the world that deserve to
be seen and then shown to the world, that was
an accomplishment, right. Not only did I engage with the
(29:31):
people who live and die there and usually don't really
leave and get to learn more about them and share
their stories with the world. That's an accomplishment that's worthy
of pride and not only did I have a really
good time. I was like, was I happy doing it?
Which they would have wanted, but I was doing it
(29:52):
on my terms, on my own path. I was there
because I work for ABC News, and I I had
done all the necessary work to get people to believe
in me enough to go to do this thing that
they also thought was a good idea. And my parents
would have been really proud of the initiative that I
had taken to go make this thing, Like they were
(30:14):
seeing the whole confluence of all my dreams and passions
and skills and talents coming together. And I felt really
proud about that. They felt like an accomplishment just to
go there, Like I'm doing a thing that they would
love and that was cool.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
It is cool, and you did it in your own way,
and it's I think what is so amazing about it
is exactly what you said. I love the word storytelling.
I mean, you've become a journalist, right. I think it's
so fun that you got to do a passion project
that means so much to you and is so you.
And it's just really cool for people to look beneath
the covers a little bit and see, like what's going
on in like Will's mind. And you know they see
(30:49):
you all the time on TV, but it's cool to
feel that personal.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Connection with you.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
I feel like a few things going on in my
mind at once.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
As we start talking about your career that you've built
for yourself, let's dive into journalism. How did you become
interested in storytelling?
Speaker 2 (31:15):
I got pieces of it along the way. When I
was a kid. I wanted to be a professional athlete,
and then I got to middle school and realized that
that was not possible because I wasn't good enough at
the sports I wanted to go pro in. So then
I decided I wanted to work at ESPN because that's
where you go to talk about sports, right, so that's
the next best thing. And I was always good at writing.
I love to talk, I like to tell stories, I
(31:39):
like people, I like travel, And turns out that journalism
is a lot more than just that. But those were
the basic building blocks that got me interested in wanting
to do it. And then I interned at ABC News
in college and fell deeply in love with it, and
I knew immediately that I had to work at ABC
(32:00):
and at GMA specifically. That was the goal. Always like
I'm gonna be on Good Morning America. That's what I
really wanted to do, and I was sort of secretly,
privately strategically orienting all of my life around that. And
so to get to now do that every day with
Robin and Michael and George and everybody else is such
a privilege. It's so fun. It's really challenging, but in
(32:23):
a great way, and I love it and have I
still have so much to prove and so much to learn,
and so much left to do, but where I'm at
right now, I'm incredibly grateful. I just I feel this
interesting balance of gratitude and fulfillment that isn't complacency, like
I haven't made it, but I've achieved some goals, which
(32:47):
then makes it time to set new goals. And on
post Run High part two some other time we can
discuss at the.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
End of this, we're gonna touch quickly on like new
goals and kind of what you have that you're looking
forward to that we can shout out and just get
people excited. Fork But on the topic of what you
do for a living, you're so young, it is so
cool to see how much you've accomplished.
Speaker 3 (33:08):
I mean, it's incredible for me to say, yeah, I mean,
I'm sitting. My favorite thing to do.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
We talked about this before, but my favorite thing to
do is to interview journalists and interview people that work
for networks and are in the industry because I want
to be a journalist.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
You know you are being a journalist right now. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
How am I doing?
Speaker 2 (33:26):
You're doing great? Guys, you being awesome and you did
You don't need my approval for that. You're crushing it.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Well. I want to ask you what are your favorite
stories to report on and maybe why.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
My favorite type of stories are any that involve people
overcoming the odds. That and that can take so many forms.
That can be people rebuilding after a natural disaster. That
could be a sports story where you know, the team
comes back and wins the big game when no one
(33:56):
thought they could. That could be a town rallying around
a member one of their own who is going through
a hard time. I love those stories because I enjoy
exposing the best of humanity, and I think the best
of humanity exists when people have to triumph over adversity,
(34:20):
and adversity doesn't necessarily have to be obvious, it doesn't
have to be a natural disaster, it can be doesn't
have to be a disease or a spinal cord injury.
It can be doesn't have to be a huge deficit
in the fourth quarter, the big game that you overcome,
but it can be. Adversity knocks on everyone's door every
(34:41):
day in some way, shape or form, and we all
possess the ability to overcome it. So if I can
be there to shine a light on everyday people who
are triumphing over some sort of long odds, in whatever
form that takes, that makes me feel like I've contributed
(35:02):
to the human experience, which sounds maybe super pretentious, because.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
No, it doesn't. You're so humble. I don't know, well,
I feel like you saidcond guess things that.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
You say, but you are so My therapist tells me
that I qualify too many things.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
It makes so much sense that those are your favorite
stories to tell because you have faced so much adversity
in your life and you've figured out ways to overcome
it and you know still thrive and you know not
like let really traumatic scenarios bring you down.
Speaker 3 (35:31):
So like you are the perfect person to be having
those conversations.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
And I love that. I love that you use the
word humanity. My favorite thing to do with interviews is
to show the humanity and people, whoever you are, from,
whatever walks the walk of life, whatever you believe in,
there's humanity and everybody, and I think everybody has the
right to share their story. I love asking reporters this
and journalists this, because it's different for everybody.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
What does preparation look like for.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
You when you're getting ready, maybe just to go on
Good Morning America or to cover a big story.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
Preparation for me start the night before I whatever I'm
working on, whether I'm out in the field, meaning on assignment,
or if I'm home and I'm gonna be in the
studio the next morning. I'm making sure that everything that
I have written that I that I then track into
my little microphone and either in a coat closet or
(36:20):
under a duvet cover, it depends. Make sure that's all
as buttoned up as it can be. Everything is factual
and informative and hopefully entertaining on top of it. If
the story allows for entertainment, I'm making sure that I've
read everything about the subject, or watched everything or whatever.
If I'm covering a sports story, I try to watch
(36:41):
the games. If I'm not at the game itself and
I try to get sleep, it doesn't work. I need,
I really need to step up my sleep stack, as
they call it. I gotta get better about sleeping. I
put together my little green juice concoction with some amino
acids in there and some creatine and all that. Shake
(37:03):
that up. Put it in the fridge. I make either
a smoothie or an overnight oats or or something for
breakfast that I put in temperware. Put that in the fridge.
I pre make the coffee for Amanda because she wakes
up later than I do, so I set the timer
on the coffee machine and get in bed. I try
to read. I'll read anything. I'll read fiction, non fiction,
(37:26):
doesn't matter. Spend time with Amanda, spend time with our
dog Stella. That's my preparation. Morning of wake up. Close
are already laid out, Get dressed in the dark. That's
why the clothes are already laid out. So I don't
like I have a mismatch.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
Shoot, yeah, cannot wake up at Amanda. You guys are
up so early for yourself.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
We get I get up very early, not as early
as other people. But I do get up pretty early,
like in the fives, like five, and then I go
to work and I I try to be the best
I've ever been, and sometimes I am and sometimes I'm not,
and I'm okay with either, and then I just keep
it moving.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
Yeah, keep it moving. That's that's what you got to do.
Speaker 2 (38:04):
Do other people give better answers, like really specific answer.
Speaker 3 (38:06):
Your answers are incredible.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
No, but thank you, But on that one, like does
someone else, like who has a no?
Speaker 1 (38:12):
People say the same thing, Like, I think that the
biggest commonality that I've heard through everybody, through Lindsay Davis,
through Dana Prino, through youth is preparation is key. And
whatever you're doing that can look like what you were
just describing as your you know, your routine the night before,
the routine in the morning of, Like those are all
part of your preparation, right, because it gets you in
the right headspace, It gets you ready to go for
the day, It makes you less nervous, makes you less nervous,
(38:32):
less unknown. Yeah, there's confidence that comes from a routine.
And there's nothing better than confidence when it comes.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
From your creature of habit and routine. And I don't
have a job that really allows for it, because I
can get a call at any moment saying you're on
a plane to hear or this is your new story
or whatever. But it's that's what I signed up for.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
So what is the biggest lesson you've learned in your
career to date?
Speaker 2 (38:54):
Oh? Boy, the biggest lesson I've learned. I think this
is the umbrella lesson, and then there are smaller lessons
that we don't have to get into. But the biggest
lesson that I've learned is show up. And that can
mean whatever you wanted to mean. I think it means
show up, like be there, whether it's show up at
the story, show up at the office, and meet new people,
(39:19):
ask them to be your mentors, like develop relationships and
a network within your own within your own organization or
within your own industry. Show up for people emotionally and spiritually,
as a friend, as a colleague, and in my business
and in the news business, showing up is like a
huge part of getting ahead, just being there on time,
(39:41):
being reliable, like if you can be physically where you
need to be and do a good job when you
are there, whether that's on camera or off you're going
to be miles ahead because some people don't show up,
either physically or in the more metaphysical sense. So I
would say show up and then also be kind. Kindness
(40:01):
costs nothing, and the ROI on kindness is exponential.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
Do whatever you need to do the morning of to
get yourself in the right headspace to make sure that
everybody you meet your bringing the right energy.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
To Yeah, you want to be an energy there's what.
There's a thermostat and a thermometer. One takes the temperature,
one sets the temperature. The thermostat sets the temperature, right,
I don't know. Yes, thermometer is what you like put
when you're yes. So a thermostat is what you do
on the wall. Yeah, sets the temperature. You want to
be a thermostat. You want to be setting the temperature,
(40:35):
setting the energy. You want to be an energy fountain,
not a drain. All you've probably heard all these.
Speaker 3 (40:40):
Sometimes I can be both, but I do no one
can too.
Speaker 2 (40:42):
Like that's the thing you don't have to be. Nobody
is all always just one thing. Like you've been very
kind to say that I'm humble, but I'm not always
like I have plenty of an ego, but I reserve
that for moments where I think that's appropriate, or even
when it's not appropriate it's on camera or whether it's
(41:03):
ego or you said that I'm always positive, which I
try to be, but there are times that I'm not
because I'm a human being, like I live a full
human experience, and that's I think why I have found
some level of success in my job is because I
understand that every single person that you've ever encountered is
just doing the best they can to figure it out
at any given moment. No one's better than anybody else.
(41:25):
No one really knows what they're doing. If you just
approach something with the right attitude, that's like more than
half of the battle.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
You know what I want to ask you?
Speaker 2 (41:33):
You ask whatever you want.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
So I am two years into being on camera a lot.
I'm about a year into doing this podcast, which is
the first time I've been on camera in a long
form setting.
Speaker 3 (41:43):
I love it. I'm having so much fun with it.
Speaker 1 (41:45):
You work in the industry, You've got so many incredible
mentors around you. You know that I've done this for years.
I'm sure I've given you great advice. What is a
tip for me? That you have about being on camera
to make sure you're always showing up as your best self, Like,
are there little tips that you've learned along the way,
adds a journalist, And this is good advice for people
that want to get into broadcaster.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
I would so I have some like I have some
tips that you would hear at like a commencement address,
or I have some actual practical tips. I'll give you
both the practical tips. Take a deep breath or two
before you're about to be on camera in whatever form.
Just reset the nervous system, whatever you do to sort
of center yourself. For me, it's just some deep breaths,
(42:26):
just just to get the nerves out. Whatever that looks
like for you. Do that. If I'm really nervous, I
will try to make conversation with people around me, so
I forget that I'm like about to be on camera,
because I still do get the butterflies that Like. I
take my job really seriously, I take my performance really seriously.
I take my product, like whatever I'm delivering really seriously.
(42:49):
So I want to do a good job. But sometimes
that means that I'm like gripping on too tightly to
the thing, and I need to loosen up. So that
means that I'll just like chat with whoever off camera
to get the nerve energy out that helps breathing. That
being prepared, generally are the good tips and the sort
of graduation commencement address advice. Version of that is be yourself,
(43:17):
which I'm sure you've heard a million times. I've heard
it a million times. For the longest time, I didn't
know what that meant, because like, all right, yeah, like
I'll be myself, Like sure, But as I've been doing
what I do longer and longer, the more I realize
(43:37):
we're all unique. We all bring our unique experiences and
histories to whatever we're doing. But as I've actually been
more myself, the more confidence I get, I'm like, oh,
I just I know my subject matter, and I know
that I'm decent enough at the blocking and tackling and
(43:59):
x's and o's like being on TV in terms of
which camera to look at and how to read a
teleprompter or write a script. I can just relax and
be me like i'd be with my buddies or with
my fiance whenever that situation calls for it, And that
is going to cut through to the audience. To the viewer,
(44:21):
to the listener. Whatever. The authenticity that you bring, and
I mean you specifically, the authenticity that you bring to
what you do is what is going to set you
apart from anyone else who might try to imitate what
you do and don't lose that just be you and
you already are, so you don't need You might think
(44:41):
you need my advice, but you don't. But that is
my advice anyway.
Speaker 1 (44:45):
It's such good advice and I'm so happy that I
have it on camera to like always look back to. Seriously,
this entire interview is like, is like mentorship for me.
Speaker 2 (44:52):
Very kind of well, hey, as you probably already know,
and if you don't, life is just is a series
of networks that you we are sort of responsible for
building and finding mentors in whatever you do. It doesn't
have to be anything that's ever televised or broadcast to
the world in any form. Finding people who you look
up to and trust and know will help you get
(45:16):
to be the best version of yourself in whatever your
pursuit is is essential to living I think, a happy life,
and certainly essential to progressing in one's career.
Speaker 3 (45:26):
We've talked about so much.
Speaker 1 (45:27):
I feel like I could talk to you for hours,
and we could go in so many different directions, and
I still have so many questions for you. But I
want to know what is next for you? What do
you have going on that you're really excited about. What
can we be on the lookout for?
Speaker 2 (45:37):
Tell us Let's be on the lookout for the GMA
five K. This is a running podcast, running adjacent podcast.
I finally stopped sweating the GMA five K May fourteenth,
nationwide virtual race. All abilities welcome you follow GMA Good
Morning America on Strava. You get involved. We're going to
(45:59):
be broadcasting from around the country, including in New York
at Governor's Island. I'll be there. Robin Roberts is running.
Ginger Z, our chief meteorologist, is running and doing the
weather at the same time, which I can't wait to
see how that turns out. I don't I think I'll
be there running. I'll maybe I'll be just handing out water.
I'll be there with enthusiasm and support. But we're we're
(46:20):
doing it in conjunction with some important charities doing great work,
Achilles International Helping Disabled People for All Mothers, which is
helping moms stay active and get active despite all the
barriers to that in a lot of mothers' lives. It's
just gonna be a good time. There's gonna be a
band there. I don't know what else we have in store.
It's gonna be a five K, but morning TV extravaganza fied,
(46:44):
so it's gonna be great.
Speaker 3 (46:45):
I am so excited.
Speaker 1 (46:47):
Guys, May fourteenth, be on the lookout for more updates
about the GMA five K. I am gonna be there hopefully,
fingers crossed. I am going to try to be there.
Speaker 2 (46:56):
Also, I have to be there that early.
Speaker 1 (46:58):
You should, Yes, I think I should. And I also
feel like I need to get the weather woman on camera.
Speaker 2 (47:03):
Yeah, you got to get Ginger on there.
Speaker 3 (47:04):
Ginger doing the weather, I'd be iconic.
Speaker 2 (47:05):
But like, I've looked at the weather while I've been running,
but it's just me pulling up the weather app on
my phone. I feel like she's gonna be doing something
a little more involved.
Speaker 3 (47:12):
I'm really curious to see what she's doing. Well, thank
you so much for being here with me today.
Speaker 2 (47:16):
You're having me this is awesome. I'm just like we've
only just met, but I've watched your stuff from Afar
and honored to be in the company that I'm in,
with the folks that you've had on and I am
very impressed by what you're building, and just keep building it,
keep running fast, thank you so much, but not too
fast because I no one can talk about
What is up, guys. Welcome back to Post Run High.
Before we get into today's conversation, I just want to
take a minute to share why this episode means so
much to me and really to this whole series. I've
always believed that telling real stories reminds us that we
are all human, especially when it comes to resilience. Today's guest,
Will Reeve, has been through so much. His dad, Christopher Reeve,
(00:25):
who many of us remember as Superman, was paralyzed in
a horseback riding accident when Will was really young, and
by the time Will was thirteen, he had lost both
of his parents. But instead of letting that define him,
Will has built a life fule of purpose. He's thriving
today as a journalist and as an advocate for spinal
cord injury research. I hope this conversation moves you as
(00:46):
much as it moved me, And with that being said,
let's get into our conversation today with Will Reeve. I'm
so excited, Will Reeve, but welcome to Post Run High.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Thank you, thank you for having me. I'm honored to
be here. I feel like I'm an esteemed company. You've
had some big names on this thing, lots of people
like to run and talk about their lives.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
I guess you did a great job, Will and I
just ran one mile through Brooklyn and it was a challenge.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
We got almost run over by two cars. Yeah, there
were at least two people on scooters. There was a
dog not on a leash. Those are the only obstacles. Ever.
The conversation was great.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Yeah, we definitely hit some obstacles today. I love a
chaotic grun through New York City.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
I feel like there is is there any other kind?
Speaker 3 (01:35):
There is no other kind.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
When's the last time you ran the mariton?
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Twenty twenty one?
Speaker 2 (01:39):
That's right, I ran it as well. I ran twenty
sixteen and twenty twenty one. I have run the New
York City Marathon two times on behalf of my family's foundation,
the Christopher and Dane Reeve Foundation. We have an arm
of it called Team Reeve, and we do a lot
of events like marathons and stuff like that. And we're
in New York, We've we're in Boston now, London, Marine Corps, Chicago,
(01:59):
and we raise millions of dollars just by people signing
up and running on behalf of the refoundation and the
trade off is we get you a bib in a
marathon you've always wanted to run. You have to raise
X number of dollars, and people always blow through those goals.
And I feel like, if I'm going to be asking
people to donate or to run, I gotta do it
from time to time. So yeah, I've done it twice.
(02:20):
And I go through phases where I love running, and
especially if I'm training for those marathons or half marathons
that I've run, I get into it, and then as
soon as I'm done with that, I'm like, I'm good
on the running, and then I'm off it for a while.
So I'm right now I'm kind of off it. I
more like to go to the gym or do yoga
or whatever.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
But I feel like that's a really healthy way to
be with running. And I always say that to people
that are that want to, you know, sign up for
a big race or get into running.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
I'm like, you can.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
You don't have to be one hundred percent all of
the time with running, Like you can go all in
for a little bit, train for a raise, complete that
goal of yours, and then take a little bit of
a break from it. I feel like that's the healthiest
way to approach running.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yeah, running is also a subjective act. You can go
as fast as slow as you want. No one actually cares.
And my whole thing is like, if you are lucky
enough to be able to move your body, do it.
That's all.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
I love that we touch on your foundation, and I
want to get into kind of the reason why behind it,
And I would love to start off this podcast by
just telling your story, because guys, it's absolutely incredible and
I'm so excited for everybody to hear it. You grew
up in Massachusetts and you were only two years old
when you're larger than life, dad suffered a life changing injury.
Can you take us back and tell us maybe some
(03:27):
of your earliest childhood memories and then just about your
childhood in general.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Sure, well, we'll start at the beginning. It was twelve
thirty seven pm on June seventh, nineteen ninety two. I
came into this world. So it makes me a Gemini
for all you people who love the uh what time
were you born trend? I don't know anything else about
what that means, but anyway, yes, I was born in Massachusetts.
My parents had met up there at a theater festival
in Williamstown, Mass and we bounced around a little bit.
(03:56):
I ended up living just outside New York City in
Westchester County, and I had such a great childhood because
I got to run around with my friends, and I
played sports, and I went to a great school, and
my passions were encouraged, and I felt safe and secure,
and I was raised with what I think to be
really good values. And I had incredible role models in
(04:16):
my parents, Christopher and Dane A Reeve. And yes, my
dad was injured. He was injured on Memorial Day of
nineteen ninety five, so just before my third birthday, and
that was a life changing in many ways, could have
been a life shattering event for all of us. But
I think my parents were the ultimate examples of courage
(04:36):
and commitment and compassion and resiliency and hope. That was
how they lived, That was the model they set for me.
Those are the traits that they instilled in me. And
we just had a great time. I didn't get to
necessarily play catch with my dad in the backyard, or
go on a run with my dad or anything like that,
but we still had a deep, meaningful bond that has
(04:58):
sustained me for so long, and the same thing with
my mom. And I grew up really active and engaged
in sports and in extracurriculars, and I did well enough
in school, and I had friends. I had a great
I have had such a great life, and I'm so
grateful for everything that has happened in that life, because
(05:20):
I've had some bad things happen. My dad's injury. Nine
years later he died. Right after that, my mom ended
up dying. I've dealt with some stuff, I've endured some tragedy,
but the good far out way is that bad. I
have lived an incredible life full of blessings and great fortune,
and I don't take any of that for granted, just
(05:41):
as I don't take for granted that I can get
out and run a mile with you, because I work
on behalf of a foundation that advocates for people who
can't do that and would give anything to walk across
a room, let alone run a mile. So I'm living
a good life, and I have for my whole life.
I've been very fortunate.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
It's so nice sitting down with you and you're so glass,
how full, and you're so optimistic, and you're so positive.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
It's all I knew. It's all I knew. My parents
just that's that was their currency, hope and optimisms. That's
all I knew. It was like, you just got to
be committed to what you believe in and if you
believe Look, I'll say, my dad always said, play the
hand you're delt if you think it's worthwhile. And whatever
hand I've been dealt, I think has been worth playing.
And optimism is in many ways can be a choice.
(06:28):
And I will say, by the way, thank you for
saying that I am a glass half full. Thank you
for those compliments. But I can get as negative and
as pessimistic and as complaining as anyone. Believe me, like
I can have big time mood swings. But on balance,
like the arc of my life, yes I'm optimistic because
I know that I'm living by the right values and
(06:49):
then I've got a great family and sports system and
that goes from work to life to all that stuff.
Like it's a why not be optimistic? That's my choice.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
For people that aren't familiar with your dad's story, let's
talk about, you know, the injury that he had, and
then maybe a little bit about who he was prior
and who he became after, because the after really I
think cemented his legacy.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Sure. So, my dad was an avid adventurer in many ways,
and that included being an expert horseback rider, to the
point that he entered competitions all over the world doing
cross country horseback riding. And in May of nineteen ninety five,
he was in a competition in Virginia. My mom and
I were there, not at the competition, we were nearby,
(07:36):
and it turned out that at three pm on May
twenty seventh, nineteen ninety five, my dad fell over the
front of his horse and landed on his head on
top of the jump that they were going over. And
if he had landed an inch or so to the left,
he would have gotten up and walked away. If he
had landed an inch the other way, he could have
been dead instantly. But he landed the way that he did,
(07:57):
and he was paralyzed from the neck down. He couldn't move,
he couldn't breathe on his own, and that was international
news because my dad was known as Superman back in
the late seventies. He was Superman. He was an unknown
actor at that point. I think he was twenty four
(08:17):
ish when he got the role. I think he was
twenty six when the movie actually came out, young Man
thrust into superstardom, and people thought that he was Superman
because he was big and strong and handsome and all
the things that Superman as the character is. That's how
he was in life too, And so that was the
tragic irony of it all that Superman now couldn't move.
(08:39):
But the tragic irony of the of the life away
from the camera was that this active dude who loved
to ski and run and ride bikes and play pond
hockey and wrestle with his kids couldn't do any of
that stuff either. So then after he was injured, my
dad became the face of spinal cord injury. He became
an icon of a movement that really didn't have much
(09:03):
movement behind it. At the time. Spinal cord injury and
disability more broadly were underfunded. There wasn't enough awareness, there
wasn't enough support, and my dad and my mom daneryve
changed all of that. My dad used his platform and
his connections and resources whatever he had to put pressure
(09:24):
on the political community, the scientific community, the medical community
to work to find cures for paralysis, while my mom
realized there's no handbook for any of this stuff. What
do you do when your husband is suddenly paralyzed and
you're now in charge of taking care of him and
your child and paying the bills and oh my god,
our house has steps where it needs a ramp. All
these things that you would never consider until you were
(09:47):
confronted with them in the worst possible moment. So she
went ahead and made a literal handbook that it's the
guide now. It was the genesis of what is now
called the Paralysis Resource Center, where we can help people
all around the country, all around the world deal with
their new reality in those most crucial moments that twenty
(10:07):
four to forty eight hours after the injury, we're in
every hospital and rehabacility around the country. And it's thanks
to my parents. And that's a very long answer, but
that was the breadth of their life in a lot
of ways. But there's more to them as well.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
I feel like it's such a good example of what
resilience looks like. We can't touch on Chris Reeve's story
right without mentioning data, So let's talk about resilience and
like what resilience means to you.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
That's a great question, what does resilience mean to me?
I will tell you that resilience is an essential tool
in the human toolkit. I think that humans, by nature
are resilient, and the more you can tap into your
own resiliency, the better you will be. You are equipped
to handle far more than you think. And I don't
(10:54):
wish anyone to be in a situation where their resiliency
necessarily has to be tested. But we know part of
the deal of being alive on this earth is that
you're going to face hard times and it's how you
respond to those hard times that defines who you are
and how you'll be remembered. And my parents are remembered
as heroes because of their resiliency. And I'm not talking
(11:17):
about the millions of people who think of my parents
as heroes, though they do. They're my heroes because of
how they responded to all of the challenges that life
presented them. They set such a model for me to
live my life. And I'm not saying that I'm some
resilient hero who always has the correct response to adversity. Whine,
(11:37):
I complain, I avoid, I deflect, I bargain, I do
all the stuff that isn't resilient and is in fact
more human like avoiding the pain. But on balance, I
think that resilience means facing these challenges that you inevitably
and invariably are presented with and giving it everything.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
You have so impressive, and you're incredibly humble because you
are so resilient, and I just I can't even imagine
what you went through losing not only one of your parents,
but both of your parents so close to one another.
I mean, it's horrible. You've obviously gone on, You've lived
this incredible career. You're creating an incredible legacy for yourself,
you know when you of course have these incredible values
(12:22):
that you've learned from your parents and you embody them.
And everybody listening to this interview can see that when
you went through this at such a young age, what
kept you so motivated.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
I was raised in a household where doing well in
school was non negotiable, So I don't actually know if
I was that motivated generally. I don't know if I
was the hardest worker. I just that was a thing
you had to do. You had to do well in school,
You had to do whatever you did, you had to
do well. Right, and failure was allowed, and experimentation was
(12:55):
encouraged in my household growing up like there was no
I never felt in the short time I had of
my parents, or after any undue expectations externally from anyone
saying you have to be this, that or the other.
But there were standards that had to be met academically,
standards that had to be met in the way of
how you treat other people, how you treat yourself, And
(13:20):
any time that I've not met those standards, I am
my own harshest critic. But I also know that I
have this amazing group of people in my life and
I always have who will hold me to account or
not let me get off the tracks and keep moving forward.
And I also know that I am trying my best
(13:41):
to honor my parents' legacy by being the person that
they would want me to be. And I don't judge
my daily life by the rubric of what I think
my parents would think of one decision or the other.
But on balance, I do try to uphold the values
that I know they instilled in me, and I guess
that's my motivation, but I don't think of it. It's
(14:03):
not It's not a conscious motivation. It's just sort of
the setting that I've been tuned to. I guess.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
When your parents passed away, who became the parental figure
for you?
Speaker 2 (14:25):
I was adopted by a very close family friend of ours. Like,
my life stayed about as as normal as it could
have given the circumstances. And I have I'm close with,
you know, my extended family and my half brother and sister,
Matthew and Alexander, who there's no half like. We share
a dad and not a mom, but we're as tight
(14:46):
as anyone could ever be. I've had them forever, and
their families have grown, and so my family has grown.
I've now got this amazing fiance of mine, Amanda, and
her family who are just so wonderful. So I've had
this growing but still very tight circle of support throughout
my life, and that's been if anything's made all the difference,
(15:10):
it's been the people I've been around, and that extends
to at work. The people who have supported me, believed
in me, encouraged me, taught me my social circle, my family, like,
I try my best to be around people who know
me for me and motivate me, because I'm actually not
that self motivated okay, Like that's why I sign up
(15:32):
for marathons.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
Let's talk about that.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
I'm not okay.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
I'm shocked by that.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
I am. I am driven, and I am ambitious, and
I am purposeful, and I have a plan long term
and short term. Like I'm very I'm committed to the
to the cause, whatever it is. But I'm lazy. So
that's why I need external motivators. I need to set
goals to reach, which might that might sound like it
(15:59):
is in itself self motivated, but to me, it's like
I signed up for the first marathon that I ran
in twenty sixteen because I was feeling like I was
not I wasn't accomplishing anything. I felt like I wasn't
doing anything. I was in my early to mid twenties.
I was like, I need to do something, so I'll
sign up for a marathon, like at least there's that,
and that will get me running because I was not
(16:19):
a runner, so like, at least that'll get me running.
And then I ended up loving it. And then I
came back and I was like, I want to do
it again, but I want to raise double the money
that I raised for the Refoundation the first time. The
second time, and that was my external motivator to like
really keep going, like do it run a better time.
I go to the gym or get exercise every day
(16:41):
because I know that I have to for my mental
and physical health, not because which I.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
But you're describing all of the things I'm self motivated.
Yes it does, but I.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Want to do it for other people like I want
to I will.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Okay, listen, I get it, Like, okay, So I'm curious here.
This is kind of a different direction too, is all right?
So I feel like, you know, we talked the importance
of like having you know, people in.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Your life that you love, trust, support you, lift you up.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
I don't want to let them down.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
You don't want to let them down.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
For me, it's so important to having like a supportive
partner in my life. And my fiance is literally my
rock through every single thing that I go through. Congratulations
on getting engaged.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
What would you say are the qualities about Amanda that
like really compliment you and help you stay self motivated?
Speaker 2 (17:23):
You know? Oh gosh, Oh she's just so great. She's
so awesome. She's she is so kind and compassionate. She
is an amazing friend. Above all else. She sees everybody
(17:45):
who for who they are, but she also sees their potential,
and she believes in people, and she helps people get
to where she knows they can be. And I know
that certainly she makes me want to be better in
some way for her at all times. Not that she's
holding me to some standard, not that she's dictating anything,
(18:08):
but I just I love her so much and I'm
so I admire her so much that I want to
do everything in my power for her to make our
life together better, to make her life easier and better,
to hopefully one day grow a beautiful family that has
the same values that we both have, because we both
come from really strong family units, and that's really family
(18:30):
is so central to each of us. She's so compassionate
and really fun, just like a great hang And if
you put all of those things together on package, it
sounds like it would be over stuff, but no, it all,
it all exists in Amanda, and I think I just
I like, right right now, while we're having this conversation,
(18:53):
she's out of town working, and I'm very sad about that.
I want to leave here and go home and talk
about how I did on this Podcas because she watches
she before before I actually was I knew I was
coming on here, but I hadn't yet told Amanda, and
she shows me like, you should do this. It showed
(19:13):
up on whether it was her TikTok or her Instagram
or something. She's like, you should do this, like running show.
I'm like, I actually just got asked to do it.
So she's a fan. Well, I don't know, not enough
time in the day to talk about all the ways
that Amanda motivates me to be a better version of
myself because I want to be great for her and
for our family one day.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Yeah, and you are self motivated. So that was like
a long circle. But you are self motivating.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Apreciate that. But it's really like, I don't want to
let people down. I'm the ultimate people pleaser. So it's
like that's kind of why I don't think of it
as self motivation, because I'm like, I know a lot
of people believe in me. I gotta make sure their
bets pay off. That's kind of the difference in my mind.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
I congratulated you on this before we started, but I
watched your documentary last night Finding My Father and guys,
if you haven't seen it. After this interview, you're gonna
go have to go and watch it. It is so
beautifully done, It is so good. What made you want
to finally share your story now? Because I know you
said that this is something that you've wanted to do
for a while, So why now?
Speaker 2 (20:12):
So I had to back up. Right before my dad
was injured in nineteen ninety five, he had been spending
parts of a full year following the migration of the
Pacific gray whale from the far reaches of Alaska up
in the Arctic Circle down to Baja Mexico. It's the
longest migration of any mammal. My dad flew his own
(20:33):
plane to follow them. He scuba dived with them, He
met locals and natives in both Alaska and in Mexico,
and it all became this hour long documentary that I
watched on repeat because it was the last thing my
dad ever filmed before his accident. And I didn't have
much experience with my dad, not in a wheelchair, so
(20:56):
it was a portal for me into a version of
him that I didn't get enough time with, and a
version I wanted to get to know better. So then
as I grew up and I developed my own interests
and passions and skills and talent. I realized that I
needed to go to those places that he went and
(21:18):
see what he saw, and hopefully find the people that
he found and turn it into a product, in this case,
a documentary that might be able to give people a
portal into their own relationships with their father or mother
or someone else they loved but didn't know enough or
(21:40):
want to know more about. So that was almost a
lifelong pursuit. But then I got really serious about it
about three years ago. I realized, all right, I've I
think I understand how to do this, and I think
I know who to talk to, and if not, they'll
help me. And bump up, up, up, And we finally
figured it all out. And it started with a cold
(22:01):
email to the son of the man who took my
dad around in Mexico. I reached out to him. He
responded and said he was running the family business now
and I should come down. So I did that, brought
a camera crew down to this remote outpost in a
lagoon in Mexico hang out with Pancho Myrale, son of Pachico.
(22:22):
So he took Pachico took my dad around, Pancho took
me around, did the same thing up in Alaska with
the son of the guy who took my dad around Alaska,
and it was an exploration of the connectivity between generations
using the whales and the connectivity between their generations that
have been going on for millennia. They do the same
migration migratory pattern every year, and it just it was
(22:42):
so enriching for me as a son to understand that
I had this profound connection to my dad, separated by
thirty years in space and time, but connected by the
fact that we were both there thirty years apart, seeing
(23:03):
the same things, finding versions of the same people, next
generations of the same people, and learning that in each
of these remote places, those people who met my dad
remembered him not because he was superman, but because of
how he treated them and for how he moved through
(23:24):
the world as human being, the values that he brought
with him, the spirit that he carried in any any interaction.
And that's what made me proud as his son. It
is like, oh, my dad was just like a great person,
and I wanted to share that with everyone, and so
I did, and we put it on put it on TV,
(23:45):
and it was cool. It was also something I wanted
to accomplish because not to brag, but I was sort
of the driving force behind this whole thing. I came
up with the idea, I did a lot of the writing.
I'm in every frame of the thing, and I had
such I mean, I had a dream to of people
helping me, including Diane Sawyer the Legend, Robin Roberts the
(24:05):
Legend as executive producers and guides and mentors to me
as they have been for a really long time. Having
their names associated with this helped me get into rooms
and open doors that I might not otherwise be able to,
and it gave it some legitimacy, I think beyond just oh,
here's will like this is a nice idea, a cute idea,
(24:26):
but see how it goes when you get some of
the names involved that we had. It added heft to it.
And I was so grateful to the support that ABC
and Disney showed to it to promote it and share
my story. I'm forever grateful. And I really wanted to
do this because it's my thing that I made, and
(24:47):
it was a part of my story and my dad's
story that didn't get told in the theatrical documentary that
came out about my dad that is a amazing as
well and has won a bunch of awards and all
these things. It's been twenty years now since my dad died.
It's crazy, so I wanted to This is a good
(25:08):
time for people to remember.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Remember when you were younger and watching clips from your
dad's journey. Was there one that when you went back
to recreate it for the documentary that you just put out.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
Was there one experience.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
That he had that was always your favorite that you
always hyper fixated on that you really wanted to do.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Yes, there was a list of them, but the number
one at the top by a mile was I needed
to touch a grey whale. There is this lagoon in Mexico,
son Ignacio Lagoon is one of the only places on
Earth where these wild animals, gray whales forty feet long,
weighing many many thousands of pounds, will come up to
your tiny little boat and invite you to touch them.
(25:53):
It's not a petting zoo, This isn't SeaWorld, it's not
this is a wild lagoon, but these whales. Thanks to
that man Pachico who took my dad around. Turns out
that they're really friendly and social and invite human interaction
because they trust humans. And my dad got to touch
(26:14):
a whale in this documentary that he made in nineteen
ninety five, and I have wanted to go do that
since the moment I saw that as a little kid.
So if I do nothing else, I need to go
touch a whale because my dad did, and how cool
would that be? Whales have always been my favorite animal
(26:35):
because my dad loved the whales, and I wanted to
be like my dad, so I loved whales.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
Did filming the doc change the way you saw your
dad in any way?
Speaker 2 (26:44):
I didn't going in. I didn't know if it would
or not. I thought I spend a lot of time
thinking about and talking about my parents. It's a way
to keep them present with me and hopefully in the
minds of other people, because I think what my parents
represented and who they were is worth carrying with us
in the present day. We could use more people like
my parents in today's world. So I talk about them.
(27:07):
I think about them all the time, and as a result,
I feel like I know who they were, right. I
think I knew pretty much everything. And I went into
this project, wondering am I gonna look? Is there gonna
be some revelation, And what ultimately ended up happening was
(27:27):
a crystallization, like the ultimate clarification or confirmation of how
my dad was as a person, what his passions were,
what his values were, what his sense of humor was like,
what his sense of adventure was like, all these things
(27:49):
that I knew and I had been told and I
had sort of seen on film that never really got
to experience. But getting to go to these places there
was there's some sort of special energy there. There were
moments where I would be sitting out on this lagoon
waiting for a whale to show up and maybe let
(28:10):
us touch it, or like I'd just be sitting out
there staring off into the distance, and I would realize,
like I'm in the I know that I am in
the exact physical spot within this lagoon where my dad
was because I recognize it, and here I am, and
I am filled with such enthusiasm and childish wonder and gratitude,
and I know he was too. And that was I
(28:32):
don't mean to get too woo woo on you here,
because it wasn't.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
No, let's get woo woo. I feel like you were
literally seeing the world through his eyes.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
There you go. See, that's exactly what I'm trying to say.
But I'm giving you all these like long winded answers.
That's it. I was seeing the world through his eyes,
and that made me feel closer to him.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
Of course it did.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
That's what I was looking for. Gosh, where were you
on like the original press tour for this, I wasn't
like feeling his spirit. Maybe I was, I don't know,
that's what I'm Sally, I'm not sure you were. I
was feeling an immense and profound connection to him and
my mom because I was in it. I was in
(29:09):
these places that I know they would have wanted me
to be in it. It was like a life checkpoint
because not only did I get myself to these gorgeous,
like naturally beautiful places in the world that deserve to
be seen and then shown to the world, that was
an accomplishment, right. Not only did I engage with the
(29:31):
people who live and die there and usually don't really
leave and get to learn more about them and share
their stories with the world. That's an accomplishment that's worthy
of pride and not only did I have a really
good time. I was like, was I happy doing it?
Which they would have wanted, but I was doing it
(29:52):
on my terms, on my own path. I was there
because I work for ABC News, and I I had
done all the necessary work to get people to believe
in me enough to go to do this thing that
they also thought was a good idea. And my parents
would have been really proud of the initiative that I
had taken to go make this thing, Like they were
(30:14):
seeing the whole confluence of all my dreams and passions
and skills and talents coming together. And I felt really
proud about that. They felt like an accomplishment just to
go there, Like I'm doing a thing that they would
love and that was cool.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
It is cool, and you did it in your own way,
and it's I think what is so amazing about it
is exactly what you said. I love the word storytelling.
I mean, you've become a journalist, right. I think it's
so fun that you got to do a passion project
that means so much to you and is so you.
And it's just really cool for people to look beneath
the covers a little bit and see, like what's going
on in like Will's mind. And you know they see
(30:49):
you all the time on TV, but it's cool to
feel that personal.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Connection with you.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
I feel like a few things going on in my
mind at once.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
As we start talking about your career that you've built
for yourself, let's dive into journalism. How did you become
interested in storytelling?
Speaker 2 (31:15):
I got pieces of it along the way. When I
was a kid. I wanted to be a professional athlete,
and then I got to middle school and realized that
that was not possible because I wasn't good enough at
the sports I wanted to go pro in. So then
I decided I wanted to work at ESPN because that's
where you go to talk about sports, right, so that's
the next best thing. And I was always good at writing.
I love to talk, I like to tell stories, I
(31:39):
like people, I like travel, And turns out that journalism
is a lot more than just that. But those were
the basic building blocks that got me interested in wanting
to do it. And then I interned at ABC News
in college and fell deeply in love with it, and
I knew immediately that I had to work at ABC
(32:00):
and at GMA specifically. That was the goal. Always like
I'm gonna be on Good Morning America. That's what I
really wanted to do, and I was sort of secretly,
privately strategically orienting all of my life around that. And
so to get to now do that every day with
Robin and Michael and George and everybody else is such
a privilege. It's so fun. It's really challenging, but in
(32:23):
a great way, and I love it and have I
still have so much to prove and so much to learn,
and so much left to do, but where I'm at
right now, I'm incredibly grateful. I just I feel this
interesting balance of gratitude and fulfillment that isn't complacency, like
I haven't made it, but I've achieved some goals, which
(32:47):
then makes it time to set new goals. And on
post Run High part two some other time we can
discuss at the.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
End of this, we're gonna touch quickly on like new
goals and kind of what you have that you're looking
forward to that we can shout out and just get
people excited. Fork But on the topic of what you
do for a living, you're so young, it is so
cool to see how much you've accomplished.
Speaker 3 (33:08):
I mean, it's incredible for me to say, yeah, I mean,
I'm sitting. My favorite thing to do.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
We talked about this before, but my favorite thing to
do is to interview journalists and interview people that work
for networks and are in the industry because I want
to be a journalist.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
You know you are being a journalist right now. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
How am I doing?
Speaker 2 (33:26):
You're doing great? Guys, you being awesome and you did
You don't need my approval for that. You're crushing it.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Well. I want to ask you what are your favorite
stories to report on and maybe why.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
My favorite type of stories are any that involve people
overcoming the odds. That and that can take so many forms.
That can be people rebuilding after a natural disaster. That
could be a sports story where you know, the team
comes back and wins the big game when no one
(33:56):
thought they could. That could be a town rallying around
a member one of their own who is going through
a hard time. I love those stories because I enjoy
exposing the best of humanity, and I think the best
of humanity exists when people have to triumph over adversity,
(34:20):
and adversity doesn't necessarily have to be obvious, it doesn't
have to be a natural disaster, it can be doesn't
have to be a disease or a spinal cord injury.
It can be doesn't have to be a huge deficit
in the fourth quarter, the big game that you overcome,
but it can be. Adversity knocks on everyone's door every
(34:41):
day in some way, shape or form, and we all
possess the ability to overcome it. So if I can
be there to shine a light on everyday people who
are triumphing over some sort of long odds, in whatever
form that takes, that makes me feel like I've contributed
(35:02):
to the human experience, which sounds maybe super pretentious, because.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
No, it doesn't. You're so humble. I don't know, well,
I feel like you saidcond guess things that.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
You say, but you are so My therapist tells me
that I qualify too many things.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
It makes so much sense that those are your favorite
stories to tell because you have faced so much adversity
in your life and you've figured out ways to overcome
it and you know still thrive and you know not
like let really traumatic scenarios bring you down.
Speaker 3 (35:31):
So like you are the perfect person to be having
those conversations.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
And I love that. I love that you use the
word humanity. My favorite thing to do with interviews is
to show the humanity and people, whoever you are, from,
whatever walks the walk of life, whatever you believe in,
there's humanity and everybody, and I think everybody has the
right to share their story. I love asking reporters this
and journalists this, because it's different for everybody.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
What does preparation look like for.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
You when you're getting ready, maybe just to go on
Good Morning America or to cover a big story.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
Preparation for me start the night before I whatever I'm
working on, whether I'm out in the field, meaning on assignment,
or if I'm home and I'm gonna be in the
studio the next morning. I'm making sure that everything that
I have written that I that I then track into
my little microphone and either in a coat closet or
(36:20):
under a duvet cover, it depends. Make sure that's all
as buttoned up as it can be. Everything is factual
and informative and hopefully entertaining on top of it. If
the story allows for entertainment, I'm making sure that I've
read everything about the subject, or watched everything or whatever.
If I'm covering a sports story, I try to watch
(36:41):
the games. If I'm not at the game itself and
I try to get sleep, it doesn't work. I need,
I really need to step up my sleep stack, as
they call it. I gotta get better about sleeping. I
put together my little green juice concoction with some amino
acids in there and some creatine and all that. Shake
(37:03):
that up. Put it in the fridge. I make either
a smoothie or an overnight oats or or something for
breakfast that I put in temperware. Put that in the fridge.
I pre make the coffee for Amanda because she wakes
up later than I do, so I set the timer
on the coffee machine and get in bed. I try
to read. I'll read anything. I'll read fiction, non fiction,
(37:26):
doesn't matter. Spend time with Amanda, spend time with our
dog Stella. That's my preparation. Morning of wake up. Close
are already laid out, Get dressed in the dark. That's
why the clothes are already laid out. So I don't
like I have a mismatch.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
Shoot, yeah, cannot wake up at Amanda. You guys are
up so early for yourself.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
We get I get up very early, not as early
as other people. But I do get up pretty early,
like in the fives, like five, and then I go
to work and I I try to be the best
I've ever been, and sometimes I am and sometimes I'm not,
and I'm okay with either, and then I just keep
it moving.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
Yeah, keep it moving. That's that's what you got to do.
Speaker 2 (38:04):
Do other people give better answers, like really specific answer.
Speaker 3 (38:06):
Your answers are incredible.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
No, but thank you, But on that one, like does
someone else, like who has a no?
Speaker 1 (38:12):
People say the same thing, Like, I think that the
biggest commonality that I've heard through everybody, through Lindsay Davis,
through Dana Prino, through youth is preparation is key. And
whatever you're doing that can look like what you were
just describing as your you know, your routine the night before,
the routine in the morning of, Like those are all
part of your preparation, right, because it gets you in
the right headspace, It gets you ready to go for
the day, It makes you less nervous, makes you less nervous,
(38:32):
less unknown. Yeah, there's confidence that comes from a routine.
And there's nothing better than confidence when it comes.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
From your creature of habit and routine. And I don't
have a job that really allows for it, because I
can get a call at any moment saying you're on
a plane to hear or this is your new story
or whatever. But it's that's what I signed up for.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
So what is the biggest lesson you've learned in your
career to date?
Speaker 2 (38:54):
Oh? Boy, the biggest lesson I've learned. I think this
is the umbrella lesson, and then there are smaller lessons
that we don't have to get into. But the biggest
lesson that I've learned is show up. And that can
mean whatever you wanted to mean. I think it means
show up, like be there, whether it's show up at
the story, show up at the office, and meet new people,
(39:19):
ask them to be your mentors, like develop relationships and
a network within your own within your own organization or
within your own industry. Show up for people emotionally and spiritually,
as a friend, as a colleague, and in my business
and in the news business, showing up is like a
huge part of getting ahead, just being there on time,
(39:41):
being reliable, like if you can be physically where you
need to be and do a good job when you
are there, whether that's on camera or off you're going
to be miles ahead because some people don't show up,
either physically or in the more metaphysical sense. So I
would say show up and then also be kind. Kindness
(40:01):
costs nothing, and the ROI on kindness is exponential.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
Do whatever you need to do the morning of to
get yourself in the right headspace to make sure that
everybody you meet your bringing the right energy.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
To Yeah, you want to be an energy there's what.
There's a thermostat and a thermometer. One takes the temperature,
one sets the temperature. The thermostat sets the temperature, right,
I don't know. Yes, thermometer is what you like put
when you're yes. So a thermostat is what you do
on the wall. Yeah, sets the temperature. You want to
be a thermostat. You want to be setting the temperature,
(40:35):
setting the energy. You want to be an energy fountain,
not a drain. All you've probably heard all these.
Speaker 3 (40:40):
Sometimes I can be both, but I do no one
can too.
Speaker 2 (40:42):
Like that's the thing you don't have to be. Nobody
is all always just one thing. Like you've been very
kind to say that I'm humble, but I'm not always
like I have plenty of an ego, but I reserve
that for moments where I think that's appropriate, or even
when it's not appropriate it's on camera or whether it's
(41:03):
ego or you said that I'm always positive, which I
try to be, but there are times that I'm not
because I'm a human being, like I live a full
human experience, and that's I think why I have found
some level of success in my job is because I
understand that every single person that you've ever encountered is
just doing the best they can to figure it out
at any given moment. No one's better than anybody else.
(41:25):
No one really knows what they're doing. If you just
approach something with the right attitude, that's like more than
half of the battle.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
You know what I want to ask you?
Speaker 2 (41:33):
You ask whatever you want.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
So I am two years into being on camera a lot.
I'm about a year into doing this podcast, which is
the first time I've been on camera in a long
form setting.
Speaker 3 (41:43):
I love it. I'm having so much fun with it.
Speaker 1 (41:45):
You work in the industry, You've got so many incredible
mentors around you. You know that I've done this for years.
I'm sure I've given you great advice. What is a
tip for me? That you have about being on camera
to make sure you're always showing up as your best self, Like,
are there little tips that you've learned along the way,
adds a journalist, And this is good advice for people
that want to get into broadcaster.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
I would so I have some like I have some
tips that you would hear at like a commencement address,
or I have some actual practical tips. I'll give you
both the practical tips. Take a deep breath or two
before you're about to be on camera in whatever form.
Just reset the nervous system, whatever you do to sort
of center yourself. For me, it's just some deep breaths,
(42:26):
just just to get the nerves out. Whatever that looks
like for you. Do that. If I'm really nervous, I
will try to make conversation with people around me, so
I forget that I'm like about to be on camera,
because I still do get the butterflies that Like. I
take my job really seriously, I take my performance really seriously.
I take my product, like whatever I'm delivering really seriously.
(42:49):
So I want to do a good job. But sometimes
that means that I'm like gripping on too tightly to
the thing, and I need to loosen up. So that
means that I'll just like chat with whoever off camera
to get the nerve energy out that helps breathing. That
being prepared, generally are the good tips and the sort
of graduation commencement address advice. Version of that is be yourself,
(43:17):
which I'm sure you've heard a million times. I've heard
it a million times. For the longest time, I didn't
know what that meant, because like, all right, yeah, like
I'll be myself, Like sure, But as I've been doing
what I do longer and longer, the more I realize
(43:37):
we're all unique. We all bring our unique experiences and
histories to whatever we're doing. But as I've actually been
more myself, the more confidence I get, I'm like, oh,
I just I know my subject matter, and I know
that I'm decent enough at the blocking and tackling and
(43:59):
x's and o's like being on TV in terms of
which camera to look at and how to read a
teleprompter or write a script. I can just relax and
be me like i'd be with my buddies or with
my fiance whenever that situation calls for it, And that
is going to cut through to the audience. To the viewer,
(44:21):
to the listener. Whatever. The authenticity that you bring, and
I mean you specifically, the authenticity that you bring to
what you do is what is going to set you
apart from anyone else who might try to imitate what
you do and don't lose that just be you and
you already are, so you don't need You might think
(44:41):
you need my advice, but you don't. But that is
my advice anyway.
Speaker 1 (44:45):
It's such good advice and I'm so happy that I
have it on camera to like always look back to. Seriously,
this entire interview is like, is like mentorship for me.
Speaker 2 (44:52):
Very kind of well, hey, as you probably already know,
and if you don't, life is just is a series
of networks that you we are sort of responsible for
building and finding mentors in whatever you do. It doesn't
have to be anything that's ever televised or broadcast to
the world in any form. Finding people who you look
up to and trust and know will help you get
(45:16):
to be the best version of yourself in whatever your
pursuit is is essential to living I think, a happy life,
and certainly essential to progressing in one's career.
Speaker 3 (45:26):
We've talked about so much.
Speaker 1 (45:27):
I feel like I could talk to you for hours,
and we could go in so many different directions, and
I still have so many questions for you. But I
want to know what is next for you? What do
you have going on that you're really excited about. What
can we be on the lookout for?
Speaker 2 (45:37):
Tell us Let's be on the lookout for the GMA
five K. This is a running podcast, running adjacent podcast.
I finally stopped sweating the GMA five K May fourteenth,
nationwide virtual race. All abilities welcome you follow GMA Good
Morning America on Strava. You get involved. We're going to
(45:59):
be broadcasting from around the country, including in New York
at Governor's Island. I'll be there. Robin Roberts is running.
Ginger Z, our chief meteorologist, is running and doing the
weather at the same time, which I can't wait to
see how that turns out. I don't I think I'll
be there running. I'll maybe I'll be just handing out water.
I'll be there with enthusiasm and support. But we're we're
(46:20):
doing it in conjunction with some important charities doing great work,
Achilles International Helping Disabled People for All Mothers, which is
helping moms stay active and get active despite all the
barriers to that in a lot of mothers' lives. It's
just gonna be a good time. There's gonna be a
band there. I don't know what else we have in store.
It's gonna be a five K, but morning TV extravaganza fied,
(46:44):
so it's gonna be great.
Speaker 3 (46:45):
I am so excited.
Speaker 1 (46:47):
Guys, May fourteenth, be on the lookout for more updates
about the GMA five K. I am gonna be there hopefully,
fingers crossed. I am going to try to be there.
Speaker 2 (46:56):
Also, I have to be there that early.
Speaker 1 (46:58):
You should, Yes, I think I should. And I also
feel like I need to get the weather woman on camera.
Speaker 2 (47:03):
Yeah, you got to get Ginger on there.
Speaker 3 (47:04):
Ginger doing the weather, I'd be iconic.
Speaker 2 (47:05):
But like, I've looked at the weather while I've been running,
but it's just me pulling up the weather app on
my phone. I feel like she's gonna be doing something
a little more involved.
Speaker 3 (47:12):
I'm really curious to see what she's doing. Well, thank
you so much for being here with me today.
Speaker 2 (47:16):
You're having me this is awesome. I'm just like we've
only just met, but I've watched your stuff from Afar
and honored to be in the company that I'm in,
with the folks that you've had on and I am
very impressed by what you're building, and just keep building it,
keep running fast, thank you so much, but not too
fast because I no one can talk about
Host
Kate Mackz
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.