March 4, 2025 • 38 mins
There is no better person to continue our special coverage of Women’s History Month than a woman who has made history for Team USA. Alana Nichols broke her back at 17, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. But the same audacious bravery that caused her to try the backflip that landed her in a wheelchair, propelled her to becoming the first American female to ever win gold medals at both a summer and winter Paralympics. After competing in five Paralympics in alpine skiing and wheelchair basketball, Nichols is now on the board for LA28, working to include the third sport she made history in, para-surfing, into the Paralympics.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Powerful Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
I'm your host Ajan McCord.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
In this podcast, we introduce you to powerful women who
were changing the game in and.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Outside of their field of play.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
These are women's stories, women who happen to be doing
things that many of us can only dream of, but
the lessons and inspiration they share is universal.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Welcome back to the Powerful Podcast. I am so excited
because this episode is the perfect one for this Women's
History Month. This is a woman who has made some
history here for Team USA and is continuing to do
so by making a difference for the next generation of
Paralympic athletes. Elena Nichols is the first American female to
(00:40):
ever win gold medals in both a summer and a
Winter Paralympics or Olympic Games. She is a five time Paralympian,
six medals to her name, and two years ago, in
her third sport, No Big Deal, she got the first
ever perfect ten at the Paris Surfing champce Bionships out
at Huntington Beach. This woman is a badass, and we
(01:04):
talk about the audacity to believe in yourself and how
that lesson has manifested. It has morphed and it has
become kind of a bedrock for everything that Elena has
done with her life since her injury that left her
paralyzed at seventeen. How she continues to have that audacious
(01:27):
belief in herself as she works to change the world
for Paralympic athletes all over it. So this is an
episode that left me feeling inspired. I hope you feel
the same way, and I cannot wait to hear what
you think of it. Thanks for being here, Pod Squad,
so Elena Nichols, thank you so much for joining the podcast.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Hi friend, it's good to be here. Hi, thank you
for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Oh my gosh, I'm so excited you're here. So Elena,
we first got to know each other when you were
training for Sochi, which is one of the Winter Paralympic
Games that you went to as an alpine sky year.
But you also did the Summer Paralympics in basketball as well,
and then you had surfings first ever perfect ten at
the Para Championships. I believe last two years ago twenty
(02:11):
twenty three was when you did that. You are one
of my favorite inspirational badasses that I have ever gotten
a chance to work with, so I'm so excited that
you're here.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Well, the feeling is very mutual because we were watching
Pipeline sitting there as you were interviewing Tyler Wright after
she just won, and I go, you know, Aja used
to interview me in the finish of the ski races
in Winter Park and like look at her now, and yeah,
(02:43):
it was just yeah, So feelings mutual.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
It's been so fun to see how life has changed
since because I was just out of college when we
were first interviewing you for Sochi Games. You were so
deep in the Paralympics, and it is incredible that you
have made within the Paralympic community. So I guess I
just want to start with, how does it feel to
be the only American woman to have ever meddled in
(03:09):
both the Summer and the Winter Games? How does that ground? You? Know?
Speaker 3 (03:12):
It's it's cool to be able to just like metabolize
the idea that I made history, Like who gets to
do that? The timing was amazing. I'm not the only one.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Just as.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
A technicality, I'm not the only one that's ever meddled,
but I was the first female American to win gold
in the Summer and winter, So yeah, that was incredible.
You know, I was. It's kind of a long story,
I'll keep it short, but I was an athlete my
whole life. I've played three sports growing up. I got
(03:47):
really excited about snowboarding. It was like this new outlet
when I was in junior high I got to get creative,
and I've always been a risk taker, so it like
really kind of scratched that itch. And then my senior
year in high school, I was out back country, was
being a risk taker with like an underdeveloped frontal lobe
(04:08):
as most seventeen year olds have, and decided to try
my first backflip on a snowboard, over rotated, broke my
back on a rock that was under the snow, and
naturally thought I would never be an athlete again. I
didn't know anything about adapt to sports. There weren't social
media and things like that, and so, you know, to
(04:29):
not only be able to get back into sports, which
was life giving, I mean, movement is medicine. I got
really depressed for about two years before I was able
to move my body again. But I started playing wheelchair
basketball and just felt alive. I felt like I was
running again, got my heart rate up and you know,
and with that heart rate, you know, I was able
(04:52):
to start thinking about bigger things, you know, investing in
my education and going forward with like life. You know,
I wasn't stuck anymore because I started moving and then
you know, got to go to college on wheelchair basketball scholarships,
graduated from the University of Alabama, went to the Beijing Games,
(05:14):
won a gold medal, and then set this ridiculous goal
of starting ski racing and going to twenty ten two
years later, Like who does that? You know, It's like ridiculous.
And to this day I love to say that that's
ridiculous because if I hadn't dreamed that big, if I
hadn't reached so far, I would have never done it,
(05:35):
you know, And I really encourage people. You have to
dream big, like set ridiculous goals. I mean, and it's
like that saying shoot for the moon and even if
you miss, you'll land amongst the stars. Like what's the
worst that could happen with a big goal? Excuse me?
So anyways, back to your question, like how does it
(05:55):
feel to set to make history as the first female
to win gold in the summer winter? It was like unbelievable,
you know, it was like I never thought, you know,
as a seventeen year old girl laying in a hospital bed,
that I was ever going to be an athlete, let
alone make history. So oh life, here we are.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Oh life. Some of us are just like pettsing along
and you are setting ridiculous, big dream goals and achieving them.
And it's one of the things that I think drew
me to you when we first met was just there
is this belief in yourself that you know, I'd be
curious to know if you think it's the same belief
that led you to believe you could do the backflip
(06:39):
straight up like first time on the snow, right, But
it's it's an audacious belief in yourself that why not me?
Why can't I go out and do this? And I'm
curious where you think that came from. Where do you
think you developed that and continue to do it? Because
it's one thing to be like, Okay, cool, I'm going
to be the first American female to win a gold
(07:00):
in winter and summer. Okay, check that box. You didn't
stop like you continue to go out and make history,
even just two years ago. So where does that I'm
going to call it an audacity to believe in yourself,
Like where does that come from?
Speaker 3 (07:13):
I love that audacity, such a spicy word.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
It's one of my favorite words. I put it everywhere.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
I can't facious, you know. I've credit a lot of
my like grit and toughness and like independence and audacity
to my grandma who raised me, partly because she was
all those things, but also partly because she was kind
(07:41):
of hands off. She was kind of like, whatever you
want to do with your life, I totally believe in you,
but like, you don't have to do anything. And that,
in and of itself was the challenge, like oh okay,
you know, like I think if I had a parent
or a guardian that was pushing me and forcing things,
it would be so different. But since the challenge for
(08:03):
me was like I am open to the possibilities, you know,
And so with that kind of mindset, I feel like
that's where the audacity comes in because there's nothing holding
you back, there's nothing pushing you. It's like the opportunities
are limitless. Really, And yeah, I just I think you're
dead on by saying like the same thing that kind
(08:26):
of landed me in the wheelchair is the same reason,
I'm like a gold medalist, right, I'm a risk taker
at heart. I want to just see where the line is,
just gonna dabble on the edge. If I fall over,
I'm tough enough to get back up, and like a
lot of the times, you know, it was like I
knew that I was gonna learn something either way. I
(08:49):
know that every time I fell in a ski race,
I learned how to get back up and do it again.
And so it's like when you are in a win
win situation, you're most likely to win, you know, but
if losing is gonna devastate you, then it's like, I
don't know. I think there's a lot of energy happening
(09:13):
when you step up to the plate and you swing away,
or maybe you step up to the plate trying not
to strike out. You know, that's the difference. And so
for me, it was like swing away, swing for the fences,
let's see what happens, you know.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
And I'm curious because I remember talking to you. I
can't remember if it was before twenty twenty what would
end up being twenty twenty one. But that's a lesson
you've had to apply multiple times throughout your athletic career.
I would imagine in your personal life too. But you
not only did you like get up when you were seventeen,
you got up multiple times once you became a ski
(09:50):
racer because you suffered some gnarly injuries. Once you became
a Paralympic athlete. How do you feel like that lesson
sustained you and maybe morphed into the lesson that you
needed in a different way over and over again over
the last fifteen years.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
Yeah, that's very philosophical of you. I love that because
I love to be philosophical about it myself. And you know,
I really feel like in my twenties I was just
so willing to risk and sacrifice and push the boundaries.
(10:29):
And it's interesting to look back and see how I
evolved into somebody that I don't think was honoring how
I was feeling and or didn't really know how to feel.
Right in my twenties, I was really numbing. I was
kind of like I am, you know, paralyzed for the
(10:50):
rest of my life, and I want to have this,
you know. I really leaned on the identity of being
an athlete and like succeeding right, like that was what
was holding me together and then when I got into
my thirties and I got sober and I started feeling
(11:11):
you know, it was less about I don't want to
sacrifice my body as much as I want to preserve
myself and how I feel. And so ski racing naturally
and organically just kind of worked its way out. You know.
It was like I just don't want to do that
anymore to myself. And I had I, look, i'm in aries.
(11:33):
I will hit my head against something until I figure
it out. And you know, I broke my shoulder backwards.
I was working with one limb at one point after
dislocating it, you know, and having to have surgery, and
that was so hard, and so the lessons were experientially,
you know, try out by fires kind of my move
(11:55):
and so yeah, I just naturally worked into this place
of like I am not willing to sacrifice my body anymore.
And after so chy and smashing my face on the
ground there, it was like, you know, I think I
really am ready to move out of this you know,
(12:15):
ski racing scene. And it's interesting how when you are
actually ready, like you know, when the student is ready,
the teacher appears. I was like, I'm ready, I don't
know what's next, and naturally surfing entered my life and
changed it forever.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
I like to see it.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
Ruined my life. I had to move out to California,
I had to surf every day, and like, you know,
it was so healing and so important for me, and yeah,
it was. It was really important to honor my body
and just I didn't know what was next. It was
obviously really scary when you are reliant on an athletic
(12:56):
career for your insurance and income and all the things,
and so yeah, but I wouldn't change a thing. I mean,
surfing was life giving for me.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
It feels like bravery, just in a different form, right,
Like it was one kind of brave to be sitting
in a hospital bed at seventeen and say, I'm going
to choose to believe that this doesn't mean my athletic
career is over. I'm going to be brave enough to
go pursue that. But then it's like a whole different
type of brave to be like, dang, this athletic career
(13:27):
has defined me and ruined me and given me everything
and taken everything. You know, it's like done all the things.
I have to be brave enough to believe that there's
something else, and it just feels like you've redefined what
brave looks like for you at different stages of your life.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
Yeah, thank you for saying that. It's interesting to look
back at all of those big, risky decisions and how
the unknown has never let me down. It never has.
I've always it's so scary and for anybody listening, it's
at that transition point whether you know, we all go
(14:05):
through this, Like it might not be as big as
breaking your back at seventeen and becoming paralyzed, but everybody
goes back to square one at one point and it
all melts down and you have to begin again. And
you know, it's just the cycle that we go through
in life. And when you're brave and you trust and
(14:26):
you surrender and you believe like that's the most important
thing you can do, because ruminating on whatever bad might come,
it's just not going to help. So it's you know,
I think, over the years and over the experiences that
I've had, I've just learned to be more mindful, and
that means actually getting quiet and meditating and actually like, uh,
(14:51):
not thinking I control everything because I don't.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Yeah, which is so annoying. I hate I have to
learn that lesson all the time. Like I always, I'm
like such a control person. I love being in control.
I love deciding what I'm gonna do. I love all
these things. And then I like, every once in a while,
it's just like the rug gets pulled out from under
you and you're like, dang it, not in control. I
like really thought it was this whole time is the worst.
(15:16):
And I think it's such an illusion, and it's I
think that I think that is the thing that I
will bet my head up against the wall until the
day that I die, like I will hold on to
the illusion that is my that is my constant thing.
Is like giving up the illusion of control. And I
think what you said about everybody has to go back
to square one. And maybe it's not something as as
(15:39):
life trajectory altering, as breaking your back and becoming paralyzed,
but it it results in the same feeling, that same
like whoa when it all gets stripped away? Who am I?
What am I? What do I want to do? And
like for me, one of those moments was when I
decided to go freelance, when I decided to start the
powerful it was like whoa, I'm walking away from a
(16:00):
really good job that's not fulfilling me anymore. Like I'd
gotten to cover super Bowls and you know, massive moments
in the NBA and college football, and it was just
looking around and going but it's not it's not giving
me the life that it once was. And it's okay
that like what once was giving you life isn't anymore.
(16:21):
But I looked around and I was like, like, I
don't know what the percentages of people. I know. I
sent out hundreds of applications when I first was looking
into jobs, and I got back like one response and
then I don't know what Like, so it's already a
small pool that you're working in, and then the number
that go from full full time to freelance. There were
so few examples of people that it worked out for,
(16:44):
and there were even fewer examples of people that it
worked out for who wanted to be in like action
and Olympic sports, because these are hard sports. They're hard
to get into. There's not much media coverage of them,
and thank goodness that's changing. But it was like I
had to just look at it and be like, hey,
if it doesn't work out, the one belief that you
can hold on too, is that you'll land on your
(17:05):
feet and you'll figure it out. And that's like the
only thing that you know control what you can control
the gymnast in me figure out how to land on
her feet, you know. And that's like the scariest thing,
but it's so necessary and now it's I wouldn't change it.
I wouldn't have changed it for anything. And that's I
love the reminder that like the unknown has always worked out.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
And look at the the powerful in you because you're
the example. You're leading the charge, you're setting the stage
for the next woman to go freelance and follow her heart. Right,
it wasn't fulfilling you. You needed to do what felt
good to you. Like that's powerful, that's so important. Yeah,
(17:48):
and it's scary, You're right, so scary, totally. So yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Well, and I think honestly, Alana, that's like one of
the things that I'm so proud of this podcast for
is it's bringing on women like you who are that
example in their lane. Right, Like someone is sitting in
a hospital bed not as scared because of your story,
and that's incredible, Like that's my gosh, You're changing lives
(18:17):
just by being audaciously believing you in yourself, which is
just I think one of the coolest things and one
of the full circle moments for me of watching you
all these years was when you went to Paris last
year and you got to host the Team USA house
and Paris last year was like for those of us
who have been following the Paralympic movement, who have been
watching the Paralympics, living the Paralympics last year felt like
(18:40):
a my gosh, some cealing shattered because the Paralympics got
the attention, started getting the attention that it rightfully deserved.
How was it for you as somebody who has competed
in the Paralympics for two thousand and eight, So mauth
is moment strong suit seventeen years I go was your
first Paralympic experience, How did two thousand and eight compare
(19:04):
to covering it in twenty twenty four?
Speaker 3 (19:06):
Yeah, very astute observation, because back in two thousand and
eight you couldn't catch a live Paralympic event on TV.
You just couldn't. There was an hour special after the
games that was tight in with the Olympics was like
(19:28):
very much an afterthought, if you wanted to watch a
family member compete in the Paralympics, you needed to go.
And that was in China, and my family didn't go,
and I won my first gold medal without anybody there
or anybody like living it with me. Right twenty ten
kind of the same story, you know, it was like
(19:48):
we're building in the right direction. But again it was
like I won four medals there and like the coverage
was just limited and there weren't Yeah, it wasn't this
beautiful NBC partnership with Toyota that provided the most amount
of hours that we've ever seen. It was like an
(20:11):
hour special two weeks after the games ended.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
You know.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
It was like really like there used to be this
thing that we talked about after the Games called the
Paralympic letdown, because we would be on this high at
the Paralympics, like we just accomplished this four years sometimes
eight year in the making goal and we'd come back
to the States literally land I'll never forget coming home
(20:35):
from China and the flight attendants were like, oh, you're
part of the special Olympics, and I'm like, actually, no,
the Paralympics are the Olympic Games. For people with disabilities.
They have been two weeks after the games and all
the same venues. It's actually the third largest sporting event
in the world. Like I had this script that I
said to everybody because they didn't understand, and you know,
(20:57):
and then fast forward to two thousand, you know, fourteen,
and then two or twenty twelve. Twenty fourteen twelve was
for basketball in London. London was a big marker. London
did it great. London made Paralympian names, household names, there
were billboards, you know that that was a big one.
(21:18):
I remember being shook, like this is we're getting somewhere.
And then twenty fourteen and then you know, going forward
to twenty sixteen, twenty eighteen, it just feels like every
games we've made some advances. And I will say on
like a global level, we're making great advances. But every
(21:39):
games that are held in a country makes a significant
difference in that community, right, Like I mean, I remember
in China, the shift that happened towards people with disabilities
after they held the Paralympics.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Was you know, monumental.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
They were like, oh, people with disabilities actually do have
something to offer and they are athletic and like, you know,
a whole mind shift. So I'm not discounting that, but
you know, anyways, fast forward to twenty twenty four Paris,
just it felt, like you said, like glass ceiling shattering
because the way that they embraced the Paralympics and held
(22:20):
the same standards up for Paralympians in a lot of
the same ways, and the venues and just the way
that the Paralympics were managed and handled felt really elite.
It felt really, it felt really great to be managed
on that level, I think for a lot of the athletes.
(22:41):
And I wasn't competing at those games, so I can't
speak from that perspective. But as the host of the
first ever Team USA House, which you know, for those
that are listening that don't know what that is, it's
a hospitality venue that's on site. It was actually at
Palace Palai. I was always like saying that, which was
(23:06):
it was originally commissioned by Napoleon as the stock exchange.
So it's beautiful building, big o' columns, tmy USA branded everything.
We had this beautiful stage, all the TVs. When I
was a paralympian, literally during the games, I would be
just searching anywhere I could find to watch live events,
(23:26):
and next thing you know, I'm in Paris at tmusa
house watching live events all day. I was like in heaven.
I was like, and then all my friends, all the
Paralympians were there.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
You know.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
I had the great honor of doing post win interviews
with the medalists. We did what's called the Order of
eCos Ceremonies, which is a medal that each athlete can
give to a coacher support staff to honor their contribution
to their medal. And like I did, I cried, like
(23:59):
every day, how could I not? Who is so important
like moms and coaches and all the things. But yeah,
I mean it was it was incredible to have that
energy and to share that and really just celebrate how
far the Paralympics have come.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Yeah, because I'm again from very much sort of the
outside looking in, it felt like whoa, this is Like
I'm so excited. People are still talking about this, you know,
And like I had covered the Olympics and there was
no drop off in the conversations that I was having
of like, here's what's happening in the Paralympics right now.
Did you see who won this medal or who competed
here or whatever it was, and it was like, amazing,
(24:38):
this is so so long overdue. It's so long overdue.
How does a moment like Paris for a paralympian which
I know you weren't competing, but you know the struggle
I mean it's Olympic and Paralympic athletes have have very
similar struggles in trying to find sponsorships and in paying
(24:59):
to be an elite athlete, figuring out how to make
that work year in and year out, because there's not
a lot of them that have you know, there's World
Cups and there's tours, but it's hard to watch the
time zones, like all these things are. Really it's so
much different than like a basketball or a soccer on
the men's side of football, whatever it is. So how
does a moment like Paris affect in a Paralympian's ability
(25:24):
to continue to do their sport?
Speaker 3 (25:26):
Well, you know, it's it's interesting because I think a
lot of times there's the chosen ones, right, it's the
highlighted athletes, it's the Tara and Hunters show, it's the
you know, Jessica along, you know, it's the media really
(25:50):
grabs onto certain Paralympians and then you know the ones
that haven't quite made it yet and that are truly
struggling to get to a place. Even if they win
gold medals, it doesn't I mean, after I won a
gold medal in Beijing, it wasn't. I didn't get any contracts.
I didn't sign anything until I won my second and
(26:11):
third gold medal in my second sport, and then I
signed with Nike and Visa and AT and D and
all the things. But you know, it's it's still very
much a struggle for like ninety five percent of the
Paralympic population. And you know, one of the cool things
that happened going into Paris was Toyota being the mobility
(26:33):
sponsor of the Games. They actually sponsored each Paralympian in
the United States. It was incredible to see that support
go to every Paralympian, not just the chosen ones, you know.
And so I think a lot of momentum is building
(26:54):
in the States around supporting Paralympians, but truly, like I
I'm currently kind of supporting a Paralympic hopeful that is
trying to make it to Milan in twenty twenty six,
she's a ski racer, and she's just like I kind
of just I don't want to struggle anymore. Like I
(27:15):
want health insurance, I want to get a job and
like be able to get a house one day, and like,
you know, it's just like this really and so I
know that it's worth it in some regards, and I
also I respect people that don't want to do that
struggle for sure. But you know, Paris, the way that
(27:36):
it happened, I think is it provided hope for a
lot of people. I think, and you know, LA twenty
eight being in our home turf, I think is going
to be great games for the Paralympians in the United
States for sure.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Yeah, I cannot wait for LA twenty twenty eight. And
thank you very much for the segue, because I know
that Paralympic surfing is not in the Paralympics yet, but
there is movement to try and get it into the Paralympics.
So maybe twenty thirty two, first woman who got a
perfect ten, are we also going to pursue maybe a
(28:13):
third Paralympic sport if surfing makes it in.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Well, I get that question a lot, and I would
love to say yes, but my division, which is women's
wave ski, is very small and probably would not be
included in the Games, regardless of whether it was accepted
into the Paralympics in twenty thirty two. I'm on the
(28:37):
board for LA twenty eight and have tried to spearhead
the movement of getting parasurfing into the Games, and I'm
still working on that very much for twenty thirty two.
But it was never with the motivation. I mean, I
would love to. I would Kelly Slater all day. I
would get out there and compete, but as it's set
up right now, you know, you have to have gender
(28:59):
equity in each division, and we just don't have the
numbers for women's waveski. Anybody watching this that wants to
skate like waveski, please join us. We would love that,
would love to have full divisions, you know. And yeah,
it's it's a special sport because for those that don't
(29:20):
know waveski, I'm sitting on a surfboard, strapped in at
the waist. I use a kayak paddle to propel myself
onto a wave and then use the paddle to kind
of cut up and down the face of the wave.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
But it's a lot or get barreled and or get
barreled and get a ten. That's hoctually got the perfect
ten in Huntington, No big deal.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
Thank you excuse me voice. Yeah it was. I mean
that day was incredible. The conditions were pristine, and you know,
just recently was on one of my friends podcasts for
Stoke for Life and he was talking about that perfect
ten and I was explained how much surfing experience goes
(30:03):
into that moment actually coming together for someone. And it
took ten solid years of me learning everything there is
to know about what surfing is and how to catch
a wave and what to do when you're on it,
and how it feels to be in that zone, and
you know, all the things had to come together. So
I mean when people talk about getting barreled being magical,
(30:25):
I mean I was only in there for like two
seconds or one one second, but like that moment was
the culmination of ten years of all of this experience
and it was perfect. I loved it.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
It's still I mean, I've surched my whole life, and
it is like this constant, elusive carrot that you're just
like and once you get one, there's no satisfying this
thirst to get barrel Like it's simply I've never met
a surfer who's like, ah, yeah, it's fine, old enough.
I think I'm okay. No, Like, everybody's constantly on this
(30:59):
search to get barreled, and it's just I'm so stoked
that it all came together on that day with that
much attention, for that to be not only for you personally,
but for the surfing community to see that happen in
that sort of arena, and with that much attention, I
think is so massive for parasurfing as a whole. And
(31:20):
obviously it's a sport that's near and dear to my
heart and it's a way that you know, I know,
like I just went to the Access Surf event in Hawaii,
which is an incredible organization that I know is pivotal,
pivotal in getting you in the water, and the Eddie winner,
Luke Shepherdson was out there getting people on their first waves,
helping them stand up, and there's just you combine the
(31:44):
magic of the ocean with like the power of a
wave and feeling weightless for somebody who physically and emotionally
I think often feels weighed down by just what it
takes for life. And it is. It's it's an experience
that if you are interested in getting involved in parasurfing
(32:05):
on a personal level, do it. If you want to go, volunteer,
be a part of it, because this is it's changing
lives and it changes mine every time I go, and
it's just it's incredible. So it's just so fun to
see you in this next phase of athletic pursuit because
I have no doubt that whether you are putting the
(32:26):
metal around somebody's neck or getting it put on yours, like,
you're going to make a difference in the parasurfing community.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
Thank you, friend, and thank you for being an ally.
Thank you for somebody that thank you for being somebody
that knows what that feeling is like, because as you
were mentioning earlier, like we just don't have the coverage.
We don't have, and I want everybody to know, like
the resilience that humans, the spirit that humans come to
(32:54):
the ocean with that they just it's it's on another level.
It's so inspiring. I used to hate the word inspiring.
I felt like it was really like condescending, and now
I embrace it so much because I am inspired by
my fellow adaptive surfers. I am that inspiration for people
(33:16):
and I'm so grateful to do that. It's such an honor.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
Yeah, such a cool, full circle moment. Well, I could
talk to you forever, but I know we have we
have to keep going on this podcast because we're going
to move into our next segment and this is called
Something to Sip On is brought to you by the
Sports Bra, which is the first women's sports bar in
the world and it is in Portland, Oregon. So the
week of your episode, Alena, they are going to have
(33:41):
a mocktail of your choice that is called the Alena.
So I want to know what are you sipping on?
What is our like post surf? Yeah, what is our
post surf servesa?
Speaker 3 (33:53):
Oh my god, what an honor. And I love that
it's a mocktail. I very often go into bars and
wish they had more options. So okay, okay, So I
do love So you asked what the surveys is. If
it is a beer, I'm going with a Heineken Double
(34:14):
Zero because it's just light and refreshing.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
It's really nice.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
Some micro brews do a non alcoholic beer, which sometimes
is really great. I also just saw this really great
advertisement for the eight oh five with Laky Peterson. I
mean I would love I would love that, Okay, but
if it's a mocktail, I'm going with like a citrusy, bubbly,
(34:47):
like a little bit of sweetness. I'm like not trying
to add extra sugar into my life. I usually just
go with like honestly, So please ask the women at
the sports broad to get like creative with like a
soda water citrus situation and get that.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
Okay. So yeah, so much freedom for the sports Bra,
which is great because they have some of the best
bartenders and they have they have the best food. If
you're ever in Portland, you have to go. It's one
of my favorite places. Like I will literally take a
trip to Portland just to go to the Sports Bra
for some event or activation or just to get dinner.
It's so good. Okay. And then a last segment, it's
called the Powered Up segment. This is where we go
(35:26):
rapid fire questions. So I'm just gonna ask you questions
and give me your first first instinct Okay, okay, okay.
Coffee or tea coffee, favorite ice cream flavor coffee? What
is your go to meal? After surfing.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Oh, I mean, if I have the opportunity, I'm getting seafood,
I'm probably going with like, uh, like mahi mahi beautifully
like encrusted mahi mahi rice plaf situation, Oh.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
My gosh, making me hungry. Are you a night owl
or an early bird?
Speaker 3 (36:03):
Night owl?
Speaker 2 (36:04):
What is the favorite place your sport has taken you?
Feel free to choose any of your sports? Oh?
Speaker 3 (36:09):
Man, uh okay, can I just say too? Because the
Italian Alps for ski racing blew my mind sitting at
the top of those just thinking like wow and then uh.
One of my favorite memories of surpine was in the
(36:29):
Canary Islands off the coast of Fuerda Ventura. The right
was breaking perfectly and the sun was coming up over
a volcano, and I was just like, how is this
my life? The mood was out. I don't know, it
was magical.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
Oh, that sounds magical. What is your favorite dessert?
Speaker 3 (36:48):
Probably like a really decadent chocolate cake type thing.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
Same, I'm a chocolate girl. Dream vacation spot.
Speaker 3 (36:58):
Well, it would probably be somewhere warm and surfing. I've
never actually been to Fiji. I would probably go there.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Yeah, you know what I'll just meet you in Fiji.
Can you just ask me, let's just go. Let's just
go meet in Fiji at some point, because you would
love swimming pools. It is my favorite wave on the planet.
It's beautiful, right, And it's called swimming pools because it's
like twenty feet between you and the coral, but it
looks like it's right below you. The water is so clear.
It is like it's my favorite place on the world.
(37:30):
What is the best piece of advice you've ever gotten?
Speaker 3 (37:33):
Well, I was gonna say this earlier, and it wasn't
necessarily advice, but it's a quote that's always stuck with me.
We alluded to it. It's a Chinese proverb that said
jump and the net will appear, and that's really something
I've relied on throughout my life.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
I love that. And then the last question is it
has been an honor to have you on the Powerful podcast.
What does powerful mean to you?
Speaker 3 (38:00):
I guess powerful is being true to yourself. Yeah, yeah,
and having the bravery to be true to yourself, being
exactly who you are authentically and and standing in that power.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
I love that. Well, that is a bravery that you
have shown time and time again, both publicly and personally.
And it has just been an honor to be have
our lives thread together a few times in the last decade,
and I hope many many more.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
For sure, I'll see you in Pig, I'll see you
in Fiji.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
Let's plan the trip.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
Thank you for having us, Yeah, thank you for.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
Being on here. Thank you powerful pod squad. We'll be
back next week. Have a good one. This is a
reminder to check us out every Tuesday everywhere you get
your podcasts, and if you really enjoy this and don't
want to miss an episode, be sure to hit that
subscribe button.
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Powerful Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
I'm your host Ajan McCord.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
In this podcast, we introduce you to powerful women who
were changing the game in and.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Outside of their field of play.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
These are women's stories, women who happen to be doing
things that many of us can only dream of, but
the lessons and inspiration they share is universal.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Welcome back to the Powerful Podcast. I am so excited
because this episode is the perfect one for this Women's
History Month. This is a woman who has made some
history here for Team USA and is continuing to do
so by making a difference for the next generation of
Paralympic athletes. Elena Nichols is the first American female to
(00:40):
ever win gold medals in both a summer and a
Winter Paralympics or Olympic Games. She is a five time Paralympian,
six medals to her name, and two years ago, in
her third sport, No Big Deal, she got the first
ever perfect ten at the Paris Surfing champce Bionships out
at Huntington Beach. This woman is a badass, and we
(01:04):
talk about the audacity to believe in yourself and how
that lesson has manifested. It has morphed and it has
become kind of a bedrock for everything that Elena has
done with her life since her injury that left her
paralyzed at seventeen. How she continues to have that audacious
(01:27):
belief in herself as she works to change the world
for Paralympic athletes all over it. So this is an
episode that left me feeling inspired. I hope you feel
the same way, and I cannot wait to hear what
you think of it. Thanks for being here, Pod Squad,
so Elena Nichols, thank you so much for joining the podcast.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Hi friend, it's good to be here. Hi, thank you
for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Oh my gosh, I'm so excited you're here. So Elena,
we first got to know each other when you were
training for Sochi, which is one of the Winter Paralympic
Games that you went to as an alpine sky year.
But you also did the Summer Paralympics in basketball as well,
and then you had surfings first ever perfect ten at
the Para Championships. I believe last two years ago twenty
(02:11):
twenty three was when you did that. You are one
of my favorite inspirational badasses that I have ever gotten
a chance to work with, so I'm so excited that
you're here.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Well, the feeling is very mutual because we were watching
Pipeline sitting there as you were interviewing Tyler Wright after
she just won, and I go, you know, Aja used
to interview me in the finish of the ski races
in Winter Park and like look at her now, and yeah,
(02:43):
it was just yeah, So feelings mutual.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
It's been so fun to see how life has changed
since because I was just out of college when we
were first interviewing you for Sochi Games. You were so
deep in the Paralympics, and it is incredible that you
have made within the Paralympic community. So I guess I
just want to start with, how does it feel to
be the only American woman to have ever meddled in
(03:09):
both the Summer and the Winter Games? How does that ground? You? Know?
Speaker 3 (03:12):
It's it's cool to be able to just like metabolize
the idea that I made history, Like who gets to
do that? The timing was amazing. I'm not the only one.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Just as.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
A technicality, I'm not the only one that's ever meddled,
but I was the first female American to win gold
in the Summer and winter, So yeah, that was incredible.
You know, I was. It's kind of a long story,
I'll keep it short, but I was an athlete my
whole life. I've played three sports growing up. I got
(03:47):
really excited about snowboarding. It was like this new outlet
when I was in junior high I got to get creative,
and I've always been a risk taker, so it like
really kind of scratched that itch. And then my senior
year in high school, I was out back country, was
being a risk taker with like an underdeveloped frontal lobe
(04:08):
as most seventeen year olds have, and decided to try
my first backflip on a snowboard, over rotated, broke my
back on a rock that was under the snow, and
naturally thought I would never be an athlete again. I
didn't know anything about adapt to sports. There weren't social
media and things like that, and so, you know, to
(04:29):
not only be able to get back into sports, which
was life giving, I mean, movement is medicine. I got
really depressed for about two years before I was able
to move my body again. But I started playing wheelchair
basketball and just felt alive. I felt like I was
running again, got my heart rate up and you know,
and with that heart rate, you know, I was able
(04:52):
to start thinking about bigger things, you know, investing in
my education and going forward with like life. You know,
I wasn't stuck anymore because I started moving and then
you know, got to go to college on wheelchair basketball scholarships,
graduated from the University of Alabama, went to the Beijing Games,
(05:14):
won a gold medal, and then set this ridiculous goal
of starting ski racing and going to twenty ten two
years later, Like who does that? You know, It's like ridiculous.
And to this day I love to say that that's
ridiculous because if I hadn't dreamed that big, if I
hadn't reached so far, I would have never done it,
(05:35):
you know, And I really encourage people. You have to
dream big, like set ridiculous goals. I mean, and it's
like that saying shoot for the moon and even if
you miss, you'll land amongst the stars. Like what's the
worst that could happen with a big goal? Excuse me?
So anyways, back to your question, like how does it
(05:55):
feel to set to make history as the first female
to win gold in the summer winter? It was like unbelievable,
you know, it was like I never thought, you know,
as a seventeen year old girl laying in a hospital bed,
that I was ever going to be an athlete, let
alone make history. So oh life, here we are.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Oh life. Some of us are just like pettsing along
and you are setting ridiculous, big dream goals and achieving them.
And it's one of the things that I think drew
me to you when we first met was just there
is this belief in yourself that you know, I'd be
curious to know if you think it's the same belief
that led you to believe you could do the backflip
(06:39):
straight up like first time on the snow, right, But
it's it's an audacious belief in yourself that why not me?
Why can't I go out and do this? And I'm
curious where you think that came from. Where do you
think you developed that and continue to do it? Because
it's one thing to be like, Okay, cool, I'm going
to be the first American female to win a gold
(07:00):
in winter and summer. Okay, check that box. You didn't
stop like you continue to go out and make history,
even just two years ago. So where does that I'm
going to call it an audacity to believe in yourself,
Like where does that come from?
Speaker 3 (07:13):
I love that audacity, such a spicy word.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
It's one of my favorite words. I put it everywhere.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
I can't facious, you know. I've credit a lot of
my like grit and toughness and like independence and audacity
to my grandma who raised me, partly because she was
all those things, but also partly because she was kind
(07:41):
of hands off. She was kind of like, whatever you
want to do with your life, I totally believe in you,
but like, you don't have to do anything. And that,
in and of itself was the challenge, like oh okay,
you know, like I think if I had a parent
or a guardian that was pushing me and forcing things,
it would be so different. But since the challenge for
(08:03):
me was like I am open to the possibilities, you know,
And so with that kind of mindset, I feel like
that's where the audacity comes in because there's nothing holding
you back, there's nothing pushing you. It's like the opportunities
are limitless. Really, And yeah, I just I think you're
dead on by saying like the same thing that kind
(08:26):
of landed me in the wheelchair is the same reason,
I'm like a gold medalist, right, I'm a risk taker
at heart. I want to just see where the line is,
just gonna dabble on the edge. If I fall over,
I'm tough enough to get back up, and like a
lot of the times, you know, it was like I
knew that I was gonna learn something either way. I
(08:49):
know that every time I fell in a ski race,
I learned how to get back up and do it again.
And so it's like when you are in a win
win situation, you're most likely to win, you know, but
if losing is gonna devastate you, then it's like, I
don't know. I think there's a lot of energy happening
(09:13):
when you step up to the plate and you swing away,
or maybe you step up to the plate trying not
to strike out. You know, that's the difference. And so
for me, it was like swing away, swing for the fences,
let's see what happens, you know.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
And I'm curious because I remember talking to you. I
can't remember if it was before twenty twenty what would
end up being twenty twenty one. But that's a lesson
you've had to apply multiple times throughout your athletic career.
I would imagine in your personal life too. But you
not only did you like get up when you were seventeen,
you got up multiple times once you became a ski
(09:50):
racer because you suffered some gnarly injuries. Once you became
a Paralympic athlete. How do you feel like that lesson
sustained you and maybe morphed into the lesson that you
needed in a different way over and over again over
the last fifteen years.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
Yeah, that's very philosophical of you. I love that because
I love to be philosophical about it myself. And you know,
I really feel like in my twenties I was just
so willing to risk and sacrifice and push the boundaries.
(10:29):
And it's interesting to look back and see how I
evolved into somebody that I don't think was honoring how
I was feeling and or didn't really know how to feel.
Right in my twenties, I was really numbing. I was
kind of like I am, you know, paralyzed for the
(10:50):
rest of my life, and I want to have this,
you know. I really leaned on the identity of being
an athlete and like succeeding right, like that was what
was holding me together and then when I got into
my thirties and I got sober and I started feeling
(11:11):
you know, it was less about I don't want to
sacrifice my body as much as I want to preserve
myself and how I feel. And so ski racing naturally
and organically just kind of worked its way out. You know.
It was like I just don't want to do that
anymore to myself. And I had I, look, i'm in aries.
(11:33):
I will hit my head against something until I figure
it out. And you know, I broke my shoulder backwards.
I was working with one limb at one point after
dislocating it, you know, and having to have surgery, and
that was so hard, and so the lessons were experientially,
you know, try out by fires kind of my move
(11:55):
and so yeah, I just naturally worked into this place
of like I am not willing to sacrifice my body anymore.
And after so chy and smashing my face on the
ground there, it was like, you know, I think I
really am ready to move out of this you know,
(12:15):
ski racing scene. And it's interesting how when you are
actually ready, like you know, when the student is ready,
the teacher appears. I was like, I'm ready, I don't
know what's next, and naturally surfing entered my life and
changed it forever.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
I like to see it.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
Ruined my life. I had to move out to California,
I had to surf every day, and like, you know,
it was so healing and so important for me, and yeah,
it was. It was really important to honor my body
and just I didn't know what was next. It was
obviously really scary when you are reliant on an athletic
(12:56):
career for your insurance and income and all the things,
and so yeah, but I wouldn't change a thing. I mean,
surfing was life giving for me.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
It feels like bravery, just in a different form, right,
Like it was one kind of brave to be sitting
in a hospital bed at seventeen and say, I'm going
to choose to believe that this doesn't mean my athletic
career is over. I'm going to be brave enough to
go pursue that. But then it's like a whole different
type of brave to be like, dang, this athletic career
(13:27):
has defined me and ruined me and given me everything
and taken everything. You know, it's like done all the things.
I have to be brave enough to believe that there's
something else, and it just feels like you've redefined what
brave looks like for you at different stages of your life.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
Yeah, thank you for saying that. It's interesting to look
back at all of those big, risky decisions and how
the unknown has never let me down. It never has.
I've always it's so scary and for anybody listening, it's
at that transition point whether you know, we all go
(14:05):
through this, Like it might not be as big as
breaking your back at seventeen and becoming paralyzed, but everybody
goes back to square one at one point and it
all melts down and you have to begin again. And
you know, it's just the cycle that we go through
in life. And when you're brave and you trust and
(14:26):
you surrender and you believe like that's the most important
thing you can do, because ruminating on whatever bad might come,
it's just not going to help. So it's you know,
I think, over the years and over the experiences that
I've had, I've just learned to be more mindful, and
that means actually getting quiet and meditating and actually like, uh,
(14:51):
not thinking I control everything because I don't.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Yeah, which is so annoying. I hate I have to
learn that lesson all the time. Like I always, I'm
like such a control person. I love being in control.
I love deciding what I'm gonna do. I love all
these things. And then I like, every once in a while,
it's just like the rug gets pulled out from under
you and you're like, dang it, not in control. I
like really thought it was this whole time is the worst.
(15:16):
And I think it's such an illusion, and it's I
think that I think that is the thing that I
will bet my head up against the wall until the
day that I die, like I will hold on to
the illusion that is my that is my constant thing.
Is like giving up the illusion of control. And I
think what you said about everybody has to go back
to square one. And maybe it's not something as as
(15:39):
life trajectory altering, as breaking your back and becoming paralyzed,
but it it results in the same feeling, that same
like whoa when it all gets stripped away? Who am I?
What am I? What do I want to do? And
like for me, one of those moments was when I
decided to go freelance, when I decided to start the
powerful it was like whoa, I'm walking away from a
(16:00):
really good job that's not fulfilling me anymore. Like I'd
gotten to cover super Bowls and you know, massive moments
in the NBA and college football, and it was just
looking around and going but it's not it's not giving
me the life that it once was. And it's okay
that like what once was giving you life isn't anymore.
(16:21):
But I looked around and I was like, like, I
don't know what the percentages of people. I know. I
sent out hundreds of applications when I first was looking
into jobs, and I got back like one response and
then I don't know what Like, so it's already a
small pool that you're working in, and then the number
that go from full full time to freelance. There were
so few examples of people that it worked out for,
(16:44):
and there were even fewer examples of people that it
worked out for who wanted to be in like action
and Olympic sports, because these are hard sports. They're hard
to get into. There's not much media coverage of them,
and thank goodness that's changing. But it was like I
had to just look at it and be like, hey,
if it doesn't work out, the one belief that you
can hold on too, is that you'll land on your
(17:05):
feet and you'll figure it out. And that's like the
only thing that you know control what you can control
the gymnast in me figure out how to land on
her feet, you know. And that's like the scariest thing,
but it's so necessary and now it's I wouldn't change it.
I wouldn't have changed it for anything. And that's I
love the reminder that like the unknown has always worked out.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
And look at the the powerful in you because you're
the example. You're leading the charge, you're setting the stage
for the next woman to go freelance and follow her heart. Right,
it wasn't fulfilling you. You needed to do what felt
good to you. Like that's powerful, that's so important. Yeah,
(17:48):
and it's scary, You're right, so scary, totally. So yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Well, and I think honestly, Alana, that's like one of
the things that I'm so proud of this podcast for
is it's bringing on women like you who are that
example in their lane. Right, Like someone is sitting in
a hospital bed not as scared because of your story,
and that's incredible, Like that's my gosh, You're changing lives
(18:17):
just by being audaciously believing you in yourself, which is
just I think one of the coolest things and one
of the full circle moments for me of watching you
all these years was when you went to Paris last
year and you got to host the Team USA house
and Paris last year was like for those of us
who have been following the Paralympic movement, who have been
watching the Paralympics, living the Paralympics last year felt like
(18:40):
a my gosh, some cealing shattered because the Paralympics got
the attention, started getting the attention that it rightfully deserved.
How was it for you as somebody who has competed
in the Paralympics for two thousand and eight, So mauth
is moment strong suit seventeen years I go was your
first Paralympic experience, How did two thousand and eight compare
(19:04):
to covering it in twenty twenty four?
Speaker 3 (19:06):
Yeah, very astute observation, because back in two thousand and
eight you couldn't catch a live Paralympic event on TV.
You just couldn't. There was an hour special after the
games that was tight in with the Olympics was like
(19:28):
very much an afterthought, if you wanted to watch a
family member compete in the Paralympics, you needed to go.
And that was in China, and my family didn't go,
and I won my first gold medal without anybody there
or anybody like living it with me. Right twenty ten
kind of the same story, you know, it was like
(19:48):
we're building in the right direction. But again it was
like I won four medals there and like the coverage
was just limited and there weren't Yeah, it wasn't this
beautiful NBC partnership with Toyota that provided the most amount
of hours that we've ever seen. It was like an
(20:11):
hour special two weeks after the games ended.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
You know.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
It was like really like there used to be this
thing that we talked about after the Games called the
Paralympic letdown, because we would be on this high at
the Paralympics, like we just accomplished this four years sometimes
eight year in the making goal and we'd come back
to the States literally land I'll never forget coming home
(20:35):
from China and the flight attendants were like, oh, you're
part of the special Olympics, and I'm like, actually, no,
the Paralympics are the Olympic Games. For people with disabilities.
They have been two weeks after the games and all
the same venues. It's actually the third largest sporting event
in the world. Like I had this script that I
said to everybody because they didn't understand, and you know,
(20:57):
and then fast forward to two thousand, you know, fourteen,
and then two or twenty twelve. Twenty fourteen twelve was
for basketball in London. London was a big marker. London
did it great. London made Paralympian names, household names, there
were billboards, you know that that was a big one.
(21:18):
I remember being shook, like this is we're getting somewhere.
And then twenty fourteen and then you know, going forward
to twenty sixteen, twenty eighteen, it just feels like every
games we've made some advances. And I will say on
like a global level, we're making great advances. But every
(21:39):
games that are held in a country makes a significant
difference in that community, right, Like I mean, I remember
in China, the shift that happened towards people with disabilities
after they held the Paralympics.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Was you know, monumental.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
They were like, oh, people with disabilities actually do have
something to offer and they are athletic and like, you know,
a whole mind shift. So I'm not discounting that, but
you know, anyways, fast forward to twenty twenty four Paris,
just it felt, like you said, like glass ceiling shattering
because the way that they embraced the Paralympics and held
(22:20):
the same standards up for Paralympians in a lot of
the same ways, and the venues and just the way
that the Paralympics were managed and handled felt really elite.
It felt really, it felt really great to be managed
on that level, I think for a lot of the athletes.
(22:41):
And I wasn't competing at those games, so I can't
speak from that perspective. But as the host of the
first ever Team USA House, which you know, for those
that are listening that don't know what that is, it's
a hospitality venue that's on site. It was actually at
Palace Palai. I was always like saying that, which was
(23:06):
it was originally commissioned by Napoleon as the stock exchange.
So it's beautiful building, big o' columns, tmy USA branded everything.
We had this beautiful stage, all the TVs. When I
was a paralympian, literally during the games, I would be
just searching anywhere I could find to watch live events,
(23:26):
and next thing you know, I'm in Paris at tmusa
house watching live events all day. I was like in heaven.
I was like, and then all my friends, all the
Paralympians were there.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
You know.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
I had the great honor of doing post win interviews
with the medalists. We did what's called the Order of
eCos Ceremonies, which is a medal that each athlete can
give to a coacher support staff to honor their contribution
to their medal. And like I did, I cried, like
(23:59):
every day, how could I not? Who is so important
like moms and coaches and all the things. But yeah,
I mean it was it was incredible to have that
energy and to share that and really just celebrate how
far the Paralympics have come.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Yeah, because I'm again from very much sort of the
outside looking in, it felt like whoa, this is Like
I'm so excited. People are still talking about this, you know,
And like I had covered the Olympics and there was
no drop off in the conversations that I was having
of like, here's what's happening in the Paralympics right now.
Did you see who won this medal or who competed
here or whatever it was, and it was like, amazing,
(24:38):
this is so so long overdue. It's so long overdue.
How does a moment like Paris for a paralympian which
I know you weren't competing, but you know the struggle
I mean it's Olympic and Paralympic athletes have have very
similar struggles in trying to find sponsorships and in paying
(24:59):
to be an elite athlete, figuring out how to make
that work year in and year out, because there's not
a lot of them that have you know, there's World
Cups and there's tours, but it's hard to watch the
time zones, like all these things are. Really it's so
much different than like a basketball or a soccer on
the men's side of football, whatever it is. So how
does a moment like Paris affect in a Paralympian's ability
(25:24):
to continue to do their sport?
Speaker 3 (25:26):
Well, you know, it's it's interesting because I think a
lot of times there's the chosen ones, right, it's the
highlighted athletes, it's the Tara and Hunters show, it's the
you know, Jessica along, you know, it's the media really
(25:50):
grabs onto certain Paralympians and then you know the ones
that haven't quite made it yet and that are truly
struggling to get to a place. Even if they win
gold medals, it doesn't I mean, after I won a
gold medal in Beijing, it wasn't. I didn't get any contracts.
I didn't sign anything until I won my second and
(26:11):
third gold medal in my second sport, and then I
signed with Nike and Visa and AT and D and
all the things. But you know, it's it's still very
much a struggle for like ninety five percent of the
Paralympic population. And you know, one of the cool things
that happened going into Paris was Toyota being the mobility
(26:33):
sponsor of the Games. They actually sponsored each Paralympian in
the United States. It was incredible to see that support
go to every Paralympian, not just the chosen ones, you know.
And so I think a lot of momentum is building
(26:54):
in the States around supporting Paralympians, but truly, like I
I'm currently kind of supporting a Paralympic hopeful that is
trying to make it to Milan in twenty twenty six,
she's a ski racer, and she's just like I kind
of just I don't want to struggle anymore. Like I
(27:15):
want health insurance, I want to get a job and
like be able to get a house one day, and like,
you know, it's just like this really and so I
know that it's worth it in some regards, and I
also I respect people that don't want to do that
struggle for sure. But you know, Paris, the way that
(27:36):
it happened, I think is it provided hope for a
lot of people. I think, and you know, LA twenty
eight being in our home turf, I think is going
to be great games for the Paralympians in the United
States for sure.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Yeah, I cannot wait for LA twenty twenty eight. And
thank you very much for the segue, because I know
that Paralympic surfing is not in the Paralympics yet, but
there is movement to try and get it into the Paralympics.
So maybe twenty thirty two, first woman who got a
perfect ten, are we also going to pursue maybe a
(28:13):
third Paralympic sport if surfing makes it in.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Well, I get that question a lot, and I would
love to say yes, but my division, which is women's
wave ski, is very small and probably would not be
included in the Games, regardless of whether it was accepted
into the Paralympics in twenty thirty two. I'm on the
(28:37):
board for LA twenty eight and have tried to spearhead
the movement of getting parasurfing into the Games, and I'm
still working on that very much for twenty thirty two.
But it was never with the motivation. I mean, I
would love to. I would Kelly Slater all day. I
would get out there and compete, but as it's set
up right now, you know, you have to have gender
(28:59):
equity in each division, and we just don't have the
numbers for women's waveski. Anybody watching this that wants to
skate like waveski, please join us. We would love that,
would love to have full divisions, you know. And yeah,
it's it's a special sport because for those that don't
(29:20):
know waveski, I'm sitting on a surfboard, strapped in at
the waist. I use a kayak paddle to propel myself
onto a wave and then use the paddle to kind
of cut up and down the face of the wave.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
But it's a lot or get barreled and or get
barreled and get a ten. That's hoctually got the perfect
ten in Huntington, No big deal.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
Thank you excuse me voice. Yeah it was. I mean
that day was incredible. The conditions were pristine, and you know,
just recently was on one of my friends podcasts for
Stoke for Life and he was talking about that perfect
ten and I was explained how much surfing experience goes
(30:03):
into that moment actually coming together for someone. And it
took ten solid years of me learning everything there is
to know about what surfing is and how to catch
a wave and what to do when you're on it,
and how it feels to be in that zone, and
you know, all the things had to come together. So
I mean when people talk about getting barreled being magical,
(30:25):
I mean I was only in there for like two
seconds or one one second, but like that moment was
the culmination of ten years of all of this experience
and it was perfect. I loved it.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
It's still I mean, I've surched my whole life, and
it is like this constant, elusive carrot that you're just
like and once you get one, there's no satisfying this
thirst to get barrel Like it's simply I've never met
a surfer who's like, ah, yeah, it's fine, old enough.
I think I'm okay. No, Like, everybody's constantly on this
(30:59):
search to get barreled, and it's just I'm so stoked
that it all came together on that day with that
much attention, for that to be not only for you personally,
but for the surfing community to see that happen in
that sort of arena, and with that much attention, I
think is so massive for parasurfing as a whole. And
(31:20):
obviously it's a sport that's near and dear to my
heart and it's a way that you know, I know,
like I just went to the Access Surf event in Hawaii,
which is an incredible organization that I know is pivotal,
pivotal in getting you in the water, and the Eddie winner,
Luke Shepherdson was out there getting people on their first waves,
helping them stand up, and there's just you combine the
(31:44):
magic of the ocean with like the power of a
wave and feeling weightless for somebody who physically and emotionally
I think often feels weighed down by just what it
takes for life. And it is. It's it's an experience
that if you are interested in getting involved in parasurfing
(32:05):
on a personal level, do it. If you want to go, volunteer,
be a part of it, because this is it's changing
lives and it changes mine every time I go, and
it's just it's incredible. So it's just so fun to
see you in this next phase of athletic pursuit because
I have no doubt that whether you are putting the
(32:26):
metal around somebody's neck or getting it put on yours, like,
you're going to make a difference in the parasurfing community.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
Thank you, friend, and thank you for being an ally.
Thank you for somebody that thank you for being somebody
that knows what that feeling is like, because as you
were mentioning earlier, like we just don't have the coverage.
We don't have, and I want everybody to know, like
the resilience that humans, the spirit that humans come to
(32:54):
the ocean with that they just it's it's on another level.
It's so inspiring. I used to hate the word inspiring.
I felt like it was really like condescending, and now
I embrace it so much because I am inspired by
my fellow adaptive surfers. I am that inspiration for people
(33:16):
and I'm so grateful to do that. It's such an honor.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
Yeah, such a cool, full circle moment. Well, I could
talk to you forever, but I know we have we
have to keep going on this podcast because we're going
to move into our next segment and this is called
Something to Sip On is brought to you by the
Sports Bra, which is the first women's sports bar in
the world and it is in Portland, Oregon. So the
week of your episode, Alena, they are going to have
(33:41):
a mocktail of your choice that is called the Alena.
So I want to know what are you sipping on?
What is our like post surf? Yeah, what is our
post surf servesa?
Speaker 3 (33:53):
Oh my god, what an honor. And I love that
it's a mocktail. I very often go into bars and
wish they had more options. So okay, okay, So I
do love So you asked what the surveys is. If
it is a beer, I'm going with a Heineken Double
(34:14):
Zero because it's just light and refreshing.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
It's really nice.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
Some micro brews do a non alcoholic beer, which sometimes
is really great. I also just saw this really great
advertisement for the eight oh five with Laky Peterson. I
mean I would love I would love that, Okay, but
if it's a mocktail, I'm going with like a citrusy, bubbly,
(34:47):
like a little bit of sweetness. I'm like not trying
to add extra sugar into my life. I usually just
go with like honestly, So please ask the women at
the sports broad to get like creative with like a
soda water citrus situation and get that.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
Okay. So yeah, so much freedom for the sports Bra,
which is great because they have some of the best
bartenders and they have they have the best food. If
you're ever in Portland, you have to go. It's one
of my favorite places. Like I will literally take a
trip to Portland just to go to the Sports Bra
for some event or activation or just to get dinner.
It's so good. Okay. And then a last segment, it's
called the Powered Up segment. This is where we go
(35:26):
rapid fire questions. So I'm just gonna ask you questions
and give me your first first instinct Okay, okay, okay.
Coffee or tea coffee, favorite ice cream flavor coffee? What
is your go to meal? After surfing.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Oh, I mean, if I have the opportunity, I'm getting seafood,
I'm probably going with like, uh, like mahi mahi beautifully
like encrusted mahi mahi rice plaf situation, Oh.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
My gosh, making me hungry. Are you a night owl
or an early bird?
Speaker 3 (36:03):
Night owl?
Speaker 2 (36:04):
What is the favorite place your sport has taken you?
Feel free to choose any of your sports? Oh?
Speaker 3 (36:09):
Man, uh okay, can I just say too? Because the
Italian Alps for ski racing blew my mind sitting at
the top of those just thinking like wow and then uh.
One of my favorite memories of surpine was in the
(36:29):
Canary Islands off the coast of Fuerda Ventura. The right
was breaking perfectly and the sun was coming up over
a volcano, and I was just like, how is this
my life? The mood was out. I don't know, it
was magical.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
Oh, that sounds magical. What is your favorite dessert?
Speaker 3 (36:48):
Probably like a really decadent chocolate cake type thing.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
Same, I'm a chocolate girl. Dream vacation spot.
Speaker 3 (36:58):
Well, it would probably be somewhere warm and surfing. I've
never actually been to Fiji. I would probably go there.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Yeah, you know what I'll just meet you in Fiji.
Can you just ask me, let's just go. Let's just
go meet in Fiji at some point, because you would
love swimming pools. It is my favorite wave on the planet.
It's beautiful, right, And it's called swimming pools because it's
like twenty feet between you and the coral, but it
looks like it's right below you. The water is so clear.
It is like it's my favorite place on the world.
(37:30):
What is the best piece of advice you've ever gotten?
Speaker 3 (37:33):
Well, I was gonna say this earlier, and it wasn't
necessarily advice, but it's a quote that's always stuck with me.
We alluded to it. It's a Chinese proverb that said
jump and the net will appear, and that's really something
I've relied on throughout my life.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
I love that. And then the last question is it
has been an honor to have you on the Powerful podcast.
What does powerful mean to you?
Speaker 3 (38:00):
I guess powerful is being true to yourself. Yeah, yeah,
and having the bravery to be true to yourself, being
exactly who you are authentically and and standing in that power.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
I love that. Well, that is a bravery that you
have shown time and time again, both publicly and personally.
And it has just been an honor to be have
our lives thread together a few times in the last decade,
and I hope many many more.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
For sure, I'll see you in Pig, I'll see you
in Fiji.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
Let's plan the trip.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
Thank you for having us, Yeah, thank you for.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
Being on here. Thank you powerful pod squad. We'll be
back next week. Have a good one. This is a
reminder to check us out every Tuesday everywhere you get
your podcasts, and if you really enjoy this and don't
want to miss an episode, be sure to hit that
subscribe button.
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