August 30, 2025 • 18 mins
On this episode of Her Playbook, Madelyn Burke sits down with American track and field athlete, Vashti Cunningham. Vashti discusses winning the women’s high jump at the U.S. track and field championships this year, earning a spot in the world championships in Tokyo, Japan, and how she leans on her father, Randall Cunningham, in her career in sports. Presented by Kendra Scott.
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 (00:00):
Welcome to an all new episode of her playbook, presented
by Kendra Scott. Game Day Just got Personal. Find your
winning look at Kendra Scott, where team spirit meets personal style.
Shop jewelry, accessories and more at your New York area
Kendra Scott store or online at Kendrascott dot com. My
guest today, I am thrilled to be joined by a
(00:20):
three time Olympian and American track and field athlete specializing
in the high jump. Please welcome to the show, Vashdie Cunningham.
Thank you so much for joining me today.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Vashti, thank you for having me. I'm really excited to
be here.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I'm so excited to talk to you, and we got
to start with some recent news. Obviously, you recently jumped
a season best one point nine to seven meters to
win the twenty twenty five Track and Field Outdoor Championship
in the high jump. This marked your seventh national title,
earning you a trip to next month's Worlds in Tokyo, Japan,
which is incredible. I know this season has had a
(00:53):
lot of ups and downs for you, but how rewarding
was that moment.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
That moment was just a blessing. This season started out
really slow. It's been a rough one at that I
can say, But I think that being able to jump
the standard at the World or at the US Championships
was just a huge moment for me.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Yeah, and you mentioned jumping the standard and how much
adversity you've gone through this season. Talk a little bit
about kind of the differences that you've seen in your
own performances this year as opposed to years past.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
I often joke with my friends this season, They're like,
how's your season going, And I'm like, this has actually
been my worst season as a professional in my career.
I'm used to jumping the standard at the first competition
of the year and then like playing get safe throughout
the rest of the season, knowing that I'm secured, But
this has just been a little bit of a different season.
(01:47):
I think God has definitely matured me throughout this season
and shown me that I need to rely on Him
rather than my own ability. But getting the standard at
that meet was like such a prime, prime thing for
me to do for my encouragement and just moving forward
(02:07):
to know that, like, just because the season started out
slow doesn't mean it's going to finish slow, right, And.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
I mean that's got to be such an incredible mental
challenge for you as an athlete, as somebody who's used
to challenging your body physically, going through that mental challenge
and that mental adversity of navigating Okay, I'm somebody who's
used to performing at such a high level and who's
used to kind of my expectation is the standard, and
now having to strive to achieve that is a different,
(02:33):
different game a bit.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Oh yeah, Definitely, the mental aspect of it all has
been an uncomfortable space for me to navigate. I've never
really experienced on success so consistently in gay career until
twenty twenty five, and it's really taught me to just
(02:55):
shift the attention to God and what his intentions are
and what his word says about how he knows exactly
what we're going through and how he's concerned for us.
And so that's been like my only peace throughout the
whole season is knowing that he knows where I'm at
and that every good and perfect gift comes from Him.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Now, you are no stranger to the athlete mentality. Your
family is very athletic. Your mom was a ballet dancer,
your dad, Randall Cunningham played sixteen seasons a quarterback in
the NFL. Giants fans very familiar with his tenure with
the Eagles. Having that mentality and that environment.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
To grow up in.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
How do you think that shaped you as an athlete?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
I think that it's shaped so much of me and
the way that I think, the way that I train,
the way that I recover mentally from certain things. I
definitely use my dad as much as I can from
his past experience to what even what he goes through now,
because is your career never ends. Just because you're not
(03:59):
playing or you're not competing doesn't mean that your legacy ends.
And so he's taught me so many things about when
he was at the top and he was starting and
he was playing, shifting to when he was benched, and
shifting to when he was booed by his own crowd.
And so there's just so much that he's taught me
through the years of dealing with fans and dealing with
(04:22):
media and also staying sane at where I am actually
in the midst of all of it.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Your dad, I know, travels with you quite a bit
and coaches you as well. What's that dynamic been like.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Uh, It's definitely been something that I've had to mature
to find my true gratitude for it. You know when
you're seventeen eighteen years old and you're planning on going
to college and then you just turn professional and realize like, oh,
I'm going to be home. I'm not going to get
away from anything or have my own time to grow
(04:58):
as my own individual in a new state. It's definitely
been something that was like a learning curve for me.
I'm always I've always been with my dad and traveled
with him, but it was different when I graduated high
school and I'm starting to make money and I'm still
listening to him try to like, Okay, you need to
be home at nine pm and you need to focus
(05:20):
like this. You don't need to be doing this, you
don't need to be doing that. And I'm like, look,
if I were in college right now, you wouldn't be
able to tell me all these things. And so just
over the years, this is my now ninth year as
a professional. Over the years, I've really got to understand
that it's truly a blessing to be able to travel
with my dad and to just spend the quality time
(05:42):
that we do together.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Yeah, well, it's of course too. When you see him,
he's your dad. I mean, sports fans zoom out and like,
this is the guy who's throwing Randy Moss touchdown passes
his rookie year. This is the guy who played with
Eagles for so long. You're like, this is my dad.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
I don't want which I get.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
That's such an interesting dynamic. You meant too for going college.
You turned down both volleyball and track and field scholarships
to go pro, immediately got a deal with Nike and
got that done. How hard was that decision for you
or was it hard?
Speaker 2 (06:14):
It was a little bit more difficult for me than
it was for my dad and my mom. I think
my mom was in the direction of like, whatever you
want to do. But I really really loved volleyball, and
I really had dreams of just leaving Vegas, going off
on my own and just being able to be in
a program. And so it wasn't like an extremely hard decision.
(06:38):
My dad put it on the table. He was like,
you can either make money now or you can make
money in five years. And I was like, Okay, I'm
going to make money now. And looking back at it,
I sometimes miss volleyball. But I would never go back
and try and change anything about the way that God
brought this opportunity for me. Yeah, You've had so.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
Many unique experiences through it, and you know a lot
of athletes will say, Okay, I'm going to do this
now while I can and go back and do school
later in life, which will always be an option. I'm
want to talk about your Olympic experiences. You've been to
the Olympic Games three different times, in Rio and sixteen
and Tokyo and twenty one in Paris, most recently in
twenty twenty four. But Rio, that one really stands out
(07:20):
such a unique experience. You were eighteen years old, the
youngest US track and field athlete to make the team.
What was that Olympic Games like you like for you?
And was that what you expected?
Speaker 2 (07:34):
That? That was an experience for sure. I had no
real experience of being on a world's team before. I
didn't even really know that I could have qualified for that.
It just like kind of happened earlier in the year.
I had a moment of success with the World Indoor
(07:54):
Championships where I was not even really looked at as
somebody who could have won until the week before or
when I had the US trials for that I ended
up winning and getting the standard and then being invited
last minute to come back and jump with for Worlds
and I ended up winning. And I had no idea
how big that would have been in that moment or
(08:14):
how it would have impacted my career as a high jumper,
And so going to the Olympics was something that I
was just hearing throughout the year. But when I got there,
I was so young, I was so shy. I didn't
know a single person besides my roommate, which was Sidney McLaughlin,
and we were both the youngest on the team, and
I just remember like we were just like two kids
(08:38):
in this big world and we didn't know what to do,
what to expect, who to talk to. And that was
something that I remember because I have been now twice
since then and every experience is different. I remember like
taking these long hour drives to go hang out with
my family because I would just stay in the room
all day. And then I remember the competition. The competition
(09:00):
was crazy. The bar came in higher than I've ever
came in in a competition. I'd want to say, it
came in at maybe six feet or six', one and
that's usually like my second or third. Jump so it
was just a crazy. Experience but there's one moment THAT
i think about from that, competition and it was the prelim.
ROUND i had two misses AND i had one more
(09:23):
attempt to make the height to go to the, finals
AND i hurt my ankle like the second, jump AND
i had one more jump, left and AND i looked
at my dad AND i was, shaking AND i was so,
scared AND i was, LIKE i don't know If i'm
going to make. This AND i had all the pressure
of everybody telling, me like you're gonna be the youngest
gold medal and he was just told, me looked at,
(09:45):
me and he was like Trust. God and SO i
just took everything out of my mind AND i went
AND i, jumped AND i made it into the, finals
AND i was just, LIKE i don't even know what
to do after. THIS i felt LIKE i won the
competition AND i had a whole nother day of, jumping
but it was that was an experience That i'll never
forget that.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Is, Incredible AND i, mean what an incredible moment, too
of just a test of your mental strength and your
fortitude and that of SAYING i don't know IF i
can push, on and you, know whether people are competing
In Olympic games or just overwhelmed with life and, moments
there's those moments that we all realize where we, THINK
i CAN i handle, this CAN i take this? On
(10:24):
and you just got to push through and just trust
Like i'm okay with whatever the. Outcome, yeah what an incredible. Experience,
now you mentioned the standard often for fans listening to
the show or for listeners out there who are maybe
not as familiar with track and field and, go what
is the standard when it comes to high?
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Jump, okay so the standard there's a standard for every.
Event for the, sprints you need to run a certain
time to even be qualified to make it to The
olympics or to The World. Championships for high, jump you
have to jump a certain height for the women one ninety.
Seven i'm gonna just say it's six feet. FIVE i
don't know what the change, is but that's like a
(11:02):
very high. Standard there's not many women in THE us
who jump six feet. Five i'm one of two women
who have The World championship. Standard the other women's high
jumper is actually not competing right, now So i'll be
the only one from THE us going with the. Standard
but it's like the, aim that's where you. Aim you
(11:25):
look at that height for the whole season and you
try to achieve that just to have the weight off
of your, shoulders because if you don't achieve, that then
it goes down to a point, system and that all
matters about what type of competitions you're.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
In, yeah, Yeah and that just kind of fluctuates each
time and each, competition and it puts a little bit
more pressure on some of the more nuanced. Moments, now you,
know your First Olympic, games you mentioned you were kind
of bright eyed and not quite sure what to take on.
There as you became more of a veteran in this,
space how did your role with you, KNOW teamu and
(12:01):
also with the way that you approach these events evolve
over the.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
YEARS i think that my role kind of shifted a little.
BIT i, Mean i'm still like a really shy girl
when it comes to these big competitions and team. EVENTS
i feel like SINCE i didn't go to, COLLEGE i
missed out on meeting a lot of the professional athletes
and just knowing everybody when you come into the professional
side of. It So i'm a little bit shy when
(12:27):
it comes to being in the big group settings and
in the team, meetings LIKE i sit with the same
people WHERE i sit by, myself so that role kind
of never. CHANGED i never became like the team captain
or anything as of. Yet and then moving forward in the,
COMPETITIONS i feel like just being able to see the
girls THAT i jump against From, europe the girls From
(12:49):
australia over the course of, time and like getting to
know them outside of the competition has just made me
so much more comfortable AS i compete against. Them not
LIKE i get out there and we're talking and painting
nails or anything like, that BUT i look at them
And i'm, like we are going through the same. Thing
we have all of the pressure that this is the biggest.
(13:11):
Competition the whole world is watching The, olympics and it's
good to see a familiar face out. There.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Yeah, yeah that is a huge stage because it is
literally the whole world. WATCHING i, mean you, know, here
guys when they win A Super, bowl say we're world,
champions but this is quite literally on the world. Stage
it's a whole another ballgame, NOW i. Know you, know
we talked about how much your dad is such a
support and a coach and a presence and it has you,
(13:38):
know followed your track and field. Career how much do
you remember about following his football? Career are you a
football fan still and did you you know what was
were some of your favorite memories growing up around that.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Environment, YES i definitely remember going to some of the
games WHEN i was younger and just seeing the way
that people light up when they saw, him and when
he would stop and sign or stop and take, pictures
and just the impact that he had on the fans
and on, people like he still has the. Impact when
(14:13):
we came To, miami we were getting our rental car
and we were checking, out and the guy who checked
us out just lit up with like the brightest eyes
and he was, LIKE i was telling my kids about.
You AND i just look at my dad and like
not try to give him too much, attention But i'm, Like,
okay like you still got. It, Yeah i'm like you're that.
Guy but it's definitely it was definitely different growing. Up
(14:36):
LIKE i was, young AND i didn't go online and
watch his highlights all the time BECAUSE i had him coaching,
me AND i had him just raising me and my
brother at the, time and SO i definitely didn't understand
UNTIL i got to about like middle, school just how
incredible what he was doing. Was i'm still a football.
(14:57):
FAN i don't know if you want to know who
my team is BECAUSE i see all the giant stuff
in the.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
BACKGROUND i, mean you gotta gotta gotta tell all.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Right all, RIGHT i mean this is.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
Fair you, know this is friendly. EXPECTED i, mean you've
got to be your dad's spent the majority of his.
Career there a lot of memories there that totally is.
Fair and, listen The giants And eagles play twice a.
Year we'll, we'll we'll have fun with.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
It, yeah Maybe i'll see you out there one of these,
days exactly.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Exactly it's got to be such a unique. Experience AND
i can imagine. Too you're so, young and again you're,
like this is my, dad and it's not until you
see it through somebody else's, eyes the guy giving you
the rental, car or the people lighting up when you see,
Him you're, like, wow this is this is the reaction
to the guy who you, know we're having dinner every
night and and he's making Sure i'm doing the best
(15:49):
in terms of my own homework and athlete and all
that kind of. Stuff as, you you, know have grown and,
evolved not just as an athlete but as a young
woman and all. That what are some of the things
that you wish you could tell your younger, self some
piece of advice that you've learned at this point in
your career that you, Think, wow HAD i known that
(16:10):
WHEN i was, sixteen, eighteen just getting started on this,
journey how beneficial that would be.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
Something THAT i would tell my younger. SELF i think
THAT i would tell my younger self that the weight
of what everybody is saying does not. Change like who
you are and What god has for, you the plans
That god has for. You i've NEVER i wouldn't say
THAT i was ever somebody who really cared what people
had to, say but definitely coming in this into the,
(16:41):
Career LIKE i remember going to my First, Olympics like
there were so many people telling me, Like i'm going to,
win and so it was locked in my mind, that
like it doesn't matter If i'm eighteen years, OLD i
have to win because everybody's telling Me i'm gonna. Win
AND i have to AND i can't disappoint, them BUT
i would definitely tell myself That god's plan is so
(17:04):
much bigger than what my plan is for, myself and
the things That he can do are going to succeed
WHAT i even plan to. Do so that would be
my number one tip to my younger.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
SELF i love that because so often we have such
high expectations for, ourselves or we are so hard on
ourselves when we fall short of our own personal goals
or the goals that are loved ones set for. Us
but then when you zoom out and you look at
the bigger picture and, Realize, okay there's a lot more
to this story, here and it all makes sense in
hindsight right exactly exactly. That Ashley, cunningham thank you so
(17:39):
much for taking the time. Today it has been such
a pleasure talking to, you And i'm wishing you nothing
but success as continue this journey and with worlds coming
up and all, that and we'll be.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Watching thank you so. MUCH i really had a great
time talking to you as. Well thank.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
You this has been another episode of her, playbook brought
to you By Kendra scott the jewelry Company Shining bright
and doing. Good shop jewelry styles designed for every day
and every occasion at your Local kendrascott store or kendrascott
dot com
Welcome to an all new episode of her playbook, presented
by Kendra Scott. Game Day Just got Personal. Find your
winning look at Kendra Scott, where team spirit meets personal style.
Shop jewelry, accessories and more at your New York area
Kendra Scott store or online at Kendrascott dot com. My
guest today, I am thrilled to be joined by a
(00:20):
three time Olympian and American track and field athlete specializing
in the high jump. Please welcome to the show, Vashdie Cunningham.
Thank you so much for joining me today.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Vashti, thank you for having me. I'm really excited to
be here.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I'm so excited to talk to you, and we got
to start with some recent news. Obviously, you recently jumped
a season best one point nine to seven meters to
win the twenty twenty five Track and Field Outdoor Championship
in the high jump. This marked your seventh national title,
earning you a trip to next month's Worlds in Tokyo, Japan,
which is incredible. I know this season has had a
(00:53):
lot of ups and downs for you, but how rewarding
was that moment.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
That moment was just a blessing. This season started out
really slow. It's been a rough one at that I
can say, But I think that being able to jump
the standard at the World or at the US Championships
was just a huge moment for me.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Yeah, and you mentioned jumping the standard and how much
adversity you've gone through this season. Talk a little bit
about kind of the differences that you've seen in your
own performances this year as opposed to years past.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
I often joke with my friends this season, They're like,
how's your season going, And I'm like, this has actually
been my worst season as a professional in my career.
I'm used to jumping the standard at the first competition
of the year and then like playing get safe throughout
the rest of the season, knowing that I'm secured, But
this has just been a little bit of a different season.
(01:47):
I think God has definitely matured me throughout this season
and shown me that I need to rely on Him
rather than my own ability. But getting the standard at
that meet was like such a prime, prime thing for
me to do for my encouragement and just moving forward
(02:07):
to know that, like, just because the season started out
slow doesn't mean it's going to finish slow, right, And.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
I mean that's got to be such an incredible mental
challenge for you as an athlete, as somebody who's used
to challenging your body physically, going through that mental challenge
and that mental adversity of navigating Okay, I'm somebody who's
used to performing at such a high level and who's
used to kind of my expectation is the standard, and
now having to strive to achieve that is a different,
(02:33):
different game a bit.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Oh yeah, Definitely, the mental aspect of it all has
been an uncomfortable space for me to navigate. I've never
really experienced on success so consistently in gay career until
twenty twenty five, and it's really taught me to just
(02:55):
shift the attention to God and what his intentions are
and what his word says about how he knows exactly
what we're going through and how he's concerned for us.
And so that's been like my only peace throughout the
whole season is knowing that he knows where I'm at
and that every good and perfect gift comes from Him.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Now, you are no stranger to the athlete mentality. Your
family is very athletic. Your mom was a ballet dancer,
your dad, Randall Cunningham played sixteen seasons a quarterback in
the NFL. Giants fans very familiar with his tenure with
the Eagles. Having that mentality and that environment.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
To grow up in.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
How do you think that shaped you as an athlete?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
I think that it's shaped so much of me and
the way that I think, the way that I train,
the way that I recover mentally from certain things. I
definitely use my dad as much as I can from
his past experience to what even what he goes through now,
because is your career never ends. Just because you're not
(03:59):
playing or you're not competing doesn't mean that your legacy ends.
And so he's taught me so many things about when
he was at the top and he was starting and
he was playing, shifting to when he was benched, and
shifting to when he was booed by his own crowd.
And so there's just so much that he's taught me
through the years of dealing with fans and dealing with
(04:22):
media and also staying sane at where I am actually
in the midst of all of it.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Your dad, I know, travels with you quite a bit
and coaches you as well. What's that dynamic been like.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Uh, It's definitely been something that I've had to mature
to find my true gratitude for it. You know when
you're seventeen eighteen years old and you're planning on going
to college and then you just turn professional and realize like, oh,
I'm going to be home. I'm not going to get
away from anything or have my own time to grow
(04:58):
as my own individual in a new state. It's definitely
been something that was like a learning curve for me.
I'm always I've always been with my dad and traveled
with him, but it was different when I graduated high
school and I'm starting to make money and I'm still
listening to him try to like, Okay, you need to
be home at nine pm and you need to focus
(05:20):
like this. You don't need to be doing this, you
don't need to be doing that. And I'm like, look,
if I were in college right now, you wouldn't be
able to tell me all these things. And so just
over the years, this is my now ninth year as
a professional. Over the years, I've really got to understand
that it's truly a blessing to be able to travel
with my dad and to just spend the quality time
(05:42):
that we do together.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Yeah, well, it's of course too. When you see him,
he's your dad. I mean, sports fans zoom out and like,
this is the guy who's throwing Randy Moss touchdown passes
his rookie year. This is the guy who played with
Eagles for so long. You're like, this is my dad.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
I don't want which I get.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
That's such an interesting dynamic. You meant too for going college.
You turned down both volleyball and track and field scholarships
to go pro, immediately got a deal with Nike and
got that done. How hard was that decision for you
or was it hard?
Speaker 2 (06:14):
It was a little bit more difficult for me than
it was for my dad and my mom. I think
my mom was in the direction of like, whatever you
want to do. But I really really loved volleyball, and
I really had dreams of just leaving Vegas, going off
on my own and just being able to be in
a program. And so it wasn't like an extremely hard decision.
(06:38):
My dad put it on the table. He was like,
you can either make money now or you can make
money in five years. And I was like, Okay, I'm
going to make money now. And looking back at it,
I sometimes miss volleyball. But I would never go back
and try and change anything about the way that God
brought this opportunity for me. Yeah, You've had so.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
Many unique experiences through it, and you know a lot
of athletes will say, Okay, I'm going to do this
now while I can and go back and do school
later in life, which will always be an option. I'm
want to talk about your Olympic experiences. You've been to
the Olympic Games three different times, in Rio and sixteen
and Tokyo and twenty one in Paris, most recently in
twenty twenty four. But Rio, that one really stands out
(07:20):
such a unique experience. You were eighteen years old, the
youngest US track and field athlete to make the team.
What was that Olympic Games like you like for you?
And was that what you expected?
Speaker 2 (07:34):
That? That was an experience for sure. I had no
real experience of being on a world's team before. I
didn't even really know that I could have qualified for that.
It just like kind of happened earlier in the year.
I had a moment of success with the World Indoor
(07:54):
Championships where I was not even really looked at as
somebody who could have won until the week before or
when I had the US trials for that I ended
up winning and getting the standard and then being invited
last minute to come back and jump with for Worlds
and I ended up winning. And I had no idea
how big that would have been in that moment or
(08:14):
how it would have impacted my career as a high jumper,
And so going to the Olympics was something that I
was just hearing throughout the year. But when I got there,
I was so young, I was so shy. I didn't
know a single person besides my roommate, which was Sidney McLaughlin,
and we were both the youngest on the team, and
I just remember like we were just like two kids
(08:38):
in this big world and we didn't know what to do,
what to expect, who to talk to. And that was
something that I remember because I have been now twice
since then and every experience is different. I remember like
taking these long hour drives to go hang out with
my family because I would just stay in the room
all day. And then I remember the competition. The competition
(09:00):
was crazy. The bar came in higher than I've ever
came in in a competition. I'd want to say, it
came in at maybe six feet or six', one and
that's usually like my second or third. Jump so it
was just a crazy. Experience but there's one moment THAT
i think about from that, competition and it was the prelim.
ROUND i had two misses AND i had one more
(09:23):
attempt to make the height to go to the, finals
AND i hurt my ankle like the second, jump AND
i had one more jump, left and AND i looked
at my dad AND i was, shaking AND i was so,
scared AND i was, LIKE i don't know If i'm
going to make. This AND i had all the pressure
of everybody telling, me like you're gonna be the youngest
gold medal and he was just told, me looked at,
(09:45):
me and he was like Trust. God and SO i
just took everything out of my mind AND i went
AND i, jumped AND i made it into the, finals
AND i was just, LIKE i don't even know what
to do after. THIS i felt LIKE i won the
competition AND i had a whole nother day of, jumping
but it was that was an experience That i'll never
forget that.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Is, Incredible AND i, mean what an incredible moment, too
of just a test of your mental strength and your
fortitude and that of SAYING i don't know IF i
can push, on and you, know whether people are competing
In Olympic games or just overwhelmed with life and, moments
there's those moments that we all realize where we, THINK
i CAN i handle, this CAN i take this? On
(10:24):
and you just got to push through and just trust
Like i'm okay with whatever the. Outcome, yeah what an incredible. Experience,
now you mentioned the standard often for fans listening to
the show or for listeners out there who are maybe
not as familiar with track and field and, go what
is the standard when it comes to high?
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Jump, okay so the standard there's a standard for every.
Event for the, sprints you need to run a certain
time to even be qualified to make it to The
olympics or to The World. Championships for high, jump you
have to jump a certain height for the women one ninety.
Seven i'm gonna just say it's six feet. FIVE i
don't know what the change, is but that's like a
(11:02):
very high. Standard there's not many women in THE us
who jump six feet. Five i'm one of two women
who have The World championship. Standard the other women's high
jumper is actually not competing right, now So i'll be
the only one from THE us going with the. Standard
but it's like the, aim that's where you. Aim you
(11:25):
look at that height for the whole season and you
try to achieve that just to have the weight off
of your, shoulders because if you don't achieve, that then
it goes down to a point, system and that all
matters about what type of competitions you're.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
In, yeah, Yeah and that just kind of fluctuates each
time and each, competition and it puts a little bit
more pressure on some of the more nuanced. Moments, now you,
know your First Olympic, games you mentioned you were kind
of bright eyed and not quite sure what to take on.
There as you became more of a veteran in this,
space how did your role with you, KNOW teamu and
(12:01):
also with the way that you approach these events evolve
over the.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
YEARS i think that my role kind of shifted a little.
BIT i, Mean i'm still like a really shy girl
when it comes to these big competitions and team. EVENTS
i feel like SINCE i didn't go to, COLLEGE i
missed out on meeting a lot of the professional athletes
and just knowing everybody when you come into the professional
side of. It So i'm a little bit shy when
(12:27):
it comes to being in the big group settings and
in the team, meetings LIKE i sit with the same
people WHERE i sit by, myself so that role kind
of never. CHANGED i never became like the team captain
or anything as of. Yet and then moving forward in the,
COMPETITIONS i feel like just being able to see the
girls THAT i jump against From, europe the girls From
(12:49):
australia over the course of, time and like getting to
know them outside of the competition has just made me
so much more comfortable AS i compete against. Them not
LIKE i get out there and we're talking and painting
nails or anything like, that BUT i look at them
And i'm, like we are going through the same. Thing
we have all of the pressure that this is the biggest.
(13:11):
Competition the whole world is watching The, olympics and it's
good to see a familiar face out. There.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Yeah, yeah that is a huge stage because it is
literally the whole world. WATCHING i, mean you, know, here
guys when they win A Super, bowl say we're world,
champions but this is quite literally on the world. Stage
it's a whole another ballgame, NOW i. Know you, know
we talked about how much your dad is such a
support and a coach and a presence and it has you,
(13:38):
know followed your track and field. Career how much do
you remember about following his football? Career are you a
football fan still and did you you know what was
were some of your favorite memories growing up around that.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Environment, YES i definitely remember going to some of the
games WHEN i was younger and just seeing the way
that people light up when they saw, him and when
he would stop and sign or stop and take, pictures
and just the impact that he had on the fans
and on, people like he still has the. Impact when
(14:13):
we came To, miami we were getting our rental car
and we were checking, out and the guy who checked
us out just lit up with like the brightest eyes
and he was, LIKE i was telling my kids about.
You AND i just look at my dad and like
not try to give him too much, attention But i'm, Like,
okay like you still got. It, Yeah i'm like you're that.
Guy but it's definitely it was definitely different growing. Up
(14:36):
LIKE i was, young AND i didn't go online and
watch his highlights all the time BECAUSE i had him coaching,
me AND i had him just raising me and my
brother at the, time and SO i definitely didn't understand
UNTIL i got to about like middle, school just how
incredible what he was doing. Was i'm still a football.
(14:57):
FAN i don't know if you want to know who
my team is BECAUSE i see all the giant stuff
in the.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
BACKGROUND i, mean you gotta gotta gotta tell all.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Right all, RIGHT i mean this is.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
Fair you, know this is friendly. EXPECTED i, mean you've
got to be your dad's spent the majority of his.
Career there a lot of memories there that totally is.
Fair and, listen The giants And eagles play twice a.
Year we'll, we'll we'll have fun with.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
It, yeah Maybe i'll see you out there one of these,
days exactly.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Exactly it's got to be such a unique. Experience AND
i can imagine. Too you're so, young and again you're,
like this is my, dad and it's not until you
see it through somebody else's, eyes the guy giving you
the rental, car or the people lighting up when you see,
Him you're, like, wow this is this is the reaction
to the guy who you, know we're having dinner every
night and and he's making Sure i'm doing the best
(15:49):
in terms of my own homework and athlete and all
that kind of. Stuff as, you you, know have grown and,
evolved not just as an athlete but as a young
woman and all. That what are some of the things
that you wish you could tell your younger, self some
piece of advice that you've learned at this point in
your career that you, Think, wow HAD i known that
(16:10):
WHEN i was, sixteen, eighteen just getting started on this,
journey how beneficial that would be.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
Something THAT i would tell my younger. SELF i think
THAT i would tell my younger self that the weight
of what everybody is saying does not. Change like who
you are and What god has for, you the plans
That god has for. You i've NEVER i wouldn't say
THAT i was ever somebody who really cared what people
had to, say but definitely coming in this into the,
(16:41):
Career LIKE i remember going to my First, Olympics like
there were so many people telling me, Like i'm going to,
win and so it was locked in my mind, that
like it doesn't matter If i'm eighteen years, OLD i
have to win because everybody's telling Me i'm gonna. Win
AND i have to AND i can't disappoint, them BUT
i would definitely tell myself That god's plan is so
(17:04):
much bigger than what my plan is for, myself and
the things That he can do are going to succeed
WHAT i even plan to. Do so that would be
my number one tip to my younger.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
SELF i love that because so often we have such
high expectations for, ourselves or we are so hard on
ourselves when we fall short of our own personal goals
or the goals that are loved ones set for. Us
but then when you zoom out and you look at
the bigger picture and, Realize, okay there's a lot more
to this story, here and it all makes sense in
hindsight right exactly exactly. That Ashley, cunningham thank you so
(17:39):
much for taking the time. Today it has been such
a pleasure talking to, you And i'm wishing you nothing
but success as continue this journey and with worlds coming
up and all, that and we'll be.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Watching thank you so. MUCH i really had a great
time talking to you as. Well thank.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
You this has been another episode of her, playbook brought
to you By Kendra scott the jewelry Company Shining bright
and doing. Good shop jewelry styles designed for every day
and every occasion at your Local kendrascott store or kendrascott
dot com
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.