July 4, 2024 • 63 mins
"Set the Pace," host Rob Simmelkjaer welcomes Team USA’s Tatyana McFadden, a world champion wheelchair athlete renowned for her dominance in Paralympic sports. Born with spina bifida and adopted from a Russian orphanage, McFadden has won 20 Paralympic medals, including eight golds, and is the first athlete to win four major marathons in a single year. As she prepares for the upcoming Paralympic Games in Paris, she highlights the importance of sports equality and its role in societal inclusion for people with disabilities.
McFadden’s advocacy extends beyond athletics; she recounts her high school fight to compete alongside her peers, resulting in the passage of "Tatyana's Law" in Maryland, which ensures equal athletic opportunities for students with disabilities. Despite significant opposition, McFadden's efforts paved the way for future athletes with disabilities. Her commitment to giving back continues through various programs, emphasizing the transformative power of sports and the importance of community and inclusion.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Rob Simmelkjaer (00:00):
New York Road Runners is a nonprofit organization with a
vision to build healthier lives and stronger communities through the
transformative power of running. The support of members and donors
like you helps us achieve our mission to transform the
health and wellbeing of our communities through inclusive and accessible
running experiences, empowering all to achieve their potential. Learn more
(00:22):
and contribute at nyrr. org/ donate.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Thank you, New York. Today we're reminded of the power
of community and the power of coming together. Athletes, on
your mark.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
The first woman to finish for the second straight year
here in the New York City Marathon is Miki Gorman, a smiling
Miki Gorman, and why not? 2
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Look at the emotion of Shalane Flanagan as she comes to
the line. Pointing to his chest, pointing to the USA he
so proudly wears across his chest. A great day from (inaudible) .
Rob Simmelkjaer (01:10):
Hey everybody, and welcome back to Set the Pace, the
official podcast of New York Road Runners, presented by Peloton.
I'm your host and the CEO of New York Road
Runners, Rob Simmelkjaer, and my co- host Bec, she is still
enjoying some quality family time at home in the UK,
so I'm flying solo again. Becs, we miss you. We're going to
do our best. Bec's really, she's British, so Fourth of
(01:33):
July, not really her thing. She's back home in the
country we broke away from on Independence Day. She'll be
back next week. And by the way, she'll have some
big news when she comes back. So happy Fourth of
July week to everybody. It is, by the way, I
always say probably my favorite holiday of the year, the
Fourth of July. It's just the mid- summer, the long
(01:56):
days, the beach, the barbecue. Christmas and Thanksgiving, they're all
great, but I love the Fourth of July, so happy
Fourth of July to everybody out there. Hope you're having
a great, great holiday week. And remember, even though Becs
isn't here, she's always available to answer your questions. So
am I. A great way to reach us is to
(02:16):
leave a comment on Apple Podcasts with your question included,
and we'll be sure to answer it and give you
a shout- out right here on the show. So check
out that space, and we hope to hear from you
over there. Speaking of the holiday weekend, we produce a
lot of races at New York Road Runners, over 60
events a year, and that means we work really hard.
(02:37):
Our staff works so hard year round. A few years
ago, a new tradition actually started at Road Runners. Thanks
to my predecessor Kerin Hempel, who was fantastic as CEO,
we give the whole staff off the Fourth of July
week. It's one of the great reasons to work at
New York Road Runners. So we're all out this week
and we therefore recorded this episode right before the Pride
(03:01):
Race, the four miler. So that is something that happened
after we recorded. I'm excited for that race. I'm actually
going to be running it myself, as I speak here
on the day before. The Front Runners New York LGBTQ
Pride Run, a four miler. It's been hot. We know
it's going to be a hot day, but hopefully everybody
had, as you hear this, a great day in New
(03:22):
York City. And if you aren't in New York to
see the race for yourself, you're going to have to
wait an extra week for our wrap up. We'll talk
about that race when we come back next week. So
tune into our episode on July 11th to hear all
about the Front Runners New York LGBTQ Pride Run four
miler. And in honor of the Fourth of July, we
just thought that it would be great to fly the
(03:45):
Stars and Stripes and talk about one of the most
decorated faces of team USA, Tatyana McFadden. Tatyana is the
winner of five New York City marathons and she's a
six time Paralympian, a 20 time Paralympic medalist, and a 20
time world championship medalist. She's won 24 Abbott World Marathon
(04:06):
major races as an incredible wheelchair athlete. She's one of
the great athletes of our time, and her story is
even better. So stay tuned, as we're so excited to
have her on the show today and tell the incredible
story of Tatyana McFadden. Also, my friend Meb Keflezighi will be
here for our member moment this week with an incredibly
(04:27):
inspiring member who has run more than 77 races with
New York Road Runners. So wait till you hear his
story, as well. And then finally today we'll have our
Meb minute. Meb's going to give us some tips on cross-
training, so stay tuned for that. Our guest today is
Tatyana McFadden, a world champion wheelchair athlete and a legend
(04:48):
in the Paralympic sports community. Tatyana was born with spina
bifida, but since then she's emerged as just a dominant
force in Paralympic sports. She has won a total of
20 medals across multiple Paralympic Games, including eight gold medals.
Her career highlights include becoming the first athlete to win
four major marathons in a single year and setting numerous world
(05:11):
records along the way. Tatyana's dedication to the sport and to
creating a world of greater opportunity for future Paralympians has
solidified her reputation as one of the greatest wheelchair athletes
of her generation. Tatyana, it is so great to see
you and to have you with us on Set the
Pace. Welcome.
Tatyana McFadden (05:28):
Thank you. Thank you so much for having me and for
the wonderful introduction.
Rob Simmelkjaer (05:34):
It's easy to give you a wonderful introduction because you've
done a lot of wonderful things. So how are you
feeling ahead of Paris? We are sitting here talking in
late June, another Paralympic Games coming down the pike. How
does it feel?
Tatyana McFadden (05:49):
I am really excited for these Paralympic Games in Paris.
It's going to be the first Games out of COVID. My
family, my friends will be there. I'm just really looking
forward to it. The crowds are going to be amazing,
and that's the best, best part of the Games really.
Rob Simmelkjaer (06:06):
Is there anything about the Paris Games that you're particularly
looking forward to? You've been to a number of these
Games, you've had a chance to experience lots of different
places. What about Paris and these Games is getting you excited?
Tatyana McFadden (06:23):
I think what about these Games is getting me really
excited is I have the potential to make history at these Games.
I am two medals away from being tied of having
the most medals in track, tying with Chantal Petitclerc. She is
(06:43):
a former wheelchair racer from Canada, and she has 21
Paralympic medals and I'm actually currently at 19 track medals.
And so I'm really looking forward to chasing history and just being
just so happy that I've kept up with the longevity
of the sport and been able to stay in it
(07:04):
injury free. It's been tough, especially after Rio, getting diagnosed
with a blood clotting disorder and kind of reinventing myself
and continuing my journey. So I am really feeling really
good for Paris. I've had a really good season so
far, starting out in Dubai in January, and even at
(07:29):
the Swiss series that we just had this past month.
So I think the Games are going to be really
exciting, and as well as we're seeing new women come
on onto the track, especially on the sprinting side. There are
a couple of new athletes that have never raced before
and so that's really exciting as well. We really need
female wheelchair raisers to come on up.
Rob Simmelkjaer (07:51):
You've had incredible success on the track, you've had incredible
success on the roads as well. What's the biggest difference
for you between competing on track and on roads?
Tatyana McFadden (08:03):
I think the big difference is track, it's very quick,
and the road you're going 26. 2 miles, but what I
really, really enjoy about marathoning and road racing is the
community. And so we're able to share our stories a
lot better with the community. And there's so much power
(08:24):
in storytelling. I can share my journey from being adopted,
to coming to the US, and how I got involved
with the Paralympics, but then we can also teach society
about what the Paralympics actually is, what wheelchair racing is,
and the technologies, the technical advances that are coming in wheelchair
racing and how we push our racing chairs and really
(08:48):
just educate society on that. We don't really get to
do that so much on the Paralympic side of track.
I feel like you just go in and compete. So
I really felt like the road racing and marathon community
really helped actually out in the track portion of the
Paralympics, as well as bringing equality into our own communities
(09:11):
for people with disabilities, because as we've seen it in
sports and women in sports, if we bring equality in
sports, we can really help bring equality in our own communities.
Rob Simmelkjaer (09:21):
So for those who haven't really engaged in the Paralympic
Games before, haven't watched, haven't been to them, let's give
a little primer. So what events are you actually going
to compete in? Which distances are you competing in, Tatyana?
Tatyana McFadden (09:36):
I'm going to be competing in six events. I'm going
to be competing in the 100, which I actually didn't qualify for
in Tokyo, the 400, the 800, the 1500, the four by one, and the marathon
to kick it all off, to finish off the Paralympics.
So it'll be six crazy events, but I'm really, really
(09:57):
looking forward to it. I think each event is really
unique and special. And it's really hard to do all
those events. Not every athlete can do all those events.
I would say there's probably three people. It would be me,
Catherine, and Manuela that's been able to do from at
least from the 100 all the way to the marathon
(10:19):
and be pretty successful across the board getting-
Rob Simmelkjaer (10:22):
That's Catherine Debrunner and Manuela Schär. Yeah.
Tatyana McFadden (10:26):
Yes. And being able to be top three or top
five in the world, which is pretty cool because we're
competing against athletes who just focus on the one and the four and then athletes that just focus on the marathon.
Rob Simmelkjaer (10:42):
Yeah. Tatyana, I was going to ask you that because listening
to that event list, it's incredible. Congratulations.
Tatyana McFadden (10:47):
Thank you.
Rob Simmelkjaer (10:48):
You're going to do amazing things. But I'm sure a listener might
think, wow, that would never happen in the mainstream side
of things. The Olympic Games, that would never happen. You're
not going to see Noah Lyles entering the marathon. So
how difficult is it to be able to span that
(11:11):
kind of distance gap, and what is it about you
and about a couple other women you mentioned who have
the ability to do that? What kind of, is it
training? Is it just ability? How can somebody be that
good at that wide range of distances?
Tatyana McFadden (11:27):
Yeah, that's a good question. Sometimes I'm like, how is it
even possible? I think, one, from my history starting out
in sprinting, that's what I started out specifying in, is
sprinting. So focusing on just the one, the two, and
the four in the beginning of my career. And I
didn't add on marathoning until college. And so when you
(11:51):
look at maturity of a female athlete, we get better
as we get older in longer events. And the sprinting
is really built really well at a younger age. And
so the key thing is that as you get older to
keep the whole package together. And so going into these
(12:11):
Paralympic Games, into my thirties, we had to completely change
my training. I couldn't do the training that I've done
when I was in my twenties. If I want to
keep that quick speed, if I want to keep the
hand speed up, if I want to keep the endurance and
the acceleration towards the end up, I have to change
things. And to keep up with the elite women today
(12:36):
and how fast they're going and just calculating the marathon
times and calculating the 100 meters, what do I have
to do to get there? So training's been really, really
unique. In the winter, I really, really, really focused on
the one, four, eight, and 15 this past winter. And
(12:56):
then I only did the London Marathon. I really, really
wanted to do Boston, but I had to really bring
that volume up training just in time for the London Marathon.
Rob Simmelkjaer (13:08):
And we see wheelchair racers like yourself doing six, seven,
eight marathons a year back to back weeks. So that
really was a pullback for you to only do that
and to focus on those shorter distances.
Tatyana McFadden (13:23):
Exactly, exactly. So that's kind of the unique thing, because
most of my events are going to be on the
track this year. Five of my events are on the
track and one will be out on the road. So
it's about being smart and refocusing on where your goals
are. Luckily the endurance, I built it up for so
many years that I can hold onto that for a little
(13:45):
while, but sprinting can easily go and so you really
have to maintain the sprinting aspect of the training.
Rob Simmelkjaer (13:53):
Tatyana, I want to talk a little bit about how
you got here, to be where you are as a
wheelchair athlete. I mentioned in the intro you were born
with spina bifida. At what point in your life, in
your childhood, did this athletic career become something that you
thought was possible? How did this happen? What was the
first time that you raced in a wheelchair?
Tatyana McFadden (14:16):
So the first time that I raced in a wheelchair was
after I was adopted at six years old. And I
had several surgeries. I had about 10 surgeries growing up
because my legs were atrophied behind my back and I
needed to release all the nerves and the tendons in
my legs so I could sit in a wheelchair, I
can lay flat in a bed, just do daily normal
(14:38):
activities. And being always in and out of the hospital, I wasn't
strong. I was really quite weak. And my parents thought,
what would a normal parent do for a kid that
they want to get strong and healthy and be part
of their own community? Throw them into sports. And so
(15:00):
my parents wanted to throw me into sports. So we
had to do the research. We had to find out
what sports programs that I could be involved with. And
so we found the Bennett Blazers, the para sports club
in Baltimore, and I was seven years old and I
remember going and just, well, one, it was overwhelming because I
(15:21):
was still learning English at that time. I'd only been
in the US for about a year. And so I
tried swimming and I tried wheelchair basketball, I tried downhill
skiing, ice hockey, and finally I tried wheelchair racing and
I loved it. I just really took for it. And
I don't know if it was a need for speed
(15:42):
at such a young age, but I was like, this
is so awesome. But the most important thing, Rob, was
that I did several sports growing up. I didn't focus
just on wheelchair racing. My parents thought, no, we want
her to be diverse. We want her not to solely
focus on this one sport. And I'm so thankful for
(16:05):
that because, one, I didn't get burnt out, and two,
I built muscles in different areas of my body, and
also learning about the different sports and the mental aspect
of it too, being so diverse in that way. And
it wasn't until I was finishing up eighth grade that,
(16:26):
no, sorry, it wasn't until I was starting eighth grade
where I wrote down, I remember the first day of school
we wrote down our academic goals and at the very
bottom of it I wrote down, " I want to be an
Olympian," because it was around the 2004 Olympic Games in
Athens. So it was all over the newspapers. It was
(16:47):
all over the TV. We didn't have social media at the
time. And the reason why I say the Olympics is
because during that time the Paralympics wasn't promoted. I didn't
even know it even existed. I thought, oh, the best
athletes go to the Olympics. And at that time I
was obsessed with wheelchair racing. I mean, I woke up
(17:08):
in my tights and I was ready to train before
school and ready to train after school. And so we
found out where trials were going to be. I was
14 and a half, and I was the youngest track athlete to try
out ever for track and field during that time. I
didn't know what I was getting into. I had no idea.
(17:30):
All I thought was I better get top three. And
so I remember-
Rob Simmelkjaer (17:35):
Who told you it was a thing, Tatyana? How did you know
that it was a thing? The Paralympic Games? Who was
the first person who turned you onto that and said
that is a possibility for you?
Tatyana McFadden (17:46):
My parents, because we did the research. We had to
get on the computer and find out, pretty much like
Googling, is there racing for people with disabilities on the
elite level, something like that. We had to-
Rob Simmelkjaer (18:02):
These were the early days of Google, by the way.
Tatyana McFadden (18:04):
Yes.
Rob Simmelkjaer (18:05):
You were using like Google 1.0 when you did that.
Tatyana McFadden (18:09):
Exactly, exactly. So my parents, we were the ones that
did that, and being the youngest-
Rob Simmelkjaer (18:15):
So what was that first trials experience like? You get there, you're the
youngest one. How did it go?
Tatyana McFadden (18:24):
I was super nervous. A lot of people told me
that I wasn't going to make it because I was so
young, and I thought, okay, well, I'm here. All I need
to do is just be top three. I tried out
for the one, the two, and the four, and I
managed to get top three. I shocked everyone, and I
(18:50):
was like, oh my gosh, I get to go to
the Paralympics. I get to compete on a world stage
like the Olympic athletes, and I was just in such
awe of that moment.
Rob Simmelkjaer (19:06):
It's a great story. There's so many things about that
story I actually want to just dive into. The first thing
that jumped out at me is the fact that your
parents did make you play diverse sports, and that's such
an issue now with kids in sports. It's a huge
issue with able- bodied athletes starting to specialize in baseball
(19:30):
or in skiing. It's happening all the time, that the youth
sports system is pushing kids in that direction. So interesting
for me to hear that, A, your parents had that
foresight at that time to see how that would benefit
you, but that there was also pressure probably even as
a Paralympic athlete to start specializing once people saw that
(19:52):
you were fast.
Tatyana McFadden (19:54):
Exactly. That is also true, but being at 15, when
the Paralympics was done, I was still going back to
that sports program. I was just starting high school when
I finished up the Paralympic Games, and so I still
specialized in, I still did track, I still did field.
(20:15):
I still did swimming. I still tried archery. I was
not good at archery. And I still played ice hockey.
I actually got a scholarship to go to college in
basketball, not in wheelchair racing. That's a fun fact that
a lot of people don't know. So I love following
basketball. I know the game just in and out. And
(20:37):
so I am really happy that I was able to stay
diverse and that I was constantly doing all these different
sports because I didn't become over- obsessed with it. And
it allowed me to hang in so long. I didn't
get burnt out by my second Games or my third
(20:57):
Games and be like, oh, I'm tired. My body is tired. I put
so much time into this. I cut my time in
half because I was doing other sports.
Rob Simmelkjaer (21:06):
It's amazing, and it clearly made a difference. You're just
an athlete, obviously, and it's paying off. Okay, so I
want to go back to 2004. So you said you
wanted to go to the Olympics, the Paralympics, you did
it. And so what was that first Paralympic Games like
for you in Athens? It was your dream and it
happened amazingly quickly for you, so there you are.
Tatyana McFadden (21:32):
Yes. I didn't really know what to expect. I learned
for the very first time about a lot of things,
for being prepared to go to the warmup track, being
prepared to have all your racing equipment ready, having a
nighttime before race routine, the morning of race routine. I
(21:55):
was learning that during Athens, and other athletes, other wheelchair
athletes were kind of helping me, like, okay, this is
what you pack in a bag when you take to
the track in case you get a flat tire, or
if you need a snack, or the tools you might
need to fix your own racing chair, extra uniforms, your
(22:16):
medal stand uniforms. I was learning all that in Athens.
But what really came out of Athens for me that
was I guess quite special was that I sort of
found my why in sports. I know it's such a
cliche to say, Rob, finding your why in sports, but
(22:40):
when I was on that medal stand and when I
looked up, I remember like it was yesterday, 20 of
my family members were there, and the stadium was only
filled with coaches and family members. I mean, my family
cheered on for every single athlete on that starting line.
(23:00):
The stadium was empty. And I thought, okay, at 15
you're like, is Paralympics not important? It's like, who cares that
I went? And I thought, okay. So that was the
shock that I had when I won the 100 meter. And
(23:22):
then when I got a medal in the 200, I was like,
okay, what do I have to do to make this
sport well known? Because here I am on the medal
stand again, and I'm looking up and gosh, it's hello,
family. And I thought, okay, well, I'm going to promise
myself that I'm going to be the best athlete in
(23:45):
the world and then I'll have a voice because I
see it on TV and I see it in the news, athletes who are
the best, winning races, they're the voice of the sport.
And so I made that promise to myself at such
a young age. And because when I came back home,
too, I felt like people didn't even know I was
(24:07):
gone, competing at such a world stage. So I almost
didn't want to talk about it because I was like,
it's really not important that I went to go compete for my country,
winning a silver and bronze medal, because no one knew.
They were like, " Paralympics, what's that?" And so that was
(24:29):
really tough, but I felt like it was my responsibility
as an athlete starting during that time, and even now, educating
society. And at 15 years old, I was like, what
is that parallel? What are we missing? Why can't people
understand what the Paralympics is? Is the disability a taboo? Is
it a taboo in the United States? Is it a
(24:50):
taboo globally? What questions do I need to figure out
that society is really thinking in their minds that I need
to answer for them? And so that was just kind
of the start of the journey.
Rob Simmelkjaer (25:05):
And so now looking, Tatyana, at where Paralympic sport is
today versus where it was then in 2004 when you
didn't think anybody was paying attention, how far do you
think it's come? What do you expect in terms of
how many people are going to be in the stands in Paris
and how much attention you're going to get, and are
(25:28):
people going to know when you come home that you
competed and won medals in Paris?
Tatyana McFadden (25:34):
It's changed so much. I mean, it really has. Just
to see it, I'm like, wow, we have come such
a long way. Yes, we still need, we have work
to do, but we've come a long way, from Athens
was nobody, no one in the stands really, to Beijing,
(25:55):
having people in the stands, to the London Games paralleling
it. The awesome, most greatest branding was saying OP. So
they called it the Olympic and Paralympic Games. When they
were branding with commercials or commentary showcasing the London Games,
(26:17):
they always made sure they talked about the Paralympics. So
people began to hear it. And then by the time
that Rio happened, we had more stories out on NBC.
We had more social media out, telling stories of Paralympic
(26:37):
athletes and showing a variety of sports across the Paralympic
sport. What was really unique about Tokyo was that it
said Tokyo 2020, with the Olympic and Paralympic logos, even
on the volunteer shirts as well. So people began to
not only hear it, but they began to see it
as well. So that was the best. And then in
(27:00):
Paris, they took it one step above and they started
everything earlier. So they had a day of the Paralympics,
they had Paralympic athletes even come in and showcasing running
events. They had exhibitions for wheelchair basketball and I think
tennis and just showcasing different sports quite early before the
(27:24):
Paralympics in Paris. So we're really making headway. But the
best one was getting equal pay by Tokyo. I think
what people really didn't understand was that we didn't receive,
American athletes didn't receive equal pay until the 2020 Paralympic
Games, summer athletes. The winter athletes were gifted the Games
(27:48):
before, but the summer athletes finally received that equal pay,
and that was a game changer. I didn't know how
long I would see that, which is crazy because it
is our job and to not have equal pay, it
was just unbelievable. And so we were banking on the
(28:11):
importance of sponsorships. Other athletes were working, having sponsorships, and
then training, just having all this balance just to stay
afloat as an athlete. And on top of that, teaching
what the sport is. And so we have come a
long way, but me as a current athlete, of course,
(28:33):
I always want more for this sport because I want
to leave a legacy. I want to leave a legacy,
not just having the most medals won, but having equal
pay and having all the sponsorships available, seeing it on
TV, just waking up and being like, going down the street, "
The Paralympics is tomorrow," and them being like, " Yep, I can't
(28:55):
wait to watch so- and- so, and so- and-so, and so-and- so."
So that will be a dream of mine.
Rob Simmelkjaer (29:03):
It has come a really long way. I've witnessed it.
I've really seen it. I'm going to actually give a
little love to my old colleagues at NBC Sports because
in the time I was there from 2011 to 2019,
I just saw a dramatic change in the way that
it was presented, the way that it was marketed, the
(29:26):
priority that it was given, starting to talk about the Games
as not just two weeks, but as a four week,
five week period that began with the opening ceremonies of
the Olympic Games and ended with the closing ceremony of
the Paralympic Games. It's really been a marked difference. And
people like you are obviously a big part of the
(29:48):
reason why. So congratulations.
Tatyana McFadden (29:49):
Well, thank you. Well, it's the people before too. They had to
do a lot of messy work just to have us
even in the village, and then having transportation, so they
had to do all the messy work. So I'm really
thankful for all the athletes before because that was not easy.
Rob Simmelkjaer (30:09):
I want to go back to one other thing about
your story, Tatyana, for a second, and just talk about
your parents, because I'm really curious about this. You and I have never
had a conversation like this before, so I want to
know more about your parents adopting you and the story
there. How old were you and what kind of role
(30:33):
they, obviously a really big role that they've played in
your life, but how did that even come to be?
Tatyana McFadden (30:38):
Yeah, I love my parents. For the audience listening, I
have two moms. Obviously we're really a big supporter of the
LGBTQ community, and so I would say Pride is always
every day celebrated in our house. But they're my biggest fans
(30:59):
and absolutely my biggest supporters. I mean, the day from
I was adopted, they definitely saw something and they never
treated me differently. If I said I wanted to do
something, they said, " Okay," and then we figured it out
how to do it together. And so my mom has
a really, really unique story, and not only her being
(31:24):
one of the, she was former commissioner of the United
States for disability rights, and she was one of the
12 authors of the ADA. So she has a very
interesting story in there. But my mom also, my mom
was paralyzed in college. She has Guillain- Barré, so you just
(31:45):
wake up and you're all of a sudden paralyzed. So
she had to fight for the rights just for her
to in school to have the right for testing, and
they wouldn't graduate her because she had to give her
exams talking and she couldn't write during that time and the
(32:09):
professors didn't want ... So she understands the fight and she
understands pushing for equality and equity for people with disabilities
because she went through it herself. And my mom also
ran her own adoption agency called ICA, International Children's Alliance.
And so she was on a work trip in Russia
(32:31):
during that time. And when she came into that orphanage,
she went around everywhere. And when we met, I was
like, oh my gosh, you just know it's meant to be.
Rob Simmelkjaer (32:50):
How old were you, Tatyana, at that point?
Tatyana McFadden (32:51):
I was six. I was six years old.
Rob Simmelkjaer (32:51):
And had you been living in the orphanage most of your life?
Tatyana McFadden (32:58):
Mm-hmm.
Rob Simmelkjaer (32:58):
How long?
Tatyana McFadden (32:58):
For the first six years. So when I was born
with spina bifida, I didn't get operated on until 21
days after birth, so I was in a hospital bed
in St. Petersburg. So it was a miracle that I survived through
those conditions in itself without getting an infection and dying.
(33:22):
If there's a higher power, it's right there. And shortly
after that, I was moved to orphanage number 13. And
they're all numbered in St. Petersburg. They're not labeled anything
specific. And during that time, my birth mom could not
financially take care of me. Remember, Russia was also going
(33:42):
through a shift in that time as well. And so
yeah, I lived in the orphanage for six years without
any medical treatment, no education, no doctors. You're just in an
orphanage with a lot of other kids, only a few
(34:02):
caregivers. And so yeah, when my mom came in, I
was like, and people constantly came through the orphanage always,
but they were looking for that healthy, perfect child. I
was not the example of a healthy, perfect child. I
was sick. I was anemic. My legs were atrophied behind
(34:27):
my back. When they saw me, they're like, " Oh, there's
no chance of life in her." But my mom saw
there is a chance, this is my daughter. And I
felt the same way when she came in. I remember her
coming in with gifts and candies and we call lollipops (inaudible)
(34:48):
. So I was grabbing all the lollipops from my
mom and just started handing it out to all the
kids (inaudible) , and I just knew in that moment.
And so she told me in English, I didn't understand
what she was saying, that she would come back and
she would adopt me. She'd get all the paperwork going
(35:08):
and started. And so that just was the beginning of
my journey. But it was also, it was an unknown
journey for me too. I remember after I was adopted,
we got into a cab and we were going to
Moscow, and I was screaming because I was leaving with a
(35:31):
random woman I didn't know. And I was very nervous and
scared because my environment was the orphanage. It was not
great there, but it was my environment and I was going
into an unknown environment. And I remember getting to Moscow
and I thought we were in the United States because
everything was so bright and everything was so beautiful, and
(35:56):
there was lots of food and just people, and I
asked my mom, I was like, " America?" And she was like, "
Nope, not yet." So yeah, then my journey started into
the United States, and I couldn't sleep on the plane
ride back, and I was going up and down the aisles walking on
(36:20):
my hands, and my poor mom didn't sleep the entire
flight. And then coming into the US, yeah, my parents,
they got me into not only the sports program, but
Girl Scout camp, the Girl Scouts in my own community,
and I was the only person with a disability, but
they're like, we're throwing her into everything and she'll pick
(36:45):
what she will like and what she won't like. And
so that's always been their attitude. They've never said, " Oh,
she needs to go to a specific group," or, " She can't
do this because she's in a wheelchair," or, " I'm afraid
she can't get around." They've always been like, we will
(37:07):
integrate her into society and we're going to figure it
out together through that journey. So having that mental aspect
was huge for me growing up because without me knowing,
I had that in Russia where yes, I couldn't walk
and get around that way, but I got around by
(37:29):
scooting above the floors or walking on my hands because
I wanted to be where those kids were. I wanted
to go play with them. I wasn't going to be
left out. So my automatic inclusions kind of without me
knowing started there. But then my parents obviously enforced it
when I came into the US.
Rob Simmelkjaer (37:52):
Your story is just miraculous on so many levels. It
really is miraculous to see where you were and where
you've come from. You must just have such a sense
of, I don't know if it's good fortune would be
the word, or certainly gratitude for what your parents did
(38:15):
for you, because from where you were, the chances of
you being where you are were mathematically negligible. That was
just not going to happen. And here you are.
Tatyana McFadden (38:29):
Yeah, exactly. When we say, is there a higher power,
I'm like, yep. Because my chances of like everything was
at a 0%, but somehow I was supposed to be
on this adventure, continuing my adventure, surviving through the worst
(38:52):
parts of my six years, making it through, surviving all of it. And
here I am, being ready to make history in Paris
and continuing my journey through LA. So yeah, it almost feels like
a movie. It's just sometimes I'm like, oh, it does
(39:16):
seem impossible. And I think that's what helps me.
Rob Simmelkjaer (39:19):
(inaudible)
Tatyana McFadden (39:19):
Yeah.
Rob Simmelkjaer (39:19):
I think it should be a movie. Honestly, I feel like
there's a movie that needs to be done here, so
we'll have to talk. It's unbelievable. No, it's great. And
I'm also just thinking, Tatyana, about you passing it forward
as well. I know that you care a lot about
the development of Paralympic sport. I know you've been active
(39:42):
in all kinds of ways. Legally, you brought a lawsuit
against, I believe your high school at one point, which
I'd love to hear you talk about, in terms of
really pushing this sport forward. And is that your way
of paying forward this unbelievable gift that you've been given?
Tatyana McFadden (40:01):
Yes. I wanted to give back because looking back in
my own journey, I was given so much and I
wanted to continue to pave the way, but it almost
(40:21):
happened, it almost happened I wouldn't say accidentally, but in
high school I wanted to be part of my own
community. So coming home from Athens with a silver and
bronze medal and having that silver and bronze around my
(40:44):
neck, and I wanted to be part of track, and
it's a non- tryout sport. You just have to have
good grades, you have to show up to practice, and
then at the end of the year, if you're fast
enough, you make it to states. And so I loved
track and I wanted to meet friends in high school.
(41:04):
I wanted to be part of my own community, and
I thought this was such a great way to be
part of everything and to have the best four years of
my life. I had no idea what it was about
to come. I always showed up to practice. And when
(41:25):
we got ready for my very first competition in ninth
grade, I was denied a uniform. I was denied the
right to race alongside with others onto the track. I
had to take a separate bus, and no one, only
a few very close friends of mine rode on it.
Everything was just so separate. And I thought, wow, this
(41:53):
definitely feels like segregation, and it feels like I'm being segregated
because I have a disability. And I thought, can I
do something about this? And so I went home and
I talked to my mom and I thought, okay, this
is what happened today. And she thought, this is not
(42:15):
right. So she went and talked to the school system
and said, " What can we do to have her more
involved? Just give her a uniform. Can she run alongside of
others onto the track as the only female wheelchair racer
at that time?" And they said no. So after numerous
(42:36):
calls, I mean Rob, we tried for so long, and
finally we ran out of options. And the only thing
it came down to was suing, and suing for no
money, but for opportunity. And it was the opportunity for
my whole community, for all people with disabilities in the
state of Maryland to have the right to participate in
(42:58):
high school sports. So it really wasn't about me, it
was about the state of Maryland and the people with
disabilities in Maryland, like my sister Hannah McFadden, who would
eventually go into high school and if she wanted to do
track, she should have that opportunity to walk onto the
team, to wear her uniform with pride, to ride the
(43:19):
same bus as everyone, and to get out to compete
at the same time as her competitors, being the only
female wheelchair racer. And it was hard. It was really,
really hard going through that lawsuit in high school because
(43:40):
again, when we talked earlier about people understanding why I
did it, I got so much hatred. People wrote into newspapers and
magazines saying, " Tatyana McFadden should be part of her own
club. There are clubs for people of her own kind.
We don't understand why she wants to be involved in
(44:05):
wheelchair racing. It should be separate." And it was so
hard, and I thought, wow. So right there, people don't
really understand. They don't really understand disability. They don't really
understand what wheelchair racing actually is and providing that education.
(44:25):
I mean, when I showed up to track events and
right when I finished, I was booed at every single
track meet, booed by parents and the athletes.
Rob Simmelkjaer (44:38):
That's unbelievable. That's unbelievable. It is just hard to believe that someone would boo
a girl in a wheelchair trying to be an athlete.
Tatyana McFadden (44:46):
Yeah, I mean, just to be an athlete, just because
you're different, just because you look different, you get booed.
So I came home crying a lot in high school,
but I kept it strong and I kept it together because
(45:12):
I wanted to finish that fight, and it was my
choice to go through that lawsuit. It was my choice
to go through the county and then the state of
Maryland and then make it federal law through the Obama
administration, and I wanted to make it all the way
to federal because it is happening everywhere in the United States.
(45:35):
It's not just in Maryland, looking back today. And it was
the right thing to do, and that's why the law
passed quickly. I mean, laws take years to pass. It
passed relatively quickly in Howard County and then in the
state of Maryland and then becoming federal as well. But
(45:58):
looking back today, I get so many messages on my
social media platform saying, " Thank you so much. My daughter
was able to compete today at nationals in high school,
and she was awarded points and she was able to
race with her friends, and now she's going to college
(46:22):
on a track scholarship and wheelchair racing really changed her
life." Or another one was " Wheelchair racing changed my son's
life. He really built confidence. He felt so shy, he
didn't make a lot of friends because he was worried
that people wouldn't accept him for his disability." So it
(46:46):
was a lot more than just getting a national title,
it's much more. So when kids join high school track, it's
about being part of their own community, making friends. So
that's why it's so important for me to give back,
going back to the original question, through my local sports
program in Baltimore, through the NYRR Kids on the Run.
(47:12):
It's so important for me because that community, it will
last them a lifetime. They will look back on it
and it's going to change their course of direction by
just being involved with sports. We're not saying be an
Olympic and Paralympic athlete, we're just saying be part of
your community. Build that confidence. You can learn many different
(47:34):
skillsets from just being involved with sports.
Rob Simmelkjaer (47:38):
I want to thank you for mentioning New York Road
Runners' wheelchair training program, and thanks for this segue because
I wanted to talk about it before we let you
go, and it's just something that we are so proud
of at New York Road Runners. Our adaptive sports program
is incredible. I want to give a shout- out to
(48:00):
Stephanie Herrick, our youth program development director, and especially to
Arianna Moliere, who is our specialist, who really works specifically
on the wheelchair racing program. And I just get so
much joy when we have races and we have the
wheelchair component and the kids are out there doing their
(48:21):
thing. It's just awesome to see. What's your message to
them? I know that you have worked with them. If
some of them are listening to this podcast, and I
think Arianna will make sure they do, what's the message
to them as they start the journey that you are
now so far along in?
Tatyana McFadden (48:41):
Well, I first want to thank NYRR for starting the wheelchair
program because nothing brings me more joy than seeing the
kids together. It's across all walks of life, and I
love that. And I think the kids also really enjoy
(49:01):
it together because they learn from each other. Kids with
disabilities are interacting with kids with not disabilities, and they
both can learn so much from each other. So as
they get older, they can say, " Hey, I met someone
with a disability and they're awesome. We raced together in Times Square.
(49:24):
We did the 100 meter dash, we did the 400
meter dash, and gosh, they were fast and they were
really cool, and now they're my friend." And so it
really teaches such a really important skill and that acceptance.
And so I really, really thank New York Road Runners
for that. And my message is to have fun while
(49:46):
you're out there. Life is not about what you don't
have, it's what we do with the gifts that you're
given. And to really enjoy every minute out there. It's
not always about winning races, it's about just having fun
and just really enjoying what you're doing. And maybe it's
about goal setting and having that courage and taking that
(50:09):
risk and having fun with your friends that you're doing
it with.
Rob Simmelkjaer (50:15):
I love it. And I'll tell you what, Tatyana, I
challenge anyone who is listening to this podcast to not
want to tune in and watch you in Paris this
summer because there's just no way you can listen to
this story and not want to see how it at
least concludes for these Olympic and Paralympic Games-
Tatyana McFadden (50:35):
Thank you.
Rob Simmelkjaer (50:35):
... in Paris for you. I wish you all the
success in Paris, but I think for me, what's amazing
about this conversation is the medals, and I'm sure you're
going to get some more and they're great, but it's
not the real story. The real story is everything that
got you to this point. It's amazing.
Tatyana McFadden (50:54):
Thank you. Thank you so much.
Rob Simmelkjaer (50:57):
Thank you for being with us. Today's member moment is
featuring a man who has run 77 races with NYRR
(51:18):
on his own personal race to better health. New York
Road Runners member Pat (inaudible) was inspired to begin
running as a way to join his brothers and sisters
in honoring their mother as she battled cancer.
Meb Keflezighi (51:30):
Thanks, Rob. Welcome, Pat. How are you doing today?
Pat (51:33):
I'm doing fine. I've got to tell you, I'm honored to be invited just to share my
story and my running journey.
Meb Keflezighi (51:41):
Awesome. We are so excited to have you on the
podcast at The Pace. Your running became something that is
special to you because of your mom's battle with cancer.
Can you tell us more about that, please?
Pat (51:53):
Sure thing. What inspired me to run, and I've got
to tell you, I hated running. Back in high school
and college, maybe it was because of the grueling training that I
had massive pain to running. And when I got out
of school, I said, " I'll never run again." And because
(52:14):
of that, I got so heavy. But then when my
mom got diagnosed, well, actually, my sister Angela ran her
first marathon for Team in Training in Disney. And I
thought like, what the heck, man? But we went down
to support her, and it opened up a whole new
world of like, wow, people can actually run 26 point,
(52:37):
a marathon, crazy. And then shortly thereafter, our mom got
diagnosed with cancer and we all decided, hey, me and
my siblings decided to run to honor our mom battling
cancer. And I've got to tell you, 12 months later,
she came to every race to support us. And our
(53:02):
greatest gift that we could give our mom before she
passed was to witness her four children cross the finish
line together. And when we met up with our mom,
we all gave our mom our medals. And 16 days
later, our mom passed away. But that experience started our
(53:25):
journey as runners as a family. My brother, too. My
brother has multiple New York City Marathon experiences. My sister
is a charity, actually a charity athlete manager for Team
in Training, American Cancer Society, and where she's working at
(53:48):
right now. So just by her example, she has inspired
me and my family to maintain an active lifestyle. But
throughout the years, my weight went up and down and
up and down. When I wasn't running, then I got (inaudible)
. So my health was much like the stock market.
It went up and down, up and down. But when I was running,
(54:11):
and I'm very grateful for New York Road Runners because
it gave me the vehicle to get back on track,
you know what I mean? But that's how it started, honestly.
Meb Keflezighi (54:24):
And a great way to honor your mom, and you
got the whole family running. And to be able to
just know something change your life, and I believe you lost
a hundred pounds in March from 2020 to where you
are now.
Pat (54:38):
Oh, that's a crazy story because what inspires me is
people who overcome adversity. So I see other runners, like
for instance, when I started running again, because I was
heavy, I was in L Corral, the L Corral, right? I
kid with my siblings, L, that means last because I'm
(55:02):
slow, but hey man, I get off the couch. So
that's cool. But what I found most inspiring was everyone
has a story to tell. And the people in L
Corral, these are the big, what do they call them? Clydesdales,
Athenas, new guys that are just starting to run. And
(55:24):
even the seniors, too, and their stories are so inspiring.
I asked them, " Why are you running, man?" Because, " Well,
I went through a divorce and this is a way
to feel alive again." And he's talking about me. So
these are the people I root for the most because
(55:45):
I'm one of them. And along the way, so check
this out, so March of 2020, I was running through
Washington Heights and I was a hundred pounds plus heavier than I
am today. And then because of my high blood pressure,
I collapsed from a stroke and I said, " Well, I'm
(56:07):
done, man. I'll never run again." You know like a kid
touches a stove, hot stove, and says, "Oh, I'll never do that
again." But that's not what it was. It was my
lifestyle. And then fast forward, that's March of 2020. This is the
year of COVID, right? Fast forward to November 2021, I
get an email from New York Road Runners basically saying, "
(56:30):
Hey Pat, you had a guaranteed entry for the New
York City Half that they canceled." Now, they're basically saying
either claim your entry or give it up. And here
I am, I haven't run since the stroke. I said, "
Well, maybe I could do it." And I didn't know.
(56:50):
I said, " Let's just do it." So I trained every
single day, every single day. I just walked and then
walk, jog, all the way to the New York City
Half. But along the way, I ran the same exact
5K in Washington Heights, and no joke, I told my siblings, "
(57:11):
Hey, if I don't make it, it's nice knowing you."
But sure enough, I did that. I was nervous, but
I did it. And then two weeks later I did the
New York City Half and I amazed myself. And ever
since then, I run every single weekend because you know
(57:31):
what it's like? I feel like I'm going to die,
but at the same time, I feel the most alive because when
I cross the finish line, I feel like I won.
Because the reason I say that is because I beat the stroke
and I'm willing to (inaudible) the ball, too.
Meb Keflezighi (57:53):
You have overcome so much adversity, to being close to having a stroke
and then running was not your thing. You said, " I'll
never run again. This is done with." But now to
be able to just do marathons and to not give
up on what your circumstance was, but you want to
prove people wrong. And now I just heard that yesterday
you got announcement (inaudible) streak, and not only just you run
(58:15):
one marathon, TCS New York City Marathon, but you're going to go to
the 2024 and 2025 with a 9+ 1. Can you tell us
a little bit about that?
Pat (58:23):
Oh, that's right. Yesterday I had eight under my belt,
and I already did my volunteer at the expo at
the New York City Half, so I needed one more.
So I said, " Oh, (inaudible) ." The virtual has a 9-
1 qualifier. So I said, " Let me get this in."
And now I'm 9- 1 qualified for 2025. And so
(58:45):
I did 9- 1 qualified for 2023, 2024. So I'm
training for that. And then now I'm 9- 1 qualified
for 2025, and now I'm streaking. So I'm 60, right?
So I'm thinking to myself, what else am I going to do? I want to stay healthy because I've come to
learn that health and fitness is not a seasonal thing.
(59:09):
It's a lifestyle. It never ends. By the way, my
sister, Angela, looking at that photo of her, it says Team in Training on
her singular. And I was staring at training, and it's training, training.
This is why now I'm going training for the New York
City. But the word training, it's a double edge. There's
(59:31):
two means because we're always in training, either training to
be a couch potato, get diabetes, high blood pressure, or
we're training to be healthy. So we're always in training.
We just want to make it a good training.
Meb Keflezighi (59:46):
Absolutely. It's a lifestyle, something that a run is seen
as a punishment, but once, what they call, my run,
my sport, your punishment, or something. But at the same
time, running is something that we can do one step
at a time, whether it's walking or one mile, and
then 5K and 10K and stepping stone to a healthier lifestyle.
Pat (01:00:07):
That is so true.
Meb Keflezighi (01:00:10):
You have an amazing story. Once a runner, always a
runner. No matter how slow or how fast we come
across the finish line, you have a story to tell,
and we're so just grateful for you to share your story
with us.
Pat (01:00:22):
Thank you.
Rob Simmelkjaer (01:00:23):
Pat, thank you so much for joining Meb and for being
a member of New York Road Runners. Incredible story indeed.
Now to the final part of our show, the Meb minutes.
Meb Keflezighi (01:00:33):
Thanks, Rob. As the runners or other sports, cross- training is
the less utilized. Cross- training is so important as running
is, as recovery is. But people wait until they get
injured to be able to jump into cross- training, I
usually like to say prehab instead of rehab. You want
to be able to just control what you can, know
(01:00:53):
when the hard days are, know when the easy days
are, and if you need to do cross- training, Tatyana McFadden
is our guest for this podcast. Imagine being her, whether
it is riding a bike or her speed or cross-
training in an elliptical and things like that is very, very important.
The reason is no impact or low impact, and it's
(01:01:15):
a great cardiovascular training for me. Even when I was
running at a high level, I always rode a bike
or go on my elliptical to go to be able to just,
sometimes when I was in Mammoth Lakes, it would take
me 35 or 45 minutes to go up the hill,
and then it takes me 10 minutes to get down. So
it's fun to play speed. At the same time, just
have fun, enjoy being outdoors. And if you have to
(01:01:38):
do indoors, then you might have to jump into the
elliptical machine or something. But for me, it is important to
do cross- training as part of your training, not when you
get injured but beforehand. And for some, whether you want
to do swimming or elliptical or whatever that works for
your favorite is great. I think it is important to
(01:01:58):
be able to just have a little bit between sessions,
or if you think it's going to be hot or
nasty weather, it's good to jump with the cross- train.
Rob Simmelkjaer (01:02:06):
All right, we've reached the finish line of another episode
of Set the Pace. I want to thank Team USA's Tatyana
McFadden, and New York Road Runners member Pat (inaudible) .
If you like this episode, remember, subscribe, rate, leave us
a comment, leave us a question wherever you are listening.
Thank you so much for joining us. Enjoy the miles.
We'll see you next week.
Speaker 8 (01:02:27):
Did you know that incorporating strength and cross- training is
one of the most important parts of a runner's routine?
Well, the Peloton app's got you. With a collection of
workouts you can easily add to your race training regimen,
reaching each goal just got easier. Track all your movement,
from strength to yoga to running, all in one place.
(01:02:48):
The Peloton app, try it now for 30 days free,
no equipment needed. Find it in the app and Google
Play stores. New paid memberships only. Terms apply. Peloton, the
official digital fitness partner for New York Road Runners.
New York Road Runners is a nonprofit organization with a
vision to build healthier lives and stronger communities through the
transformative power of running. The support of members and donors
like you helps us achieve our mission to transform the
health and wellbeing of our communities through inclusive and accessible
running experiences, empowering all to achieve their potential. Learn more
(00:22):
and contribute at nyrr. org/ donate.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Thank you, New York. Today we're reminded of the power
of community and the power of coming together. Athletes, on
your mark.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
The first woman to finish for the second straight year
here in the New York City Marathon is Miki Gorman, a smiling
Miki Gorman, and why not? 2
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Look at the emotion of Shalane Flanagan as she comes to
the line. Pointing to his chest, pointing to the USA he
so proudly wears across his chest. A great day from (inaudible) .
Rob Simmelkjaer (01:10):
Hey everybody, and welcome back to Set the Pace, the
official podcast of New York Road Runners, presented by Peloton.
I'm your host and the CEO of New York Road
Runners, Rob Simmelkjaer, and my co- host Bec, she is still
enjoying some quality family time at home in the UK,
so I'm flying solo again. Becs, we miss you. We're going to
do our best. Bec's really, she's British, so Fourth of
(01:33):
July, not really her thing. She's back home in the
country we broke away from on Independence Day. She'll be
back next week. And by the way, she'll have some
big news when she comes back. So happy Fourth of
July week to everybody. It is, by the way, I
always say probably my favorite holiday of the year, the
Fourth of July. It's just the mid- summer, the long
(01:56):
days, the beach, the barbecue. Christmas and Thanksgiving, they're all
great, but I love the Fourth of July, so happy
Fourth of July to everybody out there. Hope you're having
a great, great holiday week. And remember, even though Becs
isn't here, she's always available to answer your questions. So
am I. A great way to reach us is to
(02:16):
leave a comment on Apple Podcasts with your question included,
and we'll be sure to answer it and give you
a shout- out right here on the show. So check
out that space, and we hope to hear from you
over there. Speaking of the holiday weekend, we produce a
lot of races at New York Road Runners, over 60
events a year, and that means we work really hard.
(02:37):
Our staff works so hard year round. A few years
ago, a new tradition actually started at Road Runners. Thanks
to my predecessor Kerin Hempel, who was fantastic as CEO,
we give the whole staff off the Fourth of July
week. It's one of the great reasons to work at
New York Road Runners. So we're all out this week
and we therefore recorded this episode right before the Pride
(03:01):
Race, the four miler. So that is something that happened
after we recorded. I'm excited for that race. I'm actually
going to be running it myself, as I speak here
on the day before. The Front Runners New York LGBTQ
Pride Run, a four miler. It's been hot. We know
it's going to be a hot day, but hopefully everybody
had, as you hear this, a great day in New
(03:22):
York City. And if you aren't in New York to
see the race for yourself, you're going to have to
wait an extra week for our wrap up. We'll talk
about that race when we come back next week. So
tune into our episode on July 11th to hear all
about the Front Runners New York LGBTQ Pride Run four
miler. And in honor of the Fourth of July, we
just thought that it would be great to fly the
(03:45):
Stars and Stripes and talk about one of the most
decorated faces of team USA, Tatyana McFadden. Tatyana is the
winner of five New York City marathons and she's a
six time Paralympian, a 20 time Paralympic medalist, and a 20
time world championship medalist. She's won 24 Abbott World Marathon
(04:06):
major races as an incredible wheelchair athlete. She's one of
the great athletes of our time, and her story is
even better. So stay tuned, as we're so excited to
have her on the show today and tell the incredible
story of Tatyana McFadden. Also, my friend Meb Keflezighi will be
here for our member moment this week with an incredibly
(04:27):
inspiring member who has run more than 77 races with
New York Road Runners. So wait till you hear his
story, as well. And then finally today we'll have our
Meb minute. Meb's going to give us some tips on cross-
training, so stay tuned for that. Our guest today is
Tatyana McFadden, a world champion wheelchair athlete and a legend
(04:48):
in the Paralympic sports community. Tatyana was born with spina
bifida, but since then she's emerged as just a dominant
force in Paralympic sports. She has won a total of
20 medals across multiple Paralympic Games, including eight gold medals.
Her career highlights include becoming the first athlete to win
four major marathons in a single year and setting numerous world
(05:11):
records along the way. Tatyana's dedication to the sport and to
creating a world of greater opportunity for future Paralympians has
solidified her reputation as one of the greatest wheelchair athletes
of her generation. Tatyana, it is so great to see
you and to have you with us on Set the
Pace. Welcome.
Tatyana McFadden (05:28):
Thank you. Thank you so much for having me and for
the wonderful introduction.
Rob Simmelkjaer (05:34):
It's easy to give you a wonderful introduction because you've
done a lot of wonderful things. So how are you
feeling ahead of Paris? We are sitting here talking in
late June, another Paralympic Games coming down the pike. How
does it feel?
Tatyana McFadden (05:49):
I am really excited for these Paralympic Games in Paris.
It's going to be the first Games out of COVID. My
family, my friends will be there. I'm just really looking
forward to it. The crowds are going to be amazing,
and that's the best, best part of the Games really.
Rob Simmelkjaer (06:06):
Is there anything about the Paris Games that you're particularly
looking forward to? You've been to a number of these
Games, you've had a chance to experience lots of different
places. What about Paris and these Games is getting you excited?
Tatyana McFadden (06:23):
I think what about these Games is getting me really
excited is I have the potential to make history at these Games.
I am two medals away from being tied of having
the most medals in track, tying with Chantal Petitclerc. She is
(06:43):
a former wheelchair racer from Canada, and she has 21
Paralympic medals and I'm actually currently at 19 track medals.
And so I'm really looking forward to chasing history and just being
just so happy that I've kept up with the longevity
of the sport and been able to stay in it
(07:04):
injury free. It's been tough, especially after Rio, getting diagnosed
with a blood clotting disorder and kind of reinventing myself
and continuing my journey. So I am really feeling really
good for Paris. I've had a really good season so
far, starting out in Dubai in January, and even at
(07:29):
the Swiss series that we just had this past month.
So I think the Games are going to be really
exciting, and as well as we're seeing new women come
on onto the track, especially on the sprinting side. There are
a couple of new athletes that have never raced before
and so that's really exciting as well. We really need
female wheelchair raisers to come on up.
Rob Simmelkjaer (07:51):
You've had incredible success on the track, you've had incredible
success on the roads as well. What's the biggest difference
for you between competing on track and on roads?
Tatyana McFadden (08:03):
I think the big difference is track, it's very quick,
and the road you're going 26. 2 miles, but what I
really, really enjoy about marathoning and road racing is the
community. And so we're able to share our stories a
lot better with the community. And there's so much power
(08:24):
in storytelling. I can share my journey from being adopted,
to coming to the US, and how I got involved
with the Paralympics, but then we can also teach society
about what the Paralympics actually is, what wheelchair racing is,
and the technologies, the technical advances that are coming in wheelchair
racing and how we push our racing chairs and really
(08:48):
just educate society on that. We don't really get to
do that so much on the Paralympic side of track.
I feel like you just go in and compete. So
I really felt like the road racing and marathon community
really helped actually out in the track portion of the
Paralympics, as well as bringing equality into our own communities
(09:11):
for people with disabilities, because as we've seen it in
sports and women in sports, if we bring equality in
sports, we can really help bring equality in our own communities.
Rob Simmelkjaer (09:21):
So for those who haven't really engaged in the Paralympic
Games before, haven't watched, haven't been to them, let's give
a little primer. So what events are you actually going
to compete in? Which distances are you competing in, Tatyana?
Tatyana McFadden (09:36):
I'm going to be competing in six events. I'm going
to be competing in the 100, which I actually didn't qualify for
in Tokyo, the 400, the 800, the 1500, the four by one, and the marathon
to kick it all off, to finish off the Paralympics.
So it'll be six crazy events, but I'm really, really
(09:57):
looking forward to it. I think each event is really
unique and special. And it's really hard to do all
those events. Not every athlete can do all those events.
I would say there's probably three people. It would be me,
Catherine, and Manuela that's been able to do from at
least from the 100 all the way to the marathon
(10:19):
and be pretty successful across the board getting-
Rob Simmelkjaer (10:22):
That's Catherine Debrunner and Manuela Schär. Yeah.
Tatyana McFadden (10:26):
Yes. And being able to be top three or top
five in the world, which is pretty cool because we're
competing against athletes who just focus on the one and the four and then athletes that just focus on the marathon.
Rob Simmelkjaer (10:42):
Yeah. Tatyana, I was going to ask you that because listening
to that event list, it's incredible. Congratulations.
Tatyana McFadden (10:47):
Thank you.
Rob Simmelkjaer (10:48):
You're going to do amazing things. But I'm sure a listener might
think, wow, that would never happen in the mainstream side
of things. The Olympic Games, that would never happen. You're
not going to see Noah Lyles entering the marathon. So
how difficult is it to be able to span that
(11:11):
kind of distance gap, and what is it about you
and about a couple other women you mentioned who have
the ability to do that? What kind of, is it
training? Is it just ability? How can somebody be that
good at that wide range of distances?
Tatyana McFadden (11:27):
Yeah, that's a good question. Sometimes I'm like, how is it
even possible? I think, one, from my history starting out
in sprinting, that's what I started out specifying in, is
sprinting. So focusing on just the one, the two, and
the four in the beginning of my career. And I
didn't add on marathoning until college. And so when you
(11:51):
look at maturity of a female athlete, we get better
as we get older in longer events. And the sprinting
is really built really well at a younger age. And
so the key thing is that as you get older to
keep the whole package together. And so going into these
(12:11):
Paralympic Games, into my thirties, we had to completely change
my training. I couldn't do the training that I've done
when I was in my twenties. If I want to
keep that quick speed, if I want to keep the
hand speed up, if I want to keep the endurance and
the acceleration towards the end up, I have to change
things. And to keep up with the elite women today
(12:36):
and how fast they're going and just calculating the marathon
times and calculating the 100 meters, what do I have
to do to get there? So training's been really, really
unique. In the winter, I really, really, really focused on
the one, four, eight, and 15 this past winter. And
(12:56):
then I only did the London Marathon. I really, really
wanted to do Boston, but I had to really bring
that volume up training just in time for the London Marathon.
Rob Simmelkjaer (13:08):
And we see wheelchair racers like yourself doing six, seven,
eight marathons a year back to back weeks. So that
really was a pullback for you to only do that
and to focus on those shorter distances.
Tatyana McFadden (13:23):
Exactly, exactly. So that's kind of the unique thing, because
most of my events are going to be on the
track this year. Five of my events are on the
track and one will be out on the road. So
it's about being smart and refocusing on where your goals
are. Luckily the endurance, I built it up for so
many years that I can hold onto that for a little
(13:45):
while, but sprinting can easily go and so you really
have to maintain the sprinting aspect of the training.
Rob Simmelkjaer (13:53):
Tatyana, I want to talk a little bit about how
you got here, to be where you are as a
wheelchair athlete. I mentioned in the intro you were born
with spina bifida. At what point in your life, in
your childhood, did this athletic career become something that you
thought was possible? How did this happen? What was the
first time that you raced in a wheelchair?
Tatyana McFadden (14:16):
So the first time that I raced in a wheelchair was
after I was adopted at six years old. And I
had several surgeries. I had about 10 surgeries growing up
because my legs were atrophied behind my back and I
needed to release all the nerves and the tendons in
my legs so I could sit in a wheelchair, I
can lay flat in a bed, just do daily normal
(14:38):
activities. And being always in and out of the hospital, I wasn't
strong. I was really quite weak. And my parents thought,
what would a normal parent do for a kid that
they want to get strong and healthy and be part
of their own community? Throw them into sports. And so
(15:00):
my parents wanted to throw me into sports. So we
had to do the research. We had to find out
what sports programs that I could be involved with. And
so we found the Bennett Blazers, the para sports club
in Baltimore, and I was seven years old and I
remember going and just, well, one, it was overwhelming because I
(15:21):
was still learning English at that time. I'd only been
in the US for about a year. And so I
tried swimming and I tried wheelchair basketball, I tried downhill
skiing, ice hockey, and finally I tried wheelchair racing and
I loved it. I just really took for it. And
I don't know if it was a need for speed
(15:42):
at such a young age, but I was like, this
is so awesome. But the most important thing, Rob, was
that I did several sports growing up. I didn't focus
just on wheelchair racing. My parents thought, no, we want
her to be diverse. We want her not to solely
focus on this one sport. And I'm so thankful for
(16:05):
that because, one, I didn't get burnt out, and two,
I built muscles in different areas of my body, and
also learning about the different sports and the mental aspect
of it too, being so diverse in that way. And
it wasn't until I was finishing up eighth grade that,
(16:26):
no, sorry, it wasn't until I was starting eighth grade
where I wrote down, I remember the first day of school
we wrote down our academic goals and at the very
bottom of it I wrote down, " I want to be an
Olympian," because it was around the 2004 Olympic Games in
Athens. So it was all over the newspapers. It was
(16:47):
all over the TV. We didn't have social media at the
time. And the reason why I say the Olympics is
because during that time the Paralympics wasn't promoted. I didn't
even know it even existed. I thought, oh, the best
athletes go to the Olympics. And at that time I
was obsessed with wheelchair racing. I mean, I woke up
(17:08):
in my tights and I was ready to train before
school and ready to train after school. And so we
found out where trials were going to be. I was
14 and a half, and I was the youngest track athlete to try
out ever for track and field during that time. I
didn't know what I was getting into. I had no idea.
(17:30):
All I thought was I better get top three. And
so I remember-
Rob Simmelkjaer (17:35):
Who told you it was a thing, Tatyana? How did you know
that it was a thing? The Paralympic Games? Who was
the first person who turned you onto that and said
that is a possibility for you?
Tatyana McFadden (17:46):
My parents, because we did the research. We had to
get on the computer and find out, pretty much like
Googling, is there racing for people with disabilities on the
elite level, something like that. We had to-
Rob Simmelkjaer (18:02):
These were the early days of Google, by the way.
Tatyana McFadden (18:04):
Yes.
Rob Simmelkjaer (18:05):
You were using like Google 1.0 when you did that.
Tatyana McFadden (18:09):
Exactly, exactly. So my parents, we were the ones that
did that, and being the youngest-
Rob Simmelkjaer (18:15):
So what was that first trials experience like? You get there, you're the
youngest one. How did it go?
Tatyana McFadden (18:24):
I was super nervous. A lot of people told me
that I wasn't going to make it because I was so
young, and I thought, okay, well, I'm here. All I need
to do is just be top three. I tried out
for the one, the two, and the four, and I
managed to get top three. I shocked everyone, and I
(18:50):
was like, oh my gosh, I get to go to
the Paralympics. I get to compete on a world stage
like the Olympic athletes, and I was just in such
awe of that moment.
Rob Simmelkjaer (19:06):
It's a great story. There's so many things about that
story I actually want to just dive into. The first thing
that jumped out at me is the fact that your
parents did make you play diverse sports, and that's such
an issue now with kids in sports. It's a huge
issue with able- bodied athletes starting to specialize in baseball
(19:30):
or in skiing. It's happening all the time, that the youth
sports system is pushing kids in that direction. So interesting
for me to hear that, A, your parents had that
foresight at that time to see how that would benefit
you, but that there was also pressure probably even as
a Paralympic athlete to start specializing once people saw that
(19:52):
you were fast.
Tatyana McFadden (19:54):
Exactly. That is also true, but being at 15, when
the Paralympics was done, I was still going back to
that sports program. I was just starting high school when
I finished up the Paralympic Games, and so I still
specialized in, I still did track, I still did field.
(20:15):
I still did swimming. I still tried archery. I was
not good at archery. And I still played ice hockey.
I actually got a scholarship to go to college in
basketball, not in wheelchair racing. That's a fun fact that
a lot of people don't know. So I love following
basketball. I know the game just in and out. And
(20:37):
so I am really happy that I was able to stay
diverse and that I was constantly doing all these different
sports because I didn't become over- obsessed with it. And
it allowed me to hang in so long. I didn't
get burnt out by my second Games or my third
(20:57):
Games and be like, oh, I'm tired. My body is tired. I put
so much time into this. I cut my time in
half because I was doing other sports.
Rob Simmelkjaer (21:06):
It's amazing, and it clearly made a difference. You're just
an athlete, obviously, and it's paying off. Okay, so I
want to go back to 2004. So you said you
wanted to go to the Olympics, the Paralympics, you did
it. And so what was that first Paralympic Games like
for you in Athens? It was your dream and it
happened amazingly quickly for you, so there you are.
Tatyana McFadden (21:32):
Yes. I didn't really know what to expect. I learned
for the very first time about a lot of things,
for being prepared to go to the warmup track, being
prepared to have all your racing equipment ready, having a
nighttime before race routine, the morning of race routine. I
(21:55):
was learning that during Athens, and other athletes, other wheelchair
athletes were kind of helping me, like, okay, this is
what you pack in a bag when you take to
the track in case you get a flat tire, or
if you need a snack, or the tools you might
need to fix your own racing chair, extra uniforms, your
(22:16):
medal stand uniforms. I was learning all that in Athens.
But what really came out of Athens for me that
was I guess quite special was that I sort of
found my why in sports. I know it's such a
cliche to say, Rob, finding your why in sports, but
(22:40):
when I was on that medal stand and when I
looked up, I remember like it was yesterday, 20 of
my family members were there, and the stadium was only
filled with coaches and family members. I mean, my family
cheered on for every single athlete on that starting line.
(23:00):
The stadium was empty. And I thought, okay, at 15
you're like, is Paralympics not important? It's like, who cares that
I went? And I thought, okay. So that was the
shock that I had when I won the 100 meter. And
(23:22):
then when I got a medal in the 200, I was like,
okay, what do I have to do to make this
sport well known? Because here I am on the medal
stand again, and I'm looking up and gosh, it's hello,
family. And I thought, okay, well, I'm going to promise
myself that I'm going to be the best athlete in
(23:45):
the world and then I'll have a voice because I
see it on TV and I see it in the news, athletes who are
the best, winning races, they're the voice of the sport.
And so I made that promise to myself at such
a young age. And because when I came back home,
too, I felt like people didn't even know I was
(24:07):
gone, competing at such a world stage. So I almost
didn't want to talk about it because I was like,
it's really not important that I went to go compete for my country,
winning a silver and bronze medal, because no one knew.
They were like, " Paralympics, what's that?" And so that was
(24:29):
really tough, but I felt like it was my responsibility
as an athlete starting during that time, and even now, educating
society. And at 15 years old, I was like, what
is that parallel? What are we missing? Why can't people
understand what the Paralympics is? Is the disability a taboo? Is
it a taboo in the United States? Is it a
(24:50):
taboo globally? What questions do I need to figure out
that society is really thinking in their minds that I need
to answer for them? And so that was just kind
of the start of the journey.
Rob Simmelkjaer (25:05):
And so now looking, Tatyana, at where Paralympic sport is
today versus where it was then in 2004 when you
didn't think anybody was paying attention, how far do you
think it's come? What do you expect in terms of
how many people are going to be in the stands in Paris
and how much attention you're going to get, and are
(25:28):
people going to know when you come home that you
competed and won medals in Paris?
Tatyana McFadden (25:34):
It's changed so much. I mean, it really has. Just
to see it, I'm like, wow, we have come such
a long way. Yes, we still need, we have work
to do, but we've come a long way, from Athens
was nobody, no one in the stands really, to Beijing,
(25:55):
having people in the stands, to the London Games paralleling
it. The awesome, most greatest branding was saying OP. So
they called it the Olympic and Paralympic Games. When they
were branding with commercials or commentary showcasing the London Games,
(26:17):
they always made sure they talked about the Paralympics. So
people began to hear it. And then by the time
that Rio happened, we had more stories out on NBC.
We had more social media out, telling stories of Paralympic
(26:37):
athletes and showing a variety of sports across the Paralympic
sport. What was really unique about Tokyo was that it
said Tokyo 2020, with the Olympic and Paralympic logos, even
on the volunteer shirts as well. So people began to
not only hear it, but they began to see it
as well. So that was the best. And then in
(27:00):
Paris, they took it one step above and they started
everything earlier. So they had a day of the Paralympics,
they had Paralympic athletes even come in and showcasing running
events. They had exhibitions for wheelchair basketball and I think
tennis and just showcasing different sports quite early before the
(27:24):
Paralympics in Paris. So we're really making headway. But the
best one was getting equal pay by Tokyo. I think
what people really didn't understand was that we didn't receive,
American athletes didn't receive equal pay until the 2020 Paralympic
Games, summer athletes. The winter athletes were gifted the Games
(27:48):
before, but the summer athletes finally received that equal pay,
and that was a game changer. I didn't know how
long I would see that, which is crazy because it
is our job and to not have equal pay, it
was just unbelievable. And so we were banking on the
(28:11):
importance of sponsorships. Other athletes were working, having sponsorships, and
then training, just having all this balance just to stay
afloat as an athlete. And on top of that, teaching
what the sport is. And so we have come a
long way, but me as a current athlete, of course,
(28:33):
I always want more for this sport because I want
to leave a legacy. I want to leave a legacy,
not just having the most medals won, but having equal
pay and having all the sponsorships available, seeing it on
TV, just waking up and being like, going down the street, "
The Paralympics is tomorrow," and them being like, " Yep, I can't
(28:55):
wait to watch so- and- so, and so- and-so, and so-and- so."
So that will be a dream of mine.
Rob Simmelkjaer (29:03):
It has come a really long way. I've witnessed it.
I've really seen it. I'm going to actually give a
little love to my old colleagues at NBC Sports because
in the time I was there from 2011 to 2019,
I just saw a dramatic change in the way that
it was presented, the way that it was marketed, the
(29:26):
priority that it was given, starting to talk about the Games
as not just two weeks, but as a four week,
five week period that began with the opening ceremonies of
the Olympic Games and ended with the closing ceremony of
the Paralympic Games. It's really been a marked difference. And
people like you are obviously a big part of the
(29:48):
reason why. So congratulations.
Tatyana McFadden (29:49):
Well, thank you. Well, it's the people before too. They had to
do a lot of messy work just to have us
even in the village, and then having transportation, so they
had to do all the messy work. So I'm really
thankful for all the athletes before because that was not easy.
Rob Simmelkjaer (30:09):
I want to go back to one other thing about
your story, Tatyana, for a second, and just talk about
your parents, because I'm really curious about this. You and I have never
had a conversation like this before, so I want to
know more about your parents adopting you and the story
there. How old were you and what kind of role
(30:33):
they, obviously a really big role that they've played in
your life, but how did that even come to be?
Tatyana McFadden (30:38):
Yeah, I love my parents. For the audience listening, I
have two moms. Obviously we're really a big supporter of the
LGBTQ community, and so I would say Pride is always
every day celebrated in our house. But they're my biggest fans
(30:59):
and absolutely my biggest supporters. I mean, the day from
I was adopted, they definitely saw something and they never
treated me differently. If I said I wanted to do
something, they said, " Okay," and then we figured it out
how to do it together. And so my mom has
a really, really unique story, and not only her being
(31:24):
one of the, she was former commissioner of the United
States for disability rights, and she was one of the
12 authors of the ADA. So she has a very
interesting story in there. But my mom also, my mom
was paralyzed in college. She has Guillain- Barré, so you just
(31:45):
wake up and you're all of a sudden paralyzed. So
she had to fight for the rights just for her
to in school to have the right for testing, and
they wouldn't graduate her because she had to give her
exams talking and she couldn't write during that time and the
(32:09):
professors didn't want ... So she understands the fight and she
understands pushing for equality and equity for people with disabilities
because she went through it herself. And my mom also
ran her own adoption agency called ICA, International Children's Alliance.
And so she was on a work trip in Russia
(32:31):
during that time. And when she came into that orphanage,
she went around everywhere. And when we met, I was
like, oh my gosh, you just know it's meant to be.
Rob Simmelkjaer (32:50):
How old were you, Tatyana, at that point?
Tatyana McFadden (32:51):
I was six. I was six years old.
Rob Simmelkjaer (32:51):
And had you been living in the orphanage most of your life?
Tatyana McFadden (32:58):
Mm-hmm.
Rob Simmelkjaer (32:58):
How long?
Tatyana McFadden (32:58):
For the first six years. So when I was born
with spina bifida, I didn't get operated on until 21
days after birth, so I was in a hospital bed
in St. Petersburg. So it was a miracle that I survived through
those conditions in itself without getting an infection and dying.
(33:22):
If there's a higher power, it's right there. And shortly
after that, I was moved to orphanage number 13. And
they're all numbered in St. Petersburg. They're not labeled anything
specific. And during that time, my birth mom could not
financially take care of me. Remember, Russia was also going
(33:42):
through a shift in that time as well. And so
yeah, I lived in the orphanage for six years without
any medical treatment, no education, no doctors. You're just in an
orphanage with a lot of other kids, only a few
(34:02):
caregivers. And so yeah, when my mom came in, I
was like, and people constantly came through the orphanage always,
but they were looking for that healthy, perfect child. I
was not the example of a healthy, perfect child. I
was sick. I was anemic. My legs were atrophied behind
(34:27):
my back. When they saw me, they're like, " Oh, there's
no chance of life in her." But my mom saw
there is a chance, this is my daughter. And I
felt the same way when she came in. I remember her
coming in with gifts and candies and we call lollipops (inaudible)
(34:48):
. So I was grabbing all the lollipops from my
mom and just started handing it out to all the
kids (inaudible) , and I just knew in that moment.
And so she told me in English, I didn't understand
what she was saying, that she would come back and
she would adopt me. She'd get all the paperwork going
(35:08):
and started. And so that just was the beginning of
my journey. But it was also, it was an unknown
journey for me too. I remember after I was adopted,
we got into a cab and we were going to
Moscow, and I was screaming because I was leaving with a
(35:31):
random woman I didn't know. And I was very nervous and
scared because my environment was the orphanage. It was not
great there, but it was my environment and I was going
into an unknown environment. And I remember getting to Moscow
and I thought we were in the United States because
everything was so bright and everything was so beautiful, and
(35:56):
there was lots of food and just people, and I
asked my mom, I was like, " America?" And she was like, "
Nope, not yet." So yeah, then my journey started into
the United States, and I couldn't sleep on the plane
ride back, and I was going up and down the aisles walking on
(36:20):
my hands, and my poor mom didn't sleep the entire
flight. And then coming into the US, yeah, my parents,
they got me into not only the sports program, but
Girl Scout camp, the Girl Scouts in my own community,
and I was the only person with a disability, but
they're like, we're throwing her into everything and she'll pick
(36:45):
what she will like and what she won't like. And
so that's always been their attitude. They've never said, " Oh,
she needs to go to a specific group," or, " She can't
do this because she's in a wheelchair," or, " I'm afraid
she can't get around." They've always been like, we will
(37:07):
integrate her into society and we're going to figure it
out together through that journey. So having that mental aspect
was huge for me growing up because without me knowing,
I had that in Russia where yes, I couldn't walk
and get around that way, but I got around by
(37:29):
scooting above the floors or walking on my hands because
I wanted to be where those kids were. I wanted
to go play with them. I wasn't going to be
left out. So my automatic inclusions kind of without me
knowing started there. But then my parents obviously enforced it
when I came into the US.
Rob Simmelkjaer (37:52):
Your story is just miraculous on so many levels. It
really is miraculous to see where you were and where
you've come from. You must just have such a sense
of, I don't know if it's good fortune would be
the word, or certainly gratitude for what your parents did
(38:15):
for you, because from where you were, the chances of
you being where you are were mathematically negligible. That was
just not going to happen. And here you are.
Tatyana McFadden (38:29):
Yeah, exactly. When we say, is there a higher power,
I'm like, yep. Because my chances of like everything was
at a 0%, but somehow I was supposed to be
on this adventure, continuing my adventure, surviving through the worst
(38:52):
parts of my six years, making it through, surviving all of it. And
here I am, being ready to make history in Paris
and continuing my journey through LA. So yeah, it almost feels like
a movie. It's just sometimes I'm like, oh, it does
(39:16):
seem impossible. And I think that's what helps me.
Rob Simmelkjaer (39:19):
(inaudible)
Tatyana McFadden (39:19):
Yeah.
Rob Simmelkjaer (39:19):
I think it should be a movie. Honestly, I feel like
there's a movie that needs to be done here, so
we'll have to talk. It's unbelievable. No, it's great. And
I'm also just thinking, Tatyana, about you passing it forward
as well. I know that you care a lot about
the development of Paralympic sport. I know you've been active
(39:42):
in all kinds of ways. Legally, you brought a lawsuit
against, I believe your high school at one point, which
I'd love to hear you talk about, in terms of
really pushing this sport forward. And is that your way
of paying forward this unbelievable gift that you've been given?
Tatyana McFadden (40:01):
Yes. I wanted to give back because looking back in
my own journey, I was given so much and I
wanted to continue to pave the way, but it almost
(40:21):
happened, it almost happened I wouldn't say accidentally, but in
high school I wanted to be part of my own
community. So coming home from Athens with a silver and
bronze medal and having that silver and bronze around my
(40:44):
neck, and I wanted to be part of track, and
it's a non- tryout sport. You just have to have
good grades, you have to show up to practice, and
then at the end of the year, if you're fast
enough, you make it to states. And so I loved
track and I wanted to meet friends in high school.
(41:04):
I wanted to be part of my own community, and
I thought this was such a great way to be
part of everything and to have the best four years of
my life. I had no idea what it was about
to come. I always showed up to practice. And when
(41:25):
we got ready for my very first competition in ninth
grade, I was denied a uniform. I was denied the
right to race alongside with others onto the track. I
had to take a separate bus, and no one, only
a few very close friends of mine rode on it.
Everything was just so separate. And I thought, wow, this
(41:53):
definitely feels like segregation, and it feels like I'm being segregated
because I have a disability. And I thought, can I
do something about this? And so I went home and
I talked to my mom and I thought, okay, this
is what happened today. And she thought, this is not
(42:15):
right. So she went and talked to the school system
and said, " What can we do to have her more
involved? Just give her a uniform. Can she run alongside of
others onto the track as the only female wheelchair racer
at that time?" And they said no. So after numerous
(42:36):
calls, I mean Rob, we tried for so long, and
finally we ran out of options. And the only thing
it came down to was suing, and suing for no
money, but for opportunity. And it was the opportunity for
my whole community, for all people with disabilities in the
state of Maryland to have the right to participate in
(42:58):
high school sports. So it really wasn't about me, it
was about the state of Maryland and the people with
disabilities in Maryland, like my sister Hannah McFadden, who would
eventually go into high school and if she wanted to do
track, she should have that opportunity to walk onto the
team, to wear her uniform with pride, to ride the
(43:19):
same bus as everyone, and to get out to compete
at the same time as her competitors, being the only
female wheelchair racer. And it was hard. It was really,
really hard going through that lawsuit in high school because
(43:40):
again, when we talked earlier about people understanding why I
did it, I got so much hatred. People wrote into newspapers and
magazines saying, " Tatyana McFadden should be part of her own
club. There are clubs for people of her own kind.
We don't understand why she wants to be involved in
(44:05):
wheelchair racing. It should be separate." And it was so
hard, and I thought, wow. So right there, people don't
really understand. They don't really understand disability. They don't really
understand what wheelchair racing actually is and providing that education.
(44:25):
I mean, when I showed up to track events and
right when I finished, I was booed at every single
track meet, booed by parents and the athletes.
Rob Simmelkjaer (44:38):
That's unbelievable. That's unbelievable. It is just hard to believe that someone would boo
a girl in a wheelchair trying to be an athlete.
Tatyana McFadden (44:46):
Yeah, I mean, just to be an athlete, just because
you're different, just because you look different, you get booed.
So I came home crying a lot in high school,
but I kept it strong and I kept it together because
(45:12):
I wanted to finish that fight, and it was my
choice to go through that lawsuit. It was my choice
to go through the county and then the state of
Maryland and then make it federal law through the Obama
administration, and I wanted to make it all the way
to federal because it is happening everywhere in the United States.
(45:35):
It's not just in Maryland, looking back today. And it was
the right thing to do, and that's why the law
passed quickly. I mean, laws take years to pass. It
passed relatively quickly in Howard County and then in the
state of Maryland and then becoming federal as well. But
(45:58):
looking back today, I get so many messages on my
social media platform saying, " Thank you so much. My daughter
was able to compete today at nationals in high school,
and she was awarded points and she was able to
race with her friends, and now she's going to college
(46:22):
on a track scholarship and wheelchair racing really changed her
life." Or another one was " Wheelchair racing changed my son's
life. He really built confidence. He felt so shy, he
didn't make a lot of friends because he was worried
that people wouldn't accept him for his disability." So it
(46:46):
was a lot more than just getting a national title,
it's much more. So when kids join high school track, it's
about being part of their own community, making friends. So
that's why it's so important for me to give back,
going back to the original question, through my local sports
program in Baltimore, through the NYRR Kids on the Run.
(47:12):
It's so important for me because that community, it will
last them a lifetime. They will look back on it
and it's going to change their course of direction by
just being involved with sports. We're not saying be an
Olympic and Paralympic athlete, we're just saying be part of
your community. Build that confidence. You can learn many different
(47:34):
skillsets from just being involved with sports.
Rob Simmelkjaer (47:38):
I want to thank you for mentioning New York Road
Runners' wheelchair training program, and thanks for this segue because
I wanted to talk about it before we let you
go, and it's just something that we are so proud
of at New York Road Runners. Our adaptive sports program
is incredible. I want to give a shout- out to
(48:00):
Stephanie Herrick, our youth program development director, and especially to
Arianna Moliere, who is our specialist, who really works specifically
on the wheelchair racing program. And I just get so
much joy when we have races and we have the
wheelchair component and the kids are out there doing their
(48:21):
thing. It's just awesome to see. What's your message to
them? I know that you have worked with them. If
some of them are listening to this podcast, and I
think Arianna will make sure they do, what's the message
to them as they start the journey that you are
now so far along in?
Tatyana McFadden (48:41):
Well, I first want to thank NYRR for starting the wheelchair
program because nothing brings me more joy than seeing the
kids together. It's across all walks of life, and I
love that. And I think the kids also really enjoy
(49:01):
it together because they learn from each other. Kids with
disabilities are interacting with kids with not disabilities, and they
both can learn so much from each other. So as
they get older, they can say, " Hey, I met someone
with a disability and they're awesome. We raced together in Times Square.
(49:24):
We did the 100 meter dash, we did the 400
meter dash, and gosh, they were fast and they were
really cool, and now they're my friend." And so it
really teaches such a really important skill and that acceptance.
And so I really, really thank New York Road Runners
for that. And my message is to have fun while
(49:46):
you're out there. Life is not about what you don't
have, it's what we do with the gifts that you're
given. And to really enjoy every minute out there. It's
not always about winning races, it's about just having fun
and just really enjoying what you're doing. And maybe it's
about goal setting and having that courage and taking that
(50:09):
risk and having fun with your friends that you're doing
it with.
Rob Simmelkjaer (50:15):
I love it. And I'll tell you what, Tatyana, I
challenge anyone who is listening to this podcast to not
want to tune in and watch you in Paris this
summer because there's just no way you can listen to
this story and not want to see how it at
least concludes for these Olympic and Paralympic Games-
Tatyana McFadden (50:35):
Thank you.
Rob Simmelkjaer (50:35):
... in Paris for you. I wish you all the
success in Paris, but I think for me, what's amazing
about this conversation is the medals, and I'm sure you're
going to get some more and they're great, but it's
not the real story. The real story is everything that
got you to this point. It's amazing.
Tatyana McFadden (50:54):
Thank you. Thank you so much.
Rob Simmelkjaer (50:57):
Thank you for being with us. Today's member moment is
featuring a man who has run 77 races with NYRR
(51:18):
on his own personal race to better health. New York
Road Runners member Pat (inaudible) was inspired to begin
running as a way to join his brothers and sisters
in honoring their mother as she battled cancer.
Meb Keflezighi (51:30):
Thanks, Rob. Welcome, Pat. How are you doing today?
Pat (51:33):
I'm doing fine. I've got to tell you, I'm honored to be invited just to share my
story and my running journey.
Meb Keflezighi (51:41):
Awesome. We are so excited to have you on the
podcast at The Pace. Your running became something that is
special to you because of your mom's battle with cancer.
Can you tell us more about that, please?
Pat (51:53):
Sure thing. What inspired me to run, and I've got
to tell you, I hated running. Back in high school
and college, maybe it was because of the grueling training that I
had massive pain to running. And when I got out
of school, I said, " I'll never run again." And because
(52:14):
of that, I got so heavy. But then when my
mom got diagnosed, well, actually, my sister Angela ran her
first marathon for Team in Training in Disney. And I
thought like, what the heck, man? But we went down
to support her, and it opened up a whole new
world of like, wow, people can actually run 26 point,
(52:37):
a marathon, crazy. And then shortly thereafter, our mom got
diagnosed with cancer and we all decided, hey, me and
my siblings decided to run to honor our mom battling
cancer. And I've got to tell you, 12 months later,
she came to every race to support us. And our
(53:02):
greatest gift that we could give our mom before she
passed was to witness her four children cross the finish
line together. And when we met up with our mom,
we all gave our mom our medals. And 16 days
later, our mom passed away. But that experience started our
(53:25):
journey as runners as a family. My brother, too. My
brother has multiple New York City Marathon experiences. My sister
is a charity, actually a charity athlete manager for Team
in Training, American Cancer Society, and where she's working at
(53:48):
right now. So just by her example, she has inspired
me and my family to maintain an active lifestyle. But
throughout the years, my weight went up and down and
up and down. When I wasn't running, then I got (inaudible)
. So my health was much like the stock market.
It went up and down, up and down. But when I was running,
(54:11):
and I'm very grateful for New York Road Runners because
it gave me the vehicle to get back on track,
you know what I mean? But that's how it started, honestly.
Meb Keflezighi (54:24):
And a great way to honor your mom, and you
got the whole family running. And to be able to
just know something change your life, and I believe you lost
a hundred pounds in March from 2020 to where you
are now.
Pat (54:38):
Oh, that's a crazy story because what inspires me is
people who overcome adversity. So I see other runners, like
for instance, when I started running again, because I was
heavy, I was in L Corral, the L Corral, right? I
kid with my siblings, L, that means last because I'm
(55:02):
slow, but hey man, I get off the couch. So
that's cool. But what I found most inspiring was everyone
has a story to tell. And the people in L
Corral, these are the big, what do they call them? Clydesdales,
Athenas, new guys that are just starting to run. And
(55:24):
even the seniors, too, and their stories are so inspiring.
I asked them, " Why are you running, man?" Because, " Well,
I went through a divorce and this is a way
to feel alive again." And he's talking about me. So
these are the people I root for the most because
(55:45):
I'm one of them. And along the way, so check
this out, so March of 2020, I was running through
Washington Heights and I was a hundred pounds plus heavier than I
am today. And then because of my high blood pressure,
I collapsed from a stroke and I said, " Well, I'm
(56:07):
done, man. I'll never run again." You know like a kid
touches a stove, hot stove, and says, "Oh, I'll never do that
again." But that's not what it was. It was my
lifestyle. And then fast forward, that's March of 2020. This is the
year of COVID, right? Fast forward to November 2021, I
get an email from New York Road Runners basically saying, "
(56:30):
Hey Pat, you had a guaranteed entry for the New
York City Half that they canceled." Now, they're basically saying
either claim your entry or give it up. And here
I am, I haven't run since the stroke. I said, "
Well, maybe I could do it." And I didn't know.
(56:50):
I said, " Let's just do it." So I trained every
single day, every single day. I just walked and then
walk, jog, all the way to the New York City
Half. But along the way, I ran the same exact
5K in Washington Heights, and no joke, I told my siblings, "
(57:11):
Hey, if I don't make it, it's nice knowing you."
But sure enough, I did that. I was nervous, but
I did it. And then two weeks later I did the
New York City Half and I amazed myself. And ever
since then, I run every single weekend because you know
(57:31):
what it's like? I feel like I'm going to die,
but at the same time, I feel the most alive because when
I cross the finish line, I feel like I won.
Because the reason I say that is because I beat the stroke
and I'm willing to (inaudible) the ball, too.
Meb Keflezighi (57:53):
You have overcome so much adversity, to being close to having a stroke
and then running was not your thing. You said, " I'll
never run again. This is done with." But now to
be able to just do marathons and to not give
up on what your circumstance was, but you want to
prove people wrong. And now I just heard that yesterday
you got announcement (inaudible) streak, and not only just you run
(58:15):
one marathon, TCS New York City Marathon, but you're going to go to
the 2024 and 2025 with a 9+ 1. Can you tell us
a little bit about that?
Pat (58:23):
Oh, that's right. Yesterday I had eight under my belt,
and I already did my volunteer at the expo at
the New York City Half, so I needed one more.
So I said, " Oh, (inaudible) ." The virtual has a 9-
1 qualifier. So I said, " Let me get this in."
And now I'm 9- 1 qualified for 2025. And so
(58:45):
I did 9- 1 qualified for 2023, 2024. So I'm
training for that. And then now I'm 9- 1 qualified
for 2025, and now I'm streaking. So I'm 60, right?
So I'm thinking to myself, what else am I going to do? I want to stay healthy because I've come to
learn that health and fitness is not a seasonal thing.
(59:09):
It's a lifestyle. It never ends. By the way, my
sister, Angela, looking at that photo of her, it says Team in Training on
her singular. And I was staring at training, and it's training, training.
This is why now I'm going training for the New York
City. But the word training, it's a double edge. There's
(59:31):
two means because we're always in training, either training to
be a couch potato, get diabetes, high blood pressure, or
we're training to be healthy. So we're always in training.
We just want to make it a good training.
Meb Keflezighi (59:46):
Absolutely. It's a lifestyle, something that a run is seen
as a punishment, but once, what they call, my run,
my sport, your punishment, or something. But at the same
time, running is something that we can do one step
at a time, whether it's walking or one mile, and
then 5K and 10K and stepping stone to a healthier lifestyle.
Pat (01:00:07):
That is so true.
Meb Keflezighi (01:00:10):
You have an amazing story. Once a runner, always a
runner. No matter how slow or how fast we come
across the finish line, you have a story to tell,
and we're so just grateful for you to share your story
with us.
Pat (01:00:22):
Thank you.
Rob Simmelkjaer (01:00:23):
Pat, thank you so much for joining Meb and for being
a member of New York Road Runners. Incredible story indeed.
Now to the final part of our show, the Meb minutes.
Meb Keflezighi (01:00:33):
Thanks, Rob. As the runners or other sports, cross- training is
the less utilized. Cross- training is so important as running
is, as recovery is. But people wait until they get
injured to be able to jump into cross- training, I
usually like to say prehab instead of rehab. You want
to be able to just control what you can, know
(01:00:53):
when the hard days are, know when the easy days
are, and if you need to do cross- training, Tatyana McFadden
is our guest for this podcast. Imagine being her, whether
it is riding a bike or her speed or cross-
training in an elliptical and things like that is very, very important.
The reason is no impact or low impact, and it's
(01:01:15):
a great cardiovascular training for me. Even when I was
running at a high level, I always rode a bike
or go on my elliptical to go to be able to just,
sometimes when I was in Mammoth Lakes, it would take
me 35 or 45 minutes to go up the hill,
and then it takes me 10 minutes to get down. So
it's fun to play speed. At the same time, just
have fun, enjoy being outdoors. And if you have to
(01:01:38):
do indoors, then you might have to jump into the
elliptical machine or something. But for me, it is important to
do cross- training as part of your training, not when you
get injured but beforehand. And for some, whether you want
to do swimming or elliptical or whatever that works for
your favorite is great. I think it is important to
(01:01:58):
be able to just have a little bit between sessions,
or if you think it's going to be hot or
nasty weather, it's good to jump with the cross- train.
Rob Simmelkjaer (01:02:06):
All right, we've reached the finish line of another episode
of Set the Pace. I want to thank Team USA's Tatyana
McFadden, and New York Road Runners member Pat (inaudible) .
If you like this episode, remember, subscribe, rate, leave us
a comment, leave us a question wherever you are listening.
Thank you so much for joining us. Enjoy the miles.
We'll see you next week.
Speaker 8 (01:02:27):
Did you know that incorporating strength and cross- training is
one of the most important parts of a runner's routine?
Well, the Peloton app's got you. With a collection of
workouts you can easily add to your race training regimen,
reaching each goal just got easier. Track all your movement,
from strength to yoga to running, all in one place.
(01:02:48):
The Peloton app, try it now for 30 days free,
no equipment needed. Find it in the app and Google
Play stores. New paid memberships only. Terms apply. Peloton, the
official digital fitness partner for New York Road Runners.
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