Olympic gold, Ivy League brains, supermodel looks—and still figuring it out.
In this episode of The Burnouts, Olympic gold medalist, model, and Stanford student Eileen Gu joins Phoebe and Sophia for an unfiltered conversation about ambition, identity, and what happens after you’ve seemingly “made it.”
Eileen opens up about her post-Olympic burnout, learning to sit with stillness after injury, and the pressure of being young, female, and hyper-visible on the world stage. From negotiating brand deals at 13 to being grilled about geopolitics at 18, she reflects on the emotional toll of public scrutiny—and the freedom of learning to define success on her own terms.
She also shares how fashion gave her a new language for femininity, what solo travel taught her about self-worth, and why she’ll never apologize for being “the nerd who does everyone’s homework.”
Also: the difference between a high-quality man and a fragile ego.
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CHAPTERS
2:10 – Post-Olympic depression is real
4:45 – How she accidentally went pro
6:55 – Negotiating for yourself, even if you're scared
10:40 – Walking Victoria’s Secret and staying true to your values
13:15 – Becoming a cultural bridge—not picking a side
17:35 – Why smart women scare fragile men
26:00 – Glorifying suffering is not a flex
28:55 – Nerd alert: physics made her a better skier
35:40 – Injury, identity, and learning to rest
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Subscribe to The Burnouts for bold, raw interviews with the thinkers, athletes, and founders redefining ambition. Hosted by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni—former Stanford roommates turned startup co-founders—each episode dives into the unpolished truths of building a life and career that matters. This isn’t another founder podcast. It’s what building something in your 20s actually sounds like—unfiltered, in-progress, and a little bit chaotic.
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