Olympic Champion Kikkan Randall on Running, Racing, Longevity, Motherhood, & More (Ep.101)

Kikkan Randall on Blister's Off The Couch Podcast
Kikkan Randall (photo by CC Boyle)

Our guest today is Olympic champion, Kikkan Randall, who played a massive role in putting USA cross-country skiing on the map, while also becoming a legend in the sport.

To name just a few of Kikkan’s highlights:

  • In 2018 she won the Olympic gold medal in the Ladies Team Sprint, with Jessie Diggins
  • She is a 3-time World Cup Overall Sprint Champion
  • 13 World Cup victories & 29 World Cup podiums
  • 6 Olympic Top 10 results
  • 17-time US National Champion
  • 5x Olympian
  • 9-time World Championships Team Member

But before Kikkan was winning Olympic and World Cup gold medals, she was a runner, and she has never stopped being a runner.

In this conversation, Kikkan and I talk about running and how she got into cross-country skiing; some of the keys to her longevity; her experience of becoming a mother while also being a professional athlete — and how much attitudes still need to change for women in a similar position. And we also talk about the unthinkable: how Kikkan went from winning an Olympic gold medal to being diagnosed with cancer, and how she is doing today.

TOPICS & TIMES:

  • Growing up in Alaska (3:33)
  • Running vs Skiing (5:46)
  • A fork in the road (9:09)
  • Resisting overspecialization at a young age (15:01)
  • Gravel Racing (17:05)
  • Boston Marathon (18:15)
  • Running while being an XC skier (27:15)
  • Being a mother and a sponsored athlete (35:29)
  • From winning Gold to being diagnosed with cancer (45:54)
  • Advocate for yourself (50:44)

RELATED LINKS:

Leave a Comment