97. When Your Hobby Becomes Your Profession with Rugby Olympian Naya Tapper
Joining Laura on the podcast this week is Naya Tapper, a thoroughly remarkable 2020 Olympian and professional women's rugby player who, after earning All-American track and field honors in high school, began her rugby career at UNC Chapel Hill where she starred from 2012-2016. Having turned professional in 2016, Naya has since become the All-Time leading try scorer for USA Women’s Eagles, and some highlights from her illustrious career include the 2017 Sydney Sevens Player of the Final, 2017 Sydney Sevens Dream Team, 2017 Vegas Sevens Dream Team, 2018 Rugby World Cup second leading try scorer, and 2018 HSBC Dream Team. She has also earned a silver medal at the 2017 Dubai Sevens Tournament, a gold medal at the 2019 Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque, a silver medal at the 2019 Pan American Games, and was a member of USA Rugby’s 2020 Olympic team that competed in Tokyo.
Naya's incredible odyssey from her collegiate discovery of rugby to Olympic glory, as shared here today stands as a resounding testament to her steadfast resilience and dedication. Together, she and Laura discuss navigating the challenges of professional rugby, the mental toughness of elite athletes, appearing on Project Runway, and the journey to the Tokyo Olympics. Naya's passion for supporting youth rugby players through the Naya Tapper Scholarship and her dynamic brand, "Naya on Fiya” shine brightly throughout the episode, and listeners will also gain a glimpse into her aspirations beyond her athletic career, particularly in the realm of sports business. Naya's remarkable story is one that resonates far beyond sports, exemplifying the power of unwavering perseverance and the relentless pursuit of one's dreams.
Episode Highlights:
Naya's journey from discovering rugby in college
The importance of having a backup plan in professional rugby
Overcoming adversity and making a comeback in the sport
Building a personal brand and preparing for the Olympics
Highlighting the beauty of diversity and unity in sports
Favorite international rugby destinations, like Dubai and South Africa
Insights into the Olympic selection process and the importance of staying healthy
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on training and team dynamics
Naya’s future aspirations
Quotes:
"It was destiny because my college coach had connections with the national rugby team."
"I got cut from the team. My immediate reaction was, 'I'll just go back to North Carolina and start applying for PT schools.'"
"It's always for me, like, 'Okay, what's the next move? How do I get back on my feet?'"
"It was nice to be able to chill and relax and let my body decompress and spend time with family and friends that you miss out on a lot when you're full time in this type of profession."
"As long as I can stay healthy and continue performing at the level I am, I have the best shot I can possibly provide myself."
"Sports have literally changed my life. So to be able to provide that opportunity for people who also want to have that experience, I think was really important to me."
"Nobody really knows how to sell you better than you can sell yourself."
"I've officially strayed away from PT school mainly because I really don't want to go back to school."
"I think something that I've gained a passion for is just sports business."
Links:
Laura’s Social Media:
Connect with Naya:
87. Your Sport is Not Your Identity with Olympic Weightlifter Carissa Gordon Gump
Welcome to yet another captivating episode of The Pursuit of Gold podcast, where, this week, Laura Wilkinson reconnects with Carissa Gordon Gump, USA Weightlifting Hall of Fame inductee, the first 63 Kilogram American woman to qualify and compete at the Olympic Games, multiple American record holder, and five time consecutive American Open Champion. Carissa currently serves as the Executive Director for the National Strength and Conditioning Association Foundation and is part of the United States Anti-Doping Agency Athlete Presenter Team, so you know she has a lot of knowledge and experience to share with everyone.
Her journey, as shared here today, serves as a powerful reminder of the potential challenges athletes face during their transition from elite sports to retirement, and emphasizes the importance of having a well-thought-out plan and discovering new passions to lead a fulfilling post-athletic career. She also highlights The National Strength and Conditioning Association Foundation's role and her own dedication to staying active and healthy, even after retiring from competitive weightlifting. Overall, this episode offers valuable insights into the world of Olympic weightlifting, the pursuit of Olympic dreams, the critical importance of clean sport advocacy, and the potential fate of weightlifting in the Olympics. You do not want to miss this one.
And you do not want to miss Laura’s transformative program, Confident Competitor, which is designed to empower athletes to enhance their mental game, improve performance, and rise to challenges. Be sure to check out this comprehensive online program which offers 19 lessons on mindset, mental game, and performance skills, alongside practical activities, bonuses, and group coaching to equip athletes with the tools for success.
Episode Highlights:
Carissa’s "Golden Prison" experience
Overcoming Impostor Syndrome
Pursuing Olympic dreams
Balancing education and sport
Carissa's transition from athlete to a professional
The value of knowledge and intelligence beyond athletic accomplishments
Seeing sport as a component of life, not the entirety of one's identity
Carissa’s Olympic journey and challenges
The potential fate of Olympic weightlifting
Quotes:
"’We can guarantee you a spot in February of 2001, but, like in June when you graduate high school, I don't know if we're going to have anything available for you.’ And I said, ‘I'll be there.’"
"I need to prepare for life after sport, and so that's what going to school was doing for me."
"What I would really encourage athletes to recognize, is: your sport, yes, it is a part of who you are, but it is not you. It doesn't define who you are for the rest of your life. You have other identities as well."
"I am still part of sport but just in a very different way."
"You still need to have a plan to make sure that you, as a person, are fulfilled and have some sort of direction in your life."
"Unfortunately, doping issues have been very common in the sport of weightlifting."
"You don't just disappear. You still need to have a little sprinkle of whatever in your life."
"Weightlifting is on the chopping block for 2028.”
"I like to say we're the science behind strength and conditioning."
Links:
Laura’s Social Media:
Connect with Carissa:
57. Be in the Moment with Olympic Champion Wrestler Tamyra Mensah-Stock
Today’s guest is Tamyra Mensah-Stock, an American freestyle wrestler who won Olympic gold for the USA, becoming the first African-American and second American female athlete to win a gold in 68 kgs freestyle wrestling in the Olympics. In her journey to this remarkable level of success, Tamyra has also encountered and persevered through a number of difficulties and today she shares her inspiring story with us all.
She opens up the episode by describing her transition from life as a sprinter into that of a wrestler. While Tamyra didn’t love the sport at first, it became a big part of her life that stayed with her through bouts of loss and depression. She goes on to talk about meeting her husband and their decision to move to Colorado to train for the Olympics. Some rough patches followed her through 2016, but she notes that these tough times really taught her the importance of faith and compartmentalization. Tamyra also notes that COVID gave her a much needed breather that allowed her to prepare for the Olympics. She was incredibly successful in the 2021 Olympic Games, and in the wake of vaccine mandates, she’s become a key supporter for Athletes for Medical Freedom. She makes it clear that she isn’t anti vaccine, she’s anti mandate, and, to close out this week’s episode, she expresses gratitude for Athletes for Medical Freedom, because it taught her how to use her voice.
Episode Highlights:
Transitioning from sprinting to wrestling
Tamyra’s experience confronting the death of family and friends
How she met her husband
Making the decision to move to Colorado Springs for Olympic training
Learning to compartmentalize and trust in her faith
Why COVID was a breath of fresh air
Tamyra in the 2020 Olympic Games
Athletes for Medical Freedom
Quotes:
“For some reason, back in the day, I was an early riser, and I loved going to school when it was dark and there was nobody around. There was just some kind of freedom about that.”
“I don't blame wrestling now because it has given me the platform to identify with people who have dealt with the struggle.”
“You cannot succeed without a little loss.”
“Some people in college had asked me why am I dating a white man. And I went, ‘You never asked me out. You never showed me any consideration that you wanted to date me. Jacob took the initiative.’”
“When you are wrestling for one of the biggest tournaments ever, stay in the moment and leave the mat with no regrets.”
“COVID was a blessing. I just had time to breathe. I came up with a great win. And I could just relax and it was awesome. And once the Olympics came around, I came to destroy.”
“When you go to the Olympics, you're going to represent whatever country you are representing, and I'm proud to be an American. And I got up on that stage, I represented America, and I was extremely happy. I've been doing this since 2008 - wanting to go on that stage - nobody was gonna take that away from me.”
“They're just trying to mandate the vaccine. And I'm fine with vaccinations. But when you force people to do things, that's where the line gets really skewed.”
Links:
Life at 10 Meters: Lessons from an Olympic Champion
Laura’s Social Media:
Tamyra’s Links:
41. Chess on Bikes with Olympic cyclist Giddeon Massie
Joining Laura on the podcast today is Olympic cyclist Giddeon Massie. Among his many accomplishments are more than 20 U.S. Elite National Titles, Pan American Games Gold and Silver Medals, competing at two Olympic Games, and being selected by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to participate in a series of public service announcements that promoted clean, honest, and fair competition. Giddeon has also been the Program Manager for an International Education and Mentorship Non-profit organization, called ‘Classroom Champions’, and he remains committed to community outreach.
In today’s conversation, Giddeon shares how he first became involved in cycling, his training experience at the Velodrome, his breakout moment, and his time at the Olympic Training Centre. He goes on to review and compare his Olympic experiences, his perspective on doping in sport, the various cycling events in which he competed, the impact of not qualifying for the 2012 Games, and his transition from his cycling career to his current career in real estate. Giddeon finishes up by offering his sincere and deeply thoughtful advice to athletes in setting and achieving their goals in their sport. Uniquely experienced in the joys and challenges of a life both within the world of an elite athlete and beyond, Giddeon takes this opportunity to share his measured and contemplative insights and advice for the benefit of all listeners here today.
Episode Highlights:
· How he found his way into cycling
· The Velodrome
· Giddeon’s breakout moment
· His time at the Olympic Training Centre
· Comparing his Olympic experiences
· His perspective on doping in sport
· The various cycling events in which he raced
· Failing to qualify for the 2012 Games
· Transitioning from cycling to real estate
· Giddeon’s advice for athletes coming up with dreams and goals
Quotes:
“The sprint disciplines were more intriguing and just looked more fun and appealing to me.”
“It was a gradual progression and I learned from some of the best.”
“You know sometimes you go years without something, and other times you have a year where you have two or three or four falls.”
“We lived that together, and we supported one another, and that was a great, great thing about that space.”
“The whole experience…is pretty overwhelming and special that first time.”
“I feel bad for those people that choose to go that route, but it doesn't impact what I do and how I approach what I do. I sleep comfortably at night.”
“If you don't have a purpose it's kind of like not having a destination.”
“I'm very comfortable in uncertainty because I know that my preparation is such that, if given the opportunity, I'm going to be where I need to be.”
“The individual stuff, it's like, you know, it's chess on bikes.”
“I think every Games has its own lifeblood to it.”
“Watching from the outside…that was very hard.”
“I wasn't ready to be done.”
“Sometimes I tell people I'm a recovering Olympic athlete.”
“You lose some of yourself when you step away from that because not everybody cares about the Olympics and not everybody cares about, you know, what you’ve spent most of your life doing.”
“Okay, what have I learned that I can actually apply here?”
“It starts with having a healthy respect for the sport that you're participating in, for the people that are devoting the time to invest in you, to being willing to accept the critique and the criticism.”
Links:
5 Smart Strategies to Confidence
Laura’s Social Media:
Connect with Giddeon: