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How do you ignite evolution? How do you find your purpose? And how do you have the confidence to pursue it?
Here to imbue our lives with more joy, glitter, and play is the highly inspiring and energetic Alexi Pappas, back for round two on the podcast.
If you missed her standout first appearance back in early 2021, Alexi is a former Olympic track and field athlete and Greek national record holder in the 10,000 meters. She’s also a poet, a performer, an award-winning filmmaker, and author of the critically acclaimed bestselling memoir Bravey.
Her feature film resume includes some variation of writing, co-writing, directing, and/or starring in Not an Artist with RZA, Olympic Dreams with Nick Kroll, and Tracktown with Rachel Dratch. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, Outside Magazine, and Sports Illustrated. And she’s recently penned a new version of Bravey (Adapted for Young Readers).
“Change doesn’t feel great. And that’s not a bad thing.”
– ALEXI PAPPAS
My first exchange with Alexi centered on what it takes to execute at the highest level of sport and art simultaneously and the challenges she faced pursuing two very different dreams.
Today we go further, exploring her new relationship with running as a former pro, her goals as a professional in the creative arts, and her soon-to-be-released new podcast, Mentor Buffet.
We also discuss how she’s inspiring women and girls to fall in love with movement, mental health in sport, and how mentorship has informed her life and career. Alexi also drops some wisdom gold—sharing actionable tools for growth like her ‘blank whiteboard rule’, something she calls ‘glop’, and many more mindset gems.
The visually inclined can watch the magic transpire on YouTube and Spotify. As always, the audio version streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts.
Alexi is a delightful and wise role model—and this conversation is more than time well spent.
I hope you enjoy this inspiring and uplifting exchange as much as I did.
Peace + Plants,
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- Alexi Pappas: Website | Instagram | Twitter
- Book: Bravey
- Book: Bravey (adapted for Young Readers)
- IMDB: Alexi Pappas
- The Cut: The Olympic Runner Who Gained a Cult Following by Writing Movies and Eating Steak
- NYT OpDocs: I Achieved My Wildest Dreams. Then Depression Hit.
- NY Times: Alexi Pappas Veers Far From Her Lane
- Rolling Stone: Inside the Fascinating Mind of Olympic Runner Alexi Pappas
- Film: Tracktown
- Film: Olympic Dreams
- Runner’s World: What Alexi Pappas Has Learned from Her Friendship with Shalane Flanagan
- Running Magazine: Alexi Pappas gets a race named after her at San Francisco Marathon
- ESPN: Alexi Pappas, a track athlete and filmmaker, stars in the first movie to be shot in the Olympic Village
- WWD: Olympian Alexi Pappas on Her New Young Adult Book, ‘Bravey’
- Fansided: Why We Play: Alexi Pappas isn’t just running for herself anymore
- Newsroom: Why Alexi Pappas thinks the marathon is a team sport
- MSNBC: How Olympic runner Alexi Pappas reframed her outlook on mental health
- Outside: How Alexi Pappas Reinvents Herself
- Outside: Always Up for a Challenging Adventure, Alexi Pappas is Running The Leadville 100
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