Podcast: Mastering chaos with Maggie Steffens, Valarie Allman

The Podium

There are so many sights and sounds at the Olympics that trying to take it all in can be a bit overwhelming. Valerie Allman, Maggie Steffens and the members of the 4x400m mixed relay team share how they manage to stay focused among the constant chaos. 

Allman, who won Team USA's first athletics gold of these Games in the women's discus final, says "it's all about rolling with the punches. It's all about having respect for the other events to give athletes their space to be able to be in the zone." 

Elija Godwin, Lynna Irby, Taylor Manson and Bryce Deadmon chatted with host Lauren Shehadi about how they overcame the uncertainty of being disqualified then reinstated, and Canadian hammer thrower Camryn Rogers tells the story of the craziest thing she's seen happen at a competition. 

Steffens and a couple of her teammates close out the episode by explaining what makes an elite water polo player, the physicality of the sport and why players' caps are often off their heads and floating around the pool. 

You can listen to this episode of The Podium on Amazon Music or below:

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