Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce

Episode 56: Kylie & Mikaela Shiffrin on Looking Like Twins, “Back Abs,” & Figure Skating Greatness w/ Johnny Weir & Tara Lipinski

Release Date: February 22, 2026
Host: Kylie Kelce
Guests: Mikaela Shiffrin (slalom legend), Tara Lipinski & Johnny Weir (figure skating icons & broadcasters)
Location: Milan, during the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics

Episode Overview

Kylie Kelce dives back into the Winter Olympics for Part 2 of her Olympic Spectacular, live from Milan. She candidly shares her experiences as a superstitious sports fan and proud (and perpetually surprised) spectator, before welcoming an all-star Olympic guest panel. The episode features deep and entertaining conversations with skiing icon Mikaela Shiffrin (“the GOAT”), and beloved figure skating duo Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski. Major topics include the intensity and mental challenges of elite competition, reflections on viral moments (including Shiffrin’s “back abs” and on-air swearing), the importance of sports happiness, Olympic superstitions, and why figure skating should be in everyone’s regular rotation. The tone is spirited, irreverent, and deeply real—just as fans have come to expect from Kylie.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Olympic Highlights, Superstitions & Parenting (00:00–13:53)

• Kylie’s Olympic trip: Gushes about Milanese food, the thrill of experiencing the women's gold medal ice hockey overtime win, and celebrating daughter Benny’s third birthday.
• Superstition on full display: Fans spot Kylie turning her seat during the hockey final, continuing her “if I do this, we’ll win” energy from nearly every sporting event she attends.
  • Kylie: “Sometimes you have to knock on [wood], and sometimes you have to sit backwards in your seat. I don't make the rules. I just manifest them in my head and think that I'm helping.” (02:01)
• Unscripted Olympian encounters: Attending figure skating with Nathan Chen behind her, and speed skating with Apolo Ohno. Family “quizzes” Olympic legends at events.
• Parenting winter sport hypotheticals: Kylie and Jason debate which winter sport their daughters are most suited for, correlating personalities to sports (figure skating for Wyatt and Benny, snowboarding for Ellie).
  • Kylie: “Ellie would want to hit people. Ellie would be calm until she wasn’t. And then good luck, me.” (13:46)

2. Doom Scroll of the Week—Olympic Edition (13:53–14:41)

• Eileen Gu’s legendary response: After a reporter questions Gu about her medals, she strongly rebuffs the idea of “losing golds,” emphasizing the historic nature of her achievements.
  • Eileen Gu (clip, paraphrased): “I'm the most decorated female free skier in history. I think that's an answer in and of itself... I think the ‘two medals lost’ thing is a ridiculous perspective.” (08:13)
  • Kylie’s take: “Her saying ‘thank you’ at the end of it was the biggest fuck you... She meant go fuck yourself. And I love that so much.” (08:56)
• Snowboarder Hannah Norman’s ‘Top of the Jump’ reveal: The reality of elevator rides and vertigo at Big Air events. Audience and hosts grossed out by the “ruined magic” of Olympic sets.
• Birth order and risk: Listeners joke about which Kelce kid would take on the most dangerous Olympic events: “I define this sport as a second born activity.”

3. Extended Interview: Mikaela Shiffrin

On Gold, Growth, Mental Health & Going Viral (14:41–54:14)

• Mikaela’s gold medal run: Reflects on the unpredictability of the Olympic journey and the evolution of her mindset.
  • Mikaela: “Twelve years in the making after my first gold medal… You spend so much time doing all of this work and training for something, and then the moment it happens is 47 seconds, in the blink of an eye. It’s just really weird.” (23:36–24:19)
• On pressure and public scrutiny: Shares unfiltered thoughts about social and media pressure, especially when success is met with criticism.
  • Mikaela: “I started to get a grasp of maybe the darker side of the Olympics… People just sort of brushed the GS [giant slalom gold] under the rug. I was seeing all these comments like, ‘don’t come home, you’re not welcome in the US anymore.’” (21:10–22:10)
• Mental health advocacy: Honest dialogue about therapy, vulnerability, and the myth of “fearless athletes.”
  • Kylie: “Why is it so important to be open about your mental health?”
  • Mikaela: “There’s not really one way anything’s supposed to go… Talking with a psychologist has made my life so much better… It’s helped my communication in relationships… We got brains and we got hearts. I hope. Haven’t met one without one yet.” (28:50–31:10)
• Going viral for her “back abs”: The internet falls in love with Mikaela’s freakishly strong back muscles.
  • Mikaela: “Skiing is so quad and back dominant… My physical therapist was like, ‘I have to take a video.’ … It’s going to go viral.” (32:26–33:19)
• Learning to ski with Mikaela: Playful discussion about Kylie’s questionable skills and Mikaela’s mom (her original coach) being the real secret weapon for teaching nervous adults.
  • Mikaela: “My mom would probably be better at teaching you… She’ll have you feeling confident.” (34:40)
  • Kylie: “I fall a lot… I have a fat ass to fall on. We’re fine.” (35:14)
  • Kylie: “Maybe we just do a group. I think the more friends, the better… I’ve never skied alone in my life.” (35:57)
• On competing solo vs. team: The loneliness of the start gate contrasted with the crucial support of her team, and the draw of a team mentality even in individual sports.

4. Looking Like Twins: The Kylie & Mikaela Doppelganger Phenomenon (46:43–55:51)

• Viral tweet: Fans confuse Mikaela’s gold medal celebration for Kylie, sparking a running joke about their resemblance (“We’re siblings now, right?”).
  • Mikaela: “With a ponytail in particular… You’re just so much more proportionate than I am.” (47:29)
• Auntie/uncle life: Both revel in the joy of being the “cool aunt” and trading advice for new parents.
• Trading podcasts: Humorous proposal to swap shows, as both are now “unprofessional professionals” in the podcast game.
• Overthinking everything: Both bond over analyzing past conversations or quotes that go viral.

5. Figure Skating Royalty: Johnny Weir & Tara Lipinski (55:54–77:16)

On Philly Roots, “The Traitors,” and Olympic Magic

• Philly, accents, and proud roots: The trio riff on Philly and South Jersey dialect (“wooder,” “use guys,” “hoagie,” “Iggles”) with playful authenticity.
• The Traitors TV Show:
  • Tara & Johnny’s experience as cast members, reliving the challenges of social gameplay as Olympic veterans, and how isolation (as with Kylie’s mother-in-law Donna) shapes strategy.
  • • Tara: “So many people were afraid to go after Donna because of Swiftieland… She did a really good job for the position she was put in.” (60:04)
  • • Johnny: “I am friends with all of. Like, I cannot do this… It really messes with your mind.” (60:51)
• Their duo advantage: Hilarious stories of eye signals and “hiding” their real friendship to avoid early elimination.
  • Tara: “We had a plan… We really played it like that—nonchalant, very chill… But it was a huge advantage.” (63:26)
  • Johnny: “There’s just no way [we’d betray each other]… We would have protected each other till the end.” (65:00)
• Olympic storytelling: Both emphasize the privilege and responsibility of narrating skaters’ stories, connecting viewers to the athletes’ decades of sacrifice.
  • Johnny: “The greatest thing about the Olympics to me is everyone’s personal journey… Decades of work, a team behind you, and then they have this moment to shine. Whether it goes perfectly or not, I have goosebumps every time.” (68:13–69:03)
  • Tara: “It’s a huge responsibility… These niche sports don’t have games every weekend where they can say their piece… As their voices, it’s really important for us to know the facts and tell the stories.” (69:48)
• Figure skating evangelism: The challenge of keeping figure skating in the public eye during non-Olympic years, and practical tips for fans.
  • Tara: “There's a world championships in a month… and then next year they're on the Grand Prix circuit. We commentate every single weekend during our season… It’s just up against football.” (75:31)
  • Kylie: “Sometimes football season ends unexpectedly. Or sometimes there’s Thursday or Monday games and then you have your weekend free.” (76:57)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kylie on sports stress:
  “I would love to go to something and just experience stress free, stress free fandom. But apparently that's not the life I was meant to live because this was difficult and also fucking thrilling.” (04:45)

• Mikaela on pressure and identity:
  “You need to be willing to risk that it's not going to work out in order to have a shot for it working out.” (44:42)

• On viral “back abs”:
  “When your mom tells you you look like you have an alien coming out of your back… She was not kidding.” – Mikaela (32:28)

• Tara on being the Olympic storyteller:
  “These niche sports...don't have the opportunities that a lot of the big sports have… so as their voices, as it were, it’s really important for us to know the facts, the stories, and deliver them in a way that we’re not talking over an entire performance.” (69:48)

• Johnny on Olympic joy:
  “Whether it goes perfectly or not, I have goosebumps every time. It’s the best thing about the Olympics. It’s so heartwarming.” (69:03)

Key Timestamps

• 00:00–06:12: Kylie’s Olympic adventures, food, and hockey final recap
• 08:13–08:51: Eileen Gu’s mic-drop response to a disrespectful reporter
• 14:41–54:14: Main interview—Mikaela Shiffrin deep dive: gold, mental health, “back abs,” and teaching Kylie to ski
• 46:43–55:51: Viral Twins segment—Kylie & Mikaela on being internet doppelgangers
• 55:54–66:23: Figure skating greatness—Johnny Weir & Tara Lipinski join for Philly talk, “The Traitors,” and behind-the-scenes skating
• 68:13–77:16: Broadcast responsibilities, Olympic storytelling, and figure skating’s year-round schedule

Tone & Style

Irreverent, authentic, and full of energy, the episode sees Kylie Kelce at her most unfiltered: proud sports mom, Olympic fangirl, and pop culture insider. The conversations are open, with a focus on mental health transparency, joy in sport, and the spectacular weirdness of international athletic competition—including all the superstitions, viral moments, and vulnerability that come with being Olympic “real ones.” Guests match this honesty, trading both serious wisdom and lighthearted banter.

For New Listeners

This episode is packed with candid athlete insight, behind-the-scenes Olympic stories, and sharp, often hilarious commentary about sports culture and fandom. Whether you follow winter sports year-round or only tune in during medal moments, Kylie and her guests provide a blend of big personalities and big heart—guaranteed to leave you entertained, informed, and maybe a little obsessed with “back abs.”