Podcast Summary

TED Talks Daily – Sunday Pick: "After the Glory Fades" | Good Sport

Date: August 17, 2025
Host: Jody Avrigan (Good Sport, TED Audio Collective)
Featured Guests: Carli Lloyd (U.S. Soccer Legend), Dawn Burrell (Olympian, Chef), Dr. Tracy Gendron (Gerontologist, Virginia Center on Aging)

Episode Overview

This episode explores what happens to elite athletes—and by extension, anyone—when a defining chapter of their lives comes to an end. Host Jody Avrigan interviews legendary soccer player Carli Lloyd, Olympic long jumper turned chef Dawn Burrell, and gerontologist Dr. Tracy Gendron to unpack how world-class competitors face the daunting question, “What comes after the glory fades?” The podcast is as much about the universal challenges of aging, transition, and redefining purpose as it is about the world of sports.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Confronting the End: Athletes and Retirement

• Jody Avrigan introduces the theme, reflecting on his own transition away from top-level Ultimate Frisbee due to injuries and age.
  • “I was one type of person defined by the things I love. Now that that's over, what am I?” (05:11)
• Carli Lloyd recalls her final moments on the field after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, grappling with ending her distinguished career not on a gold-medal high, but after a painful defeat.
  • “You always have this image in your mind of how you would like things to play out. And life doesn't always give you exactly what you want.” (04:38)

2. The Cost of Elite Competition

• Lloyd describes the intensity of her devotion:
  • “There were several years in a World Cup or Olympic years where we were on the road 250-some days... I would do it again in a heartbeat. I would sacrifice everything for it.” (08:54, 09:31)
• Discusses the sacrifices, extremity, and loneliness of staying at the apex of sport.

3. Transitioning With Intention and Ritual

• Lloyd expresses gratitude for dictating her own exit, unlike many whose retirement is forced by injury or selection.
  • “I always wanted to dictate my ending... There's not a lot of people that get to do that.” (11:01)
• Her final game is celebrated with rituals—jersey tributes, soaking in the atmosphere, and prioritizing family connection.
  • “Probably my most favorite part of that moment was being able to take my jersey off and show my husband the Hollins jersey I had on my back. Because without his support, I wouldn’t have been able to do all that I did.” (12:05)

4. Reconstructing Identity and Motivation After Sports

• Lloyd encounters the loss of day-to-day competitive drive but finds new meaning in relationships, business ventures, and recreational activities.
  • “I'm a normal, everyday human now. I just pulled some weeds right before this.” (12:37)
• Fitness for its own sake is unsatisfying at first, until new external motivators re-emerge—for Lloyd, this is the offer to appear on a reality TV competition.
  • “As soon as I ended in November of ‘21, I had nothing left in my tank. I was completely dead. But then... start training for the show, I'm down at 7, 7:30 mile pace. It was nice to have a goal again.” (14:16, 14:40)

5. Embracing Process Over Outcome

• Lloyd reflects on her evolution of appreciating the journey, not just the destination.
  • “In my younger years... it was hard to enjoy the process. You're always wanting that goal... But as my career went on... I started to kind of embrace the process a little bit more, enjoy the journey, and really try to immerse myself in that present moment.” (16:21)

6. Redefining Retirement as "Evolution"

• Serena Williams’ idea of retirement as "evolution" is discussed and embraced by Lloyd.
  • “I need to grow, I need to evolve, I need to keep getting better and keep putting myself into uncomfortable positions because that's exactly what I did as a player.” (18:02)
• The ability to retire on one’s own terms is identified as critical to a healthy transition.

7. Reinvention: From Athlete to Chef

• Dawn Burrell's story illustrates the trauma of a career-ending injury and the need to grieve before finding a new path.
  • “I suffered a death of my athletic career... My thoughts landed on going to culinary school. I started cooking at 34, which is very late.” (21:05, 21:22)
• The skills and competitive fire honed as an athlete translate into new arenas such as the intense world of professional kitchens, and eventually, reality TV (Top Chef).
  • “The competition is always within self—to challenge myself and push myself in ways that real life does not bring.” (22:40)
• Dawn sets new and ambitious goals—James Beard Award, Michelin recognition—demonstrating that the drive to excel persists.
  • “For this next concept, I would love to win the James Beard Award... I wouldn't be mad if I was on the Michelin spectrum.” (23:53)

8. Aging as Individualized Growth

• Dr. Tracy Gendron reframes aging as a unique, non-linear process.
  • “Aging is so individual. The older we get, the more unique we become, the less like other people we become.” (29:07)
• Challenges ageist conventions and encourages a focus on simultaneous loss and growth in later life.
  • “Aging itself is about simultaneous loss and growth. It's not just biological, it's psychological, it's emotional, it's social, it's spiritual.” (30:14)
• Advises orienting forward:
  • “Who are you right now and who are you continuing to become?” (33:54)
• Successful adjustment may mean finding a new pursuit or altering expectations—not better or worse, just personal.
  • “It depends on the person. I don’t think either path is right or wrong.” (35:19)

9. Challenging the Internal Dialogue on Success

• Dr. Gendron links a positive attitude toward aging with real longevity outcomes.
  • “People who embrace their own aging live seven and a half years longer than people that fear their aging.” (36:50)
  • Mental framing and reduction of stress are critical.
  • “It's like a self-fulfilling prophecy—we can actually manifest these things just through our attitude about it.” (37:44)

10. Final Wisdom: Becoming More Yourself

• Both Carli Lloyd and Jody Avrigan reflect on how, as you age, you become more individualized, informed by your experiences.
  • “Every day of your life, you become more unique from everyone else. The older you are, the more unique you are from every other person.” (39:54)
• Lloyd:
  • “For the 34 years that I played soccer, my entire life, I just grew so much as a person. And I'm forever grateful for this sport... there was no greater teacher.” (39:58)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Carli Lloyd on the fantasy of the perfect ending:
  • “You always have this image in your mind of how you would like things to play out. And life doesn't always give you exactly what you want.” (04:38)
• Jody Avrigan on loss and redefining self:
  • “I was one type of person defined by the things I love. Now that that's over, what am I?” (05:11)
• Dawn Burrell on post-sport reinvention:
  • “I suffered a death of my athletic career... Now I would like to compete... I have kind of recovered from the death of my career as an athlete, but I still have athletic drive.” (21:05, 25:14)
• Dr. Tracy Gendron on aging:
  • “Aging is so individual. The older we get, the more unique we become.” (29:07)
  • “Aging is not just biological, it's psychological, it's emotional, it's social, it's spiritual.” (30:14)
  • “People who embrace their own aging live seven and a half years longer than people that fear their aging.” (36:50)
• Carli Lloyd on continual learning:
  • “I need to grow, I need to evolve, I need to keep getting better and keep putting myself into uncomfortable positions.” (18:02)

Important Timestamps

• 03:16 – Carli Lloyd begins sharing her Olympic retirement moment
• 08:46 – The grind and sacrifices of elite competition
• 11:01 – Choosing the right time to retire
• 12:37 – Rediscovering identity after retirement
• 14:40 – Regaining motivation with new goals
• 16:21 – Embracing the process, not just the goal
• 18:02 – Redefining “retirement” as evolution
• 19:42 – Introduction to Dawn Burrell’s story of reinvention
• 21:05 – The mourning period after athletic career ends
• 23:53 – Setting new goals post-athletics (James Beard, Michelin)
• 29:07 – Dr. Tracy Gendron on the individuality and uniqueness of aging
• 30:14 – Shifting focus from loss to simultaneous loss and growth
• 33:54 – Emphasizing future-oriented questions during transitions
• 36:50 – Study linking positive aging attitudes to longevity
• 39:54 – The concept of uniqueness increasing with age

Takeaways for All Listeners

• Transitions—even painful ones—are inevitable, but also present opportunities for growth, reinvention, and new joys.
• The skills and mindset that make elite athletes successful (goal-setting, resilience, learning from setbacks) are transferable to any pursuit and can be powerful tools for reframing aging and change.
• Whether you choose to find a new “bar” or adjust your standards, there’s no universal right way to evolve beyond a defining chapter in your life.
• Embracing aging, challenging internal narratives, and focusing on future possibilities (not just what’s lost) can lead to a richer, longer, more meaningful life.
• As you collect more experiences, you become more uniquely you—a process to embrace, not fear.

This episode offers inspiration and practical wisdom for anyone at a crossroads—athlete or not. If you’re asking yourself “what comes next?”, you’re not alone, and you might just be entering your most unique chapter yet.