Podcast Summary: "At the Milan Olympics and Somehow Still Walking Everywhere"

Intrusive Thoughts by Adam Rippon
Date: February 5, 2026
Host: Adam Rippon
Recording Location: Milan, Italy

Episode Overview

In this episode, Adam Rippon brings listeners behind the scenes at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. Speaking live from his hotel, Adam shares his comedic misadventures traveling to Italy, setting up for a month-long work trip with NBC, reconnecting with skating friends, and (quite literally) getting lost on the Milan subway. It's a self-deprecating, candid, and highly entertaining look at life as an Olympic commentator—packed with travel tips, Olympics trivia, and stories of humility on foreign public transit.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Olympic Venues Are Never Close By

• Distance Between Milan and Cortina: Adam points out that while the Winter Olympics are billed as "Milan–Cortina," they're actually quite far apart—about five hours’ drive apart!
• Venue Logistics: He explains (00:40–03:00) that at Winter Games, mountain events and skating events are typically in separate clusters; for instance, in Pyeongchang the "Coastal Cluster" (ice rinks) was hours from the mountain sports.
  • Quote: “You need the mountains, famously, to ski, right? They don't ski down buildings, they don't ski down hills, they ski down mountains. Okay?” (01:10)

2. Reflections on Olympic Evolution & Lake Placid

• Olympics Getting Bigger: Adam reminisces about Lake Placid’s small size (seating for ~1,000 in 1932!) and wonders if such a small town could even host a Games now, given the event's massive scale. (03:40–06:00)

3. NBC Sports Desk: Dream Team & Nostalgia

• Adam’s Role: Covering the Olympics for NBC on the Sports Desk with Peter Alexander and Mary Carillo.
• Mary Carillo Fandom: Adam recalls being star-struck by Mary Carillo, whom he calls his "journalistic North Star," ever since “Olympic Ice” in 2006.
  • Quote: “Mary Carillo became my journalistic North Star in the year 2006. And so it is kind of a dream to be working with Mary.” (08:55)

4. The Odyssey to Milan: Flights & Delta 1 Drama

• Unexpected Route Change: Adam’s flight gets rerouted last minute from Atlanta to JFK due to storms—resulting in a fortuitous upgrade to the coveted Delta 1 (first class lay flat bed). (13:20–20:00)
  • Quote: “We did it, Joe. Okay? And when you fly through Delta 1, there is a like, secret entrance to the airport at certain airports... At LAX... you’re not touching these bags.” (19:40)
• Travel Status Banter: Adam hilariously recounts his climb from “member” (the lowest status: “all you need is an email address”) back to elite status. (15:35)
• Delta 1 Lounge Experience: He exposes the reality of “the facial” in the lounge as little more than a spritz and 15 minutes of chapstick—don’t believe the hype! (21:50–24:30)
  • Quote: “They spritz your face with like, some Mario Badescu rose water. And then they put on just, like, thick chapstick on your lips... If you have, like, a small child, they could perform this facial.” (23:38)

5. The Broadcaster Credential: More Important than Your Passport

• Credential Importance: Adam discusses the Olympic credential as the golden ticket; it’s your ID, your venue pass, and sometimes serves as a visa (especially in places like China). (29:00–32:00)
  • Quote: “It is so vital that you do not lose [your Olympic credential]. There is—it is your pass into everything. And if you do not have it, you are F-U-C-K-E-D out of work.” (30:40)

6. Travel Habits: Packing Cubes, Over-packing, and the Rituals of Arrival

• Adam’s Packing Approach: He’s all about packing cubes and unpacking immediately—labeling this as the essential move for a successful trip. (33:10–36:10)
  • Quote: “When people go ‘have a wonderful trip,’ they’re not in control. If you have a wonderful trip, you are.” (34:05)
• Bathroom Essentials: He always overpacks the bathroom stuff (two soaps, eyebrow dye, microcurrent gadgets), but admits most of it rarely gets used.
• Unpacking Debate: Adam acknowledges the “controversy” of putting suitcases on the bed, but reasons that sleep deprivation justifies everything. (35:50)

7. Skating on Assignment: Filming with Peter Alexander and The Ice Lab

• Skating with Colleagues: Adam visits Ice Lab outside Milan—a premier training facility—to film segments and skate with Peter Alexander, relishing the full circle moment in his skating career. (47:30–50:30)

8. Epic Milan Subway Fail: Getting Lost (Three Times)

• The Subway Saga: Adam tries to visit the figure skating venue “like a local” by subway—and fails miserably, ending up at the wrong terminal (“Chelsea Rosa”) three times in a row, a humiliation he insists required self-punishment by a 90-minute rain-soaked walk. (51:10–1:04:45)
  • Quote: “Not a big deal, not a big deal, like, teehee, haha, I messed up. It’s okay, nobody’s perfect... But I go, how did I get here? How am I here again? I don’t want to be here. I want to be at the rink with my friends. I don’t want to be in Chelsea Rosa, okay?” (54:10)
  • Quote: “Three strikes, you’re out, and you’re on the street, and you’re walking through private property, and you’re also going to be walking through a KFC parking lot.” (1:01:05)
• Lessons Learned: Eventually, Adam is told by venue staff that he’s not allowed to subway alone anymore—he’ll have a car next time! But he wants a chance to “redeem” himself.
  • Subway Survival Tip: Make sure the train’s destination matches—sometimes different “lines” (green, in this case) end in different destinations even if the line color is the same. (1:03:00)

9. Olympic Family Reunions and Skating Connections

• Full Circle in Milan: Adam recounts how, as a teen, he trained in Milan and lived with the Rizzo family—now their son Matteo is a European medalist. Adam treasures seeing old coaches and friends, and speaks warmly about the family reunion aspect of the Olympics. (1:07:00)
• Current Team USA Friends: He enthusiastically describes running into fellow skaters and covering their behind-the-scenes training at non-Olympic rinks, as official practice ice time is limited.

10. The “Adam’s Daughter” Bit: Isabeau Levito

• Figure Skating Team Camaraderie: Adam singles out Isabeau Levito (USA women’s team, 18) for her humor and “insane" personality, which Adam proudly claims as hereditary (“That is my daughter... insanity is hereditary”). (1:12:00–1:18:15)
  • Quote: “She says things that, like, at 18, I would have said or done. I look at this young child and I go, that is my daughter.” (1:13:30)
• Memorable Moment: Adam participates in a FaceTime “plant christening” for Isabeau’s new Olympic Village plant—“the first time I’ve ever done that.” (1:16:30)
  • Quote: “I got to tell you, it was beautiful. It was fantastic.” (1:17:40)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote / Moment | Context/Attribution | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------| | 01:10 | “They don’t ski down buildings, they don’t ski down hills, they ski down mountains.” | Adam, on Olympic skiing logistics | | 08:55 | “Mary Carillo became my journalistic North Star in 2006..." | Adam, fangirling over a colleague | | 19:40 | “We did it, Joe... There is a secret entrance to the airport at certain airports.” | Adam bragging about Delta One | | 23:38 | "If you have, like, a small child, they could perform this facial..." | Adam, on Delta lounge facials | | 30:40 | “If you do not have it [credential], you are F-U-C-K-E-D out of work.” | Adam, on importance of credential | | 34:05 | “If you have a wonderful trip, you are [in control].” | Adam, travel philosophy | | 54:10 | "I don't wanna be in Chelsea Rosa." | Adam, lost on Milan subway | | 1:01:05 | "Three strikes, you’re out, and you’re on the street... KFC parking lot..." | Adam, on his walk of shame | | 1:13:30 | "That is my daughter. Insanity is hereditary." | Adam on Isabeau Levito | | 1:17:40 | "I got to tell you, it was beautiful. It was fantastic." | Plant christening FaceTime |

Important Timestamps

• 00:00–06:30: Olympic venue logistics, anecdotes about Lake Placid
• 06:30–13:20: Adam’s NBC role, Mary Carillo, pre-Games nerves
• 13:20–28:30: Flight misadventures, Delta 1 stories, airport lounges
• 29:00–32:00: Credential talk—how it works, why it matters
• 33:10–42:00: Hotel routines, packing cubes, toiletries
• 47:30–50:30: Filming skating segment with Peter Alexander, Ice Lab
• 51:10–1:04:45: Epic subway fail and the 90-minute walk of penance
• 1:07:00–1:12:00: Olympic family reunions (Rizzo family)
• 1:12:00–1:18:15: “Adam’s daughter” Isabeau Levito, team friendships
• 1:18:15–End: Plant christening, listener hotline info, episode close

Episode Tone & Style

• Bright, comedic, and delightfully self-deprecating (“I’m a professional clown, not just a figure skater.”)
• Informative yet conversational, full of asides and banter
• Relatable travel mishaps and Olympics trivia
• Warm nostalgia for figure skating community

Listener Takeaways

• Olympic logistics can be a maze—physically and organizationally
• Embrace travel mishaps; they make the best stories (“No lesson to be learned in going, I'll just get an Uber… Lessons are learned when you have to walk 90 minutes in the rain.”)
• Keep your Olympic credential safe at all costs
• Unpacking immediately is essential (suitcase on the bed controversy aside)
• You’re never too old to be humbled by foreign public transport
• There's an unbreakable “family” in skating—and at the Olympics, everyone comes together
• Adam’s humor and candor make NBC’s Milan coverage more fun, both on and off the ice

For Olympics or Milan questions, listeners are encouraged to text or call the podcast hotline:
310-909-9717

Arrivederci from Milan! More Intrusive Thoughts from Adam will drop throughout the Games.