Hilary Knight & Brittany Bowe: Gold, Love, and the Olympics

Summary

Welcome to the Party: Hilary Knight & Brittany Bowe – Gold, Love, and the Olympics

Podcast: Welcome to the Party
Hosts: Abby Wambach & Julie Foudy (with regular legend Billie Jean King)
Episode Date: March 10, 2026
Special Guests: Hilary Knight (USA Hockey Captain), Brittany Bowe (Olympic Speed Skater)
Theme: Olympic glory, game-changing moments in women’s sports, and the power couple’s engagement story

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Episode Overview

In this vibrant episode, Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy invite Olympic icons Hilary Knight and Brittany Bowe to “the party,” celebrating their recent gold medal wins – and engagement. The hosts dig into what it means to break barriers in women’s sports, Olympic pressure, the artistry of teamwork, and building a more equitable future. Listeners are treated to a funny, candid, and moving conversation about legacy, love, and leadership – all with the show’s trademark warmth and humor.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Olympic Power Couple: Gold and Engagement

• Hilary Knight and Brittany Bowe’s engagement story is front and center, set against their Olympic journeys. Hilary reveals the proposal's ins and outs: proposing in the Olympic Village, hiding her torn MCL injury, and organizing a family-inclusive moment.

  • [30:40] Julie: “How did you decide? Did you know the whole time you were going to do it at the Olympics, Hil?”
  • [30:45] Hilary Knight: “...I had an epiphany. Like, we've spent majority of our lives in the Olympic Games... what better place than the place that brought us together?”

• Brittany had no clue: She discusses how her sister almost derailed (and then made) the surprise.

  • [31:41] Brittany Bow: “I had no idea it was going to be happening at the Olympics...I just, like, made a joke. I held my finger up. I'm like, God, my fingers looking really naked these days.”

• Knee injury twist: Hilary had to prep her injured leg to literally get down on (half) a knee for the proposal.

  • [34:41] Hilary Knight: “...I'm like, kind of injured too. And so, like, as an aside, that morning, I go up to the med room. I'm like, girls, I need full knee flexion. I'm proposing to Brit this morning.”

2. Competing – Together and Apart

• Navigating long-distance & Olympic schedules: Post-Games, they carved time out to be together, but remained busy with press and travel.

  • [29:59] Hilary Knight: “No, we went our respective ways. I went back to Seattle, Brit came back to Salt Lake, and then the New York trip...”

• Supporting each other as athletes: Both reflect on the unique stress and joy of watching their fiancée on the world stage.

  • [45:47] Julie: “What is it like watching each other compete in the Olympics?”
  • [46:00] Brittany: “For the majority of that [gold medal hockey] game, I did not have a good feeling... Hillary scores with less than two minutes to go. I scream probably louder than I’ve ever screamed in my life.”
  • [47:05] Hilary: “I get really stressed and anxious... there’s nothing like cheering on someone you love so deeply…”

3. Making and Breaking Olympic History

• Hilary’s record-breaking gold medal game:

  • [36:52] Hilary Knight: “I just love scoring goals, so I just want to score as many as I can... there's a lot of outside noise about records...but I want our team to be cemented, that legacy, like, boom, done.”
  • [37:44] Brittany Bow (on Hilary’s style): “You had the whole tournament to break this record, but she wants to wait until the gold medal game to tie the game with less than two minutes left to send it into overtime.”

• Processing being at the end of their Olympic careers:

  • [38:45] Hilary: “I processed a lot of it before... my whole goal going into this Olympics...was just to embrace everything and to not hold on too tight... but more like, wow, I have so much gratitude.”

• Brittany’s perspective after tough Olympic finishes:

  • [40:10] Brittany: “Each time I looked up there and saw a number four, I can honestly say I was filled with more joy and love... knowing that everybody who had been a part of my journey, my family, friends, Hillary, got to watch me race.”

• Brittany’s selfless act at Beijing 2022: Giving up her race spot so teammate Erin Jackson could compete – leading to historic gold.

  • [42:02] Brittany: “I would relinquish my spot and give her my position in the 500 meter... And she went on to not just win... but became the first Black female to win an individual Olympic gold medal at the Winter Olympics.”

  • “To me, it was not... I didn’t even give it a second of thought. It was just the right thing to do.” — [44:54] Brittany Bow

4. Women’s Sports – The Momentum Shift

• Shifting tides in women’s sports media: The hosts discuss the growth and remaining gaps in coverage.

  • [20:53] Julie Foudy: “So up until 2019, media coverage of women’s sports was just 5% of all sports coverage... by 2022, it had tripled to 16%... but audiences are growing, game attendance is rising, sponsorship deals are increasing.”

• How to support women’s sports:

  • Show up, talk about it, buy from supporting brands, and create family and community traditions around women’s games.
  • [22:00] Abby: “We need to learn how to celebrate women... Bring your kids to sporting events, to women’s sporting events, also talk about it...”

• Reflections on legacy and the future: Hilary wants to keep growing hockey, even dreaming of women-led sports ownership.

  • [61:34] Hilary Knight: “I want to stay in the sport... ultimately I would love to have an all women’s ownership group... that’s the end goal.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the drive for gold and legacy:

  • “We just broke the mold on how hockey’s played at the highest level. And unapologetically showing up as ourselves is, you know, the least that we can do. And I feel like America felt that.” — [58:29] Hilary Knight

• On transferring Olympic pressure into memories:

  • “I would try to, like, get...my mind a little bit to be like, hey, how are you going to feel? This is your last Games... my whole goal going into this Olympics... was just to embrace everything and to not hold on too tight...” — [38:45] Hilary Knight

• On sportsmanship and friendship:

  • “To me, that was just the right thing to do. I’ve been given so many opportunities in my life, and...I had all the faith in her, and she... went out there and did it.” — [44:54] Brittany Bow on giving up her Olympic spot

• On future dreams:

  • “I would love to own a team and do it with fellow amazing women.” — [62:05] Hilary Knight

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Party Poppers: Couples Quiz (Fun Highlights)

(begins ~[64:42])

• Who’s more competitive? Brittany
• Who’s the better trash talker? Brittany: “I did grow up playing team sports...a lot of my trash talk from my basketball days.” — [65:15]
• Who would win a straight-line skating race? Brittany (no contest)
• Who’s more likely to forget an anniversary or a birthday? Hilary (“It was bad,” she admits. [70:14])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [30:45 - 34:41]: Hilary’s proposal story: the Olympic Village, torn MCL, family surprise.
• [36:52 - 37:44]: Breaking Olympic scoring records and gold medal pressure.
• [42:02 - 44:54]: Brittany’s act of sportsmanship – giving up her Olympic spot.
• [45:47 - 47:05]: The experience of watching each other compete.
• [61:34 - 62:05]: Hilary’s future vision: women’s ownership in hockey.
• [64:42 - 71:04]: Party Poppers quiz—revealing humorous and heartwarming moments about the couple’s dynamic.

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Podcast’s Original Tone

The episode shines with playful banter, good-natured teasing, and the supportive energy of teammates and legends. The conversation is unfiltered, heartfelt, and humor-filled, as the hosts and guests speak openly about the rewards and costs of elite sports, the quirks of enduring love, and the dreams that still lie ahead.

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For Listeners Who Missed It

"Gold, Love, and the Olympics" is a rare, behind-the-scenes look at two icons at their peak—giving listeners both motivation and laughter, and reminding everyone exactly what women’s sports can be when athletes, fans, and media all rally together. If you want to understand how history is made—and who is making it—this episode is pure gold.

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For more, follow @welcometothepartyshow and join the “Party People” movement to keep leveling up women’s sports.

Transcript

[Brittany Bow]

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[Abby Wambach]

5:00am I'm up with a crisp Celsius energy drink running 12 miles today. Grab a green juice, quick change and head to work. Meetings, workshops. One more Celsius. No slowing down. Working late, but obviously still meeting the girls for a little dancing.

[Julie Foudy]

Celsius live fit. Go grab a cold, refreshing Celsius at

[Abby Wambach]

your local retailer or locate [e-mail]. this episode of welcome to the Party is brought to you by McDonald's Big Arch Burger.

[Hillary Knight]

We just broke the mold on how hockey's played at the highest level. I feel like America felt that who

[Julie Foudy]

would win if you both skated in a straight line for one minute.

[Brittany Bow]

Is this even a question?

[Abby Wambach]

I have a bone to pick because I really wanted a heated rivalry moment. Your guys rink kiss could have been a little bit better. Attention. The party is about to commence.

[Julie Foudy]

Welcome to the party. What's up, party people? I'm Julie Foudy.

[Abby Wambach]

And I'm Billie Jean King.

[Julie Foudy]

You wish.

[Abby Wambach]

I'm Abby Wambach.

[Julie Foudy]

Abs, we should say that Billie was so bummed because she was part of the interview and then and loves, as we know, the women's hockey team and obviously Hillary's role with PWHL and being one of the founding players. And so she was so bummed she couldn't make that interview because she wasn't feeling well. So we wish her the best, Kinga.

[Abby Wambach]

It was a crazy week, though. Fun weekend.

[Julie Foudy]

Oh, my gosh.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah. Wanna congrats. Mo are a producer on our welcome to the party team for crushing the Los Angeles Marathon marathon this past weekend. Let's go, Mo.

[Julie Foudy]

She was so excited about that.

[Abby Wambach]

So. Yo. It was so hot. It was. So was it.

[Julie Foudy]

I still haven't been home. I'm still away. Yes. Oh, man.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah. So hot. And I don't know if you saw the finish line for the men that were running.

[Julie Foudy]

Yes.

[Abby Wambach]

The guy who. The American who snuck in at the last second.

[Julie Foudy]

I do think that the runner didn't see him right at all. I only saw Him.

[Abby Wambach]

Well, he looked over his shoulder. He looked over his shoulder one time, and that was like a hundred yards to the finish. And he saw how far back the

[Hillary Knight]

dude was, and he's like, oh, he's

[Abby Wambach]

not gonna catch me.

[Julie Foudy]

And then he creeped in. Did you. I was. I did feel kind of bad for him because that guy. I don't know who that second place, now second place runner was, but he collapsed right on the line. Like.

[Abby Wambach]

No, I know. I would have collapsed, too. That would have been sad for me.

[Julie Foudy]

We had obviously us winning Shiba Leaves cup in the game that we called on Saturday in New York or New Jersey, actually, officially Harrison, N.J. tobin Heath was honored at that game. One of your former teammates, and so

[Abby Wambach]

were you guys, kinda.

[Julie Foudy]

The 99ers full cast was there, so we finally got to meet all of them, which was so dang fun. Abs.

[Abby Wambach]

How is that, like, tell me what that is like to meet a person that is going to be playing who you are? Like, are they actual soccer players? Like, what's happening here?

[Julie Foudy]

So Amelia Jones, who's playing me, is such a badass. Such a badass that I'm like, oh, my God, I don't think I'm badass enough for her. For her.

[Hillary Knight]

She's so.

[Julie Foudy]

You should see I'm watching Task right now, which she stars in on hbo Max. And she was, of course, in Coda, which is the film that won best film in 2021. Remember the Deaf family? She was the only one in the family who could hear. She had to learn sign language for the movie. And, oh, she's. She's super. She's got a really. What do they call it when you. You can just play so many different roles? Her breadth of. Of roles she can take on is really impressive. Anyways, she was so nice. She's British. I was like, I'm married to a Brit. She's British. And she said she grew up playing soccer, but the boys wouldn't pass to her. She was so cute. So she. We get on this zoom together and she goes, I heard that you wanted Dolly Parton, because I used to joke with everyone, you know, with the chess that I have, it only makes sense that Dolly Parton plays me. So she goes, I heard you wanted Dolly Parton to play you.

[Hillary Knight]

And I was like.

[Julie Foudy]

And so she stands up and she's got this big Dolly Parton shirt on with Dolly Parton's face on. So she's like, here she is.

[Abby Wambach]

I wonder how weird it is for actors to have to, like, play real Life people. And like, because I do know I have a few actor friends that, that have like, come to our house to like, because Glennon was gonna make a movie on Untamed. And Sarah, Sarah just. Sarah Paulson came over and she had been like, studying Glennon and her mannerisms. Like, were they trying, I think, were they studying you all? Is that why you all got together?

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah, they did. We all did zooms before the game. Like the week before the game when we found out all the casting and then that I had to work the game, unfortunately, so I didn't get a hang in the suite with all the actors. Like, you know, some of the other 99ers did and. But I was talking to them after and they were like, oh my gosh, they were amazing. They were just pumping them with questions. And we've given them a lot of our old footage that I shot back in the day that we made the 99ers film documentary out of. So they, they're seeing a lot of it, but yeah, like, to be able to sit down and. And we told them like, you. And they will. They said, we're gonna be in constant contact with you and asking questions. And so, yeah, they were, they were adorable. And they're in boot camp right now. All the actors, like, they're having to train and play and run. Amelia goes, I should have known when the first one of the first gifts we got was a theragun that this was going to be a different type of film. I was like, oh, you're going to need that.

[Abby Wambach]

How long are they going to be shooting for? They, they.

[Julie Foudy]

They have a month long boot camp right now. They're doing together. They. And they go for like five to six hours a day. I said to Liza, who's the producer, I was like, you're gonna kill these women. Go easy on them. She's like, now we gotta get them fitter. They go. They shoot for like two months. So they're shooting in starting in April, May, June. So super cool. I gotta see all the offices and everything because they were right there in Jersey City, so it was fun.

[Abby Wambach]

Also, we gotta give a shout out to Josh, our teammate on welcome to the Party too. He got engaged this past week,

[Hillary Knight]

so.

[Abby Wambach]

Good.

[Julie Foudy]

That's right. To. To Orly, his fiance. Yay, Josh and Orly. Congratulations. Good to see Mo. Mo crushes the marathon. Josh gets engaged. Look at all these things happening.

[Abby Wambach]

Everybody's doing all the things.

[Julie Foudy]

Doing all the things. Okay, abs. Oh, how was Parent Weekend, by the way? That's where you Were this weekend. You were at Cal Berkeley?

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah. Yeah. It wasn't. It was. We went up there. The whole family went up. It was really sweet. You know, mostly our kids are at the age that, like, it's less important for them to see us and more important for them to see each other. So we took Amma and Chase up, and so they got to just spend a lot of, like, you know, sibling time together, which was really great. And it was a gorgeous weekend up in NorCal.

[Hillary Knight]

So it was good, was it?

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah.

[Abby Wambach]

And Tisha's having a while.

[Julie Foudy]

I've heard. My bff, Heather, who you've met, buddy, has a son at Cal Berkeley, and we play together at Stanford. So we're a little conflicted, but we're okay with it. We're fine. No, she wears all her cow gear. I'm like, oh, my gosh.

[Hillary Knight]

What are you doing?

[Julie Foudy]

Stop it.

[Abby Wambach]

Well, it's different when you're paying that tuition. You know what I'm saying? All right. But she has a little bit more of an affinity when you're paying that tuition. You're like, yes, I'm wearing this.

[Julie Foudy]

She said that they are wild the weekends. The parent weekends. I was like, oh, my gosh.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah, the parents get go off, man. Glenn and I are. We. We. We Bow. Bow out very early. We're like, okay, kids, you guys have fun. Be safe. Make sure your little sister gets home sober.

[Julie Foudy]

Oh, I didn't get to do Oregon's parent weekend because I was away. So sad. Okay, not sad. Coming up, we have a Olympic power couple. Hillary Knight and Brittany Bow. They're skating into the party, and we've got an inside scoop on their proposal. The reason Hillary couldn't fully get down on one knee. And I don't know if you saw that on the Instagram post, but I totally did notice that. I was like, oh, she's on a grate. Maybe it was because of the grate, but prepare for your mind to be blown about this one. All right, so, party people, just a reminder, too, as we continue to grow this amazing community, and we hope that you actually want to check us out by watching the fun and the party as well. So you can do that on YouTube, you can do that on Spot Spotify, but if you haven't already subscribed to the YouTube channel, do so so you can actually watch the party. We would greatly appreciate it.

[Hillary Knight]

Yeah.

[Abby Wambach]

And the way that this whole thing works for us, it really does matter when we hear from you. So we would really appreciate it if you not only Rate. But also leave a comment and tell us what you want. We want to make this what you want it to be. So we.

[Julie Foudy]

And we have an email too.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah, email us party people, questionsmail.com and. And it also matters if you subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. And if you haven't listened to us in a few weeks, sometimes the Apple unfollows you. So you just gotta click that the, the plus button in, in the right top right hand corner.

[Julie Foudy]

Okay, let's get this party started. Who better to kick it off than Jordan Robinson? She's the host of the Women's Hoops show podcast and a new author of her book Court Queens Party People. It's now available on pre order. You got to get this book. Abby and I have already pre ordered it. Jordan Robinson, welcome to the party.

[Hillary Knight]

Welcome.

[Jordan Robinson]

Thank you for having me.

[Julie Foudy]

Glad to be back.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah. Welcome back to the party.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah, exactly. Good to see you again. And it's going to be time for our party starter, which Jordan is going to take us through the highlights and shakeups and headlines you'll want to celebrate this week in women's sports. This party starter is brought to you by Ally the bank that is your ally. All right, Jordan, as we get closer to the brackets actually being selected on March 15 for March Madness, I know we've have these big conference or all conference tournaments are happening. Some of them actually wrapped up over the weekend. So if you would give us a lay of the, of the land of the bigger tournaments. And just a quick reminder to the party people, there's 68 teams that make that bracket for the NCAA Division 1 Women's Basketball Tournament. 31 will qualify through automatic bids if they win their respective conference tournaments. So that's why these are really important to know.

[Jordan Robinson]

Yes, I was just going to start there because sometimes it's hard to figure out where we are in the madness of March. We're just at the beginning. We're just at the beginning part where the conference tournaments come in. And this is a chance for, you know, some of those big time schools, they're going to make the big tournament and the big bracket no matter what. But there's a chance for people to still get one more go at it in these conference tournaments. And that's what makes it so fun because you have to win back to back to back. So if someone catches fire, catches some momentum, that's when those upsets happen. And we got to see that a little bit around the league. So let's start in the sec because that is probably the biggest and toughest conference that was all eyes were on that conference tournament. Vanderbilt is a top 10 school, but they get upset on their way by Ole Miss. Then we get a rematch between Texas and South Carolina. They hate each other. I love it because they're tired of seeing each other over and over. But Texas got them this time. They got South Carolina in the conference tournament. Madison booker went off 18 points. And then Dawn Staley had a little thing to say after told him that

[Julie Foudy]

the last time we lost in this situation, we won the national championship. So you got to think about that.

[Abby Wambach]

It might be the very thing this team needs.

[Jordan Robinson]

And she's hoping that trend continues. And then going over to the accident. I remember the first time I was going to be on this podcast. We were talking about Duke and we were talking about Carol Lawson. People were coming for her head, for being the coach of the USA national team. But Duke had a rough start to the season. Now they've won 17 straight. They won their conference tournament overtime win over Louisville. They beat in a close game by two points, Notre Dame to get to the championship game. And Duke is just riding high. You can't stop them. The defense is really setting the tone. They love a rock fight. They're not going to score a ton of points, but they want to stop you. And. And people can't score on them. So it works in their favor. Let's go to the Big Ten, UCLA back to back Big Ten championships.

[Julie Foudy]

Corey, for this.

[Jordan Robinson]

Corey, close. I know that's your girl. Yes. She, her team got it done. And they really.

[Julie Foudy]

I mean, after I even saw.

[Jordan Robinson]

We love the dancing. I mean, the UCLA star players, if you guys didn't see, they got to perform with the dancers at the men's halftime show.

[Julie Foudy]

And they did, too. Incredible. When I first saw that, I was like, wait, which ones are the basketball players and which one are the dancers? The three really tall seven footers in the middle of the court.

[Hillary Knight]

Yeah.

[Abby Wambach]

Generations have changed because if Julie and I were given the opportunity to go and dance with the dancers, you would immediately know. Immediately. And now on TikTok, abort. Some of these, you know, some of these athletes, they know what they're doing.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah.

[Jordan Robinson]

Wait, that's a good point. This is TikTok.

[Hillary Knight]

This is all.

[Jordan Robinson]

All because they're practicing constantly. So is that what we're blaming our

[Julie Foudy]

bad dancing on, Abby? Because we didn't have TikTok.

[Abby Wambach]

We did not have TikTok.

[Julie Foudy]

I agree. We didn't have had we had TikTok, I would have been a really good, good dancer.

[Jordan Robinson]

But UCLA is looking so dominant and I know that this is not the end all goal for them. They wanted to win the conference tournament and they did it in a landslide. We thought Iowa was going to put up a bigger fight, but UCLA has their eyes on the national championship. We know that. So this is just one step of getting there. The last one is the Big 12. So TCU, it was a favorite. They have all the momentum. But they just lost to West Virginia in the conference tournament. And that was two games in a row with Olivia Miles. She's a top draft pick. She was in foul trouble. So they weren't really able to get into their flow like they typically do. But that, that's a key one because West Virginia could get some momentum, get some confidence going into the big dance, and you got to watch out for them.

[Abby Wambach]

So any interesting or unique like storylines that we should keep an eye on? Jordan, you know, I see that are like NYU Violets. Continue to crush it.

[Jordan Robinson]

NYU has been so fun. I know that you had them on the show, like, what an incredible 89 game win streak. You guys like second only to UConn. When you are in a sentence with UConn. That's a really, really good thing. Why it's they're doing so well, which I want to point out real quick, because this is, you know, a lower division. They're not D1. These are non scholarship players. These are players that are playing for the love of the game. And they're making over 11 threes per game. That is above average, way above average. And they're forcing 27 turnovers per game. Like they are pressing. They are just like an annoying gnat on the defensive end the whole time. And they're just getting layups and blowing these teams out. And I just love hearing from the coach and hearing the players excitement as they go into their tournament to keep making history, especially for their school, for their program. Spike Lee's coming in, hanging out with them like they are celebrities, as they should be.

[Julie Foudy]

One last topic, Jordan, that we're going to get to is the Paralympic, as you all know are happening. And they actually kicked off on March 6th. So I don't know if you guys saw this, but Oksana Masters won gold in the 7.5 kilometer biathlon sprint, y'.

[Abby Wambach]

All.

[Julie Foudy]

That was her 15th winter Paralympic medal. She also has five in the summer Paralympics as well. And that 15th winter Paralympic medal, extending her record as the most decorated U.S. winter Paralympian and that is after a season that included surgery, a bone infection and a concussion. So let's go. Oksana Masters. And I love this story too. 51 year old Cecil Hernandez of France. 51 year old won gold in Paris snowboarding cross. More than a decade after first winning a Paralympic medal back in Sochi in 2014, she has multiple sclerosis and was able to take another Paralympic medal home.

[Abby Wambach]

Yes. Bravo.

[Julie Foudy]

Okay, party people, that's a wrap on our party starter. Thanks to Ally for sponsoring this segment. Ally, as you know, is more than a bank. And their do it right approach helps customers unlock their economic potential and guides their efforts. As a leading sponsor in women's sports. Just like us, Ally believes that when women in sports win, we all have a reason to party. Ally Bank Member, FDIC Jordan, thank you so much. We're going to be seeing you a lot in the next few weeks. So yay, yay for that. Thank you for joining us. You can follow Jordan at Jordan Liggins L I G O N S on Insta and on Tick Tock at hey, Jordan Robinson. Okay, up next, party people, do we have a couple name yet for recently engaged Hillary Knight and Brittany Bow. Hillary Brillery, Knights of the boat table. I don't know. We're workshopping it. We should just call them Team USA Royalty. Nine Olympics and seven Olympic medals between them. USA women's hockey captain Hillary Knight and Olympic speed skating star Brittany Bow coming up next. ABIGAIL for three decades, so up until 2019, media coverage of women's sports was just 5% of all sports coverage, by the way. 5%. Let me say though, things are a changing and thank goodness for that because by 2022, it had tripled to 16%. And clearly that's hardly equal. But audiences are growing. Game attendance as we know it is rising. Sponsorship deals for female athletes are increasing. And we think this deserves a celebration. So join us and care this International Women's Day and Women's History Month to help level the playing field for women. So for our party people who have been following along, you know, we are deeply committed to helping elevate female athletes and get the attention and the platform they so deserve. And only 54 of women's sports fans began watching within the last three years.

[Hillary Knight]

What?

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah.

[Julie Foudy]

Is that crazy? So clearly, and that's part of why we wanted to do that. This, this podcast, this show is we want that to increase. We want the future to look like packed stadiums and sold out games and sponsorships and awards and all the things that we Keep being surprised when we see that we don't no longer want to be surprised about. So what can you do to support. You can follow female athletes on social media. You can, as we call it, get butts and seats, attend games in person or. One of my favorite things, Abby. And you can give a couple as well. But one of my favorite things is support brands that support women's sports. They're putting their money into women's sports, and we hope you do as well and supporting them. What about you, Abs? What do you. What do you think people can do to help support women?

[Abby Wambach]

Well, I think one of the things that we've been loving doing is doing watch parties. Like, even if it's not coming to one of our watch parties, our Watch with Us parties. It's like, get your friends together and create an event on your own in your living room. We need to learn how to celebrate women. And, And. And watching this. This incredible athleticism and power, it's just incredible. And. And of course, like, following some of these women online and buying the brands that they're associated with. Bring your kids to sporting events, to women's sporting events, also talk about it, and then what ends up happening is when you hear other people talking about

[Julie Foudy]

it, it starts conversation and it becomes the conversation.

[Abby Wambach]

Right.

[Julie Foudy]

So who cares about leveling the field for women in sports?

[Hillary Knight]

You do.

[Julie Foudy]

We do. And so does care, A global organization fighting poverty and working to level all fields for women and girls every day around the world and local communities with local leadership. This march, join them. Sign the [e-mail] pledge.

[Abby Wambach]

Okay, Jules. Every World Cup, I always think about,

[Julie Foudy]

I'm ready for the World cup, clearly.

[Abby Wambach]

I always think about how much the city itself becomes part of the experience.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah, totally. You remember arriving somewhere at the tournament and you could feel it instantly, like, flags everywhere, watch parties, signs, people bonding over matches. It's crazy. I love that when you get to a city and you have that feel.

[Abby Wambach]

Exactly. And having a home base made all the difference. We booked a place where everyone could gather before and after game. Snacks were everywhere. Replay date debates. It becomes like a little headquarters.

[Julie Foudy]

Right. That is the magic of Airbnb. And now even small families or groups of friends traveling can have that experience. You can cook together, you can hang out in the living room. It feels like your own corner of the celebration, which is fabulous.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah. And when, like when big sports moments bring fans into town, they're looking for that same sense of home. So if you're traveling or you just want open your space, you can host Your home on Airbnb too.

[Julie Foudy]

You too can create a welcoming spot for fans to experience the excitement, neighborhood, energy, game day, atmosphere, all of it. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host all right,

[Abby Wambach]

Jules, you want to break through the busiest time of the year with the brand new Peloton Cross Training Tread plus, powered by Peloton iq.

[Julie Foudy]

I do. I do.

[Abby Wambach]

You?

[Julie Foudy]

Yes.

[Abby Wambach]

Okay. So, Jules, Peloton Cross Training Tread plus is their most sophisticated system to date, combining real time performance insights with a range of training modes that let you move seamlessly between solo sessions and instructor led workouts, which I love. It brings structure and flexibility together, so your training evolves with you. What makes Peloton I think work for me is. Is how it removes the friction. Consistency for me is everything. And Peloton makes it simple.

[Hillary Knight]

Yeah.

[Abby Wambach]

To plan the workouts, to stay engaged and keep building the momentum. Right. To keep going back instead of overthinking. Jules, what to do. I can just show up, run, lift, and challenge myself. Right. So that the guidance is essentially there. You don't have to think, just show up. And also, Jules, the experience feels intentional from. From the design to the programming to the instructions themselves. Okay. It keeps things fresh, motivating, and genuinely enjoyable. Which is exactly why I stick with it. Let yourself run, lift, sculpt, push, and go explore the new peloton cross training tread [e-mail] abs I. I have to

[Julie Foudy]

admit, I was a little skeptical that skims could actually live up to the hype. I don't know about you, because there's a lot of hype around skims in my house and especially with my daughter Izzy. But I finally tried the Fits Everybody collection from skims, and I get it. I get it.

[Abby Wambach]

Same.

[Julie Foudy]

It's literally.

[Abby Wambach]

I know.

[Julie Foudy]

So soft. And it molds into your body, the fabric.

[Hillary Knight]

Oh, yeah.

[Julie Foudy]

And this. This weightless way, it's like you're almost naked, but you do have clothes on. Yet you're like. It's freeing. It feels like you're wearing nothing, but you're still supported.

[Abby Wambach]

It's true.

[Julie Foudy]

And so I've been reaching for the Fits everybody triangle bralette constantly.

[Abby Wambach]

So good.

[Julie Foudy]

Because I do love that it gives me shape and support without that, which no one wants. That tight, compressed feeling that most bras have. And it moves with you instead of fighting you, which, thank you, Skims for that. I forget I'm wearing it. Honestly. Never happened to me with a bra before. And I also tried fits every Body underwear.

[Abby Wambach]

Boom.

[Julie Foudy]

Let's go. Not a big fan of the thong, but this one again, doesn't even feel like you have a thong on. And that's what we need in life. I am here for that. So I immediately understood why people replace their entire drawer. I'm going to do that. It's that comfortable. So shop Skims fits everybody [e-mail] after you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you select podcast and the survey. If you could do this, it would be greatly helpful and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that follows. And now to the point. Partiest part of our party. Our two guests have had, you know, abs. A pretty casual few weeks. Just the Winter Olympics, few sold out arenas. Tonight show with Jimmy Fallon, cameos on Saturday Night Live, chatting courtside with Carmelo Anthony at the unrivaled semifinals. I don't know. And then in the middle of that somewhere, they're getting engaged. Yes, just another week at the Knights of the Bowed table. Hillary Knight is the captain of Team USA Hockey, a five time Olympian with five Olympic medals. This most recent one, the sweet glimmer of gold. And now the all time leading scorer in U.S. women's Olympic hockey history. Brittany Bow is a four time Olympian in speed skating, a world record holder in the 1000 meters, and one of the most decorated speed skaters the United States has ever produced. And they said it better than we ever could in their Instagram engagement post. The Olympics brought them together. This one made it forever. Hilary Knight and Brittany Bow, welcome to your engagement party.

[Hillary Knight]

Yes,

[Abby Wambach]

welcome.

[Julie Foudy]

Look at you two cuties together finally. Come on. So cute.

[Hillary Knight]

Yeah, it's rare. I think this is the first podcast we've done together too.

[Brittany Bow]

Yeah, it is.

[Julie Foudy]

Seriously.

[Abby Wambach]

Oh, that's fun.

[Hillary Knight]

Yeah, we're never so proud together in the same roof. So.

[Abby Wambach]

So how long have. So it's been a couple weeks since you guys won. Have you guys been together this whole time since leaving Milan?

[Hillary Knight]

No, no.

[Brittany Bow]

But more days than not, I think.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah.

[Hillary Knight]

More than the months leading up to the Olympics for sure. Yeah. No, we went our respective ways. I went back to Seattle, Brit came back to Salt Lake, and then the New York trip.

[Brittany Bow]

Yeah, I've got, I've got to be a plus one on some pretty cool stuff the past week. So I've just been tagging along.

[Abby Wambach]

You cannot be a plus one, Brit. Brit. You're not a plus one. You're. You're, you're never a plus one. I just want to say that out loud. You're freaking medalist for our country. You've represented us a million times, it looks like. So congratulations to you both for everything and also, like, your engagement. It's so exciting.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah. Spill the tea.

[Hillary Knight]

Thank you.

[Julie Foudy]

How did you decide? Did you know the whole time you were going to do it at the Olympics hill?

[Hillary Knight]

Yeah. So actually this summer I was like, oh, maybe like a hike. And you know, when you're training full time, last thing you want to do is go for an extra long hike.

[Abby Wambach]

And I'm just like.

[Hillary Knight]

And I didn't have the ring yet. You know, it's just like, I am like, yeah, I. I didn't. I was just thinking, like, where. Where would be an epic place, a memorable place, and I don't know, I had an epiphany. Like, we've spent majority of our lives in the Olympic Games, training for the Olympics, wanting to. To be a part of the Olympics. And what better place than the place that brought us together and just, you know, our last Games, you know, we're in the same village. It just seemed like everything coming full circle from that standpoint and.

[Julie Foudy]

Brittany, did you have an idea?

[Abby Wambach]

Did you have any idea?

[Hillary Knight]

Oh, hey, Julie. We just said.

[Brittany Bow]

I had no idea. I had no idea it was going to be happening at the Olympics. Obviously, we've talked about it and it's really funny. The night before, actually, we were just laying in bed watching the Olympics, and I just, like, made a joke. I held my finger up. I'm like, God, my fingers looking really naked these days. And just made a joke about it, not thinking anything, anything of it. But yeah, we were supposed to go get a coffee together. I guess it was the day before your gold medal game. And my mom sends me a good morning text and says, hey, Brooke. My sister and her boyfriend went into Milan for breakfast, and I never check my sister's location, but I'm like, cool. Like, let me just check my sister's location to see where they're at. So I check her location. She's like, five minutes from the village. So I text her. I'm like, oh, my gosh, I just checked your location. You're like, five minutes from the village. Hillary and I are going to get coffee at some point this morning. Like, you should come with. So then I text Hillary right away, say, I looked at my sister's location. She's right around here. Do you care if she comes to get coffee with us? So those two are probably internally freaking out that I've connected some dots, but I really haven't. I Was she? Hillary texted me back saying, oh, man, I was gonna surprise you to, like, invite Brooke to coffee with us, because up to this point, I hadn't been able to spend really, any time with my family. And, you know, I would. I would love it just if Brooke came to coffee with us. So, yeah, that was that. And then I was really stressed.

[Hillary Knight]

Yeah. So I was, like, texting her sister on the side because I knew she wanted her sister to, like, somehow be a part of that experience. And I had, you know, screenshotted and drawn markers of where we're stopping and planned the whole thing out from, like, the opposite point of view of her meeting us. And now it's, like, completely out the window. And now I'm like, how do we make this, like, not awkward? Because now you're probably gonna, like, run to your sister, and we're not gonna have this, like, moment together. And it ended up working out really well, but we accomplished.

[Julie Foudy]

You're gonna run to your sister. Wait, so was the sister there when you were on your knee, or was that. Because that was inside the village. Right. So she couldn't.

[Hillary Knight]

Okay. So I think. And I might have not remembered this accurately, but I think we're like, oh, you two should get a picture together. And then Brooke was like, oh, you two should get a picture together. And then that's when I went down on a knee. Well, like a half knee, because I'm, like, kind of injured, too. And so, like, as an aside, that morning, I go up to the med room. I'm like, girls, I need full knee flexion. I'm proposing a Brit this morning. Kendall's on the table next to me. She's rolling off the table in excitement.

[Brittany Bow]

I'm like, guys, no. Like, we gotta focus here.

[Hillary Knight]

So I get into, like, a, you

[Brittany Bow]

know, not all the way down, but three quarters.

[Hillary Knight]

You can see me in the video being like, this is as far as I can go. I just had a lot of odds stacked against in that particular location, but we made it work.

[Abby Wambach]

Oh, my gosh. Okay, so you. You. You have a torn MCL at this point, and you have to go get treatment to prepare to get down on one knee. This is excellent. I love this story so much. Yeah.

[Brittany Bow]

Wait, can we just go back of athletes, right? Like, you guys would understand.

[Abby Wambach]

Totally.

[Julie Foudy]

Can we totally go back to torn mcl? Did you have a torn MCL the entire Olympics?

[Hillary Knight]

Yeah, unfortunately. Yeah.

[Abby Wambach]

How did you do that? Like, were you getting shut up before you would go play?

[Hillary Knight]

No, I was just taking a lot of ibuprofen to be honest. And then it was just like, like, you know, you get so much adrenaline going and tape. Yeah, a lot of tape. A lot of tape. Probably the whole roll. Just candy cane around my leg. No, and just, like, we have an amazing medical staff. Like, we win because of our medical staff. And they, like, I was a table camper for hours, like, loosening everything up and then getting things firing back up. So fortunately, like, I had the structure of, like, the quad, the hammy, like, the calf to be strong enough to kind of hold things. But yeah, the first few games, just ibuprofen and vibes, because I just wanted to get this so badly done for, like, our group. But not to have your. The way you want to play, not to be able to play the way you want to play was definitely frustrating. But, yeah, it was. It was wild. So it all worked out, both rounds.

[Abby Wambach]

I mean, you did all right.

[Julie Foudy]

You.

[Abby Wambach]

You ended up becoming the leading goal end point score of any Olympics ever. Like, how did that feel? Were you, like, were you thinking about this? Because, you know, I've. I've also broken records in my life and Was there, like, a lot of pressure on you? Were you thinking about it? Was your. Were your teammates thinking about it to get you the puck, to get you that. That goal, to kind of get it over with, or you're just like, got to get as many goals as possible? Like, what were your thought processes?

[Hillary Knight]

Yeah, I don't know. I think, like, I just. I love scoring goals, so I just want to score as many as I can. And. Yeah, and so, like, you know, there's a lot of outside noise about records and stuff. And whenever she would even mention, I'd be like, stop. Like, it's not about that. Like, it's all about, like, team and sort of shifting that focus. And obviously to be able to celebrate that with the girls that we have would just be outstanding. But, like, I want our team to be cemented, like, that legacy, like, boom, done. And that comes with a gold medal. It's not the records that you break now for someone else to break later. It's really just about those team wins, because that's what you get remembered for.

[Brittany Bow]

But let me say, like, you had the whole tournament to break this record, but she wants to wait until the gold medal game to tie the game with less than two minutes left to send it into overtime.

[Julie Foudy]

So she wanted.

[Brittany Bow]

That was storyline.

[Julie Foudy]

She wanted the storyline.

[Hillary Knight]

What am I?

[Julie Foudy]

Perfect?

[Hillary Knight]

Scripted?

[Julie Foudy]

Perfect?

[Hillary Knight]

Yeah. I said, was it the night before or that morning? I was just like, oh, like I. My. My three goals for the game, win a gold medal, score a goal, and be safe. Like, those are my three things. So good. Check boxes. Done.

[Brittany Bow]

Done.

[Julie Foudy]

Check, check, check, check, check.

[Hillary Knight]

Just because, like, you're like, how do I contribute? Right? And, like, maybe it's a block shot, maybe it's, like, an amazing defensive play, but you're. You know, you're in the.

[Abby Wambach]

You're. You're there.

[Hillary Knight]

You're like, okay, Layla's got the puck. Like, this is it. Like, I want to score this goal, you know, so. Not from, like, a individual standpoint. Just, like, we needed another point to get us into the ot. Yeah.

[Abby Wambach]

Hillary, have you had any time to think about, like, that even though you won that, that's, like, your last Olympics? Like, have you been processing any of that, or are you just, like, putting that off until after all the celebratory stuff winds down?

[Hillary Knight]

Yeah, I processed a lot of it before because I didn't know how I was gonna feel. And so I would try to, like, get. Jog my. My mind a little bit to be like, hey, like, how are you gonna feel? Like, this is your last Games, and it's really hard when your teammates are trying to already pull you out of, you know, that retiring from the last Olympics, like, two weeks afterwards. Because you love those people, right? Like, they're your family, and you just want to, like, do it forever with them. And. Yeah. So I'd say, like, right now, I'm just, like, soaking up all the. The moments, trying to write everything down, make voice notes, just to really be able to remember it, because this was such a special group, and there's so many great memories and moments together. But, yeah, I think, like, my whole goal going into this Olympics, obviously winning and putting the team in a great position to do that, but was just to embrace everything and to not, like, hold on too tight as if it were, like, fleeting, but more like, wow, I have so much gratitude. I have a heart filled with so much thanks for all the people who have been a part of this journey and the people who are here right now present with the journey, and I don't know if it's, like, the same for you, but just being able to have, like, friends and family back to, like, have those quiet moments with people was, like, so special. So I. It does feel, like, really rewarding to have done it that way.

[Brittany Bow]

Yeah, I think I can definitely relate to just having the family and the friends in the stands, like, rewinding back to Beijing, I win my first individual medal at the Olympics and looking up and not seeing anybody, there was like a very empty and kind of sad feeling. And you know, fast forward to this Olympics. And finished three times in the fourth position, the hardest spot to finish at the games. But each time I looked up there and saw a number four, I can honestly say I was filled with more joy and love and excitement in my heart knowing that everybody that had been a part of my journey, my family, friends, Hillary, got to watch me race, were there supporting me and being able to be a part of that journey.

[Julie Foudy]

Oh my gosh, that, that you have that perspective is so good. And Hillary, how you said, like, I was trying not to grip too hard, which is not an easy thing to do when you both know it's your last time. Right. That was your last time, your last Olympics. Brittany, we're saying that right now. But to your point, like, who, who knows, right? I feel like people are playing into their 50s now. I'm coming back. I'm coming back to play on the next Olympic team. So Hillary goes, yeah, right. Brittany, can we, can we just talk about too speaking of the Beijing Olympics, when you mentioned that the Aaron Jackson story we had her on before the Olympics and what you did in that moment and for some context for the party people, would you tell them like what that was all about? Because this story is just like, so under told. In my, in my opinion, like, what you did was so selfless and so giving and so like, it just made me think like, this is what every Olympian should be like. And you encapsulated it all.

[Brittany Bow]

Yeah. So going back to our Olympic trials, going into Beijing for speed skating, nobody was pre qualified at the time. Everybody had to race their way onto the team. And in the 500 meter, we had two positions to start at the Olympic Games. And going into our Olympic trials, my teammate Erin Jackson, she was ranked number one in the world in the 500 meter. And in that race at Olympic trials, she had a slip that in my opinion, not just cost her the win, but a spot on the Olympic team. And at the Olympic trials, I went on to win that race. And crossing the line, seeing a number one up next to my name, I felt everything other than victorious. I knew at that point Aaron Jackson was out of qualifying position for the Olympic team. And immediately my mind just started racing, like, how do we get Erin onto the team? Like, she is so deserving of this spot. And I just knew if it had anything to do with me, I would relinquish my spot and give her my position in the 500 meter. I had two other events that I was really strong in. So, yeah, at the end of the day, that's what I ended up doing. I gave my spot to Aaron, and she went on to. To not just win the 500 meter, but she became the first black female to win an individual Olympic gold medal at Winter Olympics. Like that, that was just crazy. To be, you know, a piece of that puzzle and to, you know, have. Be a part of giving her an opportunity to have that monumental victory and that you're.

[Julie Foudy]

You were there at that 500 meter race, right? She said, like, screaming and hoarse from just cheering her on in that moment. You who have given her this opportunity are there to celebrate her when she wins that goal. That just to me is like.

[Brittany Bow]

So, yeah, that was definitely one of the most special moments of my career. And I wasn't even the one out there on the ice at that time. Like, I just remember being right on the infield. Like, my arms just screaming, arms pumping. And then to fast forward a day or two, to go to the metal plaza and to see her step up on the top, you know, podium and to hear a national anthem play. I think we made eye contact a number of times. Just boohoo, crying back and forth. But just such a special moment, for sure.

[Abby Wambach]

Are you the nicest person in the whole wide world? What in, like, what possessed you to do that?

[Hillary Knight]

Like, what.

[Abby Wambach]

What possessed you to do that? That's so not normal. It's like a very abnormal thing. It's very honorable. It's. It's very in integrity. Like, why did you decide to do that in that moment?

[Brittany Bow]

Yeah, it's crazy because to me, it was not. I didn't even give it a second of thought. Like, to me, that was just the right thing to do. And it's crazy because I had a lot of very decorated Olympians reach out to me and say, I can't believe you did that. I would never, like, be able to do that. And it was just the right thing to do. I mean, I've been given so many opportunities in my life, and I just felt like the right thing to do was to give her the opportunity. I had all the faith in her, and she, like, at the end of the day, she went out there and did it, but there was not a doubt in my mind that she could go to that Olympic Games and do something historical.

[Abby Wambach]

Okay, I have to know, what is it like watching each other compete in the Olympics? Like, what are you experiencing as a spectator? Both of you answer, wait.

[Julie Foudy]

And I need to know what the last two minutes of the game was like for Brittany too, as well. Because if it was anything like, for me on the couch of the final, the gold medal match is insane. Okay, go.

[Brittany Bow]

I will say it is so fun to be able to, like, hang up my skates and skin suit and just be a fan of Hillary and the women's hockey team. So I love it. I have never been a huge fan of any, like, one person or one team in my whole life. So to be able to be so invested in Hillary and the women's program has been incredible. Now, going to that gold medal game, I will say for the majority of that game, I did not have a good feeling. And I was just like, oh, my gosh, what is gonna happen here? What's gonna happen here? Mind you, I'm also trying to, like, lay low and conserve some energy because my 1500 meter was the next day. Hillary scores with less than two minutes to go. I scream probably louder than I've ever screamed in my life. My sister was actually holding her phone, videotaping and pans to me. I showed Hillary it today or yesterday. My face was just blood beat red and screaming at the top of my lungs. So it's really, really fun to celebrate that.

[Hillary Knight]

Yeah, we had a lot of, like, conversations leading up, though, just with, like, schedules, right? And it was just like, do you come. Do you not come in the game? Like, being really mindful, like, she's got to go do her thing, so. And then she's like, I can't not be at the game. I was like, no pressure, though. Like, I, like, I understand, like, if anyone understands, like, we understand, like, what that that person needs like that. But yeah, we really threw everyone for a loop that was watching. But no, I'd say, like, I get really. I get really stressed and anxious. Like, I like an excitable way watching Brit race. And I was able to watch her and heron Vane, like, years ago, and that was one of the most special things. And I never watched a race live at the Olympics, so this was the first game I was able to do that. And it was incredible. I lost my voice again. And just being with her family in that section. And yeah, there's nothing like cheering on, like, someone you love so deeply and the most and you just want them to succeed. And she had an incredible last race at the Olympic Games, like, just electric. So it was really cool to see her in her natural habitat because I see her work her butt off like, all summer long, right? Just she's up, she's Doing everything she needs to do just to prepare for this, you know, minute and change race, which is just.

[Abby Wambach]

It's.

[Hillary Knight]

It's incredible to see.

[Abby Wambach]

I have a bone to pick because I really wanted a heated rivalry moment. And I think that your guys rink kiss could have been a little bit better. Like, was it cheek kissing? Couldn't reach.

[Jordan Robinson]

It's too far.

[Hillary Knight]

And you're on skates.

[Julie Foudy]

I get it.

[Abby Wambach]

But like, I really wanted more. I wanted more from you too.

[Julie Foudy]

I wanted you to be like, Brittany, come down here onto the ice. And then Britney skates.

[Hillary Knight]

No. Well, okay, so NBC had a car waiting for her. Like, she had to go. She had to dip.

[Brittany Bow]

Yeah.

[Hillary Knight]

I wish that was the whole thing. Like, we couldn't get her down. Like she had to go, like, get back start.

[Julie Foudy]

Her heated rivalry moment was missed.

[Brittany Bow]

Yeah. I was just so happy I got to see you because I saw you from afar. You went down over to the side of the blue.

[Hillary Knight]

Didn't even think you were just the media.

[Brittany Bow]

And I'm like, I gotta get there. I gotta get there. So I like ran out in the concourse around down the stairs, and then I realized how far it was, and I'm like, I gotta just go for it. So my feet were actually like a couple feet in the air. And I'm like, oh, my God, do not swing over this barrier.

[Hillary Knight]

But I didn't even see you. It was coincidentally Brooke's friends. She has like a whole, like, crew of friends. Maybe like five or six. Six people that are in the fan section, like, right there as you're going around the corner. And so they're the ones like, hello. And I was like, what are people? And then they're like, pointing at Brett. I was like, oh, my God. Like, she's still here. Like, I thought she took off. Yeah. So I'm glad that we were able to see each other. But, yeah, I agree. I mean, it could have been more dramatic and just the way everything was going at the Olympics, like, we really should have done something a little bit more dramatic in that way.

[Julie Foudy]

CARE is a global powerhouse for change abs. They are, as you know, an organization that fights poverty all over the world. And they have a special focus on women and girls. So it makes sense, perfect sense, that we are partnering with them to celebrate International Women's Day. And this year, CARE is talking about something we know really well. The uneven playing field that women face. And let's face it, every woman who has competed in sports, has had a successful career or sometimes just fought to be heard, knows it can be an uphill battle. We can have tremendous talents. We can put in extra hours at work and at home. But the truth is, the playing field is uneven. And we exceed expectations because we've learned. We often have to. And still the truth is unavoidable. The playing field has never been level. I will say that again. The playing field has never been level. This isn't about ability or ambition. It's about unspoken barriers that honestly continue to tilt the ground beneath our feet. And despite the imbalance, women keep pushing forward. But we always find a way to lead. That's what we love about women. We excel. And by doing that, we reshape spaces that weren't built with us in mind. And that's what care does every single day all over the world. So who cares about leveling the playing field for women? You do. And so does care. And so do we, every day around the world and local communities with local leadership. Sign the [e-mail] pledge. This episode of welcome to the Party is brought to you by McDonald's Big Arch Burger. Abigail, I know you love some Mickey D's, and McDonald's has a new Big Arch burger. Have you heard about it?

[Abby Wambach]

I have.

[Julie Foudy]

It is the most McDonald's McDonald's burger yet. Okay, picture this. Two quarter pound patties.

[Abby Wambach]

Yes.

[Julie Foudy]

Three slices of cheese. Tangy. I love cheese, too. Tangy. Big Arch sauce. Lettuce. Pickles. Crispy. And slivered onions. I love the onions. And a poppy and sesame seed bun. Okay. So my favorite thing about McDonald's burger is probably the sauces. They know how to do a sauce so well. Yeah. And to hear there's going to be a special Big Arch sauce on this burger. Let's go. And I'm a big fan of the sauce and pickle combination, so I cannot wait to try this. So order the new Big arch. The most McDonald's McDonald's burger yet at participating McDonald's for a limited time while supplies last. This episode of welcome to the Party is brought to you by Cologuard, a non invasive colon cancer screening test. Abs, did you know that colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers?

[Abby Wambach]

Yep.

[Julie Foudy]

Yet nearly about 60 million Americans at average risk still haven't been screened. It's crazy.

[Abby Wambach]

I didn't know that.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah. The Cologuard test makes screening super simple. It is delivered. And. And I did this recently, so I am talking from firsthand experience. It is delivered right to your door. And best of all, there's no prep. And if anyone has gotten a colonoscopy before you know what I'm talking about. There's no fasting, there's no anesthesia, there's no time off work. And most insured patient patients pay nothing out of of pocket. And literally the test comes right to your door in a box. You open it up and then you ship the sample back in that same box. You close it. The, the, the label is already right there. It's actually really well done, super efficient, super easy. I sent it back in under 24 hours and a few days later I had my result, which was thankfully negative with my cologuard test. It's that simple. And it's, it's perfect for a busy schedule as well. And so my point being, because this is such a preventable form of cancer, there is no excuse. Get screened for colon cancer, please, party people. I really don't want any of you to go unscreened for this preventable disease. And as I was just saying, the cologuard test is a really simple way to get it done. So if you're 45 years old or older and at average risk, ask your healthcare provider about screening for colon cancer with the Cologuard test. You can also request a Cologuard prescription [e-mail] the Cologuard plus test is intended to screen adults 45 years of age and older and who are at average risk for colorectal cancer. Do not use the Cologuard products if you have had adenomas, which are a type of colon polyp that can sometimes become cancer, inflammatory bowel disease or other hereditary syndromes, a personal or first degree family history of colorectal cancer or a positive result from another colon cancer screening method within that test. Recommended screening interval. Talk to your healthcare provider if any of these situations apply to you. Cologuard results should be interpreted with caution. A positive test result does not confirm the presence of cancer. Patients with a positive test result should be referred for colonoscopy. A negative test result does not confirm the absence of cancer. Patients with a negative test result should discuss with their doctor when they need to be tested again. False positives and false negative results can occur. Available by prescription only. Okay, we don't want to on purpose. We didn't want to make this about the Trump call and the laughter and all the things after that. And, and so we are not going to spend a lot of time talking about it, but we do, Abby. And I hate that that is a topic that you've had to address over and over and over. Again, and we're sorry that you've had to spend and expend so much energy on that is what we'll say. But you have handled it so beautifully. Hilary, Abby and I talk a lot about that. And the way you. Which is not an easy position to be in, the way you've been able to still be celebratory about what you did and try and kind of refocus people to the magnitude of the moment has been really cool to see, I

[Abby Wambach]

just want to say, because we really were conscious of not wanting to take too much time, but it's very rare in our world where you see somebody like you and. And you, too, Brittany, because I know that Hillary's talking to you a lot about what's going on, and you guys are kind of trying to process this whole thing together as like, a couple. I understand. Like, it's both of you guys going through this, and to be thrust into this kind of different stratosphere for many different reasons, for winning and then also for this political thing. I know it's not easy. And I also just appreciate how grounded you have seemed. Just how grounded you've seemed. And I don't know, you're just. It's. It's just so fun to watch you get on all of these incredible stages because you deserve it. Right? Period. And the rest of us pundits get to be outraged for you. And so I just hope, you know that, like, we see this as a broader, like, work of art in a way that, like. Like, all of us have to do our little part. And, like, you were put in a position that you shouldn't have been put into. We should only be really focusing on you all winning. And, I don't know, I just. I very much am inspired by the way that you handled this and very much, like, respect how you've handled this. So we just wanted to kind of say that.

[Hillary Knight]

No, I appreciate that so much. It means a lot coming from both of you. And obviously, Brit and I, we're just. Our heads are like this a lot because I'm like, oh, my gosh. You know, this is crazy.

[Abby Wambach]

But.

[Hillary Knight]

But, yeah, I mean, what a whirlwind. And I'm glad we're. We're finally to a point where we can just focus on how amazing our group is, you know? And I think that's, like, at the end of the day, like, I see it, I feel it, I get to see it. Every single day I'm in that room, I experience this amazing experience. And, oh, yeah, by the way, we're successful. So, like, now everyone gets to really meet the team, right, and get into the room in that way and through that lens. And, you know, I just saw it as, like, oh, man. Like, I don't want anything to overshadow how amazing these women are. Like, these are my girls. These are my girly pops. Like, we go to battle together. Like, we do these amazing things. You know, we have ups, downs, and, you know, we just. We just broke the mold on how hockey's played at the highest level. And unapologetically showing up as ourselves is, you know, the least that we can do. And. And I feel like America felt that, and I wanted to really just shine the light back onto all the amazing accomplishments and hard work that, you know, people put in and finally succeeded and realized at, you know, their Olympic dreams. So thank you. I really appreciate that.

[Abby Wambach]

And in women's soccer, we've had a couple big tent pole moments, right? 99, Women's World Cup Championship, and. And you've got, you know, big goals and big wins. And what I think is happening for women's hockey, I don't know, I just. It feels different this time, and I'm wondering if you feel that, too, if you feel like you're actually inside a moment that is absolutely changing the trajectory of your life. Do you feel that?

[Hillary Knight]

Definitely, yeah. And it's so weird to think, like, I go back to. I think it's out there because I was mic'd up, but, like, for, like, that net speech before the game, it's like, you know, I just knew, like, this team was bound for greatness. Like, women's hockey is bound for greatness. And this is the moment. And how exciting, you know, do I think it should have been 20 years ago? Absolutely. But it's here now. And so for me to have an opportunity to still be in the sport, doing the thing I love on a daily basis with people I love. I mean. I mean, how amazing.

[Abby Wambach]

I don't know what your plans are going forward, how much longer you want to actually play hockey, but Julie understands what it's like to have this, like, big watershed moment. Win in 99, win in 04. And then Julie retires, and. And all of us have done our little part. But, like, I think that the three of us are in a similar positions where when we left the game, it was better than when we found it, for sure. But I feel like I know there's a part of me, and I'm sure Julie feels this way, that, like, we missed out on all the that we worked hard for, you know, all of, like, the pay raises and the attention and the popularity. Are you hoping, like, in those next chapters, are you hoping to stay involved in. In women's hockey, or do you have other people, your grand plans for your life? Like, what are your future plans, you think?

[Hillary Knight]

Yeah, I mean, I want to stay in the sport. Like, I love it so much. You know, I want to, like, share the sport with as many people as possible and, you know, increase opportunity, reduce barriers. But I think ultimately I would love to have an all women's ownership group and grab, you know, men's team, women's team, you know, like, that's. I think that's the end goal. So, yeah, I'll be one. Numbers.

[Abby Wambach]

No, I'll be one.

[Julie Foudy]

That's easy.

[Hillary Knight]

Yeah.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah.

[Hillary Knight]

Whether it's like, us watching Foudy and, you know, what the 99ers were able to do and, you know, then meeting John Langle and having some similar, you know, equitable support battles in our own way and just specifically in our sport. And then, Abby, like, watching your speech of entering, having to have a second career while you're next to one of the Manning brothers, like, it's just like, you know, it's just. It's like we're all this one puzzle piece of moving this thing forward. And you're right, like, you know, 10 years from now and be like, oh, my gosh, I can't believe they have those opportunities. That's great. Like, we definitely missed the boat on a lot of those things. Right. Because we know how great we are as athletes right now. And so I think that's definitely going to be that, like, transitional battle for me, but. But ultimately, like, I've always. And we've had this conversation a lot is it's going to be hard. Whatever the next thing is, it's going to be really hard because we've been doing this forever and just having sort of like a mental map or at least a direction I want to go. But, yeah, owner, I would love to own a team and do it with fellow amazing women.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah.

[Abby Wambach]

Okay. I've been retired for 10 years. I've been retired for 10 years, and it gets so much better. Yo, like, I love playing soccer, but it was hard. Like, at the end, my body was breaking down. It was harder to, like, get excited about being in pain all the time. So one of the things that Julie and I are trying to build right now is a place for. For former athletes to be able to step into in terms of, like, the media World. Like, if you want to have your own podcast, if you want to have your own show, you know where to find us. We can help you. We will help you do. And you'll own it yourself. It'll be yours. Like, we don't. I'm not trying to make money off of you. Like, I've spent too much time seeing that there are middle men in between us and resources. And it's like Julia and I are building the thing that we know that we needed when we stepped away from the game. So just. Just so you know, there's going to be opportunities and people are going to tell you all the things. But. But in my experience, like, you have every single thing, every skill set you need to do anything you want. Because as an. Not just as an Olympian, but, like, as somebody who has shown up for the last 30 years of your. Both your lives, like, you have. You have given yourself, hopefully put in your back pocket the confidence that it will take to. To get through the hardness of. Of retiring from your sport. You guys are going to be just fine. And we're here just so you know, if you need anything, seriously. Okay.

[Julie Foudy]

We're gonna play a quick game with you guys before we let you go called Party Poppers, couples version. Are you ready?

[Abby Wambach]

Yes.

[Julie Foudy]

We'll see who is more competitive.

[Hillary Knight]

Brittany.

[Abby Wambach]

Awesome.

[Julie Foudy]

Brittany.

[Abby Wambach]

Okay, who is the better trash talker?

[Hillary Knight]

Brittany.

[Julie Foudy]

Okay.

[Hillary Knight]

She's always yapping. You play big. She's yapping all the time.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah.

[Brittany Bow]

I can't keep my mouth shut.

[Julie Foudy]

Seriously, Brittany, I did not take you for a trash talker. That's fabulous.

[Brittany Bow]

Okay, well, I did grow up playing team sports. I grew up playing basketball, and so I definitely get a lot of my trash talk from my basketball days. I don't get any opportunity to talk trash on the ice because it's. It's just a different vibe. But when I'm like, one on one competitive. Yeah, the trash talk.

[Julie Foudy]

Did you ever do roller derby, too? Like, Aaron, and I know you did.

[Brittany Bow]

I did not. No. Just in lockdown.

[Julie Foudy]

I was gonna say, what is your role?

[Hillary Knight]

I'd be scared. I would be scared if she ever did roller derby. For everyone else out there, like, okay,

[Julie Foudy]

this is a very important one. Abby and I do this thing called A minute to win it, and I lose every time. Who would win if you both skated in a straight line for one minute?

[Brittany Bow]

Is this even a question?

[Abby Wambach]

Give me a change of direction.

[Hillary Knight]

Right. If she turns right, I got it in the bag.

[Julie Foudy]

Okay, that's actually good. Wait, my part B was Brittany. How Many. Multiple yards. Would you be in front of Hillary? Because I know you would wipe her. How many yards would it be?

[Hillary Knight]

Enough.

[Brittany Bow]

Enough.

[Abby Wambach]

Okay.

[Hillary Knight]

I have a sluggish skater.

[Abby Wambach]

Yes.

[Hillary Knight]

A cameo.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah, you can.

[Hillary Knight]

Kendall's my.

[Abby Wambach]

Also Kendall.

[Brittany Bow]

She's Kendall. Give me a run for my money.

[Abby Wambach]

What if you do, like, like, the sprint? So, like, I'm sure you guys in hockey have to, like, sprint from, like, blue line to back.

[Brittany Bow]

Hillary would kill me any day. Like, I can go fast, I can turn left, cannot stop, cannot change direction, cannot go right. So anything other than a straight line

[Hillary Knight]

race and hill sprint.

[Abby Wambach]

Have you guys. Oh, yes. Have you guys changed, tried each other's sport before? Yes.

[Hillary Knight]

Yeah. Brit's actually, like, pretty good. And then a couple of times when we were dream gapping and stuff, I needed someone to hop on the ice because there was no. There's no hockey here, really, at that time. So we'd be, like, one on one. You'd be like, come on down again. Come on down again. Just, like, feeding me chirps the entire time. Like, can you stop?

[Julie Foudy]

Bring it, bring it.

[Abby Wambach]

You know what?

[Brittany Bow]

I would say that awful out here, but I'm gonna chirp every. Every second I get.

[Julie Foudy]

Oh, my God, I love that so much.

[Hillary Knight]

Yeah. But then, like, I tried speed skating, and honestly, I'm not even. I'm not exaggerating. I thought I was gonna fall on my face the first time I set. Set foot on the ice and speed skates, like, it was terrifying.

[Julie Foudy]

Totally different.

[Hillary Knight]

Because they're okay. Yeah, because they're. First of all, their blades are, like, this big.

[Brittany Bow]

We're 16 inches. Yeah, 16 and a half.

[Hillary Knight]

I don't know how many inches our blades are, but the. Like, when you're on the flat, it's super slippery. They only have, like, edges. Like, and for us, like, you can just be on the flat and still have a little bit of bite with the ice and then going around, so you're like, oh, like, I finally got

[Abby Wambach]

the hang of this.

[Hillary Knight]

And you're just going. And then all of a sudden, you're going too fast because then there's a

[Abby Wambach]

turn, and then how do you stop in those things?

[Hillary Knight]

You don't. You don't. You just kind of have to, like, step, step, stop.

[Brittany Bow]

Yeah, yeah.

[Abby Wambach]

He just.

[Hillary Knight]

So I'm going like, I don't. I don't know. This is like a mission that I did not sign up for. And I'm flying around this thing, and the blades are so long. I'm like, am I gonna cut my shin when I Cross over. I'm just like, so many things are going through my head, so I need to try again.

[Brittany Bow]

I thought you were actually pretty good. I mean, I can only imagine how, because also we have the classic top skate, so the heel of the blade is also not attached. But I thought you. I thought you were getting the hang of it, like, a lot better than most.

[Julie Foudy]

This one is gonna be tough. Who is most likely to unretire and come back for the Winter Games in 2030 because they're in the French Alps.

[Brittany Bow]

Easily Hillary. Easily Hillary.

[Abby Wambach]

Yes.

[Julie Foudy]

There you have it, party people.

[Hillary Knight]

I've been.

[Brittany Bow]

I've been around Hillary actually. Just like, on the plane ride back from Milan stateside. The amount your teammates that were like, she's not done yet. She's not done yet. She's coming back.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah, like, they're like this.

[Hillary Knight]

They're like.

[Abby Wambach]

Last one. Who's more likely to miss an anniversary?

[Hillary Knight]

Me, definitely Hillary.

[Julie Foudy]

You guys are certain?

[Brittany Bow]

Do you want to tell them you have missed a birthday?

[Hillary Knight]

I did miss a birthday. Shoot.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah.

[Hillary Knight]

It was not.

[Abby Wambach]

And you know what I. You know what I love about that is, Britney, you are so kind and letting. Letting Hillary answer first, because Hillary was like me.

[Hillary Knight]

And you were like, yes, definitely her.

[Abby Wambach]

Definitely her.

[Hillary Knight]

That was a kindness.

[Abby Wambach]

Generous. Generous.

[Hillary Knight]

I. Okay. In my defense, like, I'm not a birthday person. I did not realize, like, people are really into birthdays. And I just, like, mind you, I

[Brittany Bow]

am not really into birthdays, but, like a happy birthday, like, it doesn't have to be pleasants. This. That Abby.

[Hillary Knight]

It was bad.

[Brittany Bow]

I was like, just a Happy birthday. Good morning.

[Hillary Knight]

I'm near the pool in Florida. What are you doing? I'm here with my teammates.

[Julie Foudy]

We're having a blast.

[Abby Wambach]

That's so good.

[Hillary Knight]

Not a great moment. Not a good one.

[Brittany Bow]

So we've recovered. Yeah, we've recovered from it.

[Hillary Knight]

It was good.

[Julie Foudy]

All right.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah.

[Julie Foudy]

We are going to keep you guys on, if you would, for just a little outro, because we're going to do an OOSA USA cheer at the end, which is our. Our soccer cheer. Hillary and Brittany, do you guys have any type of cheer you all do before you skate or what's your huddle?

[Abby Wambach]

Cheer?

[Hillary Knight]

We have just like, usa. I go off on a tangent, drop a lot of F bombs, and then USA on three. USA on three. And boom.

[Julie Foudy]

We need to spice that up a little. I think that's good.

[Abby Wambach]

Well, the women's soccer team, we do. Usa. Usa. Usa.

[Hillary Knight]

Ah.

[Abby Wambach]

And the reason why is because the first team that ever went over in 1985 to Italy. The Italians saw USA and so they just called us USA. And so it has been the same cheer that has gone through every single generational team of team. And that is literally the same cheer that the players do right now. So Julie and I do it after every single episode.

[Julie Foudy]

All right, so put your paws in.

[Abby Wambach]

Would you?

[Julie Foudy]

I'm gonna teach you.

[Hillary Knight]

Would you like. Yeah.

[Abby Wambach]

Would you like to participate?

[Brittany Bow]

Definitely.

[Abby Wambach]

Here. Okay, so. So it's usa. Usa. Usa. Ah. And you gotta give them like,

[Julie Foudy]

you got it. You want one more? You're like, no, we got.

[Abby Wambach]

We got it.

[Hillary Knight]

We got it.

[Julie Foudy]

Jules, we gotta do it.

[Abby Wambach]

All right, USA on three.

[Hillary Knight]

Ready?

[Abby Wambach]

One, two, three.

[Julie Foudy]

Yes. Well done. That is well done.

[Abby Wambach]

Welcome to the Party is an independent production brought to you by Treat Media. Treat Media makes art for humans who want to stay human. Initial Digital is our production partner and you can also watch our full conversations on the welcome to the party YouTube channel and follow us at welcome to the Party show on Instagram and Twitter TikTok. Thanks for listening.

[Julie Foudy]

Shot clocks, big shots, upsets, aces TGL playoffs are here. First Atlanta Drive starts their repeat run

[Abby Wambach]

against Los Angeles Golf Club.

[Julie Foudy]

Then Rory's Boston Common golf and Tigers Jupiter Links face off in their playoff debuts. Who will advance? Keep up it's playoffs. Tune in Tuesday, March 17 at 6:30pm

[Abby Wambach]

and 9pm only on ESPN and the ESPN app.

[Brittany Bow]

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