Welcome to the Party – "THE FASTEST RISE IN OLYMPIC HISTORY"
Podcast: Welcome to the Party
Host: Treat Media (Julie Foudy, Abby Wambach, regular guest Billie Jean King)
Date: February 5, 2026
Episode Theme: The incredible journey of Olympic speed skater Erin Jackson, history-making in women’s sports, and a celebration of groundbreaking changemakers ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Episode Overview
In this special Olympics-themed episode, hosts Julie Foudy and Abby Wambach spotlight the fastest ascension in recent Olympic history: Erin Jackson’s journey from rookie to gold medalist in just four months on ice. Joined by the "engineering nerd," former roller derby queen, and now defending Olympic champion, Jackson, they delve into her astonishing switch to ice speed skating, the obstacles she overcame, a touching story of Olympic friendship and sacrifice, and the power of representation. The episode also celebrates historic and current trailblazers in women’s sports as the Winter Games begin in Milan-Cortina, offering listeners a blend of inspiring interviews, Olympic updates, and their signature camaraderie and humor.
Highlights & Key Discussion Points
1. Opening Olympic Spirit and Resistance with Joy
- Hosts reflect on global tensions and political turmoil ahead of the Milan Games, emphasizing the need to both protest and also seek joy.
- “We can be upset and frustrated and also at the same time, committed to hunting joy.” (Julie Foudy, 02:23)
- Both Julie and Abby encourage listeners to “do both”: speak out, resist, but still protect light and community joy.
Memorable quote:
“We protested on Friday and Sunday... and then Monday comes, and it’s like, all right, we gotta do work, gotta earn a living, gotta keep the purpose going and find as much joy as we possibly can during this weird, weird time.”
—Abby Wambach (03:26)
2. Olympic Updates & Women’s Sports Highlights
- Team USA Interactive Map and Technology Tools
- The hosts highlight NBC’s interactive map and AI pal "Ollie" to follow every athlete, event, and result in real time, local to your timezone.
- “Ollie... can find everything and anything right away... and gives you, like, the time [in] your time zone.” (Julie, 07:21)
- Explainer Videos & Accessibility
- Curling, figure skating—well-produced explainers demystify winter sports so “even Glennon” can quickly grasp the rules.
3. Olympic Angels: Athlete Philanthropy & Support
- Ross Stevens’ Historic $100 Million Gift
- Every U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athlete gets $200,000, regardless of medals, as "a reward for human excellence without political strings." (10:06)
- Funds are partly deferred as post-career security.
- Flavor Flav: Hype Man to Sponsor
- Flavor Flav personally donates to teams and “helped a USA discus thrower pay her rent” (11:13).
- Went full "stars and stripes" and reached 106 kph on a skeleton sled.
Notable Exchange:
“He even donned a stars and stripes racing suit and helmet, jumped on a skeleton sled… going 106 kilometers per hour. You guys.”
—Julie (12:16)
4. Women Making Olympic History
- Sammy Smith’s Multi-sport Marvel
- Stanford soccer player moves from NCAA final straight to the U.S. Cross Country Olympic team within a month.
- “27 days after that match, she won both the skate sprint and classic sprint at the U.S. Cross Country Championships.” (13:45)
- Jesse Diggins: Cross-Country Legend’s Final Olympics
- Her mission: “I’m racing for American people who stand for love, for acceptance, for compassion…” (Jesse Diggins, via Julie, 15:58)
- Amber Glynn: Breaking Barriers in Figure Skating
- Set to become the first openly queer, bisexual, pansexual woman to represent Team USA in figure skating.
5. Pioneering Women: Alice Milliat & The Women’s World Games
- History lesson: Alice Milliat founded the “Women’s Olympic Games” in 1922 to give women their place on the world stage—playing a key role in forcing the IOC to include women’s events.
- “Party folks, we women forced our way into the Olympic Games.” (Abby, 16:15)
- Discussion of the era’s misogynistic “wandering womb” theory and visionary women like Milliat (and later Billie Jean King) who created opportunity where there was none.
Notable Quote:
“What is your Olympic Games? Like, what is the thing that you need to create that isn’t being offered to you right now?”
—Abby (19:43)
Feature Interview: Olympic Speed Skater ERIN JACKSON
Introduction to Erin Jackson’s Extraordinary Story
(24:20–25:33)
- Erin didn’t try ice skating until age 24.
- Four months later, she qualified for the U.S. Olympic speed skating team.
- In 2022, she became the first Black woman to win an individual Winter Olympics gold.
Quote:
“Wait, what? Are you kidding me?”
—Julie, introducing Erin’s meteoric rise (24:19)
Roller Derby Roots
(25:33–26:44)
- Jackson reveals she was on the U.S. Roller Derby World Cup Team, but qualified for the Olympics at the same time—so she withdrew.
- Her derby alias: “Ms. Jax’E’M” before reverting to her real name.
Lighthearted Moment:
- Abby jokes her derby name would be "Wam.Truck" (“if you come in my zone, I’m going to truck you”—26:30), prompting laughter and a brief roller derby name brainstorm.
Special Forces Experience
(27:45–29:21)
- Jackson describes her time on the grueling reality show "Special Forces."
- "It wasn’t fun at all. It was really challenging… emotionally and physically. There was one time where I really thought I was gonna drown, and that really shook me up. Yeah, it was a character-building experience." (Erin, 28:03)
From Inline Skating to Olympic Ice (29:21–32:07)
- Inline skating isn’t an Olympic sport, so despite 12 world titles, she never considered switching until after college.
- “I just put in a lot of time to try, I guess, to make up for lost time. I was 24 when I finally started.” (Erin, 30:51)
- “You make the switch, you said at 24, and do I have this right? Like, four months later, you’ve qualified for an Olympics.” (Julie, 30:51)
2018 & 2022 Olympics: The Near Miss and Lifelong Friendship
(32:07–36:14)
- Erin nearly misses qualification for the 2022 Olympics after slipping in the U.S. Trials’ 500m—finishing third, missing an automatic spot.
- Lifelong teammate Brittany Bowe, who won the race, voluntarily gives up her spot for Erin, already having qualified in other events.
- Erin: “She said, ‘If it's up to me, you are going to the Olympics.’ What Brittany did is… she declined her spot… so I could have a spot on the Olympic team. It was a really selfless thing for her to do.” (33:13–34:25)
- Erin goes on to win gold in Beijing by 0.08 seconds.
- “It was a fairy tale ending... it was just, like, instant tears. And then, you know, I’m hugging Brittany, we’re crying, and I’m just like, we did it. Like it worked. Like, we did it.” (Erin, 36:14)
Breaking Barriers & Cultivating Representation
(36:54–38:49)
- First Black woman to win an individual Winter Games gold, a fact she “didn’t even know... until I saw it in a headline a few days after the Games.”
- Emphasizes the power of visibility: “It helps to be able to look to someone and be like, oh, I want to be like that too... representation matters and it helps” (Erin, 38:37)
- Responds to Billie Jean King’s question: importance of feeling that pressure to represent as a Black woman.
Embracing Pressure, Setting Goals for 2026
(38:57–40:20)
- Billie Jean King’s mantra: “Pressure is a privilege.” Erin’s response:
- “I’m too chill... pressure just really like, I don’t know, just like amps me up... so yeah, pressure definitely brings it out of me.” (Erin, 39:17)
- Her goals for 2026: defend her 500m gold, excel in the 1000m.
Finale: Representation, Thanks & "Party Pose"
(40:36–end)
- Heartfelt thanks from Abby and Julie for Erin’s visibility and example:
“Thank you for representing black women everywhere... and give all the little black girls in this world somebody to look up to.”
—Abby, (40:39) - Julie: “It’s never too late to start something that you love, and you got in at 24, and four months later, you qualified for an Olympics.” (41:21)
- The trio closes with a group "party pose" and playful banter.
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Opening Issues, Joy & Resistance: 02:04–03:53
- Olympic Resources & Ollie AI: 05:59–07:53
- Athlete Philanthropy & Flavor Flav: 10:04–12:25
- Sammy Smith & Jesse Diggins: 12:39–16:15
- Alice Milliat & Women’s Games: 16:15–20:16
- Introduction to Erin Jackson: 24:20–25:33
- Roller Derby/Derby Names: 25:33–26:44
- Special Forces Reality: 27:45–29:21
- Switch to Speedskating: 29:21–32:07
- Olympic Near Miss/Brittany Bowe’s Sacrifice: 32:07–36:14
- Gold Medal Moment: 36:14–36:54
- Breaking Barriers/Representation: 36:54–38:49
- Pressure & 2026 Goals: 38:57–40:20
- Thanks, Party Pose & Wrap: 41:21–end
Notable Quotes & Moments
- “You make the switch, you said at 24, and... four months later, you’ve qualified for an Olympics?”
—Julie Foudy (30:51) - “What Brittany did is she declined her spot in the 500 meter distance so that I could have a spot on the Olympic team. So yeah, it’s just, it was a really selfless thing for her to do.”
—Erin Jackson (34:25) - “It was a fairy tale ending, basically... instant tears. And then, you know, I’m hugging Brittany, we’re crying, and I’m just like, we did it. Like it worked. Like, we did it.”
—Erin Jackson (36:14) - “Representation matters and it helps to be able to look to someone and be like, oh, I want to be like that too.”
—Erin Jackson (38:37) - “I’m too chill... sometimes I need to be, you know, a bit higher for those performances. So yeah, pressure definitely brings it out of me.”
—Erin Jackson (39:17)
Tone & Atmosphere
Warm, irreverent, and full of mutual admiration, the episode balances insider sports knowledge with accessible humor and inspiration. The hosts amplify women’s voices, celebrate history and the moment, and invite everyone—old fans and new—into the “party” of women’s sports.
Takeaway
This is a powerful, feel-good primer for anyone excited about the Olympics, women’s sports, or stories of overcoming the odds. Erin Jackson’s path proves it’s never too late to start, and that true greatness—and great sports moments—rest as much on community, representation, and selflessness as on individual talent.