Welcome to the Party – Episode Summary

THE REAL COST OF CHASING GOLD

Air date: February 12, 2026
Host: Treat Media (Julie Foudy & Abby Wambach)
Special Guest: Alana Meyers Taylor
Notable Guest: Billie Jean King (regular appearances)

Overview

This episode dives into the true costs—physical, financial, emotional, and societal—of chasing Olympic gold, especially as a woman and a parent. Soccer icons Julie Foudy and Abby Wambach kick off with a roundup of major women’s sports feats, then share a deeply personal segment about mental health in college athletes. The episode’s core is a raw, powerful conversation with bobsled star Alana Meyers Taylor, who opens up about breaking barriers, representation, motherhood, disability, and the sacrifices behind her unprecedented fifth Olympic appearance.

Key Discussion Points

1. Opening Reflections on Mental Health & the Katie Meyer Story

(02:14 - 06:00)

• Abby praises Julie’s E60 documentary on Stanford soccer captain Katie Meyer, who died by suicide in 2022.
• Julie emphasizes the importance of the documentary for parents and students, noting:

  “It allowed space for conversation that I wasn’t even planning on having.” — Abby Wambach (02:09)

• Julie previews a forthcoming interview with Katie's parents, aiming to foster change in college disciplinary actions.
• Key takeaway: The segment highlights the need to talk openly about mental health struggles in athletics and the hope for institutional reform.

2. Women’s Sports Highlights & Headlines

(07:20 - 18:14)

• Elizabeth Laemmle wins Olympic gold in women’s moguls at age 20, first US 1-2 finish in freestyle skiing history.
• Jalen Kauf grabs silver after a comeback from 24th in qualifying.
• Lindsey Vonn suffers a career-ending crash yet delivers an inspirational IG post on risk, dreams, and courage.

  “The only failure in life is not trying.” — Lindsey Vonn (read by Julie Foudy, 09:42)

• USA Mixed Curling Team (Corey Dropkin & Cory Thiesse) earns first-ever US Olympic medal (silver) in event.
• USA women’s hockey team delivers first Olympic shutout vs. Canada; Layla Edwards becomes first Black woman to score for US team.
• Abby shares she’ll attend the Olympic finals in Milan and promises an on-site episode update.

Timestamped Highlights:

• 07:20: Abby’s blow-by-blow recap of moguls history
• 09:10: Lindsey Vonn’s injury and reflection on risk
• 11:57: USA Curling’s silver, logistical mishaps, and the pride of Duluth, MN
• 14:50: Layla Edwards’ milestone goal in ice hockey
• 15:26: Adorable moment as puck flies to Kendall Coyne Schofield’s family
• 17:04: Olympic events to watch and upcoming key competitions

3. Alana Meyers Taylor: Olympian, Mother, Trailblazer

(23:08 - 45:32)

a) Introduction: Myers Taylor’s Record-Breaking Pursuit

• Four-time Winter Olympian, three silvers, two bronzes; most decorated Black athlete in Winter Olympic history.
• Could become the most decorated US woman in Winter Olympic history (tie or surpass Bonnie Blair, depending on event outcomes).
• Carries the “Myers Taylor Traveling Circus”: two young sons (both deaf, one with Down syndrome), spouse, and a nanny—all on tour.

b) Surprising Path to Bobsled

• Dreamed of softball Olympic stardom, missed the team after a “worst tryout in the history of tryouts” (27:10).
• Turned to bobsled after her parents literally “Googled bobsledding” for her.
• “It all started in a failed softball career.” — Alana Meyers Taylor (28:33)

c) The Real Physical Toll

• Bobsledding involves G-forces up to 8 Gs, likened to “controlled chaos.”

  “My back is trashed… between bobsledding for close to 20 years and pregnancies, I don’t know what I’m going to do post-bobsled.” — Alana Meyers Taylor (30:47)

• Athletes require months-long breaks to recover physically between seasons.

d) Gender Equity & Barriers in Bobsled

• Men long had two Olympic disciplines (two-man, four-man); women only got one (two-woman) until “monobob” was recently introduced.
• Monobob: One athlete, one sled, same weight as two-person; originally a development tool, now an Olympic event.
• Women’s fight for more medal opportunities shifted the sport’s landscape.

e) Life on Tour as a Mother of Two

• Travels with two young sons (aged 5 and 3, both Deaf, one with Down syndrome), and a nanny.
• Parent advocacy:

  “I want to show them that you can go out there and fight for your dreams and you can go out there and overcome obstacles—no matter what the world says to you.” — Alana Meyers Taylor (36:02)

• Family’s primary language is American Sign Language.
• Breaking new ground: Very rare for Olympians to travel with children and paid child-care.

f) The Shocking (Financial) Cost of Chasing Olympic Dreams

• There’s little to no institutional or Olympic funding for child care, forcing athletes to self-sponsor.
• “I won’t walk away with a check from bobsled. I’ll walk away with some debt. But… I can’t pass up this experience.” — Alana Meyers Taylor (39:48)
• Basic equipment still costs thousands per event.
• Athlete-organized grants (For All Moms, Alicia Montano/Allyson Felix initiatives) play an essential support role.
• Growing acceptance: She notes the first fathers bringing children on tour—another cultural shift in sport.

g) The Impact on Her Kids and Others

• Hopes her children will “attack the track of their lives” inspired by seeing their mother face and surmount challenges (44:08).
• Notes positive feedback from athletes who, after meeting her kids, are “no longer afraid” of the idea of raising children with disabilities.

h) Closing Out

• Julie and Abby praise Alana as a model of grit, courage, and revolutionary motherhood.
• Abby laments the financial inequities Olympians still face and asks how/if listeners can help; Alana emphasizes advocacy and athlete-led mutual support as crucial next steps.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Julie to Abby about the Katie Meyer doc:

  “I do hope… you will watch it. It's no longer under a paywall… so you can learn what happened.” (03:27)

• Alana on the sudden knowledge of her historic status:

  “You never really know about those stats. Those are all things people tell you… like you’re the only person to win a race on a Tuesday in the 6am hour with your left shoe untied.” (23:30)

• Alana on why she keeps going:

  “After I won my first medal in 2010, I thought I'd done everything there was to do in life… Of course we know, especially as female athletes, that's not true.” (25:45)

• Abby on the physical toll:

  “My back is trashed… I don’t know what I’m going to do post bobsled…” (30:47)

• Alana on representation:

  “It's my job as a mom to model that for them. So then when that person comes up to them and tells them no, that they don't listen at all. And literally they can't listen because they're deaf.” (36:32)

• Julie: “You are, like, the Joy Fawcett of bobsledding.” (43:48)
• Alana on breaking barriers:

  “The long belief in our sport is if you're a dad, you leave your kids at home… Now… even fathers feel like it's okay to travel with their kids on tour. We've come a long way.” (42:15)

• Alana on financial barriers:

  “I just dropped six grand on a set of runners, and I don’t even know if those runners will be the runners I need for the Olympic Games…” (42:48)

• Abby, at end:

  “It’s not fair that you’re going to be walking away potentially with any kind of debt as an Olympian like that. Like, that’s making me very upset right now.” (40:49)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:15 – 06:00: Katie Meyer mental health & college athletics discussion
• 07:20 – 18:14: Women's sports highlights, fun stories, and Olympic previews
• 23:08 – 45:32: In-depth interview with Alana Meyers Taylor (career, motherhood, representation, financial realities)
• 35:44 – 37:04: Alana describes “Myers Taylor Traveling Circus” and motherhood on Olympic tour

Tone and Style

• Warm, irreverent, deeply supportive, and honest.
• Hosts root for women’s sports and athletes, mixing humor (“Party People!”) with intense seriousness when spotlighting tough topics.
• Collective “real talk” underscores both the joys and harsh realities faced by women athletes.

For New Listeners

If you haven’t heard this episode, you’ll come away with a nuanced understanding of Olympic bobsledding, the unsung sacrifices of female athletes with families, the landscape of women’s winter sports, and how representation on the world stage reverberates far beyond medal counts. Alana’s authenticity, the hosts’ championing of hard conversations, and a commitment to community over competition give this episode a powerful—and fun—sense of purpose.