Podcast

From a torn meniscus weeks before his Pro Day to a broken hand shortly before we recorded this podcast, Brandon Copeland—a linebacker for the New York Jets—has had his share of injury-related setbacks.  Brandon considers himself much more than a football player; he’s an entrepreneur, philanthropist, father, professor teaching financial literacy, and more. However, being…

Anyone who’s met Carrie Tollefson, seen her covering running events on national broadcasts, or listened to her podcast C Tolle Run would likely describe her as a positive person. She’s known for both her Minnesota kindness and her optimistic tagline, “Get after it.”   But her athletic career was, as she puts it, “not all…

When hockey forward Meghan Duggan broke her wrist in the semifinals of the World Championships a few years ago, she could clearly see the fractured bone on an MRI. The path forward was clear, if a bit painful: She’d wear a cast to play in the finals (where the team won gold), have surgery, then…

Injuries affect essentially every athlete. The experience is as much mental as physical. But typically, the support athletes receive during this time has focused mostly on healing joints, bones, and tendons—not thoughts, emotions, and experiences.   As a mental skills coach and a journalist writing about sports and fitness, this discrepancy stood out to us…

On some level, we all know what stress feels like—a sense of panic, a pounding heart and quicker breath, a notion that we’re overwhelmed and just can’t handle it all.   But injured athletes might not realize the degree to which stress infiltrates deep within our bodies. The cascade of hormones that triggers our flight-or-fight…

When you’re on top of the world after a major victory—say, an Olympic gold medal (or two)—it’s relatively easy to think positively. But David Wise has had his fair share of challenges surrounding his greatest achievements. Through his work on mental skills, though, he’s learned to view each setback as a chance to soar higher. …

Your doctor’s appointment doesn’t go the way you planned. Your healing is taking longer than you thought. Your first competition back ends in a poor performance—or, worse yet, a re-injury. Even the strongest, most resilient athletes might explode in anger or sink into despair in the face of these unanticipated setbacks. You can’t always control…

The day after Roy Tuscany burst-fractured his T12 vertebrae in a skiing accident, the doctor who performed the eight-hour emergency operation that stabilized his spine came to his hospital room. Roy, eager to show appreciation, put his hand up to to give the surgeon a high-five. After a few awkward moments, the physician reciprocated—and Roy…

In the past few weeks, Carrie has done several interviews related to fear and anxiety, including this one for the New York Times running newsletter by injured runner Jen Miller. There’s good reason to expand on this topic. Of all the emotions you’ll encounter in your injury journey, fear and anxiety are among the most…

Running coach Julie Sapper, half of the duo behind Maryland-based Run Farther and Faster, has finished the Boston Marathon 10 times. Three and a half weeks before this April’s race, she felt a strange pop in her knee during an easy run. Though the pain wasn’t severe, she knew it was something serious. The next…