Hope Sports artwork

Hope Sports

29 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 48 ratings

No, this isn't a show about winning games, improving standings, or breaking records; it's a conversation about purpose. Each week, we bring you the stories of elite athletes and their unique journey to the top -- when they fell in love with their sport, who mentored them along the way, and what brings them meaning and fulfillment outside of competition. They are powerhouses not only in their arenas, but in their teams and communities because they are tapping into what gives them purpose beyond performance. And they are sharing it with you -- and us -- every week on the Hope Sports show.

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Episodes

Season One Celebration with Laura & Guy [Episode 28]

July 17, 2019 07:00 - 19 minutes - 17.5 MB

Key Links:  Hope Sports Podcast Archive Laura Wilkinson Master Class ___ This week Laura chats with Hope Sports founder and host, Guy East, about the challenges and inspiration that came out of Season One of the show! Year about each of their favorite episodes, what the biggest take away was, and about how this season was especially meaningful to Laura. Don’t forget to subscribe for the release of Season Two!  For further information about trips with Hope Sports visit www.hopesports....

Jamaican Olympic Bobsledder Winston Watts: Rallying the World [Episode 27]

July 10, 2019 07:00 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MB

Key Links:  Instagram: @wattwinston Twitter: @wwatt4 Facebook ___ Laura chats with four-time Olympic bobsledder from Jamaica, Winston Watts, on this week’s episode of the podcast. Not a far cry from “Cool Runnings”, Winston was recognized as a stellar athlete in the army and was given the opportunity to try out for the bobsled team. Shortly after excelling at all of the physical tests, he packed up and relocated to Wyoming where he experienced his first winter, first actual bobsled t...

UFC Champion Frank Shamrock: Fulfillment beyond Success [Episode 26]

July 03, 2019 07:00 - 43 minutes - 39.9 MB

Key Links:  Instagram: @frankshamrock Twitter: @frankshamrock The Shamrock Way Charity Frank Shamrock Website Ted Talk - “Fear is an Illusion”  ___ This week Laura chats with legendary fighter Frank Shamrock. Frank shares about his childhood - one of foster homes, group homes, and quite a bit of trouble that eventually landed him in prison. But Bob Shamrock, one of his group home parents, didn’t ever lose hope in him and rather saw a kid who needed love and support. He visited hi...

Olympic Chaplain John Ashley Null: Whole-Hearted Competition [Episode 25]

June 26, 2019 07:00 - 51 minutes - 47.3 MB

Key Links:  Book: Real Joy Caritas Foundation ___ John Ashley Null is a renowned theologian and scholar, teaching around the world, researching in Europe, and simultaneously serving as the five time Olympic Chaplain. His work has brought him in contact with thousands of athletes - from those who have won big, to those who have failed epically. And his advice remains the save: Winning a medal will never change your life.  Ashley talks with Laura about how the human need for affirmat...

NASCAR Racer Michael McDowell: Building a Brand Bigger than You [Episode 24]

June 19, 2019 07:00 - 28 minutes - 26 MB

Key Links: Instagram: @mc_driver Twitter: @mc_driver Facebook ___ From as early as he can remember, Michael McDowell was racing. He raced BMX at age three, go-carts through his childhood, and was on the national circuit by the time he was eight. He transitioned for Formula One and soon after had a Rookie of the Year premiere in NASCAR. A terrifying crash skyrocketed to fame and he found himself at a crossroads: who was he building a brand for? McDowell has always viewed his career ...

Olympic Gymnast Jonathan Horton: How Vulnerability Paved the Way to Victory [Episode 23]

June 12, 2019 07:00 - 37 minutes - 34.8 MB

Key Links: Instagram: @jhorton11 Twitter: @J_Horton11 Website Facebook Book: If I Had Known ___ Jonathan Horton joins Laura on this week’s episode to share about the ups and downs of his 28 year career in gymnastics. After being caught scaling support beams in Target, his exasperated parents enrolled him in gymnastics in hopes of channeling his propensity for acrobatics. Little did they know that their son would go on to represent his country in back-to-back Olympics, have two m...

Olympic Runner Abbey Cooper (D’Agostino): Beautiful Moments from Devastating Falls [Episode 22]

June 05, 2019 07:00 - 46 minutes - 42.3 MB

Key Links: Instagram: @abbey_dags Twitter: @abbey_dags Facebook ___ This week Laura chats with Olympic distance runner, Abbey Cooper (D’Agostino). Abbey graduated from Dartmouth as the most decorated Ivy League runner in history, sporting seven NCAA titles. Her principle race was the 5000m in which she narrowly missed qualifying for the 2012 Olympics. Her first few years running professionally for New Balance weren’t exactly smooth sailing as she began encountering one injury after ...

Professional Soccer Player Arne Friedrich: “Done” but Still Dreaming [Episode 21]

May 29, 2019 07:00 - 35 minutes - 81.7 MB

Key Links: Instagram: @arnefriedrichofficial Twitter: @arnefriedrich Arne Friedrich Foundation ___ Laura chats with soccer player Arne Friedrich on this week’s episode of the Hope Sports Podcast. Arne grew up in Germany and began playing professionally at the age of 21. He was quickly catapulted into the public eye when he made the World Cup team in 2006 and stepped on the pitch in front of one billion fans. The series was marked by personal mistakes that the media relently scrutin...

Olympic Hurdler Sarah Wells: Catalyze Self-Belief with Action [Episode 20]

May 22, 2019 07:00 - 45 minutes - 41.4 MB

Key Links: Instagram: @sarahwells400mh Twitter: @sarahwells400mh Believe Initiative ___ Laura is joined this week by Canadian Olympic Hurdler Sarah Wells. Sarah stumbled upon track in high school as a last resort after being cut from multiple other sports teams. Her natural ability to pace herself and develop the appropriate cadence led her coach to strongly encourage her towards the 400 meter hurdles. Within a year she was ranked top ten nationally and the possibility of an Olympic ...

Professional Swimmer Michael Andrew: Making Waves with a Nontraditional Approach [Episode 19]

May 15, 2019 07:00 - 37 minutes - 34.4 MB

Key Links: Instagram: @swimmermichael Twitter: @swimmermichael Vlog Facebook ___ Laura is joined this week by swimmer Michael Andrew! Michael has always taken a nontraditional approach - from going pro at age 14, to building his own training pools, to being coached by his dad, to not logging the typically yardage of most of his competitors; but it has worked. He has broken over 100 National Age Group records and snagged seven national titles in 2018. His journey hasn’t been with...

Reclaim Your Agency and Restore Your Identity with Olympic Skeleton racer Katie Uhlaender [Episode 18]

May 08, 2019 07:00 - 41 minutes - 38.1 MB

Key Links: Instagram Twitter __ On this week’s episode, Laura chats with Olympic skeleton racer Katie Uhlaender about what it was like growing up with a father who played professional baseball, how she ended up in the niche sport of skeleton, and where being a “go big” type of person has led her. Katie has competed in four Olympics and has seven medals in international competition. Katie shares about losing her father in 2009 while on tour before the Olympics and how the unfolding of t...

Hope Sports Founder Guy East: Breaking Free from the Performance Culture [Episode 17]

May 01, 2019 07:00 - 41 minutes - 38.2 MB

Key Links: Twitter: @guyeast Instagram: @guy_east Hope Sports Website Episode #2 with Dr. Ben Houltberg ___ On the show this week Laura talks with Hope Sports founder Guy East. As a kid Guy dreamed of becoming a professional cyclist and was inspired by Lance Armstrong and other elite athletes. In an effort to escape bullying, prove himself to his critics, and show the world his worth, he fully committed himself to being the best cyclist that he could be. He successfully rose in the ra...

Running the Race that Counts with Olympic Marathoner Ryan Hall [Episode 16]

April 24, 2019 07:00 - 48 minutes - 44.1 MB

Key Links: Twitter: @ryanhall3 Instagram: @ryanhall3 Website Hall Steps Foundation Book: Run the Mile You’re In: Finding God in Every Step ___ On this week’s episode of the Hope Sports Podcast, Laura chats with elite runner Ryan Hall. Ryan picked up running as a young teen and quickly became a top competitor in California. He attended Stanford University where he ran cross country, but struggled academically and athletically, leading him to take time off his sophomore year. He battl...

The Way You Define Yourself Defines Your Destiny [Episode 15]

April 17, 2019 07:00 - 38 minutes - 35.3 MB

Key Links: Alev Kelter Website Twitter: @kelteralev Instagram: @alevkelter ___ Few athletes are talented enough to play Division 1 sports, and even fewer are able to compete at that level in more than one. But Alev Kelter isn’t your average athlete. At age 14 this Alaskan native was simultaneously playing Olympic Development soccer and National League Ice Hockey. She, along with her equally talented twin sister, were recruited to play both sports at the University of Wisconsin where ...

Redeeming Dreams after Mistakes with Olympic Bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor [Episode 14]

April 10, 2019 07:00 - 31 minutes - 29 MB

Key Links: Women’s Sports Foundation Instagram: @elanameyerstaylor Twitter: @eamslider24 ___ Elana Meyers Taylor is now the President of the Women’s Sports Foundation, a 3 time Olympic bobsledder, a decorated international competitor, and was the first American woman to race in mixed gender fourman bobsled competition. But it wasn’t an unobstructed path to the top. At one point, Elana was an Olympic hopeful in softball. Having played at the collegiate level for George Washington Univ...

On the Very Edge with Cliff Diver David Colturi [Episode 13]

April 03, 2019 07:00 - 53 minutes - 49.2 MB

Key Links: Instagram - @dcolturi Twitter - @diveDMC Facebook Red Bull Cliff Diving USA Cliff Diving YouTube Channel ___ From sunup to sundown, David Colturi played every sport possible as a kid. His commitment to overcoming challenges and ever improving himself led him to diving, and the resolve to face his fears moved the platform higher and higher. At Purdue University, David was among an all star team of NCAA divers while juggling the demands of a pre-medicine track. But li...

Forging Building Blocks from Disappointments with Olympic Medalist Lauryn Williams [Episode 12]

March 27, 2019 07:00 - 41 minutes - 37.7 MB

Key Links: Lauryn Williams Website Twitter Instagram Worth Winning Financial Planning Book: The Oval Office Worth Listening Podcast ___ Lauryn Williams could beat her family dog home at age nine and raced a hologram of the legendary Florence Joyner at a museum until she won. It was no secret that she was fast. After high school she accepted an academic scholarship to the University of Miami for track and by age 20, she not only won the NCAA Championship, but posted the second f...

In the Ring Unafraid: Wrestling with Your Dreams with MMA Fighter Matt Lindland [Episode 11]

March 20, 2019 07:00 - 41 minutes - 38.2 MB

Key Links: Coach Matt Lindland YouTube Channel Instagram: @MLindland Facebook Twitter: @mattlindland ___ He’s an equestrian, business owner, politician, Olympic wrestler, video producer, MMA fighter, coach, husband, and father. It’s hard to imagine that one individual can wear so many hats, but Matt Lindland has proven time and time again that dreams are worth fighting for. He fell into wrestling in high school as a means of pursuing a more affordable sport than equestrianism. He ...

One Last Race: How Olympic Speed Skater Dan Jansen Held on to His Dream Until the Very End [Episode 10]

March 13, 2019 07:00 - 46 minutes - 43 MB

Key Links: Twitter: @danjansen94 Instagram: @danjansen1994 The Dan Jansen Foundation ___ Legendary Olympic speed skater Dan Jansen joins Laura on this episode of the Hope Sports show. Dan grew up in Canada and, as the youngest of nine children, got his start in the sport by tagging along with his older siblings to the ice. He went to his first Olympics at age 18 in Sarajevo in 1984, recalling them as low pressure, enjoyable, and successful despite not making the podium. This was the ...

Finding Victory in Every Season: How Olympic Swimmer Dana Vollmer Strives for Gold in Each Chapter of her Life [Episode 9]

March 06, 2019 08:00 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MB

Key Links: Website Instagram: @dana.vollmer Twitter: @danavollmer ___ At just twelve years old, Dana Vollmer stepped up to the block at her first Olympic swimming trials. She never focused on her age, only the time on the board at the end of her race. Though she didn’t make the team that year, her feisty, competitive spirit drove her to train even more fervently. A scary diagnosis prompted heart surgery when she was only 14, and she every practice and meet she swam with a defibrillat...

The End of the Pursuit of Myself with Olympic Diver David Boudia [Episode 8]

February 27, 2019 08:00 - 34 minutes - 31.2 MB

Key Links: Twitter: @davidboudia Facebook Instagram: @davidboudia Greater than Gold Book ___ In this episode, Laura chats with fellow Olympic platform diver David Boudia. A former gymnast, David transitioned to diving when he was 11 and his long held Olympic dreams began to become tangible. At age 19 he went to his first Olympics in Beijing. Unfortunately, he didn’t perform as he had hoped and returned feeling empty after an experience that failed to fulfill him. He headed to Purd...

Rediscovering Freedom with Olympic Cyclist Ingrid Drexel [Episode 7]

February 20, 2019 08:00 - 44 minutes - 41 MB

Key Links: Twitter: @ingridDR Facebook Instagram: @ingriddrexel ___ Laura is joined by Olympic cyclist and eight time Mexican National Champion Ingrid Drexel in this week’s episode. Ingrid has ridden professionally for eight years and represented Mexico in the 2012 London Olympic games. Like many of us, Ingrid tried her hand at a wide variety of extra curricular activities as a kid, but none of them really stuck until she got on a bike. She recalls the immediate sense of joy and free...

One Smart Step at a Time: How Dallas Seavey Became the Youngest Iditarod Champion [Episode 6]

February 13, 2019 08:00 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MB

Key Links: Twitter: @dallasseavey Facebook Website Book - Born to Mush ___ The Iditarod is often called “The Last Great Race on Earth.” Spanning 1,000 miles of Alaska’s most beautiful and brutal terrain, the race tests mushers’ physical, mental, and emotional fortitude like no other event in history. Dallas Seavey was not only the youngest person to ever win the race -- he has won it four times. Though dog-sled racing was a family affair, he initially had Olympic aspirations in wre...

Winning Big, Yet Feeling Lost: When Achieving your Super Bowl just Isn’t Enough with Clint Gresham [Episode 5]

February 06, 2019 08:00 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MB

Book Mentioned Website Twitter: @gresh49 Instagram: @gresh49 Facebook ____ Clint Gresham had the opportunity to compete in back to back Super Bowls -- winning one and losing the other. He waited months for the victory to truly sink in only to realize that actually, he was hoping for a sense of fulfillment and happiness that never came. The void that he felt despite such a monumental win prompting his search for meaning and purpose outside of the NFL. Clint shares that his coac...

From Bedrest to Big Win: How Water Skier Ryan Dodd Recovered from a Life-Threatening Head Injury to Win a World Championship [Episode 4]

January 30, 2019 08:00 - 27 minutes - 25.7 MB

Key Links: Website Twitter: @rampdodd Instagram: @rdodd260 ____ On this week’s episode we are joined by World Champion Water Skier Ryan Dodd. Hailing from rural Canada, Ryan got his start skiing on the private, manmade lake in the cow pasture of his family’s farm. His father, a former water ski world champion as well, trained and encouraged him from a young age. Dodd racked up an impressive run of national and international victories before a life-threatening closed head injury lande...

Breaking the 100 Year Gold Medal Drought in Fencing: Mariel Zagunis Shares About the Underdog Victory that made History [Episode 3]

January 23, 2019 08:00 - 39 minutes - 36.4 MB

Key Links: Instagram: @mariel.zagunis Twitter: @marielzagunis ____ A true underdog, Mariel Zagunis won Olympic gold in 2004 after originally not even qualifying for the competition. Her victory broke a 100 year drought in American fencing and has led her to become the most decorated fencer in the nation’s history. The daughter of two Olympic rowers, Zagunis shares that going to the Olympics always seemed attainable. Despite not making the cut for Athens, she continued to train as if ...

Purpose Based Identity: Why the Right Mindset will Determine Your Athletic Success, with Performance Scientist Ben Houltberg [Episode 2]

January 16, 2019 08:00 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MB

Key Links: Thrive Center for Human Development Twitter: @BenHoultberg Instagram: @dr_houltberg Facebook Performance Scientist Ben Houltberg shares about the differences between Performance and Purposed based identity in this week’s episode. As former elite distance runner, Houltberg experienced the emotional ups and downs that mirrored his physical performance -- from the euphoria of winning to the devastation of injuries. It was the battle with depression after a series of stress fr...

Redirected: Embracing the Unexpected with NFL Long-Snapper Andrew East [Episode 1]

January 09, 2019 08:00 - 40 minutes - 37 MB

Key Links: Andrew East Website ReDirected Podcast Twitter: @andrewdeast Instagram: @andrewdeast YouTube Channel Shawn Johnson East YouTube Channel ___ In this episode, NFL long-snapper Andrew East shares about growing up in a family of athletes and following a promising football career into undergrad. Initially intending to play D3 football with his older brother, his plans drastically changed when a scholarship opened up at a D1 school after another player tragically lost hi...

Hope Sports: Conversations About Purpose

December 04, 2018 08:00 - 1 minute - 1.51 MB

Olympic gold medalist diver, Laura Wilkinson, welcomes listeners to join her in discovering what gives elite athletes meaning beyond their sport. ___ Key Links: Hope Sports Website Podcast Website Laura Wilkinson Website ___ Our format is pretty simple: every week I’ll be chatting with a different elite athlete to explore their journey not only as a competitor in their sport - but also as a person. This isn’t a conversation about wins or losses. This is a conversation about purpo...

Guests

Lauryn Williams
1 Episode

Twitter Mentions

@abbey_dags 1 Episode
@j_horton11 1 Episode
@marielzagunis 1 Episode
@davidboudia 1 Episode
@wwatt4 1 Episode
@ingriddr 1 Episode
@guyeast 1 Episode
@frankshamrock 1 Episode
@mc_driver 1 Episode
@benhoultberg 1 Episode
@katieu11 1 Episode
@divedmc 1 Episode
@lauryncwilliams 1 Episode
@dallasseavey 1 Episode
@sarahwells400mh 1 Episode
@arnefriedrich 1 Episode
@danavollmer 1 Episode
@eamslider24 1 Episode
@swimmermichael 1 Episode
@mattlindland 1 Episode