S2 E6. Sophia Laukli opens up about why she needed to take a step away from skiing.

After stepping away from the World Cup circuit, missing the Olympic season, and disappearing from competition, Sophia Laukli sits down for an exclusive and remarkably candid conversation on the Race Ready Podcast. One of the most successful American cross-country skiers and trail runners of her generation opens up about the difficult decisions, physical struggles, and mental battles that led her to walk away from the sport she had spent years climbing to the top of. In this tell-all interview, Sophia offers listeners an unprecedented look behind the scenes of a career that seemed unstoppable from the outside.

From World Cup podiums and Golden Trail victories to chronic fatigue, missed goals, and the heartbreak of watching the Olympics from home, Sophia takes us through the two-year journey that ultimately forced her to hit pause. She reflects on the warning signs she ignored, the culture of high-performance sport, the realities of overtraining and under-fueling, and the lessons she learned while trying to chase success in both skiing and trail running. The result is one of the most honest conversations you'll hear from an elite endurance athlete about what happens when the pursuit of excellence goes too far.

But this isn't a story about quitting, it's a story about rebuilding! Sophia discusses her recovery process, the coaches and support system helping her find her way back, and how this experience has completely changed her perspective on training, performance, and what it truly means to be a professional athlete. Whether you're an Olympian, a weekend warrior, or simply someone who has ever struggled with burnout, this episode offers powerful lessons in resilience, self-awareness, and the courage to start over.

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S2 E29: Adam St. Pierre on The Evolving Landscape of Skiing Development

What separates a good junior skier from a great collegiate athlete? This week on the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with Adam St. Pierre, head coach of the Montana State U...

8 Marras 1h 7min

s2 e28: Why the Same Training Doesn't Work for Everyone

Why can two athletes follow the exact same training plan and get completely different results? In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan reflect on 30 weeks of training...

1 Marras 1h 9min

S2 E27: Will Koch on What It Really Takes to Become an Elite Athlete

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with Will Koch, former U.S. Ski Team member, accomplished international cross-country skier, and son of Olympic medal...

25 Loka 1h 4min

S2 E26: Dr. Stephen Seiler on VO₂ Max, Polarized Training & the Perfect Workout

What does it actually take to become a faster endurance athlete? This week on Race Ready, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with one of the most influential minds in endurance sports science, Dr...

18 Loka 1h 15min

S2 E25: The VO₂ Max Sweet Spot: Finding Your Perfect Intensity

Are you getting the most out of your high-intensity intervals, or are you going too hard? In this episode of Race Ready, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan dive into the science and execution of L4 traini...

11 Loka 1h 5min

S2 E24. Gus Schumacher on Training Smarter, Racing Faster & Olympic Silver

Olympic silver medalist Gus Schumacher joins Race Ready to break down the training, racing, and lessons that have shaped his progression into one of the best cross-country skiers in the world. Gus tak...

4 Loka 1h 5min

S2E23. The USSS Development Watershed w/ Lizzie Larkins

What does it actually take to develop the next generation of American cross-country skiers? U.S. Ski Team Development Coach Lizzie Larkins joins Andy to break down the current development system, from...

27 Syys 1h 9min

S2 E22: Dani Aravich's Unconventional Path to Elite Endurance Sport

Dani Aravich’s path to becoming a three-time Paralympian is anything but conventional. After walking away from Division I running, Dani built a career in professional sports before a conversation abou...

20 Syys 1h 16min