Episode 1: Nick Symmonds on Becoming an Olympian and Starting Run Gum
The Strength Running Podcast
Jason Fitzgerald
4.8 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 28 October 2016
⏱️ 50 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Nick Symmonds is one of the world's best middle distance runners. A two-time Olympian and 2013 silver medalist at the World Championships, he has a personal best time of 1:42.95 in the 800 meters (and a 5:19 beer mile PR!).
An outspoken advocate for athletes rights, his company Run Gum has sued the US Olympic Committee and USA Track & Field to help track athletes better market themselves. Considering that more than 50% of elite track and field athletes live under the poverty level, this would dramatically help them land more sponsorships and make a better living.
In this far-ranging conversation, Nick and coach Jason Fitzgerald talk about everything from Tesla and SpaceX, auctioning off ad space on Nick's shoulder to the highest bidder, what it feels like to perform on the world's biggest stages, and starting his performance running gum company Run Gum.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is episode number one with the co-founder of RunGum, six-time US national 800-meter champion, |
| 0:07.0 | silver medalist at the 2013 World Championships, and two-time Olympian, the Brad Pitt of track, Nick Simmons. |
| 0:20.5 | Welcome to the Strength Running Podcast. My name is Jason Fitzgerald, head coach of Strengthrunning.com, |
| 0:27.0 | and every week I'll be your personal coach, helping you discover how to reach your potential and become the runner that you know you want to be. |
| 0:35.0 | Thanks for hanging out with me today. Now it's time to get after it. |
| 0:38.5 | My guest today needs very little introduction. He's one of the world's best middle |
| 0:43.4 | distance runners, Mr Nick Simmons. At Willemette University as an undergraduate he |
| 0:48.4 | won seven NCAA Division 3 titles in outdoor track in the 81500, his collegiate personal best of 145.83 |
| 0:58.6 | still ranks as the fastest time in Division 3 history. |
| 1:01.8 | A two-time Olympian, Nick has run a blazingly fast time 34-1, 1500, as well as a 519 beer mile. |
| 1:14.3 | Not sure which one is more impressive. |
| 1:16.4 | An outspoken advocate for athletes rights |
| 1:18.8 | he's on a mission to bring equality |
| 1:20.3 | to how athletes are able to market themselves. |
| 1:23.0 | He's also dated Paris Hilton, so I'm not surprised that he's been called the Brad Pitt of track. |
| 1:27.0 | Please give a warm welcome to Mr. Nick Simmons. |
| 1:30.0 | All right, let's dive in Nick. |
| 1:32.0 | Let's start where we left off last time. |
| 1:35.0 | And for our listeners, this is actually the second time we recorded this podcast. |
| 1:39.0 | The first time we had a tech glitch and I had a zero second audio file after our interview. |
| 1:45.4 | But Nick is back, he's here. Thanks so much Nick. I think this is a real testament to how |
| 1:51.0 | understanding you are. |
... |
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