002 Valorie Kondos-Field - Miss Val: An Unconventional Coach

008 Brandon Wynn - Fitness Begins with a Bulletproof Mindset: Brandon Wynn is an artistic gymnast from New Jersey. He is a member of the US World and National Team and competed in gymnastics for The Ohio State University. At the 2013 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Brandon won a Bronze medal on Still... by I Have Cool Friends

53 min listen

003 Jill Hicks - The Ins and Outs of College Recruiting: Jill Hicks, known as the “College Recruiting Expert” tells us in this episode about her journey with college gymnastics as well as some advice for parents, coaches, and aspiring young gymnasts. Over time, the college recruiting process for... by I Have Cool Friends

50 min listen

Welcome to I Have Cool Friends: Samantha Peszek is on a mission to connect athletes, coaches, and parents with the best resources the gymnastics world has to offer. Utilizing Samantha’s gymnastics network, (she really does have cool friends) guests will be experts in their field... by I Have Cool Friends

5 min listen

004 Madison Kocian - Gold Medal Winning Olympian, Madison Kocian, Sets the Bar High for Gymnastics: Madison Kocian’s reputation precedes her—her numerous accolades are just a representation of her hard-working, determined, and accomplished self. Some of her awards include winning the team gold medal with the “Final Five” and the uneven bars... by I Have Cool Friends

58 min listen

007 Laurie Hernandez - Human vs Perfect: Laurie Hernandez is a 2016 Olympic gold medalist who has also won an Olympic silver medal on beam, won season 23 of Dancing with the Stars, was featured on an episode of Stuck in the Middle, and is only 18 years old. At 16, Laurie became the youngest... by I Have Cool Friends

65 min listen

005 Dr. Alison Arnold - Fighting Fear: Alison Arnold, also known as “Doc Ali” in the gymnastics world, has a more than interesting resume. She has a PhD in Psychology, is a former gymnast, and has been on trips to a monastery in Nepal, Peru, and Thailand, as well as in the jungle of... by I Have Cool Friends

39 min listen

001 Mary Lee Tracy - How To Reach Your Athletic Peak: If you aspire to be fantastic gymnast like Samantha Peszek, you need an equally great coach. In this episode, Sam welcomes Mary Lee Tracy, a coach who has taught gymnastic legends such as Jaycie Phelps, Amanda Borden, and Amelia Hundley. Mary... by I Have Cool Friends

48 min listen

S2 006 Jessica Lopez - Be Present, Be Thankful, & Communicate: Sam welcomes decorated gymnast, Jessica López. Jessica is an international gymnast who has represented her home country of Venezuela in three separate Olympic Games from 2008 through 2016. In 2016, she qualified for the uneven bars final, becoming... by I Have Cool Friends

57 min listen

Celebrating Madison Kocian & Kyla Ross: Sam welcomes to the podcast two very special guests, Olympians Madison Kocian & Kyla Ross. Madison is a 2018 NCAA Team Champion, a 2016 Olympic Gold & Silver Medalist, a 3x World Champion and a 7x All-American. Kyla is a 2018 NCAA Team... by I Have Cool Friends

51 min listen

009 Jordyn Wieber - Achieving a Utopian Gymnastics World: Jordyn Wieber is a former American artistic gymnast and was a member of the US Women’s Gymnastics Team, the Fierce Five. Some of her achievements include being a 2012 Olympic gold medalist, 2011 World Champion, three-time American Cup champion, and... by I Have Cool Friends

62 min listen

Bonus Episode 2 - Chellsie Memmel - Transparency and the Future of USA Gymnastics: Sam welcomes to the podcast close friend and former 2008 Olympic teammate, Chellsie Memmel. Chellsie’s gymnastics accomplishments include being the 2003 world champion on the uneven bars and the 2005 world all-around champion; just the third... by I Have Cool Friends

61 min listen

Bonus Episode 1 - Alicia Sacramone Quinn - Gymnasts Aren’t Like a Fine Wine: Sam welcomes to the podcast former Olympic teammate and close friend, Alicia Sacramone Quinn. Alicia is a former American gymnast who is also the second-most decorated American gymnast in World Championship history, netting ten medals during her... by I Have Cool Friends

69 min listen

012 Shawn Johnson - The Journey to the Olympics, Our Friendship, and Our Lives Now: Sam welcomes to the podcast former Olympic teammate and close friend, Shawn Johnson. Shawn is a former American gymnast who won a gold medal for the balance beam and silver in team, all-around, and floor exercise at the 2008 Summer Olympics in... by I Have Cool Friends

65 min listen

011 Amanda Borden - Confidence, the Olympics, and Being a Gym Mom: Amanda Borden is a retired American gymnast, Olympian, coach, gym owner, and gym mom to three kids. After being coached by Mary Lee Tracy, Amanda was the captain of the gold medal winning team, the Magnificent Seven, in the 1996 Summer Olympic Games,... by I Have Cool Friends

54 min listen

006 Nicole Jontony - How Gymnasts Can Build a Healthy Relationship with Food: Nicole Jontony was a former elite collegiate gymnast at Ohio State, has helped her team make it to the NCAA championships during her senior year, and is currently a sports dietitian at The Ohio State University. Recently, Nicole was selected as the... by I Have Cool Friends

69 min listen

010 Betty Okino - Redefining Success and the Future of Gymnastics: Betty Okino is a former American artistic gymnast and Olympic medalist who was born in Uganda to a Ugandan father and a Romanian mother. As a result, she is fluent in Romanian. Growing up, she trained with Márta and Béla Károlyi in Houston. She was... by I Have Cool Friends

62 min listen

002 Valorie Kondos-Field - Miss Val: An Unconventional Coach: Sam has had some amazing people help her in her journey to becoming a top gymnast, but one of the most important has to be Valorie Kondos-Field, otherwise known as Miss Val. As coach at UCLA, she led them to win 7 national championships. Her book,... by I Have Cool Friends

60 min listen

S2 004 Amelia Hundley & Lexie Priessman - The Inside scoop of Florida & LSU: Sam welcomes to the podcast not one but two cool friends, Amelia Hundley and Lexie Priessman. Amelia has won a gold, silver and bronze at the 2015 Pan-American Games in Toronto, she also took home team gold medals competing for the United States at... by I Have Cool Friends

89 min listen

013 - Recapping Season 1: In the Season 1 recap episode, Sam reflects on all of her “cool friends” and the lessons she learned while having them on as guests. Sam divulges the goal of her podcast, which is to educate and inspire while covering topics related to gymnastics.... by I Have Cool Friends

23 min listen

S2 012 Ariana Berlin Rotstein & Danusia Francis - Celebrating the Legacy of Miss Val: It was alumni weekend at UCLA and Sam has two very special guests on the podcast to celebrate. First, gymnast, dancer and film actor Ariana Berlin Rotstein joins the show to discuss the flash mob sendoff she and the other UCLA alumni gave to Miss Val... by I Have Cool Friends

83 min listen

S2 003 Katelyn Ohashi - Using Gymnastics Experience and a VIRAL Platform to Change the World: Sam welcomes to the podcast collegiate gymnast, Katelyn Ohashi. Katelyn’s gymnastics resume is as impressive as it is extensive. She was a four-time member of USA Gymnastics’ Junior National Team, the 2011 junior national champion and 2013... by I Have Cool Friends

67 min listen

Bonus Episode 4 - Bridget Sloan - No Regrets: Sam welcomes to the podcast close friend and former 2008 Olympic teammate, Bridget Sloan. Saving the best for last, Bridget is the final guest on Sam’s exclusive bonus series where she has interviewed all members of her 2008 Olympic team.... by I Have Cool Friends

107 min listen

Bonus Episode 3 - Nastia Liukin - The Year of New Beginnings: Sam welcomes to the podcast close friend and former 2008 Olympic and 2007 World Championship teammate, Nastia Liukin. Nastia’s gymnastics accomplishments include the 2008 Olympic all-around champion, five-time Olympic medalist, the 2005 and 2007... by I Have Cool Friends

80 min listen

How Did Dawn Harper Make History at the 2012 Olympics, Take On Motherhood, and Still Have Energy to Return for 2020?: Sam welcomes to the podcast two-time Olympic medalist and decorated track and field hurdler, Dawn Harper. Dawn took home the gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, making history as... by I Have Cool Friends

78 min listen

How Did Shannon Miller Become the Most Decorated US Olympic Gymnast & Use Her Athletic Experiences to Help Her Overcome Cancer?: Sam welcomes to the podcast 1993 and 1994 world all-around champion, 1996 Olympic balance beam champion, 1995 Pan American Games all-around champion, and member of the gold-medal winning Magnificent Seven team at the 1996 Olympics, Shannon Miller.... by I Have Cool Friends

86 min listen

S2 005 Mykayla Skinner - Will She or Won't She...Go for 2020: Sam welcomes her close friend, Mykayla Skinner. Mykayla competed for Team USA at the 2014 and 2015 World Championships, winning a team gold both years and a bronze medal on vault in 2014. She also won nine total medals at the USA Gymnastics National... by I Have Cool Friends

69 min listen

S2 001 Bridget Sloan - Previewing the 2019 NCAA Gymnastics Season: Welcome to Season 2 of the I Have Cool Friends Podcast! 2018 was such a special year, as Sam details in the opening of this episode. The podcast has already surpassed 100,000 downloads spanning 100 different countries and is the number one podcast in... by I Have Cool Friends

91 min listen

S2 009 Kyla Ross - It's Juuuuust Gymnastics & a Little UCLA Magic: Sam welcomes Kyla Ross, the first female gymnast ever to win Olympic, World, and NCAA Championship gold medals. Kyla is a 2012 Olympic gold medalist, 2014 World Championship gold medalist, and 2018 NCAA team champion. In addition, she is an... by I Have Cool Friends

80 min listen

S2 015 Tanya Chaplin - Don’t Call Them an Underdog: Sam welcomes to the podcast Oregon State University women’s gymnastics head coach, Tanya Chaplin. Tanya’s experience in the gymnastics world is quite extensive. As an athlete competing at UCLA, she was a six-time All-American and a two-time PAC-10... by I Have Cool Friends

68 min listen

S2 013 Olivia Karas - Win the Day: Sam welcomes Olivia Karas to the podcast. She is currently a senior at the University of Michigan where she contributed to their 2019 Big Ten Championship. Olivia was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2016 and she has scored a 9.925 or higher... by I Have Cool Friends

1 min listen

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002 Valorie Kondos-Field - Miss Val: An Unconventional Coach

002 Valorie Kondos-Field - Miss Val: An Unconventional Coach

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