EP138: Passports, Pitch Tape & Grind: The Wild Life Of A Rugby Trailblazer with Ellaine Gelman and LIT 7s

On this episode of "Into the Unknown" What does it look like to build something global without a roadmap just instinct, resilience, and a deep belief in what’s possible? In this episode of Into the Unknown, Jeremy Swick sits down with Ellaine Gelman, a former rugby player turned international founder, to unpack a life shaped by bold decisions and unlikely pivots. From leaving the U.S. for Oxford Law to discovering a new future through rugby sevens, Ellaine shares how a single year abroad quietly rewrote the direction of her life.The conversation moves from frozen early‑morning training sessions in England to launching elite rugby camps at Olympic venues, connecting players across continents, and building LIT7s into a movement rooted in experience not hype. Ellaine opens up about betting on herself before the outcome was clear, designing opportunities that didn’t exist when she was younger, and why access, inspiration, and community matter just as much as winning. This episode is about more than sport it’s about what can happen when passion meets persistence and someone decides to build the thing they once wished for.Follow Us:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram @Pod.IntotheUnknown⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook - Into the Unknown⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Ellaine Gelman:Instagram: https://instagram.com/LIT7sInstagram: https://instagram.com/LIT7sUSA TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@lit7sseriesLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/find-rugby-now/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LIT7sAre you looking to start a podcast? Check out my free "Jump Start to Podcasting Guide" or reach out!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Here!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠