Episode 23 - The Great Power of Representation

“I think the experience I had is what EVERY straight, white male has at EVERY race.” Consider this convo as a part-two follow up to our most listened-to episode, "Allyship, Intention, and Impact" (episode 12), as we parse out what exactly made the ‘We Out Here’ Trail Fest so incredibly special. In a time when there’s constant pushback and criticism of what DEI actually means or looks like, we hope this conversation gives practical examples of how create events and spaces that move beyond tokenizing to celebrating the diversity of excellence that already exists in our sport! “It doesn’t have to be: we choose representation and inclusivity OR we choose excellence and competitiveness. There can be overlap!”Have you ever been to a race or running event where you felt fully seen, celebrated, and free to be your authentic self? What factors do you think helped make that happen? Drop a comment here or send a message to let us know! Special thanks to our Audio Engineer, ⁠⁠Mark Kalagayan⁠⁠, from the non-profit, ⁠⁠SPARC Worldwide⁠⁠.The Making Strides Podcast is about building representation and changing the ways we expect ourselves and others to show up in the running world. If you enjoy this convo please share about us with your friends! And of course, we appreciate your subscribing and leaving a rating and review.#MakingStridesPod#letsFlippindothis#diversewerunShow Notes:05:50 - Stef’s upcoming racing plans12:00 - takeaways from the We Out Here Trail Fest: the excellence displayed and the power of representation!33:15 - the role representation plays in helping others understand different lived-experiences38:10 - what led Carolyn to create a trail event with her local lululemon team, in the Boston area56:25 - Stef’s athletes who ran Western States 100 this year1:09:20 - shoutout to our ongoing sponsor, Pen & Paces!Links:David Jaewon Oh PhotographyOtterPawz Native, family-owned design company who made the custom medals for the We Out Here Trail FestRubato HK CafeGyee O’Malley, Train Ambassador for Boston lululemonDon't forget to grab your Pen & Paces Custom Bib Kit for any of your upcoming races and get 20% off when you use code MAKINGSTRIDES at checkout!Find Stef ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠Find Carolyn ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠