What does it truly take to disrupt traditional sports and build an organization that puts female athletes first? In this episode, host Emily Abbate sits down with Kayla Green, Acting President of Athlos, fresh off the heels of the groundbreaking Athlos London meet.

Kayla pulls back the curtain on the decision-making process behind Athlos, from navigating the difficult late-August cancellation of the New York event to protect athletes’ well-being, to creating a high-energy meet culture combining world-class track and field with entertainment, Tiffany & Co. crowns, and record-breaking prize purses. She shares what she learned as employee number three at Angel City FC, why Athlos grants participating athletes equity in the league, and the advice she’d give anyone waiting for permission to take a leap.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• The Athlos Formula: How Athlos merges elite competition, entertainment (like DJ Trauma trackside), and culture to make track and field accessible and electric for new and seasoned fans alike [source: 1].

• Protecting the Athletes: The transparent conversation behind calling off the late-season New York meet to prioritize athletes’ physical recovery after a grueling Olympic season [source: 1].

• Speed to Feed & Storytelling: Why Athlos partners with ScorePlay to deliver content directly to athletes' phones immediately post-race so they can own their narratives in real time [source: 1].

• Disrupting the Playbook: Lessons carried over from Kayla’s time as founding CMO (employee #3) at Angel City FC—including challenging traditional sponsorship models and introducing the 10% giveback framework [source: 1].

• Equity & Ownership: Why Athlos is providing participating athletes with equity in the league, investing in their long-term advisory role, and pushing for pay parity and media equity [source: 1].

• Navigating High-Stakes Uncertainty: Kayla’s mindset on operating without a blueprint, finding clarity in your “why,” and why you should never wait for permission to jump into something new [source: 1].

QUOTABLE MOMENTS:

• “I’m really proud of the times when I said ‘yes,’ or the times when I believed with conviction that going against the status quo was the right thing to do.” 

• “Athletes are our North Star and our fans are our compass. As long as we focus on those two points, everything else falls into place.” 

• “When it comes to the physical toll on these women, especially after an intense championship season, putting their bodies and health first isn’t just the right move—it is the only move.”

• “You have to have a lot of bravery. You have to have a lot of belief that like, something isn't right, we can ask the question why and try to come up with a better solution.” 

• “Don’t wait. Just jump, just go do it... because the world is moving too fast and we need to be ahead of it.”

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ASK ME A QUESTION: Email hello@hurdle.us to with your questions! Emily answers them every Friday on the show. 

Listen to Hurdle with Emily Abbate on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.