Ever heard of skimo? It's ok if you haven't but you should and there's no one better to introduce us to the brand new Winter Olympic Sport than Gwen Rudy. A member of the USA National team and a licensed acupuncturist, Gwen takes us through what it will take for America to get a Skimo spot in the 2026 Olympics, how to manage pursuing an Olympic gold while keeping her business afloat in a small, Colorado mountain town and, enjoy the hilarity that is AJ trying to ski for the first time in 15 years as Gwen takes her through a skimo training.

 

Ever heard of skimo? It's ok if you haven't but you should and there's no one better to introduce us to the brand new Winter Olympic Sport than Gwen Rudy. A member of the USA National team and a licensed acupuncturist, Gwen takes us through what it will take for America to get a Skimo spot in the 2026 Olympics, how to manage pursuing an Olympic gold while keeping her business afloat in a small, Colorado mountain town and, enjoy the hilarity that is AJ trying to ski for the first time in 15 years as Gwen takes her through a skimo training.
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Welcome to The PowHERful Podcast where we introduce you to PowHERful women who are changing the game in and outside of their field of play. These are women’s stories of Olympians, extreme and outdoor athletes– women who happen to do things many of us can only dream of, but the lessons and inspiration they share is universal.

Tune in every Tuesday for a new episode of The PowHERful Podcast.

 

Welcome to The PowHERful Podcast where we introduce you to PowHERful women who are changing the game in and outside of their field of play. These are women&rsquo;s stories of Olympians, extreme and outdoor athletes&ndash; women who happen to do things many of us can only dream of, but the lessons and inspiration they share is universal.
Tune in every Tuesday for a new episode of The PowHERful Podcast.
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The PowHERful Podcast with AJ McCord

S2/E2: Gwen Rudy (USA Ski Mountaineering)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/1a42bf84-36ef-42f3-8584-b2730028b4a6/transcript

FEAR | In this [BEST OF] Episode of The PowHERful Podcast, AJ McCord sits down with Olympic Great British free skier Zoe Atkin. The Stanford student is entering the 2026 Winter Olympics as one of the top contenders to bring home a gold medal in free ski halfpipe. In this episode she gets vulnerable about her relationship with fear and how one psychology class at Stanford changed the way she approached the fear that would sometimes leave her paralyzed at the top of the pipe. She takes us to school, sharing the ways she’s able to overcome and process it and, spoiler alert, they’re ways we took can tackle fear in our everyday lives.

 

For more on the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, follow @ThePowHERful on Instagram!

 

FEAR | In this [BEST OF] Episode of The PowHERful Podcast, AJ McCord sits down with Olympic Great British free skier Zoe Atkin. The Stanford student is entering the 2026 Winter Olympics as one of the top contenders to bring home a gold medal in free ski halfpipe. In this episode she gets vulnerable about her relationship with fear and how one psychology class at Stanford changed the way she approached the fear that would sometimes leave her paralyzed at the top of the pipe. She takes us to school, sharing the ways she&rsquo;s able to overcome and process it and, spoiler alert, they&rsquo;re ways we took can tackle fear in our everyday lives.
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For more on the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, follow @ThePowHERful on Instagram!
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(BEST OF) Zoe Atkin (GB Freestyle Skiing - Halfpipe)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/697a1e3f-7152-41e1-b26f-b3d300269e89/transcript

OPTIMISM | At first Anna Gibson thought the idea of joining Team USA’s ski mountaineering training camp was a bit ridiculous. She’s a professional trail and track runner, and diverting into ski mountaineering, a sport that will make its Olympic debut in Milan-Cortina, wasn’t in her 2025 plans. But then she asked the question ‘what if?’ and had the courage to look at the positive possibilities. Instead of focusing on what if it didn’t work out, she leaned into the belief that what if it did? The result: she’s an Olympian, and will represent Team USA in skimo in Italy. This episode is for anyone who’s also wondered ‘what if’ when considering a change, a career move, a new city, a new hobby, and shows what’s possible when you choose to chase it. 

 

For more on the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, follow @ThePowHERful on Instagram!

 

OPTIMISM | At first Anna Gibson thought the idea of joining Team USA&rsquo;s ski mountaineering training camp was a bit ridiculous. She&rsquo;s a professional trail and track runner, and diverting into ski mountaineering, a sport that will make its Olympic debut in Milan-Cortina, wasn&rsquo;t in her 2025 plans. But then she asked the question &lsquo;what if?&rsquo; and had the courage to look at the positive possibilities. Instead of focusing on what if it didn&rsquo;t work out, she leaned into the belief that what if it did? The result: she&rsquo;s an Olympian, and will represent Team USA in skimo in Italy. This episode is for anyone who&rsquo;s also wondered &lsquo;what if&rsquo; when considering a change, a career move, a new city, a new hobby, and shows what&rsquo;s possible when you choose to chase it.&nbsp;
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For more on the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, follow @ThePowHERful on Instagram!
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Anna Gibson (USA Skimo)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/fe0d7ecb-993f-4b56-8654-b3d00151e267/transcript

As women’s sports continue to rise, women’s surfing isn’t just riding the wave — they’re leading it. Lakey Peterson, a veteran of the World Surf League Championship Tour, represents a pivotal generation of female trailblazers. She recalls a time when winning a contest earned her $15,000, while the male winner of the same event took home $100,000. Since then, she’s witnessed the league evolve, achieving equal prize money, combined tours, and better waves.

 

For Peterson, embracing these changes later in her career has been both a challenge and an opportunity. On this episode of the PowHERful Podcast, she shares how she’s adapted, where she draws the perseverance to keep pushing forward, and her vision for the future of women’s surfing.

 

As women&rsquo;s sports continue to rise, women&rsquo;s surfing isn&rsquo;t just riding the wave &mdash; they&rsquo;re leading it. Lakey Peterson, a veteran of the World Surf League Championship Tour, represents a pivotal generation of female trailblazers. She recalls a time when winning a contest earned her $15,000, while the male winner of the same event took home $100,000. Since then, she&rsquo;s witnessed the league evolve, achieving equal prize money, combined tours, and better waves.
&nbsp;
For Peterson, embracing these changes later in her career has been both a challenge and an opportunity. On this episode of the PowHERful Podcast, she shares how she&rsquo;s adapted, where she draws the perseverance to keep pushing forward, and her vision for the future of women&rsquo;s surfing.
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S3/E9: Lakey Peterson (Surfing)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/8ad932f8-4f17-4ffe-a581-b345003bac87/transcript

S2/E2: Gwen Rudy (USA Ski Mountaineering)

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