WELCOME TO THE PARTY EP1 - Allyson Felix Took On Corporate Sports and Won

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What's up party people?

We are beyond excited as you can see to get this party started.

I'm Julie Faudi.

I'm Abby Wombach.

And I'm Philly Jean King.

Yes, you are.

Welcome to the party, everybody.

Perhaps you are wondering what is this party?

Well, this party is women's sports, and everyone is invited, whether you've been here forever, like the three of us have, or maybe you're new to the party, or maybe you have some FOMO, and like everybody's basically talking about women's sports right now.

So you're like, I want to be in that.

You all are invited.

Our mission is to celebrate.

Elevate.

Come on.

Educate.

And that's about all of our women's sports, all of them.

And, you know, we just want want to grow this community and we need you guys out there because this is going to be a party like nothing else we are

no party like a women's sports party we're ain't no party like a women's sports party that's no way i mean we are the best at parties so join us there will be a mix of interviews across every sport league and era we will have commentary as you know we're not afraid of that around what is happening in women's sports And we really, as Kinger just said, want to bring out and build out this community of women's sports fans and you, the party people, who can give us your thoughts on what topics you want us to hit, what guests you want to hear from.

And we will be dropping two episodes a week.

We are a podcast, video podcast, but we also will be doing live events and watch with us parties and really any opportunity to talk women's sports and wear ridiculous hats because I'm really good at that.

Oh, whoa, wait a minute.

Wait a

Yeah, Kinger, get your hat on.

Come on, sister.

I got a big fat head.

I got a melon head.

And most important, right here, that's what we're bringing.

We're bringing Billie Jean King and her little craft.

Kinger.

King of Queens.

She will be a recurring host.

And frankly, Kinger, you come on as much as you damn want.

What about the why?

Why did you guys want to do this?

Abs?

The biggest reason why I did it is the first Angel City game I went to this year was the first time time I had a

giant exhale.

It was the first time I felt any sense of hope around kind of the state of our world right now.

And

that is why this is in my bones.

I love sports and I want to bring sports to everyone and I want to make, I want this community to be and

thrive in the most important ways.

Yeah, I had that same reaction.

There's affirmation when you are around female athletes or at a women's sporting event and there's inspiration and all these things, inclusivity that we love to see in this world.

And so we will try and touch on all those things with this party.

What about you, Kinger?

What's your why behind podcasting?

Well, you know, I was at you with you at that Angel City night.

That was amazing to give us hope.

You know, I've waited my whole life for this.

But

let's go.

Hey, I'm old, man.

You guys are the babies here.

Anyway,

I really, I think about it because I haven't done podcasts like you guys have.

So

I really want us

to be number one.

I hate losing.

I'm the worst finalist.

I had bad handshakes.

I'm not a good sport.

I'm terrible.

So I just want us to win, whatever that means.

What does winning mean?

Though that's a whole nother discussion, but I just want us to be really great.

And the people out there just having a party, having fun, but learning at the same time, let's just go for it, man.

Give me the ball.

I mean, mean, Billy, you're speaking my language here, and you ask, How do you win at this?

It's how we win at everything, Billy.

We have a shit ton of fun.

Yes, we do.

Are you ready to rock?

I love it.

Attention.

The party is about to commence.

Welcome to the party.

Okay, the first thing we are going to do as our party starter is we are going to give our favorite play or moment of the week to get the party started.

But because this is our first episode and we had an entire summer of good plays, we decided we're going to share our favorite play or moment from the summer.

So, Abs, what do you got?

From the summer.

Okay, so you all know Katie Ledecki, right?

And earlier this summer, the funniest thing that ever happened, she broke her own 800-meter freestyle world record.

She clocked it at eight minutes, four seconds.

Well, I don't know how you read this, eight minutes, 4.2 seconds.

She did this at the tier pro sports meet in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

She broke her previous record that was set in Rio.

Honestly, this woman is a beast.

She's incredible.

And she's the most decorated American female Olympian with 14 medals, nine gold, four silver, and one bronze.

And I just want to make a note that she was wearing the Gator swim caps.

I went to the University of Florida, so go Gators, but we're going to have to include this in the show clips.

She takes off the cap, and then under it was another cap.

So we need to have Katie on here to discuss not just this play.

How many caps?

Why are you wearing two caps, Katie Ledecky?

Congratulations for breaking your own damn record.

Capital.

That feels really hot at the cap party.

That feels hot.

And did you see by how many seconds she actually she was like a gap ahead.

Yeah, it was like 20 seconds ahead of the next best party.

This is what I don't understand.

How do you actually try really hard, so hard that you break a world record when 20 seconds later, the next finisher finishes?

How does that, how does that work?

That blew my mind.

When I actually saw the video, because of course you heard about it, and I went and watched the video, I was like, where is the rest of the pool?

Katie's

just keeps breaking her own record.

But I think deep down, probably, she thinks, you know what?

I can do better.

So she does it better the next time.

Yeah.

I mean, when I was when I met her, I just

Katie, we need you at the party.

We have so many questions.

We need her.

Katie, we need you at the party.

She's a really, she's a great human being, though.

I like her a lot.

Yeah.

This summer was,

boy, there's so many, but for me, probably Victoria Mboko

winning the Canadian.

Of course, she's Canadian.

You have no idea.

They were going crazy.

She beat three Grand Slam people.

She beat Osaka in the final.

I mean, the place was going crazy.

You know, and now she's 19.

She was 18 when she won the tournament.

I just think she's so much fun to watch.

And

her footwork is amazing.

I love her backhand, but particularly when she takes it from defense to offense.

And her serve is going to get better and better.

So I think she's the one to walk to look for but it's when she speaks as well you know you wonder why she's done so well she talks about process and how to stay in the process from the juniors then you play ITF when you want to start being a pro and then she's won her first WTA tournament which is a women's tennis association tournament which is the biggie and you know She's just her ranking just keeps going up and up and up.

But I just would tell everybody, watch her.

She's fun to watch.

But as a human being and the way she speaks she's just a total winner on and off the court how cool too that that that i i do i have this right king or i think i do that um naomi osaka is her like role model and that was her like person she grew up you know watching and wanting to be and then and then she beat her in that final which is crazy yeah it was a tough final because um osaka had a challenge.

She didn't congratulate her at the end.

I mean, she did at the net, but not in her speech.

Of course,

personally, I think tennis is out to lunch when we have the finalist have to speak.

Let them get off the court.

Just talk to the winners.

It's ridiculous.

Listen to me.

I can't.

After we lost the World Cup finals and penalty kicks in 2011,

I went straight over to the Japanese team and I congratulated them.

And that was all I had in me.

That's all I had in me in terms of my good sportsmanship.

In fact, I was just like so upset.

And in FIFA, when the championship moment happens, at the time,

they told the losing team to get in a line so that the winning team would parade through you to go onto the stage and capture your medals.

I was bereft.

I was like, I'm not doing that.

That's so embarrassing.

I was like actually outwardly having a tantrum privately.

And one of my teammates,

thank you, Amy LaPelbett.

I will never

forget you for this.

She looked at me square in the eye.

She said, you're going to stand right next to me and you're going to congratulate them as they walk by us.

They just beat us.

And I said, yes, Amy Lapelbit, you are correct.

And I just needed a teammate because I was being such a poor sport.

I was so devastated.

So I get it.

I will add to that.

I was calling that game.

You had to do an interview with us right after all of that.

And you walked over.

You had never won a World Cup yet.

You had yet to win a World Cup.

We had just, before the World Cup, done a big long interview about how you wanted to finish your career on a World Cup and you were so close.

It was in the palm of your hand.

It went to penalty kicks, Billy.

You did this interview on the sideline.

And I remember thinking, oh my gosh, to have all this emotion in that moment.

You were so classy and so nice about...

what Japan just did, given all that country had been through with the earthquake and tsunami and everything else that had happened there.

You did all of that.

So you may remember it one way, Abs, but you hate it.

It's because of Amy LaPillbit.

I got my shit together.

Amy made me get my shit together.

So I understand Naomi may not have handled it right.

No, but she apologized.

She knew she didn't.

She apologized.

Yeah.

And she, I don't know if she remembers, but she beat Serena Williams a few years back.

And that was a tough time, too, for everyone.

Yep.

Yeah.

All right.

My play of the summer.

I'm sure Abby probably saw it.

Kanger, I'm not sure if you did because it was soccer.

There's a surprise.

It was Marta.

Really?

It was the Copa America final, which is kind of the continental championship, like similar to the European Championship.

It's the South American Championship, right?

Brazil versus Colombia.

Marta, of course, a legend, an icon in the game, one and only.

She's 39 years old.

She retired.

from international soccer after the last Olympics and then unretired because Brazil is hosting the next World Cup, 2027 Women's World Cup.

So we're in this final, Kinger.

It's two to two,

okay?

At 39 years old, Marta comes into the game off the bench as a sub in the 80-second minute.

She comes in.

Let me just show you on a whiteboard what happens.

Yes!

I need this.

Colombia is yellow, Brazil is blue, okay?

In red is Marta right here.

Okay, so Brazil in blue plays the ball in.

There is no time left.

This is 20 seconds left in the game.

Brazil plays a ball in.

So here's the soccer ball.

I drew it for you.

It gets played in.

Colombia heads it out.

It bounces.

It bounces.

It bounces.

It falls on a half volley to Marta at 25 yards out, Billie Jane King.

She cranks this ball on a half volley, which a ball bouncing, coming out to you, that's ridiculous.

She put it on a clothesline.

It went upper corner.

Two.

Actually, tie the game.

I lied because Columbia was up by then, three to two.

They tie the game to send it into extra time.

Then she scores again, sends it into penalty kicks.

Marta, all caps.

Marta.

They win.

Brazil wins on the two Marta goals and then into penalty kicks.

Right.

Whoa.

And I must say, you did a great job on that, the announcing.

you got me in it, man.

I'm too, actually.

I was feeling like, wow.

Well, I mean, I watched it.

Or you can live it.

You can imagine doing it.

I have to just

live it through.

You go if you haven't seen this video.

If you're not a soccer fan, that's fine.

Go

on show notes.

Because we're in a sports fan, man.

No, I'm not talking you.

I'm talking the party people.

I'm talking to the people.

Oh, the party people.

They better.

It doesn't matter.

They got to go watch the clip.

They're behind it.

It's a solo.

I like to think about this moment a lot because

people don't understand what it's like to be 30 plus, 35 plus or 39 years old.

And then you're sitting on the bench.

She unretires to play in this tournament for the international team, Brazil.

To play in this tournament, and then at 39, to come off the bench when your team needed a goal

and then score in the 20 seconds left in the game to be the one to score with

in the way she scored it.

It was just a chef's kiss.

Chef's kiss.

Half volley.

I love, man.

I love that half volley because that's like a drop kick.

It's coming at you.

It's hard to keep them low because they go flying on you.

And

she just lasered it from.

I was like, oh my God.

I would have run off the field straight to the locker room and been like, peace out.

I'm done.

I'm retiring again.

That is all I got.

All right.

There's our party summer.

We're going to start every episode with our favorite play or moment.

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All right, party people, time to get to the partiest part of the party.

Do you like my alliteration there, Billy?

Billy, I got a question for you because you have had the most incredible quotes.

And one of the all-time best quotes of yours is about not settling.

You have an awesome, awesome message about not settling.

Can you share that with us?

Do not settle for the crumbs.

Do do not.

I want people to think about having all the cake and icing and the sprinkles and the cherry on top because girls are always taught, you know, be happy with whatever you get.

You should, you don't ask for more.

Be careful.

No, no, no, no.

Do not settle for the crumbs.

In discussing who was going to be our first guest for the party, we knew we wanted it to be someone who didn't settle for those crumbs.

So we sent an invite to one of the most courageous and innovative athletes we know and love.

She is track and field legend Allison Felix because Allison looked at those crumbs and she was like, no, suckers, I am not taking this.

And went about enacting change.

She is the most decorated American track and field athlete, male or female of all time.

Get this, party people.

She competed in five Olympics.

She won 11 Olympic medals, seven of them.

Yes, seven of them gold.

And Allison has 20 world championship medals on top of that.

Also, a record, no surprise.

Also, no surprise.

She was inducted over the summer into the U.S.

Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame.

Not only is Allison, as we know, an all-caps legend on the track, her story as a mother, a business entrepreneur, an advocate who grew to understand that why, yes, I do want that whole damn cake has inspired so many people.

And much of her incredible journey has been captured in a documentary she premiered at Tribeca Film Festival earlier in the summer called She Runs the World.

This woman, in fact, does run the world.

She's done it all.

Allison Felix, welcome to the party.

Thank you.

I mean, what an intro.

Woo, guys.

This is gorgeous beginning.

Are you kidding?

Can you not?

I'm so happy to be here.

I mean, Allison, first of all, it's so amazing to have you here.

I have loved, absolutely loved following your career and I admire you for so many reasons, one of which is

how willing you are to take risks.

But here's the thing that stands out for me that I don't understand because I know what it must feel like in your body, like to be an athlete and to be in the blocks.

And then

the gun goes off and you start running towards the line, and every tendon of your body and muscle fiber is twitching, yet

your face is completely calm.

It is the wildest thing.

Like,

how do you, in my family, we call it fix your face if the children are not having good responses to the world.

How do you

are you fixing your face?

Like, how do you stay calm under pressure or do you just actually feel calm?

Well, we use fix your face in our family too.

So I love that.

And also, I have to say, thank you guys for having me.

I mean, it's like, it's legendary, like to look on the screen and see Julie, Billy, like, I just, I can't.

You guys are all such inspirations.

Okay, so my face, you know what?

That's not the way that it feels.

It feels like you look a hot mess, like it's just crazy.

And so I'm glad to hear that it appears to be calm because within, that is not.

uh what's happening

wait abs you need to tell her what your face was like when you were running fitness at university of florida 800 meters your last 800 do you want to tell allison about how you had to fix your face?

You just told me the story the other day, and I almost fell on the floor and wet my pants, Allison.

I laughed so hard.

Yeah, I mean, so the way that it goes in soccer for preseason, you back in the day at the very least, you had to run fitness tests.

And we had this grueling fitness test, and it was an 800, then a sprint, then a 400, then a sprint, then another 400, then a sprint, then another 800.

And the last 800, I was just completely suffering, but I needed to throw up.

And so I couldn't fix that part of my face.

And I just had to keep running because I had to pass the fitness test.

So, Jules, thanks for letting me tell that story on air.

But here we are.

I didn't know.

I'm going to literally Allison.

Picture this.

She's like running.

And then she's just like, bat.

You know, like, people usually stop and throw up.

Like, this is so Abby, too.

She's just like, Kinger, you can, you would be doing this too.

Abby just keeps running and throwing up as she's running.

I mean, whatever works.

I don't feel like anybody should have to run an 800.

Like, you shouldn't have to pass where you started.

I mean, I'm such a true sprinter.

Like, I do not like to go far.

So I understand the pain.

Oh, my God.

800 is the gut buster of the world.

I only had to run once.

And the women's sports superstars years, a thousand years ago.

And you could not do your own sport.

You had to do a sport you didn't know.

And that's what you chose?

You chose the 800ker.

I didn't have any other thing.

It was the last thing I could do that wasn't my sport.

And And I'm like, oh, I can't never even run an 800

against Kathy Wrigley, who's three feet eight inches or something.

And her husband's running around the track.

Stay loose, dude.

Smooth, smooth.

And I kept listening to him.

Oh, my God.

I thought I was going to puke, actually.

We're going to pause that video for sure.

For sure.

I should have never told you, but I don't know how you do it, Allison.

I don't do it for that long.

I'm smart, you know.

22 seconds, 21 seconds, yeah.

Yeah, but the 400, come on, that's, oh,

another gut buster.

The thing I love too, Allison, is not only are you common collected, as Abby pointed out,

you're a total fighter.

When Nike threatened to cut your contract when they found out you were pregnant by 70%,

I love that you didn't just fight for you as an athlete with them.

You said, listen.

like you need to take care of all of the female athletes as it relates of course to maternal protections and when they said no you said, okay, bye, bye-bye.

And not only did you say bye-bye, which is the thing that blows my mind, is you started your own shoe company, as we know, called Seish.

And so, where my question is, where does one in the middle of their career, pregnant, going through all of this, you know, fighting to make it to the next Olympics, where do you have the courage to stand up to a billion-dollar company and industry and say, nah, I'm not taking the crumbs?

Honestly, it didn't feel like I had courage at the time because it was just terrifying.

You know, I was, I was so, honestly, I was so scared.

I didn't know what was on the other side of that.

I just felt like I deeply believed in it and like I had to.

And at the same time, you know, my daughter was just born.

She had this stay in the NICU.

And so honestly, it was just looking at her and was like, I have to do this for her, for her generation.

And so there was no part that felt brave or courageous.

It was just like, this this is something that I, from deep within, I feel like I have to do

because we're just all going to be here again if I don't.

Yeah.

And by doing that, you actually ended up changing policies at Nike, as we now know, and in the industry.

And you did it for Cami, as you mentioned.

You also founded your own agency and always alpha, first.

management firm fully focused on women's sports.

You also were just elected last year to sit on the IOC

board of directors, the International Olympic Committee.

You also have two kids now, both of them under six, Trey as well.

And you've done this amazing advocacy work around black maternal health.

What I want to know is, what is it like to get an email from Melinda Gates saying, hey, because of all the amazing work you've done, I would like to grant you $20 million.

It was shocking.

But the coolest thing, you know, it really to me, like validated the work, the advocacy work that I'd been doing.

It was like, wow, you know, somebody like Melinda is paying attention.

And so many organizations have been doing work in this space, you know, long before my eyes were open to it.

And so to be able to come alongside and help fund these organizations is incredible.

And a lot of organizations that typically wouldn't get funding.

So for me, I mean, it's really cool to be on this side of things and get to do things I'm super passionate about and try to have an impact in these new spaces.

Well, what are you most proud of?

I think it's the theme kind of throughout.

I think it's, I'm most proud that I found my voice

because

you guys knew probably me before, like very shy introvert.

Like I just focused on my sport.

I did what I'm supposed to do.

You know, I didn't want to ruffle feathers.

It just, it scared me to have an opinion on anything.

And I think I'm just most proud that finally, you know, I got to this place in my life where I could speak out and I could say, it's okay if people criticize this or if everybody doesn't like me.

It's hard being a people pleaser, you know, and to be able to break free from that and say like, okay, I'm going to try to create some change.

That has been the most freeing thing.

And the thing I'm really proud that I was able to come to this place.

And now it's like, okay.

What else can we do?

Like, let's get stuff done.

How did you finally say, okay, enough is enough.

I've had it.

I'm going to do this.

Like, you know, there's that moment where you're not and then there's something that happens and you are.

What are you most about?

Like, what, what was that specific moment for you?

For me, it was being forced into it.

It was the Nike situation.

It was never having to, I was good before then, you know, I didn't have, it was this real life situation of saying, okay, you no longer are going to have a contract.

You're not going to be paid.

Like your value, I think it was just this slap in the face of like, you have no value.

You created life and you're no longer valuable to us.

And to me, it was like, wow.

I mean, I think, you know, all of us, you know, we're athletes and we know, you know, it's about performance and it's about what have you done for me lately and all of those things.

But it's hard to separate your

worth from the number that they're offering you.

And I think when I was hit with that, it really made me do some soul searching about like, what is actually important and what is actually real life.

And I think when I faced that, it was like, okay, if it all goes away, I, it, it matters more to me about the next generation, about what they face, all of that.

And so it was, I didn't like go willingly.

It was being forced into that situation.

And then getting to the other side of it and saying like, wow, these companies, they changed their policy because I stood up because other women stood up.

Like, we can do this.

There's like power in the collective, and so I think all of those things like that move the needle.

I remember seeing you, and you were talking about this exact thing.

You had just heard from Nike, and you were, it was just horrible for you.

And I, I felt so much for you that night.

We're talking.

I'll never forget it as long as I live.

And I'm so happy what you've done.

You're so courageous.

It's just

it makes me want to shout.

I have to say, Billy, thank you because

without trailblazers like yourself, I mean, you have been that real life example.

Like, I had to look and say, wow, you've done this on so many different levels.

Like, if you have done this, you know, we can follow behind you.

And so just thank you for paving the way because it continues, your legacy lives on and we continue to, you know, be able to stand up for what we feel is right.

It's very sweet.

But every generation's got to keep it going.

Thank you.

Yeah, absolutely.

It's so true because Billy had, I mean, my moment, like your Nike moment, was when Billy said to me, to your point, Allison, like, obviously, we know what she's done with tennis, but what some people don't understand is how she has gone to every sport and inspired them in a different way.

And Billy literally said, What are you going to do about it, Faudi?

You, the players, what are you doing about it?

And it was this moment where we're like,

what are we going to do about it?

And when you realize that when you do actually speak up in a collective way, in a unified way, to your point, you can change policy, you can change laws, you can change things in a way that's meaningful.

But until Billy had that moment with me,

I didn't, we weren't speaking up.

And so I love that that was,

in some of the hardest times, you learn the most about yourself, for sure.

Yeah.

I love it.

Well, sometimes you have to give up something to get something.

That works.

You have to let go of something to get the better new thing.

And like you said, collectively doing it, getting everyone on the,

or at least enough people on the same page.

And it's not about you.

Yeah, it's not, I think that's something that I learned.

It's like, it's, you're not going to be the one to benefit from it, you know?

And I know you know that.

And I know everybody, you know, here today knows that, but it, it's, that's a hard thing when you're fighting for something that you'll never you know experience a benefit from it, but we know we're all you know trying to change

sports so that the women behind us can experience those benefits.

And I think they are.

I have a question for you, Allison.

Now that

did Melinda give you the $20 million yet to donate and give away, have you done the process?

Are you like,

what has been like the most interesting thing around that process to be able to like have access to that kind of money to make real change happen?

Yeah, I'm actively deploying funds now.

It's been fascinating.

I spent about a year just learning about organizations, sitting back and understanding and seeing what's happening on the ground, who are those who are being affected.

I chose to focus on maternal health.

And so really seeing that landscape, I've been familiar, but just really hearing, you know, what it's going to take at every different level has been just fascinating.

And also other leaders who Melinda selected to deploy funds as well.

I think we're learning from each other.

And it's just been this incredible learning experience.

Yeah.

Melinda Gates is one of my Sherros.

I've had the privilege of getting to know her.

And she's fascinating and she truly, truly cares as a human being.

I just think she's top drawer.

She's giving one billion.

B 1 billion to help advance women's power globally.

Yeah.

It's been incredible.

I learned, she just wrote a book too, not too long ago.

Is it called The Next Day?

I think I've already read it.

Yes, it is.

And it's just, I love it.

I was underlining things.

I mean,

I don't want to mark a book.

My parents always said, oh, no, don't do that.

And I'm marking it with a pencil so I could erase it.

She had to return it.

I love that book, but it's a really great book for those people out there.

Well, Allison, I got to to know, like,

we are going to have a community of people we call the party people.

What can we do for you?

What can we do to help you in all of the things you've got your hands in?

What's top priority in your world right now that the party people and ourselves, Billy, myself, and Julie, can help with?

I love that.

I appreciate that.

I feel like, you know, it's great to get support.

A lot of these initiatives, a lot of these things that I'm building, they need support and they need, especially, you know, in this time that women's sports is experiencing such momentum, support at SACE.

You know, I'm trying to build a company that is specifically for women.

We create shoes to fit the form of the female foot.

And so support there at Always Alpha.

You know, we are representing only female athletes, coaches, and broadcasters.

And so really getting the word out there, that's incredible.

And then all the advocacy work,

the work around the IOC, listening to athletes, being the athlete voice, wanting to create a better Olympic path

for

athletes' journey there.

And all my work around women's health as well just is more about awareness and getting that word out.

So I'm grateful to have the support.

I did love, I love also as well that at the last Olympics in Paris, you started the first ever nursery for all athletes,

which as we know is so damn needed.

So

super proud of that

and really happy that we could move it forward.

It was something that was like, okay.

What do I want to see happen?

That was it.

But I thought it was going to be like, okay, maybe by LA we could get it done.

So now it's like, okay, let's grow it.

Let's let's make it bigger.

Let's really think about how can we support athletes better?

Like, what are the things that they are needing?

There was also a mental health space that was incredible in the village.

And so, always looking to just support so that you can have your best performances.

Kinger, you brought up the other day.

Yeah, track and field.

Yeah.

Yeah, I love track and field.

And

my dad liked, he was, he did hurdles when he was a young guy.

And I always feel like there's not the continuity in track and field we need to understand it, to have a season.

I get so confused.

I know Ohanian started, what is it?

Different

leagues and all that.

So what do you suggest that track and field do to help all of us stay?

You know,

I know I miss things sometimes because I don't really understand the landscape well enough.

Yeah, you are not alone.

Track and field is a hard sport to follow

and we have to do better with our product.

And so I think it is going to take new energy like the league athlos that you're talking about,

new investment,

new ideas.

I think that we've tried to do it the traditional way for a very long time.

And in America, it just has not worked.

It hasn't taken off.

And when we think about some of the names that are household names of track and field, they're really names that go back to when we last had an Olympic Games in the U.S., all the way to 96 in Atlanta, you know, names like Michael Johnson and Jackie Jordan Kersey and Gail Deavers, like all these incredible, you know, athletes.

And I think it's really exciting because we will have the LA Games very soon here.

And I think it's a huge opportunity to put the sport

really in focus and let people see these incredible athletes and really create stars.

I mean, there's such great personalities and stories in track and field, but...

it's very hard to follow, like Billy said.

And so we really have to streamline that and come together to find a new path forward that is interesting and engaging and easier to follow.

Allison, what are the barriers?

Like what are the barricades or the roadblocks that you have found in your career and now past your career that is like,

is there like less unity?

Like what are the, what are the reasons that it feels a little bit confused?

I think the hardest thing is that historically track and field seasons are, they're all overseas.

And so that's what happens is we all go overseas to compete and so from anywhere from about may all the way till september we're overseas we're competing and track and field thrives overseas and you know it's a much different experience um than here and so

it's it's hard to then try to bring that um to America.

There's a lot less opportunities.

And so it's going to take, and there's a number of different initiatives that are happening right now where, you know, investors and leagues and groups are coming in and they're trying to fix that problem and so i think we're going to have to come and support whether it's um athlos that's you know happening you know grand slam is happening you know there's there's different things that are happening and so we have to support them and but i think it is kind of a different mentality we're going to have to have a league a team format where it's you know who to root for you know this person is either from los angeles or there's this other format you know where they're running these various events.

So, something that's really engaging that grips people to follow it away from just kind of the standard thing that we've been doing in the past.

And I want you to make lots of money.

Yeah.

And I was going to say, I imagine that's part of it, right?

Like, how do you do it

when you don't have a consistent presence, especially in the United States, to get the sponsor backing outside of obviously those who have great success in the Olympics every four years, but it's still every four years.

So, I imagine that is a constant struggle for these athletes to stay competitive and afford to keep playing, to keep running.

Absolutely.

All the opportunities have really been overseas and, you know, you can make a good living over there versus, you know, here where there's not as many opportunities.

But now we are starting to see,

you know, in kind of this this shift of momentum right now that there are new things happening.

And so we're just going to have to be able to back back them, support them, show up in the stadiums, watch them on television and really get it going.

Also, I love watching Netflix and Sprint.

And I watch everything I can on Track and Field.

I'd love to.

Anyway, I know you did a special interview on that show, too.

That's the cool thing.

You know, we have to get outside of, you know, simply just the competition.

I think Sprint was great.

It was really engaging.

It brought you into some of the behind-the-scenes stories of what's going on.

And I think that's what it's going to take is not just watching

the 100, the 200, but learning the athletes and seeing what's happening in their lives.

And we know that the sport is engaging.

We see it every four years, but how do we translate that, you know, to be something sustainable throughout?

What's next for you?

I mean, you've done all of this.

So if you said nothing, I would be like, yes, I get that.

But what I feel like everything you touch is golden.

So what is next for you?

I wish.

So continuing to grow my businesses.

But

yeah, I had my film premiered at Tribeca not too long ago.

And so continuing to get that out.

And then right now I'm working on my book.

And so I'm really excited for that to

come in about another year.

But working through the editing process of that is

the worst.

The editing process of a book is the worst because the only person who can really edit your own book because it's your life is you.

So you got to read it and again read it.

I do not envy you right now.

If any of you want to send me, yeah, send me tips.

The publisher always takes something out because it's too many pages, at least.

How are you finding that?

Did you have so many pages?

I had like 950 pages.

I'm like, I know that's not going to work.

50 pages.

I don't have that many pages, but.

She wants tips.

she wants tips if only we knew a few authors in in the house i don't know right i mean

give me your gyms that's glennon's department i'll i'll you you can talk to glennon allison you are a treat my friend thank you for everything you've done abs you want to ask the the most important question of all

i think i think i do um

what is your what is your party trick do you have a party trick it's the most important question we

We need to know:

do you have a party trick?

What do you do at a party?

Is there something that you could share with us?

What is a party trick exactly?

That's a really good question.

I love it.

What is the definition?

Well, we know who goes to parties here and who doesn't.

Chat GPT, what is a party trick?

Some people have a real life and children and all these things.

I know some of you, I know you do too, Julie, but I don't know.

It's not like Alex Streams doesn't matter as much as I used to.

I'll give you an example of a party trick.

What's your party trick?

I have,

this isn't my party trick, but I would like to steal this party trick if I could actually do this party trick.

At the ESPNW Summit, there was these two women that used to come every year and they'd pull out a belt.

And they used to go to parties and they'd pull out a belt and they would bet people if they could limbo underneath the belt and they pretended like they couldn't really do it.

And then their party trick was they like literally could be parallel to the floor like five inches above the floor.

Yeah, they could limbo like I.

I was like, oh my god, I don't think my body could ever have done that.

What you're doing right now, it hurts just watching you.

And so they, and the whole party gets into it, but they basically pretend like they couldn't do it, and then they win every

contest.

I'm going to the wrong parties.

Like, I think,

Allison, you can run really fast.

My

suggestion is you run really fast away from this.

Yeah.

Maybe my party trick should be like challenging people to a race.

That's where my talent lies.

Yeah,

as soon as a guy starts to mansplain,

as soon as a man starts to mansplain at a party, you'd be like, Let's go outside and race and see.

Because

that's where the ego gets just blown out of the water with dudes.

Like,

first one to the lamppost, bro.

Yeah.

Let's take this back to a good old street race.

Well, we just can't thank you enough because through all that you do and

as amazing and tiring and courageous as you are, as I imagine it can be, like the thing that sticks with us is that you have this incredible grace to everything you do and a humble way of just the way you are with everyone.

And it's so beautiful and inspiring.

And

I feel like it is a light that just keeps shining on various dark places.

And I thank you for bringing that into this world because we know we could use a lot more of that.

So thanks for always just coming with such grace and kindness, Alison Felix.

I appreciate that.

And I appreciate you guys.

Inspirations, like each one of you, truly.

I think we should.

I used to always finish everything with a power pose picture.

I think we should do a freeze frame party pose.

Are you ready?

On three, Allison?

Whatever your party pose is.

We're thinking this might be the way we end up, we end interviews.

Are you good with that?

It has to be the craziest damn party pose you've ever given, though.

Are you ready?

Kinger, what you got?

Okay, ready?

On three.

Three, two, one.

Allison, you are always welcome to the party.

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Oh, I love her

so much.

She's like her way.

Yeah.

And when I told her that at the end, like how humble she is and the way she carries herself.

And I just, the kindness that just comes out of her.

It's just, I love it.

The thing that stood out to me the most is this idea of her finding her voice and feeling like that personal pride in her voice.

Like that,

to be doing that, even having already accomplished so much in your life, like to do that in order to

take that next step and make it to the next level, she's just awesome.

I love Alan.

Because I met her, yeah, because I met her when she was really young.

She was so shy.

And then you'd see her a few years later.

And then especially after she talked to me about the Nike deal and how bad it was, she was really not sure what she was going to do.

And now we've heard her story.

And

to you, what you said, Abby, about her finding her voice is just a major accomplishment.

Yeah.

And I love when she thanked Kinger because we all should be thanking Kinger every damn day.

That's so sweet of you.

I love being with you guys.

You're the best.

We should be.

I mean, she's spot on.

Like, when you

understand what you have done for this woman's sports space, my word.

Um, I know you get uncomfortable.

We talk, you're just getting started.

Kinger always gets uncomfortable when you start talking about her.

She's like, stop it.

Yeah, that's true.

Let's go.

Let's win.

All right, Kinger.

Before we end this party,

we have a bit of surprise for you because we are going to do a recurring segment called Just Ask the Kinger because everyone is literally asking Billie Jean how to solve their problem.

And as I was saying with Allison, it happens in every single sport.

And I have watched this process play out for 30 years that I've known her, where she sits down with people and listens and solves their problem.

So we thought we should just have a Just Ask the Kinger recurring segment.

This one is a little bit special, right?

This one is special because it's called Just Ask the Kinger, The Goats Ask Goat Edition.

So we put a back call out to a bunch of goats in women's sports and asked them to ask the OG goat,

yes, you, Billy, what whatever they wanted, rapid fire.

Are you ready?

Billy Jane King.

I have to tell myself, no pressure.

Pressure is a privilege.

Pressure is a privilege.

Let's go.

First up is U.S.

Open and French Open champion Coco Goff.

My question for Miss Billy is, what is your favorite sport to watch and you cannot choose tennis?

Great question,

Coco.

I watch so many women's sports and men's sports, actually.

I watch sports.

What's your favorite sport?

Well, I grew up probably

basketball because I grew up with my dad.

He was a basketball player and I watched that the most probably

probably I'd have to say basketball right now, but you know what I should say baseball because my younger brother, you know, played 12 years of professional baseball and I used to watch him play Kiwanis t-shirt league with the sun going down and they're not finishing a game and they didn't have t-ball yet.

And oh my god, the reason my brother Randy became a pitcher is because he's the only child on the team at seven.

They could kind of get the ball over the, you know, over home plate.

Kind of, kind of.

And that's why he became a pitcher because he should have been a third base or a left field, and he has a great arm and he can hit.

And didn't let him hit.

Wait, King, I just want to remind you that you might have two people right next to you that played not basketball nor baseball.

Really?

You played soccer.

Yeah.

I played basketball.

I scored a thousand points in high school, Julie Foudy.

You did?

Yes, I was a basketball player.

Don't take it away from me.

Soccer should have been your favorite sport.

What position?

I was I was the three-guard, four-guard, but

how many points did you score?

I scored over a thousand points in high school.

That's amazing.

I got college scholarships offers.

What?

Sabbies and Jocks.

And I chose

soccer.

Oh, because it was your favorite sport.

Because you guys

were in the Olympics and won an Olympic gold medal, and that was my dream.

So I was like, I'll go for soccer.

Oh, wow.

Now, you have to understand when I was growing up, and you were talking about playing soccer when you were a kid, we didn't have soccer in the United States of America.

So soccer was not in my, it wasn't around at all.

Okay.

Okay, so just so you can

get the background here.

Yeah, it's true.

That's true.

That's true.

All right,

you get a pass there.

All right, abs.

What you got is the next.

All right, the next goat is the most successful skier in World Cup history and a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

It's, of course, Michaela Schifrin.

Michaela Schiffrin.

A question for Billie Jean.

I was just wondering if you actually take a look around and look at the momentum that women's sports has started to gather and is gaining day by day.

I wonder if you look around at that and actually think, like,

I was at the forefront of this.

I started this.

I don't know.

I just...

I wonder if you've ever been able to actually take a step back and look at that big picture and see and truly feel how much of a role you've played.

Your legacy is just so powerful and you've really paved the way.

So we're very grateful to you for that.

What?

How much

chair lift?

Well, I know.

She's getting out of the way and she's talking and she's got

very focused.

I'm going to say that was the first time I've seen these.

This is so good.

I mean, that was so nonchalant.

Like most people are like, okay, I've got my poles.

I got to get off this chairlift.

They're freaking out, and then she's like literally taking a video.

Michaela, I'm scared of heights.

It was killing me.

I said, Don't look, don't look.

Yeah, Billy, like when you look out in women's sports spaces in the world of women's sports, do you think I did this?

This is what I did with my life.

Look at what I did.

No, I don't think like you should, actually.

I will

first of all, okay, okay, then you can do that for me.

But no, what I think about is I'm not done yet.

I'm not done yet, but I'm so grateful to still be alive to see what's happening in women's sports.

And

as far as,

you know, legacy is what other people think about you.

But what I care about is what contributions can I make while I'm on earth.

And I think every athlete should think about that.

And I want athletes to think about we

instead of me.

And Julie and I have had this discussion before, where the first two generations

of, you know, a new sport that does really well, usually usually the first two generations say we.

They think of themselves as a team together to make the sport better.

And then by the third generation, as it comes through the locker room, they start saying I.

And then I go, oh, it's always been the same.

I think probably if you think about soccer, that some of these things came true, not all of them maybe, but that sometimes some of the players started thinking about I instead of we.

And I know they talk about the team all the time.

You guys are taught to do that.

But in their heart of hearts, I think a lot of athletes, whether they're in a team sport or non-team sport, that

they do think I a lot.

You always taught us that you're younger.

Greater than the me.

Yep.

But you guys know better than I do because you're younger and you have a different perspective.

That's one thing about getting older is we have better and better, I think, perspective.

Yeah.

And nothing shocks you when you get older.

I think that, Billy, I love that you said that because I think that there's a part of me that agrees with you.

And there's this other part of me that is also seeing the way that the guys do it.

Right.

And

I don't, that's not, that's not a way that I wanted to do sport.

Like, I'm a very much a team first person, but I do think that there is something to be said about

getting and achieving the same kind of success that men have on this planet in terms of sports,

you know, leadership and sports

popularity and the revenue that's coming in.

And so there's this thing that I'm like, yes, there's a purity in team sport that I'm like all here for.

And yet I totally understand why some athletes might think or might be led to think that the me first mentality is the way that they should probably do it because that's what they're seeing in the men's side.

It's not for me as fun to watch, but I also think that I understand it, right?

I understand the process of thought that brings them there.

Oh, I understand it because of the opportunities they have.

They don't, and they don't have the past history, but that's why I like to read history.

I love history.

I mean, even going back to college now,

I was a history major and I, of course, I'm going to finish up as a history major.

And I hope I graduate graduate next May.

Please, God, please.

Oh, that's going to be a party right there.

Yeah, baby.

We're going to have a big one.

I've had to wait a long, long time.

And Kinger, you do such a good job of reminding us that we're just standing on the shoulders of others and

helping.

Right.

Like, there's always someone that came before you that paved that way.

And it's such a great reminder.

I love.

And we will do a segment on Know Your History because this is

huge.

Well, we should, but history is, but people have to remember living isn't in the past it's living history it's living it's alive it's you know like i've got my althea t-shirt on yeah

she's my first she wrote she 75 years 75 years ago she was the she broke our barry color barrier and in tennis she's our jackie robinson of tennis and this year we're celebrating like crazy you know this year they made it a u.s open thing so it is awesome on 75 years finally she's getting her dues no they usually talk about male male athletes.

They don't talk about like without Althea, there wouldn't have been Arthur Ashe, for instance, okay?

Or there wouldn't have been the players of color that we have now.

But even there wouldn't have been a player for this little white girl because I watched her when she was number one in the world.

I was 13 years old.

And she was my first T-Row other than my parents.

And I'll never forget.

She taught me what it looks like to be number one and what it means.

And I went, oh my God, I'm going to have to be better than that.

And then I remember my parents saying, every generation gets better.

And I'm like, oh, my God, I have to be better than her.

But then I got to know her, but I got to know her throughout her life.

So I got my love it.

Love it.

Love it.

Love the shirt.

All right.

Our final goat

has a question.

Yeah, we all want more.

She is a two-time World Cup champion, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in soccer, and one of the most iconic players ever to play the beautiful game.

It's Mariel

Margaret Ham, better known as Mia Ham.

Hey there, Billie Jean, you legend.

It's Mia Ham.

Listen, my one burning question for you is, what is your best, worst dance?

If you don't understand that, just ask Jewel.

She'll explain it to you.

Yeah.

Best, worst.

Oh, my God.

You better explain to me my worst and best dance.

Oh, this is so perfect.

Oh, my God.

So the way it works,

Billy,

the way that it works is it's got to be

the best,

the very worst dance you've ever danced, but the best one of them.

Best of your worst.

Yeah, the best of your worst dance.

This was something, Billy, we did in the locker room a lot.

So much so that right before we would go out for national anthem, we would be doing like, you know, our best of our worst.

My generation?

My generation.

We're big on the twist, baby.

So, no, it's got to be bad, though.

It's like the best of our worst.

It was terrible.

I was, I was.

So, what is your best worst?

Let's see it.

It's got to be a chair dance.

That's all we can see.

I can't stand up.

I don't have pants on today.

Billy.

Billy.

I don't have walking pants on.

I have shorts on.

No, I can't get up.

You should have told me.

Here, you're wearing your best of your worst.

Here, I'll take Abby.

I'll save this for our next one.

How's that?

You don't have to stand.

It's in the chair.

Watch.

Abby goes first.

Abby.

Oh, oh, I can go worse.

I can go worse.

Ready?

Boom, boom.

Oh, yeah, go, Billy.

Go.

Go.

You did less the move.

I am always good at turning, so I can turn.

Julie Wids, this is helpful.

Julie Wids, whatever Julie's doing is

the best of us.

This is ridiculous.

This is great.

Okay, round of applause for Coco, Michaela Schiffer, and Mia Ham.

Slow cup.

Love you guys.

Thanks for participating.

Thank you.

You guys are the best.

Hey, guess what?

Guess what, Billy?

What?

Guess what?

First party.

What's up, buddy?

First party in the books.

Okay, so

a couple reminders to our party people.

Please don't forget to subscribe to the Welcome to the Party YouTube channel.

And, you know, you can click that little bell icon so you get updates when new episodes go live.

So make sure you're in the middle.

Yeah, while you're at it, you need to rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

And it really does matter.

So please review us, follow us, and be sure to follow us on TikTok and Instagram at Welcome to the Party Show, where Julie, Billy, and I will bring the party straight to your feed.

Y'all, thank you to our launch partners and to Kate Diaz, who composed our Welcome to the Party music.

You're the best.

We love our theme song.

And most of all, I think more than anything, we want this party to be yours.

So we want to hear from you once a month.

We're going to do a Give the Power to the Party People episode where we'll be answering all your questions.

We'd love your feedback on topics you want us to hit, themes you want us to hit, athletes you want us to talk to, sports that maybe aren't getting the recognition they deserve.

You get it.

All these topics.

We will try and get to all of them.

And just a reminder as well, please invite your friends or 500 to the party, party, even those who are not big women's sports fans yet.

They're not there yet, because everyone is welcome.

Billy, what do you think?

How should we close out this party every time?

Should we teach them our Usa, Usa, Usa U.S.

Women's National Team cheer?

You have to.

I mean, what is it?

Can you explain it really quickly?

Okay, so going back to the very first national team, they were playing over in Italy and the Italians were, as they do in Europe, instead of calling us USA, they called us Usa in the stands and they were chanting Usa, Usa, Usa.

And we thought that was so funny.

Like, wait, what are they saying?

So from day one, really early on in the national team lore, the pre-game, we're going out onto the field, hands together is Usa, Usa, Usa.

Ah.

They literally still do this cheer.

This is the U.S.

women's national team cheer to this day.

So I think we should close out every party.

Party people, everyone, wherever you are.

If you're doing the dishes, right, hands in.

If you're walking your dog, hands in.

Put your paw in.

And it's the most important part is it's on three.

Usa, usa, usa.

But like the uh is from your soul.

From your soul.

Okay.

Abby.

All right, here we go.

Usa on three.

One, two, three.

Usa, usa, usa.

Oh!

Usa, usa, oosa, oosa.

Oh!

Give me the ball.

All right, party people.

We'll see you next time.

Thanks for joining us.

Welcome to the Party is an independent production brought to you by Treat Media.

Treat Media makes art for humans who want to stay human.

Forever Dog is our production partner, and you can watch our full conversations on the Welcome to the Party YouTube channel and follow us at Welcome to the Party Show on Instagram and TikTok.