Kristi Wagner’s parents were skeptical when she told them she wanted to quit her job, move to Saratoga Springs and pursue rowing full time.
“I was like, somebody has to go to the Olympics. It could be me. And they’re like, well it could be, but are you sure you want to quit your job?” Wagner recalls in the first episode of her new podcast “The Other 3 Years.”
Wagner was sure. She joined the Saratoga Rowing Association’s ARION program for elite rowers and qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics in double sculls, finishing fifth. That didn’t satisfy her, and now she’s working toward the 2024 Olympics in Paris, chronicling her journey in “The Other 3 Years,” a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to be an Olympian.
“We’re going to talk about teammates and teammate relationships, we’re going to talk about mental health and sports psychology and that kind of thing. We’re going to talk about money and what it’s like to be an elite athlete in a non-multi-million-dollar-contract sport,” Wagner said.
Guests will range from fellow Olympic rowers — Wagner’s double sculls partner Gevvie Stone appears on the third episode — and Olympians in other sports to people from Wagner’s personal life, like her friends and parents.
“I really just hope that people broaden their scope of what’s possible within their own lives. I’ve really tried to reiterate that I was not born with (lots) of talent and I wasn’t the best person on every team, and nothing really came easy, and I think that’s true for probably everyone that goes to the Olympics,” Wagner said. “I just hope that people feel inspired to chase a dream that they didn’t think they could.”
Wagner grew up in Boston and knew of Saratoga as a rowing destination. In high school, she participated in a Saratoga Rowing Association rowing/cycling camp and met…
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