The Third Lap

10. Kobi Walker // Australian National Silver Medalist to NCAA Standout Athlete, Starting a Business at 14, Growing a Community Online, Hosting a Run Club, Vlogging & Everything in Between!

"Take a bet on yourself and what's the worst that can happen? You don't love it? You can come back to how you were originally doing things, but you'll learn a thing or two from it." In this episode, we dive deep into Kobe Walker’s extraordinary story from her athletic roots in Australia to competing at the NCAA level in the US, all while building a thriving social media presence and multiple businesses. Not to mention, she did this all by the age of 20. Get ready for a conversation ranging from ... * Kobe’s transition from Australia to NCAA and the challenges of adjusting to a new environment * How her family’s athletic background shaped her mindset and choices * The power of culture fit when selecting college programs * Balancing elite athletics, content creation, and entrepreneurship * Innovation in business: launching Kobe’s Kitchen and Foodie Spread * Growing a social media presence authentically from TikTok to YouTube * Lessons learned about decision-making, core values, and embracing uncertainty * Kobe’s plans for future business expansion and collaboration dreams * Recently hosting her first run club (!!!) & MUCH more... Hope you all enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed recording this episode :') Lot's of updates from my end coming soon here but it's great to be back! LET'S CONNECT Adele's Socials IG: https://www.instagram.com/an.athletes.appetite/?hl=en YT: https://youtube.com/@adele.alexander?si=_sYO2qrUfWvpKu7j Kobi's Socials IG: https://www.instagram.com/kobiwalker_/reels/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/kobis.kitchen/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/foodiespread/?hl=en YT: https://www.youtube.com/@kobiwalker_ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mekobiwalker

09. Teagan Shein-Becker, Professional 800m & 1500m Runner for Brooks // Art School Aspirations to NCAA Second Team All-American, 12 Time MAAC Championship Gold Medalist and Olympic Trials Competitor

“All of my visits that I did, I was going to schools that had the art programs. I actually didn’t do like an extensive visit to other colleges really. I went to Temple and we went to the Philadelphia Art School…Like I just, I was going to art school. That was what I was gonna do. So I was very locked in on that and there were just kind of no thoughts behind it. And then Cross Country was going a little bit better than I thought it was going to go…Bob Hamer (Head Coach of Rider University) was at my States meet…” Throughout high school, Teagan envisioned herself pursuing art school and had every intention of attending Temple for its Arts Program - until receiving a handwritten note from Rider University coach Bob Hamer and a surprisingly good senior cross country season changed everything. Once she committed to running at Rider, Teagan’s progression was nothing short of incredible. She rose to dominance in the MAAC Conference, collecting 12 gold medals at conference championships and cementing herself as one of the best middle-distance runners in MAAC history. Her success extended to the national stage, where she earned Second Team All-American honors with an 11th-place finish in the 1500m at the 2024 NCAA Track & Field Championships, followed by appearances in both the 800m and 1500m at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Now running professionally with Brooks, Teagan shares insights on confidence, setting priorities, and the importance of having fun with it all as this middle distance girly gears up for her next challenge in the pro world: cross country??? Teagan was the easiest guest to have on, being well-spoken, honest, and kind, which made for such an inspiring and genuine conversation. I'm beyond excited to share it with you all! Also, if you're seeing this and want to support the pod, it would mean the world if you gave a 5 star review to help this continue to grow. As always, let me know if there's anyone or anything you'd like me to touch on in episodes to come! Thank you for being here <333 LET'S CONNECT: Adele's Socials IG: https://www.instagram.com/an.athletes.appetite/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/an.athletes.appetite/?hl=en] YT: https://www.youtube.com/@adele.alexander [https://www.youtube.com/@adele.alexander] https://www.instagram.com/teagyluvs/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/teagyluvs/?hl=en] https://www.youtube.com/@teagyluvs [https://www.youtube.com/@teagyluvs] https://www.tiktok.com/@teagyluvs [https://www.tiktok.com/@teagyluvs]

08. Katherine Kennedy RETURNS // Chicago Marathon Full Recap, Training with a New Coach, Making the Most of Senior Year of College & Thanksgiving Hot Takes

In just her second marathon ever, Katherine runs an evenly paced 2:45 (6:17/mile) in Chicago. What makes this performance perhaps even more impressive? She trained up to this all while balancing a full college lifestyle from sorority life, to rigorous honors classes at Emory, and now landing a post-grad full time job offer in NYC. Katherine tells us, “Right now marathons and long running is very, very trendy…there’s this trend and ideology that people are able to run marathons like five, six marathons a year, And like, I just don’t think that’s realistic for a number of reasons…I personally don’t follow that. I like to do a much more chill one [per] year max. Actually, I was planning on doing Boston this spring, 2026, had qualified in my prior marathon last year and decided not to just because I have my whole life to run Boston. And yes, I qualified and I had qualified again this year so if I decide to do it in 2026, sure. But at this point in my life, I have my life to run marathons. I have a semester left of college.” While she may stick to one per year, there is no doubt that when Katherine sets out to run a marathon she makes it COUNT. Tune in as we dive into the full race weekend from exploring the city, soaking up the expo for the first time, and attending Bretts Bites Run Club. We’ll then hear her full recap of the race itself from miles 1 to 26 including the new friends she made (and even ran with!) along the way. Beyond marathon weekend itself, Katherine also shares what her marathon training block looked like, from key workouts and carb loading to how having a coach changed her approach to training. For those who stay through the end, we’ll catch up on her life as a senior at Emory University and wrap things up with a fun speed round full of the pressing (totally super important) questions, including our hot-takes on Thanksgiving food. I hope you all love this episode as much as I now want to run a marathon!!! LET'S CONNECT: ADELE: IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/an.athletes.appetite/?hl=en⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/an.athletes.appetite/?hl=en] YT: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@adele.alexander [https://www.youtube.com/@adele.alexander] KATHERINE: https://www.instagram.com/running.and.raspberries/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/running.and.raspberries/?hl=en]

07. Angelina Perez // From "Rock Bottom" to NCAA Top-30 Ranked XC Runner, Lessons Through Eating Disorder Recovery, Finding Joy in Running Again & Building the Best Version of Herself Yet

“It felt so rewarding to have that race back and then be able to see success in my first season back knowing that I was doing things the right way…I was fueling properly, taking care of my body, physically and mentally doing all the things I needed to do.” Angelina Perez has been having what many have labeled a "comeback season", but what does this comeback really mean? In this episode, we'll sit down with one of the NCAA's top distance runners, who shares the struggles she's gone through leading up to where she is now, racing happier and healthier than ever. From the University of Florida, to a Gap Year, to where she now calls home at Wake Forest, Angelina is not just back to the competitive running scene, but better. Angelina discusses her struggles with injuries, mental health, and an eating disorder, and how these challenges led her to take a gap year for recovery. She emphasizes the importance of prioritizing health first and foremost, and finding joy in running. Angelina's story highlights resilience, the power of support, and the ongoing process of recovery, ultimately leading to her recent successes in cross country at Wake Forest. Both a fun conversation, but also a vulnerable one covering deeper topics that makes this well worth sharing. Angelina is a testament to the fact that nobody's path to success comes easily, and will often be anything but linear. If you are reading this and struggling, you are not alone and I hope this gives you hope. Things will always get better when you push beyond your comfort zone and fight to make change <333 Love you guys! XX, Adele LET'S CONNECT: Adele's Socials IG: https://www.instagram.com/an.athletes.appetite/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/an.athletes.appetite/?hl=en] YT: https://www.youtube.com/@adele.alexander [https://www.youtube.com/@adele.alexander] Angelina's Socials IG: https://www.instagram.com/_angelinaaperez_/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/_angelinaaperez_/?hl=en]

06. Makenzie Steele // Walk-On to Roster Spot at Clemson, Lessons from D1 Running, Content Creator on Social Media, and New Journey as Creative Intern for GoDucks

In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Makenzie Steele, also known as @goodfoodgoodrun [https://www.instagram.com/goodfoodgoodrun/?hl=en], who has built a loyal community of over 44k followers on Instagram, along with a YouTube and TikTok presence. Makenzie and I first connected years ago through our shared love of food and running, and now that friendship has come full circle into today’s conversation. We dive into her journey from high school soccer player to walking on at Clemson and earning a roster spot on the cross country and track team, and what it was really like to embrace the challenges of being a D1 athlete. She opens up about her premature retirement due to injury, and how that setback ultimately allowed her to lean further into photography, content creation, and now a creative media role with @GoDucks while pursuing her MBA at Oregon. Makenzie also shares how she resonates with the idea of the "Third Lap", navigating the difficult but often glamorized early 20s while balancing athletics, creativity, and career growth. This is such a fun conversation and I hope you enjoy! LET'S CONNECT!!! MY SOCIALS: IG: https://www.instagram.com/an.athletes.appetite/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/an.athletes.appetite/?hl=en] YT: https://www.youtube.com/@adele.alexander [https://www.youtube.com/@adele.alexander] MAKENZIE'S SOCIALS: IG: https://www.instagram.com/goodfoodgoodrun/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/goodfoodgoodrun/?hl=en] // https://www.instagram.com/msteele.media/ [https://www.instagram.com/msteele.media/] YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkK0ahmhHeIjHggyKJ2yeqA [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkK0ahmhHeIjHggyKJ2yeqA]