Episode 6: An improbable Olympian

Episode Description

Olympic marathon runner Jared Ward joins Coaches’ Book Club to discuss our April book - Boys in the Boat - his career, and two books he wanted to share with us. Jared Ward has enjoyed one of those athletic careers that no one predicted. He wasn’t the most talented, or committed, runner in high school, where he was coached by Corbin Talley, who chose this month’s book. So what changed? Jared shares why running became more than a hobby, especially after he began running for the legendary Ed Eyestone at BYU. He talks about how he battled self-doubt and some untimely injuries, and why he bought into something his coaches saw in him that he didn’t - making an Olympic team as a marathon runner.

He also talks about two books he loves and how they’ve influenced his athletic career and his new business ventures. The books are Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman and The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules our Lives by Leonard Mlodinow.

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More about Coaches' Book Club

Sports are more than just games. Competition is a classroom for the human experience. While scoreboards declare winners and losers, the real value of athletics is the lessons that transcend any field of play. Lessons like perseverance, leadership, and resilience. And coaches are the people responsible for teaching these principles to athletes and fans alike. Have you ever wondered what shaped the philosophy or leadership style of your favorite coaches? A new podcast from KSL - Coach’s Book Club - asks coaches and athletes to share how their favorite books educated, changed or inspired them. Hosts David James and Amy Donaldson are veteran journalists who’ve covered everything from Olympic triumphs to high school heartbreaks. Each month, they'll introduce you to a coach and get their book club pick. Then, we'll read the book together and discuss the characters, themes and lessons. And we want to hear your take, too. This isn't just a podcast to listen to, it's a community. So join the coach's book club!