Missy Franklin is one of the most decorated swimmers in history, winning her first gold medals at the age of 17 at the 2012 London Olympics.
What followed — injury, pressure, burnout — revealed just as much about who she is. And in this conversation of the Youth Inc. podcast with Greg Olsen, Franklin shared the wisdom earned on the other side of all that success: how to nurture passion, what good parenting looks like and why she believes her most powerful message has nothing to do with winning.
What do you do when you achieve your dreams at 17? Franklin found, and it wasn’t easy. But she came out on the other side and is better and stronger because of it. Now, she’s ready to share what she’s learned with the next generation.
Check out the full episode on our YouTube page and do us a solid and subscribe.
Youth Inc. parenting ambassador Leah Jantzen has started a new podcast for moms who are looking to get back into sports or just working out. Leah outlines her inspiration for the show:
“This show was born out of my own journey. I discovered triathlon at 43, qualified for Kona in 2019 and finally raced there in 2022. Alongside training, I was raising four kids, navigating work, marriage and all the curveballs life throws at us. I learned firsthand how hard it is to keep chasing big goals when the world tells you it’s time to slow down, step aside or shrink yourself."
The truth is, many women feel like they need permission to stay competitive, ambitious and strong once they become mothers. We’ve been conditioned to not put ourselves last. But I’ve come to believe the exact opposite: when we keep showing up for ourselves, we model resilience, joy and confidence for our kids.
That’s what this podcast is: a permission slip for moms everywhere.”
Let’s give the creative teacher of the Year award to Mrs. Crippen, a third grade teacher at Pinecrest Elementary in Miami. To help motivate her students, Crippen incorporated the NFL into her classroom.
It’s called NFeLmntary. Crippen, who played flag football in college, held an NFL draft in her classroom. The idea came from her mother who is also a teacher and helped a draft in 1999 to motivate her students. It worked and the idea stayed in the family.
Alec Ingold, a fullback for the Miami Dolphins, is celebrated for his versatility on the field and his commitment off it. A three-time Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee, he actively engages with his community and shares his journey with 80K followers on Instagram. He is an author, public speaker and all around fantastic advocate for the NFL.
Coach RAC, a former Washington Nationals signee turned Savannah Bananas fan favorite, brings serious energy to the game and the internet. After a standout college career and a viral MLB signing moment, he’s built a massive online community of over 1.5 million fans across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram by blending elite baseball knowledge with off-the-wall entertainment. Whether he's mashing homers or mentoring young players, Coach RAC is all about making baseball fun again.
Home runs hit this season by the Seattle Mariners’ Cal Raleigh, tying Mickey Mantle’s record for the most by a switch hitter.
"Being able to give back, it just felt right. It felt like something I wanted to do.”
- Basketball Star Lamar Wilkerson on why he donated a portion of his seven-figure NIL deal he got from Indiana back to his old school, Sam Houston.
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