Dying To Ask

From grit to glam. The women of Team USA are flipping the script on what longevity looks like the winter edition of Women's Health. Amanda Lucci is the director of special projects for Women's Health. Editors created a mirrored set to evoke icy, wintry vibes and Amanda says the athletes turned models understood the assignment. "They just turned it on the second they got on set and it was so much fun," says Amanda. The Olympics issue celebrates longevity. "We really wanted to explore what it takes to be an athlete for actual decades, while also living a lot of life outside of that," says Amanda. Snowboarder Jamie Anderson is an Olympic gold medalist. She took three years off since the 2022 Winter Games to have two kids. Her Olympic push for Milan Cortina involved a lot of multi-tasking. Amanda says, "She's still talking about how she's still getting into her flow of how she's training and also being a mom but at the same time, she's so much stronger." Cover model Chloe Kim left the last Olympics with more than a gold medal in the halfpipe. She describes extreme burnout and what she's done to work through it and fall in love with snowboarding again. Peak performance means new things. It's not just medals. It's mental health, motherhood, rest, and redefining success. On this Dying to to Ask: Proof it's never too late to pivot careers, even as an athlete How female athletes are fitting in or making backup plans for kids Redefining what's a win. Advice on giving yourself some grace to work on your grit Behind the scenes of the Olympic shoot. How Women's Health made Team USA's top female athletes feel like super models

Living life in threes is paying off for freestyle skier Kaila Kuhn. "All of the men in the world are competing triples. Whereas a maximum [of] eight to 10 women on the Olympic year are actually competing [in] triples," Kuhn said. "Triples" refers to the complexity of an aerial skier's jump. It's an elite-level move, and Kuhn successfully performed a full-full-full to win a recent World Cup event. The full-full-full involves three flips with 360-degree twists. Kuhn admits that "it's dangerous. It's scary. And there's a reason why not many of us do it." Triples are a standard maneuver for male aerial skiers. But Kuhn predicts only eight to 10 women at the Olympics will attempt one. She sees triples as key to winning gold at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. Kuhn was the youngest American to win an individual world title in aerials at the age of 21. She finished eighth in her Olympic debut at the 2022 Games. She transitioned from doubles to triples following her first Olympics. Perfecting triples puts her in line for gold in Milan at the age of 22. On this Dying to Ask: Harnessing fear. The role fear plays in preventing injuries and creating an edge How Kuhn mastered triples. How she perfected a complex move in water before trying it on snow The two stars of American aerial skiing are a real-life couple. How they've supported each other in this Olympic journey And read anything good lately? It's Olympic book club time. Why Kuhn is Team USA's go-to for a book recommendation Other places to listen CLICK HERE to listen on iTunesCLICK HERE to listen on StitcherCLICK HERE to listen on Spotify See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

How do you know when it's time to walk away from an Olympic career? Mia Manganello says it's a feeling. But that's where is gets tricky. Most of the time, those feelings are because an athlete's results aren't what they used to be. Mia is still very much on top in the world of long track speedskating. She just qualified for her third Olympic Team in team pursuit and mass start. At 36, she just feels ready to do something else and she's determined to finish her skating career with as much grace as she has grit. "This is also going to be my last Olympics. That was hard to say," admits Mia. Mia describes the Olympic journey as addictive. "When you get a taste of the Olympics, it's so addicting and just pushing yourself to that limit and and working hard every single day and having someone around you, the team atmosphere, the whole thing is intoxicating," says Mia. Intoxicating and in Mia's case, fancy. Her skate bag has a Chanel logo and she gets a manicure every four weeks! Mia says, "We spend all day, every day in spandex. So I like to feel like a girl. So I get my hair done and my nails done, and I like my my nice things!" On this Dying to Ask: The Road to Milan-Cortina: What makes the grueling Olympic journey so addictive How an athlete weighs the end of a career, especially when they're still on top The lessons Mia learned working in her family's Italian restaurant that define her as an athlete The link between feeling cute and feeling fierce

Imagine all your dreams coming true at the age of 18. It's a real possibility for snowboarder Hanna Percy. The athlete from Truckee, California, is the youngest member of the U.S. female snowboard cross team. Typically, elite snowboarders earn a place on the U.S. Development Team before moving to the Pro Team and then onto an Olympic Team. Hanna's results were so good that she skipped the development level and went straight to the pro team. Now, at 18, she has a shot at representing Team USA at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics. Hanna says, "We have six girls competing for three spots right now." Hanna's parents were pro snowboarders in the 1990s. Their daughter's talent and need for speed showed up early. Her mother, Kim Percy, remembers "she was probably 10 when she passed me on the hill. It's like her board is a connection to her feet." Hanna left Northern California when she was 16 and enrolled at the prestigious Gould Academy, where her snowboarding results soared. The small co-ed academy in Western Maine is a favorite for winter sports athletes with Olympic ambitions. The move paid off. The environment allowed her to finish high school while launching her pro career. In person, Hanna is incredibly likable and friendly. But on the snow she's known for a grit and fierce need to win that's propelling her career at record speed. "I just like, kind of have to win," Hanna admits. But there a playful side too. And, it's evident in every start gate where she Macarenas to loosen up and lessen the stress! On this Dying to Ask - The Road to Milan-Cortina: How to fuel your own competitive spirit How an 18 year old rose so quickly in snowboard cross and who taught this Gen Zer to Macarena? How Hanna stays grounded when life and it's possibilities seem endless right now And my favorite attribute: grit. Where Hanna's comes from and the mentor who taught her how to dig in

It takes a village to raise an Olympic hopeful. And sometimes, that village has to change ZIP codes. Brooklyn DePriest is a snowboarder for Team USA, hoping to make his Olympic debut at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games. He competes in slopestyle. Brooklyn grew up in Northern California in a Sacramento-area suburb called Rocklin. The DePriests spent their winter weekends in Tahoe. Brooklyn's snowboarding talent quickly became apparent as competitions would result in him standing on podiums. By the time he was 12, his parents were advised that their son had the potential to go pro and maybe even go to the Olympics. The catch? He'd need to move for more specialized coaching. The problem? The entire DePriest family loved their home and neighborhood in Rocklin. "There were probably about 10 families involved in the neighborhood," Brooklyn DePreist said. We would ride to school on our bikes and skateboards every single day. We all played the same sport, so we were on the same sports teams." Neither of Brooklyn's parents came from a winter sports background. "The coaches are telling us, like, he has real talent, but we're like, does he? I don't know," Courtney DePriest, Brooklyn's mom, said. The DePriests made the tough decision to relocate to Vail, Colorado, where both their sons could attend a good school while Brooklyn pursued his Olympic goals. Seven years later, Brooklyn DePriest is a contender to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics. This is one of the most candid conversations I've ever had with an athlete's parents about the sacrifice entire families make to follow Olympic dreams. On this Dying to Ask: The Road to Milan-Cortina: How the DePriests made the call to go all-in on Brooklyn's snowboarding future when he was only 12 The pressure young athletes feel to perform when their parents sacrifice so much How Olympic hopefuls handle the mental health challenges of injuries Learn tricks to calm your brain while your body is healing And did they or didn't they? The DePriests reveal whether they purchased Olympic tickets before knowing whether or not their kid has made the team Other places to listen CLICK HERE to listen on iTunesCLICK HERE to listen on StitcherCLICK HERE to listen on Spotify See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

"Head first" isn't a choice for Kendall Wesenberg. It's a job requirement. The skeleton slider has also turned it into her life mantra. And her grit to push through life and it's challenges is becoming legendary. The 2018 Olympian is working toward qualifying for her second Olympic Team. But she's already put in a gold medal worthy effort just trying to qualify for the 2026 Winter Games. Kendall grew up in Modesto, California, playing a variety of sports. She graduated from CU-Boulder and in 2010 watched the sport of skeleton for the first time during the Vancouver Olympics. She thought, "I wonder if I could do that?" She attended a sliding athletes combine and discovered she had an irrational need for speed and the innate talent to get good at one of the most niche Olympic sport. Skeleton athletes slide head first on their stomachs down the same icy track the bobsleds go down. Athletes use their shoulder sand knees to steer. Kendall explains, "There are anywhere from 12 to 20-something curves that you try and cover in about a minute, usually less." She's gone as fast at 86 miles per hour on a track. And, she competed in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. But she failed to make the 2022 Olympic Team. It turns out she had an undiagnosed spinal injury that had gone untreated for three years. It explained the immense pain she'd experienced training and competing. "The things that hold your spine in place snapped off of my back. And when it didn't get diagnosed, my vertebrae just slid out of my spinal column. So it was like fully pinching my nerves. I couldn't feel my legs," says Kendall. Her surgeon recommended a spinal fusion, a surgery with a very long recovery. Kendall jokes, "The playbook's pretty thin on a return to sport post spine fusion." But her doctor didn't close the door on a return to the sport she loved. Kendall spent three months in a back brace, seven months barely walking and couldn't start serious physical therapy until 10 months post surgery. 600 days later she returned to the ice describing her return to a track as "awesome." A year later, she's earned a spot on the U.S. World Cup Skeleton Team and she's actively trying to qualify for that second Olympic Team. On this Dying to Ask: The Road to Milan- Cortina: Advice for anyone trying to heal from a major injury How Kendall stays positive despite spending years healing her body Kendall's wife did some sliding...into her DMs. How being married has added balance to her athletic life

Bryce Bennett has a new title, and it's his favorite one yet: dad. The two-time Olympic skier is going for his third Olympic Team. Bryce is 33 and has spent nearly half his life on the U.S. Ski Team. Bryce and his wife, Kelley, welcomed their first child, a daughter, this spring. "You have this thing that is totally dependent on you," Bennett said. "You're in total love with it. And you will do anything to give it as many opportunities as you can." One of those opportunities will be a front row seat to her dad trying to make his third Olympic Team after 14 years of competing with the U.S. Ski Team around the world. "Kelley is going to come over, and we're going to rent an apartment and spend a lot of time in Europe this winter. The little baby is going to come over, and we're just going to live life and figure it out," Bennett said. Bryce grew up in Tahoe City, CA, and skied at Palisades Tahoe as a kid. He was a teenager when he made the U.S. Ski Team. In the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, he finished 17th (Super G-Men) and 19th (Downhill - Men). In the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, he finished 16th (Downhill - Men) and 17th (Super Combined - Men). His goal for 2026? "My ideal year this year would be have an insane season, which is doable. Win the Olympics, take your trophies, and put them deep in the basement. And then go on and live your life," Bennett said. Bryce is known for a few things off the snow. One, he has a lot of hobbies, including fishing. You'll see as many "big ole fish" pictures on his Instagram feed as you do ski runs. The second is his incredible sense of humor. And that's why I picked Bryce to lead off our launch of Dying to Ask: The Road to Milan-Cortina. Get ready to laugh out loud as Bryce describes what it's like to be a pro skier when you're 6 feet 7 inches tall. Find out why being a parent as a winter Olympic athlete is like being a unicorn on the U.S. Olympic Team. And get some perspective on why being in tunnel vision with a goal is pointless. On this Dying to Ask: The Road to Milan-Cortina: How rare it is to be a parent on the U.S. Olympic Team The edge Olympians say parenthood gives them How Bryce stays motivated after spending nearly half his life on the U.S. Ski Team The value of having hobbies outside your day job Other places to listen CLICK HERE to listen on iTunesCLICK HERE to listen on StitcherCLICK HERE to listen on Spotify See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

Audiobooks are booming in popularity and they are a fun way to boost mental health. A calm voice can actually lower your stress hormones just like meditation does. Publishers Weekly reports the audiobook industry grew 13% in revenue last year, marking more than a decade of double-digit growth. Americans are listening more than ever while while commuting, working out, or just winding down at night. Lonely? An audiobook can be surprisingly comforting. There's something about having a voice in your ear, telling you a story, that is intimate. That sense of connection is can really impact your mood. Need to improve focus? Stop scrolling and start listening. Give your busy brain a break. On this Dying to Ask: 5 ways listening to audiobooks is good for your mental health 5 places to get audiobooks, including one that is 100% free

What would you do if your whole life changed in one moment? Robert Paylor can actually answer that question because it happened to him. He's defying odds and inspiring people across the country. His new book is called Paralyzed to Powerful. It's equal parts memoir and motivation and tells the story of what happened after he suffered a catastrophic injury in a televised college rugby match in 2017. Robert Paylor was a rugby star at Jesuit High School who went on to play for Cal Berkeley. His injury happened during an illegal play during the 2017 National Championships. It left Robert a quadriplegic. Paylor says, "On day one, I was told I'd be lucky if I could feed myself, so what I'm doing today is just sort of miraculous. And I'm taking everything I can get." Paylor went through years of grueling rehabilitation and credits his athlete's mindset, faith and support from family and friends for all that happened next. Paylor graduated with a business degree at Cal, became a motivational speaker, got married and is expecting his first child. Life looks a lot different eight years later. "I can walk 500 yards in my walker now. I've had about 80% return in my upper body and it continues to progress here 8 years out," says Paylor. Get ready for a mindset masterclass. On this Dying to Ask: The impact of mindset in any physical recovery The question Robert asks himself to push through hard days How to find purpose in life's darkest challenges And a reality check on who really benefits when you forgive someone

If you’ve ever felt a little anxious as summer winds down and routines ramp up, you’re not alone. You might have a case of the September Scaries. My morning show partner, Teo Torres, is my co-host on this episode, where we talk about this end-of-summer phenomenon. Think of it as the seasonal cousin of the Sunday Scaries. The September Scaries are not an official diagnosis. But psychologists say they're the real deal, and re-framing your view of September can help. On this Dying to Ask: Teo and I will break down what the September Scaries are and what it isn't And we'll offer you a five-step plan to give it a try Disclaimer: We also get off topic A LOT because, well, we're us. Other places to listen CLICK HERE to listen on iTunesCLICK HERE to listen on StitcherCLICK HERE to listen on Spotify See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

Denise Austin is one of the original fitness influencers. And she's as passionate about getting America moving as she was in the early 1980s. Denise got her TV start as the first fitness correspondent on the Today Show. She was a natural and quickly became a household name. That led to a daily 30 minute exercise show that aired for more than 20 years. She went on to sell more than 25 million exercise VHS tapes and DVDs. She authored 12 best selling books. More than 40 years later, Denise is still sharing workouts on social media and YouTube. And, her daughter Katie is a popular fitness influencer for Gen Z and millennials. How'd she stay passionate about her job for more than four decades? "You go to meet the people, you feel the love . You think, yeah, this is why I'm doing it. They tell you their stories, and how much better they feel," says Denise. In this episode, Denise shares how she maintains her positivity no matter what obstacle life throws her way. We're going beyond fitness and getting advice on growing a business, growing a family and growing older with her community. On this Dying to Ask: Find out how Denise cold-called her way into becoming the first fitness reporter on the Today Show How she turned that opportunity into a 40 year empire How she keeps up her famous energy Why she still believes 30 minutes a day is the key to aging well And how her daughter Katie is following in her footsteps as a Gen Z and Millennial fitness influencer

Need a pick-me-up? Skip the coffee and try a movement bite. Jessica Schatz is a celebrity trainer and biomechanics and ProACTIVE Aging expert. She's trained professional athletes, Broadway stars and Hollywood actors for decades. Those athletes and performers need to maintain energy to perform. Jessica says the key to maintaining energy and aging well isn't destroying yourself in a two-hour gym workout. It's a lot easier than that. It's incorporating five-minute exercise breaks frequently into your day. Even 30 seconds of jumping jacks, pushups or squats can go a long way. Jessica calls them movement bites. "They increase your blood flow. They increase your heart rate. And they start to release these proteins, these Myokines, and they also release a protein called BDNF, Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor. It's like fertilizer for your brain," Schatz said. It's good news for anyone not crazy about chasing the elusive runner's high. Creating a positive neurfeedback loop doesn't have to leave you exhausted. It just needs to be consistent. "You're literally teaching yourself to foster a relationship with movement that's positive," Schatz said. Follow Jessica: Facebook: @thecoreexpert Instagram: @TheCoreExpert YouTube: @TheCoreExpert On this Dying to Ask: A deep dive into the science of hope molecules 5 movement bites you can do sitting in your car or at your desk How to plan your own "pick-me-ups" to improve mood and energy And what it's like to be a celebrity trainer to stars like Ashley Olsen and NBA players Other places to listen CLICK HERE to listen on iTunesCLICK HERE to listen on StitcherCLICK HERE to listen on Spotify See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel