Why The Former ‘Fastest Girl In America’ Wants To Change Sports

About this episode

Mary Cain discusses her experiences in competitive running and the changes she advocates for in sports culture.

When Mary Cain stepped onto the track as a high schooler, it was clear that she was a once-in-a-generation kind of talent. Her rise was quick and spectacular, which made it all the more stunning that just a few years after going pro with Nike, she stepped back from competitive running. She joins Anita to talk about the physical and emotional abuse she says she experienced behind the scenes and the systemic change she is calling for in sports culture. Meet the guest: - Mary Cain , author of “ This is Not About Running: A Memoir ” and the founder of the nonprofit Atalanta NYC Read the transcript | Review the podcast on your preferred platform Follow Embodied on Instagram Leave a message for Embodied NOTE: We reached out to Nike, Alberto Salazar and Darren Treasure for comment. You can find statements from Nike and Salazar here . We did not hear back from Darren Treasure.

People in this episode

Host: Anita

Guest: Mary Cain

Topics covered

• sports culture
• athlete experiences
• systemic change
• mental health
• abuse in sports

Keywords

• Mary Cain
• Nike
• sports culture
• abuse
• mental health
• athlete
• memoir

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Nike

Books & works: This is Not About Running: A Memoir

More episodes of Embodied

• Building A Queer Life In The Country · June 11, 2026 · 50 min
• Faceblindness & A Journey To Rediscover Your Brain Midlife · June 4, 2026 · 50 min
• Making The Kid Decision ... And Learning To Live With It · May 28, 2026 · 50 min
• Stuttered: Diversifying The Way We Speak · May 14, 2026 · 50 min
• How A Mother Learned To Connect Without Language · May 7, 2026 · 50 min
• The Case For Taking Humor Seriously · April 30, 2026 · 50 min