Episode Details

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek brought to you by OnX Backcountry, we are joined by Clara "Redfeather" Hughes. Clara, in no uncertain terms, is a bonafide superstar. In addition to a multitude of thru-hikes under her belt, Clara is a world-class speed skater and cyclist, being the only athlete in history to win multiple medals at both the summer and winter Olympic Games. Let that sink in for a second. We go deep on all the things you'd want to ask an Olympic superstar, including what her training regimen looks like, what it feels like to win a gold medal, and how much of a drunken orgy the Olympic village really is. We also learn how her backpacking endeavors played a role in her Olympic career and why she attributes a portion of her success to her trekking.

We do a triple crown of Olympic sports (fittingly enough), how a professional tennis player stole our idea to sell our body parts in a non-prostitution sorta way (not that there's anything wrong with that), and a contentious patent pending.

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Interview with Clara Hughes

• Clara's Instagram
• Clara's Website
• Clara's Book

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00:04:55 - QOTD: What is your favorite pizza?

00:08:36 - Welcome Clara Hughes!

00:14:51 - What is this Baja hike?

00:17:44 - How did you get into your Olympic career?

00:25:22 - So you first got into sport when you were 16 or 17, how old were you for your first Olympic games?

00:25:44 - When you were younger did you know you were gifted as an athlete?

00:25:55 - How did you go from not really doing sport to being an olympic athlete? What happened in the middle?

00:29:03 - So the Olympic medals came after the JMT revelation?

00:31:10 - What is the community of the Olympics in Canada? How does it even work getting into the Olympics? What does the system look like in the months outside of the Olympic games?

00:33:18 - How did the structure of the Olympic community help with your mental health struggles?

00:40:40 - Is there a part of you that does want to turn hiking into sport and try an FKT?

00:44:28 - Do you relay your story about mental health