Kikkan Randall is an American, Olympic champion cross-country skier. She has won 17 U.S. National titles, made 5 trips to the Winter Olympic Games, 13 World Cup victories, and along with teammate Jessie Diggins became the first American women to win Gold in cross-country skiing.
Kikkan is also a wife, a mom, part of the FIS and IOC Athletes’ Commissions, and, more recently, a breast cancer survivor. Just months after experiencing the highest of highs, a gold medal on the Olympic stage, Kikkan was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer.
In this conversation with Kikkan, discover what it is within Kikkan that makes her a fighter. Learn just how early she set her sights on that Olympic gold, and how she channeled the same grit and mental strength when battling cancer.
It’s not uncommon for elite athletes like Kikkan to struggle with their identity after retiring from competitive life, and Kikkan speaks to this difficult transition layered on top of months of chemotherapy.
And one of the most beautiful parts of this story is the trick Kikkan used to cheer herself up during each appointment – wearing brightly colored socks and shoes so that every time she looked to the floor, she could be reminded to reframe her mindset. Kikkan translated this into a shop on her own website selling socks, hats, and headbands that say “It’s Going To Be Okay!” to benefit AKTIV Against Cancer.
Tune in below or wherever you listen to podcasts!
Subscribe to The Stokecast on iTunes
To connect with Kikkan:
- Follow her on Instagram at @kikkanimal
- Visit her website kikkan.com
- Visit the “It’s Going To Be Okay” shop
To share the stoke:
- Connect with your hosts on Instagram at @jonathanronzio & @e_hollz
- Follow @thestokecast and tag us in a story!
- Tell one person who you think will learn something and love the show 🙂
- Subscribe and leave a review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one!
Episode edited by Chris Plante
