Men’s Journal’s Everyday Warrior With Mike Sarraille is a new podcast that inspires individuals to live more fulfilling lives by having conversations with disrupters and high performers in all walks of life. In our ninth episode, we talked to Adam Rippon, a former American figure skater. Rippon was the first openly gay athlete to win a medal for the United States in the Winter Olympics, winning bronze in the team event at the PyeongChang Games in 2018.
Listen to the full episode above (scroll down for the transcript) and see more from this series below.
This interview has not been edited for length or clarity.
Mike Sarraille:
Welcome to the Everyday Warrior podcast. We are joined by Adam Rippon, who I think is a total badass and everyday warrior. This was a last minute, sort of thrown together, during South by Southwest, and I appreciate you taking the time. I know you got in yesterday and you’re leaving today, but when I heard you were in town and open to a podcast, having known who you are and followed your exploits, there was no way I could pass on this. So I’m glad we made this happen in less than 24 hours, but welcome to the podcast.
Adam Rippon:
Well, thank you. Well, there’s no way I could pass on it either. So this is just really off to a great start.
Mike Sarraille:
Good. And so we are sharing in mimosas, we’re going to get relaxed here. Good. Well, first off, I said this earlier, you didn’t recognize it, nor would you know that we share a birthday, November 11th Veteran’s Day. That is-
Adam Rippon:
In the same year, 1989. We were born in the same year. Yeah.
Mike Sarraille:
Yes. I was born in 1989. Thank you. He’s already hooked me up. So let’s dive right in. This is going to be a wonderful conversation for a lot of people, and I’m excited to learn from you because you’ve done so much in only 32 years, to my 44.
Adam Rippon:
Well, you’re very sweet. Let’s go. I’m ready.
Mike Sarraille:
Let’s go. Okay. So born in 1989, November 11th, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Is Scranton a hotbed for Olympic level figure skaters?
Adam Rippon:
All right. Look me in the eye, and what do you think? It’s not. There’s not a lot of hot bedding in Scranton, to be honest. And no offense to Scranton, love the place, but I’m from the east coast, so the winters are cold, and I got into skating because it was just somebody had a birthday party or the big thing to do where we’re from is in the winter you go to Montage Mountain to ski. I’m assuming you’ve obviously heard of Montage Mountain.
Mike Sarraille:
Actually, I have not.
Adam Rippon:
No, it’s-
Mike Sarraille:
In California we have Squaw Valley and …
Adam Rippon:
Right, but in Scranton we have Montage Mountain.
Mike Sarraille:
Is it [crosstalk].
Adam…
