>>> LETS TALK TOKYO TIMING
BECAUSE EXACTLY ONE WEEK FROM
TODAY YOU WILL BE ABLE TO WATCH
THE OPENING CEREMONIES ON NBC.
ALSO TODAY, THE HOST CITY IS
HITTING THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF
NEW COVID CASES THAT TOKYO HAS
SEEN IN SIX MONTHS.
ALL OF IT AS YOU HAVE ATHLETES
ARRIVING FOR THE GAMES, WHICH IS
WHY ALSO THIS MORNING WERE
FOCUSING ON SOME OTHER
CHALLENGES THAT COULD THREAT TON
KEEP SOME ATHLETES FROM
COMPETING
COMPETING, SPECIFICALLY FEMALE
ATHLETES WITH KIDS.
TRACK STAR ALICE FELIX WAS
SAYING SHE WAS STILL
BREAST-FEEDING, MENTALLY AND
PHYSICALLY EXHAUSTED AND
ASSIGNED A ROOMMATE AT ONE OF
HER COMPETITIONS.
SHE SAID, THERE WAS NO WAY I
COULD BRING ANOTHER ATHLETE INTO HER ZONE.
HER ZONE.
SHE STEPPED UP, SHE AND ATHLETA.
SOME OF THESE ATHLETES HAVE
ALREADY GOT THE GRANT, INCLUDING
PARALYMPIC VOLLEYBALL ALONG WITH
MARY BETH LAUTEN.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US AND
GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
>> IM PSYCHED FOR THIS
CONVERSATION.
LAURA, LET ME START WITH YOU.
YOU HAVE THREE KIDS, 6, 8, 10.
YOU ARE HEADING TO TOKYO SOON.
YOU CALL THIS GRANT
LIFE-CHANGING AND WHY YOU THINK
IT MIGHT GIVE YOU A COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE HERE.
>> SURE, ABSOLUTELY.
ITS LIFE CHANGING BECAUSE WHILE
WERE ATHLETES AND OUR JOB IS TO
FOCUS ON VOLLEYBALL, FOR ME,
WHILE WERE AT COMPETITION, 50%
OF MY MIND IS ALWAYS BACK
HOMEMAKING SURE THAT THEYRE
TAKING CARE OF WHAT THEY NEED.
IM A STAY-AT-HOME MOM WHEN IM
NOT PLAYING VOLLEYBALL SO MY
MIND IS IN BOTH PLACES.
I MANAGE MY CHILDRENS SCHEDULE
AND THEY ARE MY LIFE.
ITS VERY HARD TO SEPARATE YOUR
MOTHERHOOD FROM YOUR ATHLETIC
SELF.
THIS GRANT HAS GIVEN MY FAMILY
THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT
STABILITY AT HOME THAT WEVE
NEVER HAD BEFORE.
WEVE BEEN ABLE TO FLY IN FAMILY
MEMBERS FROM ARIZONA AND ITALY
TO TAKE CARE OF THEM WHILE IM
IN TOKYO.
THE WORRY OF WHATS GOING ON AT
HOME IS TAKEN AWAY AND I CAN
FOCUS SOLELY ON TOKYO AND
BRINGING HOME THAT GOLD.
>> THATS AMAZING.
DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO COMPETE IF YOU HADNT
HAD THAT GRANT OR IT SOUNDS LIKE
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH, MUCH
HARDER FOR YOU.
>> WE ALWAYS FIGURE OUT A WAY TO
DO IT, BUT ESPECIALLY WITH THE
TIME CHANGE AND BEING ON
COMPLETELY OPPOSITE SCHEDULES,
ITS JUST AN ADDED STRESS.
I CAN ADMIT MY MIND IS NOT
ALWAYS ON THE GAME, EVEN IN THE
MIDDLE OF IT, BECAUSE YOURE
WORRIED ABOUT SOMETHING IS GOING
TO HAPPEN OR A CATASTROPHE AT
HOME THAT YOU CANT HELP WITH
WHILE YOURE COMPLETING.
>> CAN YOU TELL US WHY ATHLETA
DECIDED TO PARTNER WITH ALLYSON
FELIX.
THIS IS BIG MONEY GIVEN TO THESE
ATHLETES.
>> WE PARTNERED VERY CLOSELY
WITH AILLLYSON ON THIS.
ITS A PASSION OF HERS.
OUR MISSION AT ATHLETA IS TO
IGNITE A COMMUNITY OF ACTIVE,
CONFIDENT WOMEN.
THIS GRANT PROGRAM WENT RIGHT
ALONG WITH THAT.
AND WE WERE RIGHT THERE WITH
ALLYSON TO SUPPORT IT AND JUST
SO HAPPY TO SEE THE IMPACT ON
ATHLETES LIKE LAURAWYER LORA, WH
GOING TO FEEL SUPPORTED AS THEY
HEAD TO TOKYO.
>> LORA, I WANT TO PULL ON A BIT
OF A THREAD THAT YOU TALKED
ABOUT BEFORE.
ITS THE IDEA THAT AS AN
ATHLETE, SEPARATE BEING A MOM
AND AN ATHLETE.
I THINK A LOT OF WOMEN CAN
UNDERSTAND THAT.
MY JOURNALIST LIFE AS MOM LIFE.
ITS DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO
PURSUE, A SUPPORT, AND YOU FEEL
LIKE YOU CANT TALK ABOUT IT
BECAUSE IT COMES ACROSS AS
UNFOCUSED
UNFOCUSED.
I THINK THIS IS SO IMPORTANT
BECAUSE UNTIL WOMEN SAY, HEY, I
CANT DO X THING FOR MY JOB
TODAY BECAUSE I HAVE A KID
THING, THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE
THAT STIGMA AROUND IT, RIGHT?
AND I WONDER HOW YOU TALK ABOUT
IT AND HOW YOU THINK ABOUT
BREAKING THROUGH THAT.
PEOPLE CAN BE MOMS, THEY CAN BE,
LIKE YOU, THE ABSOLUTE TOP OF
THEIR GAME, AND STILL BE ABLE TO
BE ABLE TO SHARE THEIR
EXPERIENCE AS A PARENT.
>> SURE.
WE ALWAYS WANT TO FEEL DEDICATED
TO WHAT WERE DOING PRESENTLY.
I ACTUALLY CAME A TIME WHERE I
HAD TO WORK UP THE COURAGE TO
TALK TO MY COACHING STAFF AND
SAY, LISTEN, I MIGHT NEED A FEW
MORE MINUTES AND IT MIGHT SEEM
LIKE IM MESSING AROUND ON MY
PHONE, BUT IM MAKING SURE
EVERYTHING IS IN ORDER AT HOME
BEFORE I STEP ON THE COURT SO MY
FOCUS CAN BE HERE.
SOMETIMES THOSE CONVERSATIONS
ARE HARD TO HAVE BECAUSE YOU
DONT WANT TO FEEL LIKE YOURE
SPLIT BETWEEN TWO PLACES AND YOU
DONT WANT THE PEOPLE YOURE
SUPPOSED TO BE FOCUSING ON THAT
THEYRE NOT GETTING YOUR 100%
FOCUS.
ADMITTING THAT SOMETIMES YOU
MIGHT NEED A LITTLE TIME TO
FOCUS ON THE THING AT HOME
BEFORE YOU CAN REALLY DIAL IN IS
HARD.
BUT WHEN YOU ADMIT THAT IS THIS
THE TIME YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO
COME BACK IN AND FOCUS, THAT IS
WHERE THE REAL CONVERSATIONS
KIND OF HAPPEN AND SAY, LISTEN,
IF YOU WANT ME TO BE HERE, THEN
GIVE ME THIS TIME AND ILL SHOW
UP.
>> AND TALKING ABOUT IT AND
BEING PUBLIC ABOUT IT AND
SETTING THAT EXAMPLE, LORA, IS
SUPER IMPORTANT.
MARY BETH, WHEN IT COMES TO
GENDER EQUALITY, NIELSEN SAYS
THE OLYMPICS ARE THE BIGGEST
PLATFORM FOR GENDER EQUALITY.
THE GAMES ARE THE CLOSEST WEVE
GOTTEN SO FAR TO HAVING AN EQUAL
NUMBER OF MENS AND WOMENS
EVENTS.
YOU CAN SEE THE GRAPH ON SCREEN.
HOW DO YOU THINK ABOUT IN YOUR
ROLE LEADING ATHLTEA, BUILDING
ON THIS MOMENTUM, KEEPING THAT
PUSH GROWING SO THAT GRAPH KEEPS
GOING, RIGHT?
>> THATS RIGHT.
WE WANT IT TO KEEP GOING.
A BIG PART OF WHAT WE THINK
ABOUT IS HOW DO WE STILL
IDENTIFY WHAT DOES NEED TO BE
ADDRESSED?
IN THIS CASE, LACK OF ACCESS AND
SUPPORT FOR CHILD CARE IS STILL
ONE THAT NEEDS TO HAVE SOME
WORK.
SO, HOW CAN WE SUPPORT THAT AND
CONTINUE TO GET THINGS TO GET
CLOSER AND CLOSER TOGETHER FOR
WOMEN?
>> THAT TAKES RESOURCES, RIGHT?
YOU CANT JUST SNAP YOUR FINGER
AND WISH FOR MORE ACCESS TO
CHILD CARE AND SUDDENLY ITS
HERE.
>> THATS RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, OUR MISSION IS TO
SUPPORT WOMEN.
IT MAKES IT, YOU KNOW, REALLY
CLEAR THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE
HAVE TO SUPPORT.
YOU KNOW, WE PUT OUR MISSION AT
THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING WE DO.
AND WHEN I MEET ATHLETES LIKE
LORA, ITS ALL WORTH IT.
WHAT WERE HERE TO DO IS TO
INSPIRE OTHER WOMEN AND GIRLS
THROUGH PEOPLE LIKE LORA AS
WELL.
>> LORA, WHEN DO YOU GET TO
TOKYO?
WHEN DO YOU LEAVE?
>> AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE LEAVE
AUGUST 15th.
>> GOOD LUCK.
YOU HAVE AN ENTIRE NATION
ROOTING FOR YOU.
WERE SO APPRECIATIVE TO BOTH OF