312. Confidence As A Superpower: Ari Chambers On Uplifting Women In Sport & Owning Her Seat At The Table

Ari Chambers knows a thing or two about hard work. Today, she's behind the desk on-air at ESPN, but not all that long ago she was building HighlightHER from the ground up. Ari and I sat down together in Paris while she was working with Team USA, aiming to give fans a behind the scenes look at all things Olympic Games. We talk about how Ari got to this point in her career as a journalist, what motivates her to focus on the mission of sharing stories of women in sport, and the proudest moments of her work thus far. She also gets real about the highs and lows of being so ambitious, how to start something from nothing without letting overwhelm win, and how she relies on movement as medicine in times of struggle. 

IN THIS EPISODE

A look into what Ari was up to in Paris and what’s on her vision board (3:20)

Ari’s early years and how she instilled such a go-getter mindset in herself (8:35)

Her challenging transition from professional cheerleading to sharing women’s stories in sport (13:45)

The birth of HighlightHER (18:50)

Ari’s experience of burnout and how she relies on movement as medicine (23:08)

A confession about balance and Ari’s motivation behind her constant push to perform (32:10)

The importance of gratitude and reflection so you can show up for yourself (38:00)

What excites Ari about women in sport right now (42:03)

A moment in gratitude for Ari’s support system (48:20)

Emily Abbate