This week on Here’s What We Know, Gary Scott Thomas sits down with nine-time Olympic medalist and world record holder Ryan Murphy for a heartfelt conversation about Olympic glory, family stories, and a brand-new chapter called fatherhood.
Ryan shares his journey from a determined seven-year-old with big dreams to becoming a five-time gold medalist. He opens up about the joy of raising his daughter Eevi, the perspective fatherhood has given him, and why he’s passionate about water safety for kids. Plus, he reveals the mindset that continues to fuel his drive toward the 2028 Olympics.
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In this Episode:
Adjusting to life with baby Eevi and the joy of parenthood while keeping love and balance alive
How becoming a parent reshapes the way Ryan sees family history
Childhood in Illinois and Florida, college years at Cal Berkeley, and proposing to Bridget in San Francisco
Why Ryan gravitated toward swimming and the thrill of individual competition
Learning resilience and motivation through tough defeats
Calories, genetics, and the daily grind behind an Olympian’s body
Rivalries that turn into lifelong respect and the true meaning of leading Team USA as captain
The physical challenges of swimming, from burning quads to pressure on the back
Why Ryan believes Katie Ledecky is the greatest swimmer of all time
His mission to teach kids water safety through early swim lessons
His Olympic dreams for LA 2028, his interest in media, and his vision for expanding swim schools
Quotations:
“At the baseline of my personality, l’m exceptionally competitive in everything I’m doing. So yeah, I wanted to go to the Olmpics for swimming.” ~ Ryan Murphy
“When it started to get more serious for me at age 12, that’s when I gave up other sports and I had to go a little bit more introspective and be like, okay, what do I enjoy the most? And what do I want to spend my time doing outside of school? And I chose swimming. And ultimately I chose swimming because that was the sport that made me the most nervous. I would get nervous before every single swim meet and that’s how knew that I cared.” ~ Ryan Murphy
“I want to be exceptional at whatever I’m doing. Like swimming is, swimming, it’s fun to try to be the best in the world. So I love, I love that pursuit.” ~ Ryan Murphy
Bio:
Ryan Murphy is one of the world’s premier backstroke swimmers, a world record holder, and a multiple Olympic gold medalist. Known for his exceptional underwater skills and consistent performances, Murphy has established himself as a dominant force in backstroke events on both the national and international stages. His technical proficiency and competitive drive have made him a cornerstone of the U.S. national swimming team. Off the lanes, Ryan is also a devoted husband and new father, committed to combining his passion for sport with a mission to promote water safety, swim education, and a legacy of family values.
This week on the Here’s What We Know Podcast, we celebrate National Mental Health Awareness Month with the incredible Dr. Jason Richardson, a gold medalist in BMX racing turned psychologist. Dr. Jason shares his harrowing experience breaking his femur just over a year before winning the Pan Am Games—an injury that could have been career-ending but instead fueled his determination not to let it define his exit from racing. We delve into how he channeled this setback into motivation for healing, which eventually led him down the path to becoming a psychologist involved in sports performance and mental health.
This inspiring conversation explores themes of resilience, recovery from injury, and mental health fortitude. Tune in now!
From a shattered femur to winning the Pan Am Games, Dr. Jason Richardson shares his inspiring story of resilience and determination.
Discover how intention played a crucial role in Dr. Richardson’s healing process and propelled him back into BMX racing at the highest level.
Dr. Richardson discusses how facing the possibility of never racing again led to soul-searching and an eventual career transition.
Explore the challenges of balancing family expectations, business opportunities, and finding passion post-injury.
Learn about energy-draining behaviors like comparing, complaining, complicating, and worrying, and discover strategies for overcoming them.
Dr. Richardson shares insights on how practicing gratitude can shift perspectives during challenging times and foster resilience.
Dive into the importance of radical acceptance and brutal honesty as tools for self-improvement, encouraging listeners to face their fears head-on.
Quotations:
“Having the intention of racing actually sped up and gave me great, not just motivation, but a great intention to heal, get better, and push myself.” ~ Dr. Jason Richardson
“One of the things I cherish the most is my freedom, my autonomy, and my ability to choose. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad thing, but it’s something in me that I tend to see something and want to go after it, especially if it’s aligned with my talents and just who I am as a person.” ~ Dr. Jason Richardson
“I also felt like I would heal much faster if I had a reason to heal.” ~ Dr. Jason Richardson
“I want to be as good of a psychologist as I am a racer.” ~ Dr. Jason Richardson
“So comparing, complaining, complicating, and worrying. Those are the four things that just suck energy out of us. And when I say suck energy out of us, they are energy, actually. But what they do is they distract us.” ~ Dr. Jason Richardson
“The thing is, in our modern world, especially in a country, a first-world developed nation, whatever you wanna call it, survival is, it’s more like ego survival, right? It’s more like lifestyle survival. It’s more like, how do I look to my friends’ survival? It’s more like, what am I gonna think of myself surviving? Right? So that’s the life-death we face every day. Not to mention the actual stuff that happens, right?” ~ Dr. Jason Richardson
“We do our best to avoid negative feelings.” ~ Dr. Jason Richardson
“Do you avoid tending to what you want to tend to? Or do you just lie to yourself, saying, it’s going to get better, it’s going to be all good, right? You ignore, which is another form of avoiding.” ~ Dr. Jason Richardson
“It’s normal to not wanna feel negative feelings. However, it does take the eye off of the ball of what you can do to make a thing better for yourself, more better, happier, right? More better, happier. And so what happened, what I realized was, look, why not feel the feels?” ~ Dr. Jason Richardson
“You won’t know if your tires are gonna hold and you won’t know if you’re gonna have enough. But you go through it. And so what does it take to go through it? And that’s the digging deep. And that’s the learning to trust that you’ll be intact on the other side, come hell or high water. It’s actually facing your mortality that helps you deal with it, is my point.” ~ Dr. Jason Richardson
“Gratefulness. Gratitude is great, I’m going to call it practice and effort.” ~ Dr. Jason Richardson
“I know even if you don’t fly, you will probably land on your feet. I know that. My job is to help you realize that and believe that. And once you can accept that you will fall and know that it will hurt. and also know that you can get up and be okay and keep going, my job’s done.” ~ Dr. Jason Richardson
“I kind of came to the conclusion that people want these things because they think those things get them something else.” ~ Dr. Jason Richardson
“Some of us just don’t know, realize when we’ve won.” ~ Dr. Jason Richardson
“It’s like everyone wants this one thing, but no one’s really asking for what they really want. You want some validation. You want some self-efficacy. You want to be loved and to know that you’re important to other people. Like that’s the truth. And so what does it take to live that life?” ~ Dr. Jason Richardson
“If you say that’s what you want, then go for it and find out. If you can get to a place where you’re okay meaning somewhat okay with the fear of not making it or the fall, that’s where things are going to start taking off for you. If you make it, great, but you’re going to find out some more things about yourself.” ~ Dr. Jason Richardson
“Why are we talking about the problem or problems versus, like, why aren’t we talking about solutions or ideas or ways to move forward?” ~ Dr. Jason Richardson
“But what I don’t think is fine, if that’s what you truly want in your heart of hearts and you don’t go for it, that’s not fine. Because now you’re bitter and resentful. And we don’t need a bitter, resentful, talented person out there being bitter and resentful.” ~ Dr. Jason Richardson
Bio:
Dr. Jason Richardson is a World Champion and Pan Am Games Gold Medalist. As a professional BMX racer turned psychologist, speaker, and high-performance coach, Dr. Jason Richardson has blazed a trail of excellence both on and off the track. Transitioning from elite athleticism to academia, Dr. Richardson earned his undergrad and graduate degrees while still competing, eventually adding a Doctorate in Psychology to his accolades.
Even in retirement from professional racing, Dr. Richardson’s passion for helping others achieve greatness never waned. He found his calling in guiding individuals to recognize and amplify their strengths while transforming weaknesses into opportunities for growth. Through his unique approach, Dr. Richardson empowers Olympic athletes, executives, and individuals alike to strive for more, be better, and live happier. With a career spanning professional sports, marketing, entrepreneurship, and psychology, Dr. Jason Richardson brings a wealth of experience and insights to his coaching practice. But he doesn’t just preach – he practices what he preaches, sharing his training routines and mindset strategies on social media to inspire others to live a #ChampionshipLife.
