2012 Princeton grad, former Stanford Cardinal and current District Track Club member, Claudia Saunders joined the MileSplit Ohio podcast to discuss her track and cross country career.
The two-time NCAA Division 1 national runner-up in the 800 recalled her start in the sport, her experiences at the high school and college levels and her upcoming pursuit toward qualifying for the 2021 Olympic Games on behalf of her home country of France.
If you're a professional track and field and / or cross country athlete who would like to be a guest on the 'Pro's Perspective' please reach out to MileSplit Ohio site editor Mark Dwyer at: mark.dwyer@flosports.tv
Time Stamps -
- 0:00 -- Episode Introduction
- 2:05 -- Talking about her start in the sports of XC and track
- 3:45 -- Recapping her sports experience before high school
- 4:45 -- Elaborating on her diversity of contested events
- 6:00 -- Discussing what her event preferences were
- 7:15 -- Reminiscing on high school highlights at Princeton
- 8:15 -- Detailing her favorite individual accolades
- 9:30 -- Shout-out to teammates and coaches back at Princeton
- 11:10 -- Recalling the recruiting process and why she chose Stanford
- 12:55 -- How she adapted to being far away from home and in a different climate at Stanford
- 14:20 -- Noting the enhanced level of competition at the college level compared to high school
- 15:50 -- Clarifying why she decided to zero in on the 800m event
- 17:15 -- Debriefing on decision not to pursue the Steeplechase event
- 18:20 -- Highlighting the confidence she derived from competing at the highest level in college
- 19:35 -- Discussing what it means to her to compete for the country of France
- 20:50 -- Comparing France vs. USA in terms of training and competition
- 22:25 -- Detailing what the sport of track and field looks like in France
- 23:10 -- Describing goals moving forward while representing France
- 24:10 -- What the process looks like en route to the Olympic Games
- 25:15 -- How she got started in her professional track career
- 26:55 -- Noting if the pro circuit has lived up to her expectations
- 28:50 -- Endorsing Under Armour as her team's title sponsor
- 30:30 -- Describing what a week in the life of a pro resembles
- 32:10 -- Outlining her coaching experiences
- 32:40 -- Potential coaching plans for the future
- 34:20 -- What the perfect 800 meter race looks like
- 35:30 -- Providing tips to young athletes for maximizing their abilities
(Claudia Saunders shown representing Stanford University during the 2016 Pac-12 Track and Field Championships at the University of Washington)
