The Extended Bravey Universe of Alexi Pappas: Reinvention, Joy & Glitter
About this episode
How do you ignite evolution? How do you find your purpose? And how do you have the confidence to pursue it? Here to imbue our lives with more joy, glitter, and play is the highly inspiring and energetic Alexi Pappas, back for round two on the podcast. If you missed her standout first appearance back in early 2021, Alexi is a former Olympic track and field athlete and Greek national record holder in the 10,000 meters. She’s also a poet, a performer, an award-winning filmmaker, and author of the critically acclaimed bestselling memoir Bravey. Her feature film resume includes some variation of writing, co-writing, directing, and/or starring in Not an Artist with RZA, Olympic Dreams with Nick Kroll, and Tracktown with Rachel Dratch. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, Outside Magazine, and Sports Illustrated. And she’s recently penned a new version of Bravey (Adapted for Young Readers). My first exchange with Alexi centered on what it takes to execute at the highest level of sport and art simultaneously and the challenges she faced pursuing two very different dreams. Today we go further, exploring her new relationship with running as a former pro, her goals as a professional in the creative arts, and her soon-to-be-released new podcast, Mentor Buffet. We also discuss how she’s inspiring women and girls to fall in love with movement, mental health in sport, and how mentorship has informed her life and career. Alexi also drops some wisdom gold—sharing actionable tools for growth like her ‘blank whiteboard rule’, something she calls ‘glop’, and many more mindset gems. Alexi is a delightful and wise role model—and this conversation is more than time well spent. Show notes + MORE Watch on YouTube Newsletter Sign-Up Today’s Sponsors: Seed: seed.com/RICHROLL Athletic Brewing: athleticbrewing.com/RICHROLL Roka: Roka.com/RICHROLL Inside Tracker: InsideTracker.com/RICHROLL Momentous: Momentous.com/RICHROLL Squarespace: Squarespace.com/RICHROLL Peace + Plants, Rich Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Listen to this episode in English to learn English
Podcast episodes are one of the highest-density ways to absorb English at native pace. The Extended Bravey Universe of Alexi Pappas: Reinvention, Joy & Glitter from The Rich Roll Podcast gives you natural dialogue, unscripted speech, and vocabulary that actually appears in real conversations.
In the Hinto app, every word in the transcript is tappable. Tap an unknown word, see the translation in your language instantly, and keep listening without breaking flow.
Episodes to Learn English
- Life's A Fight. Don’t Let It Break You: Dolph Lundgren On Trauma, Stardom & Cancer Sep 14, 2026
- Olympic Medalist Jenny Simpson On Her Sudden Cardiac Arrest After A Race & The Journey Back To Health Sep 7, 2026
- From Drinking Every Morning to Running 340 Miles: Tommie Runz on Recovery, Running & Redemption Sep 3, 2026
- Hunter Biden Is Out Of Secrets: A Story of Recovery, Exposure & Amends Aug 31, 2026
- How Hellah Sidibe’s 3,350-Day Run Streak Rebuilt His Mind Aug 24, 2026
- Mindfulness, Meditation & Performance: Manoj Dias Live At The Rivian Performance House Aug 20, 2026
- Lee Sung Jin On The Spirituality Of Netflix’s ‘Beef’ Aug 17, 2026
- The Most Decorated Winter Olympian Ever: Johannes Klæbo On Training, Mindset & Reinventing His Sport Aug 10, 2026
- Zac Clark on Addiction, Recovery and a Life of Service Aug 6, 2026
- Stoic Lessons From The Odyssey w/ Ryan Holiday Aug 3, 2026
- Michelle Khare Is The Tom Cruise Of YouTube: How Anxiety Became Her Superpower Jul 27, 2026
- Malcolm Gladwell & Chris Chavez Think We're Selling Running All Wrong Jul 23, 2026
- What Are You Actually Capable Of? Mark Dowdle On Winning A 306 Mile Backyard Ultra Jul 20, 2026
- Episode 1,000: Rich & Julie Piatt Celebrate By Going Back To Where It All Began Jul 13, 2026
- Thrilling Tales Of Modern Men: Danny McBride On Ego, Grievance & The Stories Men Tell Themselves Jul 6, 2026
- Play Is The Miracle Drug: Dr. Kelly Starrett On Movement, Recovery, & The Wellness Trap Jul 2, 2026
- What Happened To The Vegan Movement? Rich & Simon Hill On The Rise & Fall Of Plant-Based Eating Jun 29, 2026
- Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien on Depression, Trauma & Finding Light Again Jun 22, 2026
- Fulfillment Maxxing: Why Offline Is The New Online & How to Feel Alive Again Jun 18, 2026
- Rachel Entrekin Runs On Joy: How She Won The Cocodona 250 Outright By Letting Go Of The Outcome Jun 15, 2026
- Touch Grass: Andrew Yang Returns To Talk Phone Addiction, AI's Cognitive Toll, & The Fight For Your Attention Jun 8, 2026
- ROLL ON: Enhanced Games Jun 4, 2026
- Paul Rosolie Met An Uncontacted Tribe & Is Trying To Protect Them: On Preserving The Amazon To Save All Life On Earth Jun 1, 2026
- How to Stop Sabotaging Your Own Life With Joe Hudson May 25, 2026
- Inside My 72-Hour Psychedelic Iboga Therapy With Julie Piatt May 21, 2026
- Smile, Or You're Doing It Wrong: Andy Glaze On Relentless Positivity, PTSD, & The Healing Power Of Movement May 18, 2026
- What's Going Right: Dr. Paul Conti On Self-Sabotage, Trauma & Why Being Hard On Yourself Is Slowing You Down May 11, 2026
- Pay Now, Love It Later: Why I Work Out at 4 AM & The Mindset That Wins The Long Game May 7, 2026
- David Epstein On Why Constraints Drive Creativity, The Myth Of Productive Freedom, & How Limits Make Us Better May 4, 2026
- What We're Still Getting Wrong About Women's Health & Fitness: Dr. Stacy Sims Live Apr 27, 2026