SARATOGA SPRINGS-BASED OLYMPIC HOPEFUL LAUNCHES PODCAST DOCUMENTING HER EFFORTS TO MAKE 2024 OLYMPIC TEAM
During the 2020 Olympics, Kristi Wagner came in 5th place, now she’s going for gold and taking you with her as she launches “The Other 3 Years.”
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY. – Right now there is a small group of women training on Saratoga Lake with the ultimate goal of competing on the world stage at the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024 for Team USA.
One of those women is Kristi Wagner, 30. She competed at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics in the double sculls race. Wagner came in 5th but is now aiming higher.
“After that race, I knew I wasn’t done. I knew I wanted to go back,” Wagner said. “It’s not just that I want to go to the Olympics; I want to be the best rower I can be. There is something addictive about trying to get the most out of yourself.”
In November of 2022, through her coach Eric Catalano, Wagner was introduced to Christine O’Donnell, a 2004 Saratoga Springs High School Graduate and former rower at both the Saratoga Rowing Association and the University of Minnesota. O’Donnell, the founder of podcast production company Bright Sighted, moved back to Saratoga in 2021 after a career in TV Journalism. Wagner, a podcast enthusiast, jumped at the chance to meet Christine, and a new show, The Other 3 Years, was born over coffees at Kru.
The Other 3 Years podcast brings listeners behind the scenes of Kristi’s journey to make the 2024 Olympic team. Each week she shares what being an elite athlete in training really looks like: the ups and downs, life on the road, and how to stay motivated with a goal so far away. The show also examines the effects on things like mental health, relationships, and how everything can be thrown off by something as minor as a bad meal or the weather.
You’ll hear interviews with Wagner’s parents, her boyfriend, teammates, and fellow Olympians.
Ultimately, The Other 3 Years is a podcast that will serve as inspiration to anyone with a dream they’re determined to make a reality.
The show launches on Friday, Apr 21, 2023. That same day Bright Sighted Podcasting will be hosting a Press Availablity and Briefing at the Saratoga Rowing Association boathouse from
10 a.m – 10:30 a.m.
That morning the small team of Olympic hopefuls, including Kristi, will already be on the water for their morning practice. That starts at 7:30 a.m. and goes until 9:30. The end of the practice can be captured on camera from the docks.
Bright Sighted is collaborating with non-profits in sports to reinforce the idea that if you have a dream it’s important that you go all-in to make it a reality. Collaborators include, but are not limited to: Saratoga Rowing Association, Saratoga Shredders and Capital Region semi-pro sports teams who will be available for interviews during the press conference.
The April 21st event will conclude at 10:30am with Kristi doing a ceremonial “launch.” She will carry her single out to the docks and launch into the water as Bright Sighted launches her podcast. The trailer and first two episodes will also go live that day. Listeners can follow her show on apple podcasts and everywhere people listen to podcasts. New episodes will be available every Friday, from now until the 2024 Olympic game.
You can also stay up to date with Kristi through her website: www.theother3years.com
Special thanks to all the supporters, collaborators and sponsors of The Other 3 Years: Saratoga Rowing Association, Palette Community, The Beauty Bar, Saratoga Today , Saratoga Shredders, The 12866 Blog.
For more information contact Christine O’Donnell at christine@brightsighted.com
