“This is the moment I’ve been training three years for. There’s been three years of a lot of hard work and hard times to get to this. This is the thing in my mind, that dream and goal that’s kept me going. Once I put that into perspective, it was a lot easier to ride that wave of momentum into Worlds.” Our guest today is Angelina Napoleon — the 20-year-old NC State steeplechaser who just capped off a super impressive and long outdoor track season. In Tokyo, Angelina made her World Championships debut, ran 9:18 in the heats to advance, and then came back with a 9:17 in the final to finish ninth overall — and as the top American in the women’s steeplechase. That finish crowns a year where she lowered her PB from the 9:50s all the way down to 9:10, finished third at NCAAs, and proved she belongs on the global stage. What stands out about Angelina isn’t just the times, it’s her perspective: she left Tokyo proud, grateful, and already hungry for more. She talked about staying calm in the chaos, adapting to challenges, and soaking up the love from her family and friends as she raced halfway across the world. Now, as she heads back to grass and cross country season, we’re hoping this makes you a fan of her going forward. Take this podcast on-the-go: SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/episode/69ICvAgabkdFKaaaaqMMiu?si=sPqkscsKQk-__YV9rNLzLg APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/angelina-napoleon-reflects-on-her-9th-place-finish/id1204506559?i=1000729169249