Hear an Olympian’s take on the ‘Running Things with Donovan Bailey’ podcast
‘Running Things with Donovan Bailey’ is a new original podcast hosted by two-time Olympic Champion and record-setting sprinter Donovan Bailey. Alongside content creator, DJ, and writer Simon Jain, the two discuss global topics that are plaguing their brains.
The inquisitive duo discusses topics relevant to the 21st century human experience: from the Black Lives Matter movement to the effects of social media on individuals and society. They talk about Bailey’s first-hand experiences of the politics of sport and politics in sport. There’s pop culture, news, lifestyle, and anything you can think of that is a part of the collective consciousness.
Bailey and Jain bring every episode to you with an aura of optimism, understanding, and open-mindedness. ‘Running Things with Donovan Bailey’ is an open discussion on the world’s toughest topics. Every episode will leave listeners with a better understanding than they arrived with and empower people to search for truth. The two hosts will be joined by a slew of notable guests over the course of the first season.
The podcast comes 25 years after Bailey became the fastest person in the world at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. He broke the world record for the 100-meter sprint in 9.84 seconds, a record he held for 3 years.
Noting how people often tell LeBron James to “shut up and dribble”, Bailey shares that, 25 years prior, he was told to “shut up and run.” On top of that, he and other Canadian athletes of color have been calling out the vitriolic racism from England’s fans during this year’s World Cup. Which is why ‘Running Things with Donovan Bailey’ is so important to him: he will not be shutting up.
The first two episodes cover the pandemic and the 2021 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, a city stricken with COVID-19. Bailey and Jain talk about holding the Games despite the dramatic changes that live events have undergone since COVID-19. They also explain the strict rules that have been put into place in the wake of the pandemic, and the rules that have been met with fallout. From Sha’Carri Richardson’s one-month suspension for smoking pot in the state of Oregon, to the strict “no family” rule. Some of these rules have been affecting Paralympians most; some having withdrawn from the Games out of necessity.
The podcast premiered on Thursday, July 22nd, and will be available across all platforms with new episodes every Thursday. Check out ‘Running Things with Donovan Bailey’.