ESPN 30 for 30 Podcasts today announces the debut of its new four-episode podcast series “GIRL v. HORSE”. Premiering today and available to listen wherever you get your podcasts, the series chronicles Arab-American long-distance runner Nicole Teeny’s epilepsy diagnosis and how she finds herself where many athletes have been before: at the top of her game, but staring down a huge athletic setback. In an effort to prove that she is in control of a body she seems to have lost connection to, Nicole sets the biggest goal she can think of: to race a horse in a 50-mile ultramarathon and reclaim her body through the activity that first brought her strength as a young girl.
Throughout the series, Nicole documents her several years-long journey coming to terms with her epilepsy diagnosis while struggling to find the right medication, falling in love with her now wife, and training for her first ultramarathon…against a horse. Along the way, she explores how evolution drove humans to become runners—and what horses have to do with it—all while documenting the notable human vs. horse races throughout history and settling the battle between mind versus body and girl versus horse.
“Through ‘GIRL v. HORSE’, I wanted to tell a story that went beyond just a competition, but explored the connection between our mind and bodies, and how we navigate setbacks,” says host and producer Nicole Teeny. “After being diagnosed with epilepsy, running helped me reclaim my body in a way I didn’t imagine. Racing against a horse was my ultimate test of strength and endurance—both physically and mentally. I hope this podcast resonates with anyone facing their own hurdles.”
Episode descriptions are detailed below.
“GIRL v. HORSE” and all of ESPN’s 30 for 30 Podcasts can be found on the ESPN App, 30for30podcasts.com, and wherever podcasts are available.
Episode Descriptions
Episode 1: I WANT TO RACE A HORSE
Meet Nicole Teeny, a long-distance runner with a wild dream: to race against a horse. Nicole started running as a child to feel strong in her stringy, clumsy body. But the idea to race a horse didn’t come until much later. It all started with a book, Born to Run, a theory, and an epilepsy diagnosis. After experiencing several life-altering seizures, Nicole must come to grips with a new normal and a new body. In this reality, the seizures begin to take on a greater significance, like raging animals inside her mind. Nicole sets out to tame them as she goes about her life, dating, training, and outracing the fears of her own mortality. Nicole sets out to prove that she is in control of her body…and so decides she must race a horse.
Episode 2: RIDE OR DIE
With her epilepsy somewhat under control, Nicole sets her sights on racing a horse. She begins by looking at a theory known as “The Endurance Running Hypothesis.” To understand how this theory works, Nicole explores the long history of humans racing four-legged animals, including how persistence hunters track and chase kudus in Namibia. She learns about the sport of Pedestrianism in the 18th and 19th century, and revisits Jesse Owens’ iconic sprint against a horse just months after the 1936 Berlin Olympics. With all of this historical information, Nicole begins to look into the human vs. horse races of today. She travels to Arizona and meets the endurance riders and ultramarathoners who compete alongside each other and begins to calculate what it will take to run a 50-mile race.
Episode 3: TIME ON LEGS
In order to run a 50-mile race against horses, Nicole must figure out how to safely train by herself and how to run next to horses. Some days are good and some days are bad. Her medication is keeping the seizures at bay, but they are contributing to a whole host of side effects that make running seem impossible. Still, Nicole continues training. She takes a trip to Stanwood, Washington to spend some time training with real-life horses, a challenge that proves not only to be physical, but also mental. She returns home to NYC ready to try a new medication. As Nicole struggles to find the right dosage, she also begins searching for the perfect race. Unable to run the same pace or distances that she used to, Nicole turns to Coach Sarah Scozzaro who teaches her how to build up volume, how to fuel, and how to recover from stress. Pretty soon, Nicole is up to 30 miles.
Episode 4: RACE DAY
Race Day arrives. Nicole travels to Big Hill Lake, Kansas to compete in a 50-mile race against horses. All the training, medications, and strife have built up to this moment, where Nicole makes the effort to reclaim her body, find that strength that she discovered when she started running all those years ago, and come face to face with those raging animal spirits in her mind. The trail opens and Nicole begins the race of a lifetime, but can she beat even one horse?
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About ESPN 30 for 30 Podcasts
30 for 30 Podcasts, from ESPN Films and ESPN Audio, are original audio documentaries from the makers of the acclaimed 30 for 30 film series. Telling sports stories like you’ve never heard before, through a combination of original reporting and archival sound, 30 for 30 Podcasts goes beyond the field to explore how sports, competition, athleticism and adventure affect our lives and our world. The series has been recognized by the NYF International Radio Awards, the Webby Awards, and the RTDNA Kaleidoscope Awards, as well as inclusion on numerous “best-of” lists from press outlets such as The Atlantic, Vulture, TIME and Entertainment Weekly. Episodes have been featured on NPR, 99% Invisible, Slate Podcasts and more. For more visit 30for30podcasts.com.
Media Contacts:
Garrett Cowan | garrett.cowan@espn.com
Jay Jay Nesheim | jayjay.nesheim@espn.com
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