Olympic Champion Elana Meyers Taylor on Winning a Gold Medal, Motherhood and the Power of a Village

What does it look like to balance Olympic competition, motherhood, and the unexpected realities of parenting? In this episode, I sit down with Olympic gold medalist Elana Meyers Taylor to talk about raising two children with disabilities, leaning on support, and how motherhood changed the way she thinks about success, identity, and resilience.

We also talk about representation in sport, using ASL as a family, and the mental health side of chasing big goals. It is an honest conversation about what it takes to keep showing up as both an elite athlete and a mom.

In this episode, we cover:

• What it felt like to finally win Olympic gold after years of coming close

• Why the right village matters in motherhood and elite sport

• Parenting two children with disabilities and using ASL as a family

• How representation can help other families feel less alone

• What sport taught her about parenting through uncertainty

• How motherhood changed her identity, perspective, and relationship to winning

• The realities of being a Black athlete in winter sports

• Why access and inclusion in sports still matter

• What she hopes her children take away from watching her story

• How she prepares for the post-Olympics emotional crash and protects her mental health

To connect with Elana Meyers Taylor follow her on Instagram @elanameyerstaylor, check out all her resources at https://www.elanameyersusa.com. 

Purchase the shirt Dr. Mona is wearing here.

00:00 Intro: Elana Meyers Taylor on Gold, Motherhood, and Perspective

02:58 The Gold Medal Moment After a Fifth Olympics

07:50 Why Success in Motherhood Takes a Village

10:43 Building the Right Support System as a Mom and Athlete

14:13 Raising Deaf Children, Disability Advocacy, and Representation

18:09 How Sports Prepared Her for Medical Parenting

20:49 How Motherhood Changed Her Identity as an Athlete

24:38 Breaking Barriers in Winter Sports as a Black Olympian

29:17 What She Hopes Her Children Learn from Her Story

31:02 Finding Joy in Ordinary Mom Life After Olympic Gold

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.

We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the ⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠ page of the website. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices