Born to Reign’s TV debut on Australia’s Today Show

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being featured in a Huffington Post article written by Louise Green of Body Exchange.  Since that article was originally published, it has been picked up by other media outlets including Australia’s Daily Life.

The Australian producers of the Today Show saw the article and reached out to me, asking if I’d do an interview. Of course I said YES! I love public speaking and welcomed the opportunity to talk about the growing segment of plus size athletes and the benefits of the athletic lifestyle.

With a 14-hour time zone difference between Toronto and Sydney, it took a few days to line up the exact date and time I would be interviewed.  But on Saturday September 20th @ 4:40, I was sitting in a studio at Dome Productions (located inside the Rogers Centre, where the Toronto Blue Jays play) with a microphone attached to my shirt and in an ear piece listening to everything going on in Australia.   They could see and hear me, but I could only hear them.

While I had practiced knowing what key points I was going to say, I was a bit nervous. The interview was pre-recorded so even if I messed something up, I could start again, but I  wanted to get things right the first time.

Going into this interview, I had a pre-interview Thursday evening with the producer Jessica, who was great at doing her research, finding out more about me, and helping me prepare in want to expect.  I was given the questions in advance and shared my expected responses so that the interviewer (Deb Knight) could also prepare.  But I made a key rookie mistake in not realizing that Deb may change things up

This segment was expected to be aired next weekend, so I was super excited when Jessica emailed me at 7:50 later that same day “Krista, we’ve got time so we’ve made a last minute decisions to play your interview now”.   So this interview aired around 9:50 am Sunday September 21st, Australian time.

This is my first national TV interview, and I’m very pleased with how everything turned out. The positive messages about the athletic lifestyle, advice for people who think their weight is a barrier to being active, and that society is tired of the diet & fitness mentality and moving towards body acceptance and focusing on health.

You can watch the full interview here but I also though it would be fun to share the exact same notes I gave the Today Show,  in preparing for this interview:

Q1. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START YOUR WEBSITE?

• I wanted to create a space where plus size women can learn how to unleash their inner strength, find their inner athlete and celebrate their power to reign over their body in a healthy way by embracing the athletic lifestyle
• I want to motivate, inspire and celebrate plus size women who embrace the athletic lifestyle
• The athletic lifestyle is rooted in healthy habits
• When you’re healthy your happy, and when you’re happy you can enjoy life
• When I started triathlon, there was no place for me to connect with others to discuss my concerns as a plus size athlete, so I’ve created a website for plus size women where they can find information, tools and resources and ask questions on various topics - from how to find your inner athlete, strategies for choosing races, where to shop for athletic clothing, proper training protocols etc.
• I’ve learned a lot in 10 years, made a lot of mistakes and have lots of knowledge to share with plus size women
• Also, women constantly feel the like the need to fix themselves to be worthy, especially through weight loss, and embracing the athletic lifestyle shifts that mindset by focusing on something positive and empowering that builds your confidence and self esteem

Q2. WHAT IS THE MAIN MESSAGE YOU’RE TRYING TO GET ACROSS?

• You don’t have to wait to lose weight to get active
• I’ve done a lot of different sports and on my website I’ve written about the top 5 sports that I think are the best for beginner athletes - cost to participate, impact on body etc.

Q3. HAVE YOU COPED WITH MUCH CRITICISM?

• No, I have been really fortunate to have family, friends and coaches who support and believe in me and respect my commitment to living a healthy life, and making it a priority
• Having a support system is key and it can come in many forms such as my website and working with coaches who know to train plus size athletes
• I think most times we are our own critics or let our fears get in the way of not getting out of our comfort zone
• I learned how to be comfortable getting out of my comfort zone, and I LOVE IT

Q4. WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE FOR THOSE USING  THEIR WEIGHT AS AN EXCUSE TO STOP THEM GETTING ACTIVE?

• If I can do it, you can do it, because I believe that everyone has an inner athlete
• Between my 1st and 2nd year of racing triathlon, my average race time dropped 20 minutes but my weight stayed the same
• You’d be amazed at how making small changes can really add up quickly, in building your strength & endurance and positively effect your health
• Visit my site for resources on how to get started, or send me an message if your’e still not sure

Many thanks to The Today Show, Deb Knight and Jessica Tancred for arranging this interview, and the opportunity to share my message that plus size women can be athletic, and the athletic lifestyle is a great appraoch to living healthy.