Hurdle with Emily Abbate

Peloton favorite, ESPN host, and sideline reporter Jess Sims sits down for an intimate, vulnerable conversation about what it truly means to slow down, listen to your gut, and navigate life’s biggest transitions.

Jess opens up about expanding her broadcast career onto national stages like First Take and College GameDay, how she actively quiets her inner "Gremlin," and why she now filters every new opportunity through the question: “At what cost?” She also shares how she navigated the profound grief of losing her father, what a multi-year injury journey taught her about self-worth and starting over, and the power of embracing neutral self-talk over toxic positivity.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Slowing Down & Setting Boundaries: Why Jess is moving away from the "it'll slow down after this project" mentality and how she creates restorative space at her upstate home.

• Expanding Her Role at ESPN: Entering her fifth year, making the leap into guest-hosting First Take, and the distinct mindset shift required for live national television debates.

• Taming the "Inner Gremlin": Recognizing negative self-talk, separating automatic emotional reactions from intentional responses, and leading with gut instinct.

• Aligning Decisions with Your Mission: Rooting choices in core values (health, community, purpose) and learning how Jess's background in education and team sports shaped her lifelong mission to uplift others.

• Navigating Difficult Conversations: Why clarity gives you what you need (even if it’s not what you want) and the courage required to live outside the gray area.

• Grief, Loss, and Honor: Experiencing the loss of her father, reframing the non-linear nature of grief, and creating space for raw emotion in fitness classes and community spaces.

• Reframing Injury as Information: Overcoming a torn meniscus, finding joy in being a beginner again, and keeping identity separate from physical output.

• Her Current Training Stack: Transitioning away from marathon training, working with a personal trainer, and balancing discipline with real-life fun.

• Neutrality Over Toxic Positivity: How Jess looks in the mirror today, embracing imperfection, and giving herself grace on the days when "positive" feels out of reach.

QUOTABLE MOMENTS

"Becoming is better than being ... there's something about learning that excites me."  

"Clarity gives you what you need, even if it doesn't give you what you want."

"I'm me. I'm never going to be anyone else. Might as well hype myself up in the best way that I can. And if I can't push myself to positive, just keep it to neutral."

SOCIAL
@jesssims
@emilyabbate
@iheartwomenssports

JOIN: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Hurdle IG Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

SIGN UP: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Weekly Hurdle Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

ASK ME A QUESTION: Email hello@hurdle.us to with your questions! Emily answers them every Friday on the show. 

Listen to Hurdle with Emily Abbate on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.