"My advice to the younger women is: If you're passionate about this, pursue it. That's what it is. That's how it's going to change for the next generation of women to get to where I'm at now. I'm hoping that some of these younger female coaches are inspired by what we're doing at BYU and they're seeing here that she’s a mom; she's a coach; she's at a D-1, she's successful and she’s ‘kind of’ has it together, right? And hopefully, that inspires them. If she can do it, then I can do it.”

My guest for this episode is Diljeet Taylor, the head women's cross-country and distance coach at BYU. In her eight years there, Taylor has transformed the BYU women's distance running program into a national powerhouse, coaching the cross-country team to top-10 finishes at Nationals every year. They’ve been on the podium three of the last four years – including winning it all at the 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championships. 

She has guided more than two dozen BYU runners to All-American honors, and several individual titles. Standout performances have become the norm. Taylor's dedication to her runners' whole lives, not just their running, is a refreshing approach to the pressure of purely results-driven programs that we see across the country. 

In our conversation, we'll be discussing her approach to coaching and how she balances the various demands on her time, including being a mom and a wife. We’ll touch on her own journey to becoming a Division I coach, the challenges she's faced and the impact she's had on her athletes and what she hopes to leave behind for the sport.

Host: Chris Chavez | @Chris_J_Chavez on Instagram

Guest: Diljeet Dosandj Taylor | @diljeetdosanjhtaylor on Instagram

SUPPORT THE SPONSORS

OLIPOP is a prebiotic soda with only 2-5g of sugar that is actually good for your gut health. – and it's delicious. Use code CITIUS25 for 25% off non-subscription orders. Learn more at https://DrinkOlipop.com (click the link or use our promotional code for the discount)

On Track Nights: Track Fest The first On Track Nights event of the year features the best of Los Angeles' music scene and some of the world's best athletes too – starting things with a bang on and off the track. Be there at Mt. SAC on May 6, 2023. More info here: running.com/en-us/explore/events/on-track-nights-los-angeles">https://www.on-running.com/en-us/explore/events/on-track-nights-los-angeles

GARMIN: Introducing the Forerunner 965 from Garmin, the ultimate GPS running and triathlon smartwatch. With a bright AMOLED touchscreen display and lightweight titanium bezel, this premium watch is designed for athletes who demand the very best. Learn more here: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/

UCAN: UCAN is offering the Citius Mag community an exclusive chance to try 6 Edge samples for free – all you need to pay is the cost of shipping. Just head over to ucan.co/citius to claim this exclusive offer. And if you're already a fan of UCAN or want to try some of their other products, use code CITIUS at ucan.co to save 20% on the full variety of product

HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

💵 Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG or Hit us on Venmo @CITIUSMAG

🎥 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel