Saratoga Springs rower and Regatta Director for the Saratoga Rowing Association, Kristi Wagner, has been announced as one of the first 21 members selected to go to the Summer Games in Paris this July, by US Rowing.
Wagner plans the Head of the Fish, among other high school races for SRA, with her doubles partner Sofia Vitas.
Together, Wagner and Vitas won the Bronze medal at the 2023 World Rowing Championships. The two women were part of the first round of rowers selected by the US Rowing Team to compete at the Olympics.
Together they will be looking to return to the medal podium in the women’s double sculls in Paris. Now a five-time national team member, Wagner will be racing at her second Olympic Games, having finished fifth in the event in Tokyo. Also a five-time national team member, Vitas will be making her Olympic debut in Paris.
In addition to being a full-time athlete and Regatta Director, Wagner is also a podcast host. For the past year, she’s been taking listeners behind the scenes of her journey to qualify to make the Olympic games in her show “The Other 3 Years.”
“After that race, I knew I wasn’t done. I knew I wanted to go back,” Wagner said of her previous Olympic race in Tokyo. “It’s not just that I want to go to the Olympics; I want to be the best rower I can be. There is something addictive about trying to get the most out of yourself.”
In April of 2023, Wagner teamed up with Bright Sighted Media Founder Christine O’Donnell to craft a podcast documenting her efforts to return to the Olympic games. Not certain if she would make it or not, she felt it was worth bringing the audience with her as she chases her “Olympic-size dream” in her podcast “The Other 3 Years.”
“I don’t think there has been anything more inspiring than working with someone brave enough to showcase their dreams for the world before they’ve been achieved,” O’Donnell said. “Journalism is important to me, and getting an honest and authentic look at what it’s really like the other three years of an athlete’s journey to make it to the one Olympic year has been eye-opening to say the least. We are honored to have Kristi as a part of our collection of Bright Sighted podcasts.”
“The Other 3 Years” podcast brings listeners behind the scenes of Kristi’s journey to make the 2024 Olympic team. Each week she shares what being an elite athlete in training really looks like: the ups and downs, life on the road, and how to stay motivated with a goal so far away. The show also examines the effects on things like mental health, relationships, and how everything can be thrown off by something as minor as a bad meal or the weather.
Listeners will hear interviews with Wagner’s parents, her boyfriend, teammates, and fellow Olympians.
Ultimately, “The Other 3 Years” is a podcast that will serve as inspiration to anyone with a dream they’re determined to make a reality.