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43- Elli Reed- On using her sport to give back, veganism, and dancing with the mayor of Vicos, Peru

December 01, 2017 by Kendall Johnson in Podcast

In today’s episode, I interview former professional soccer player and humanitarian Elli Reed. Throughout her career, Elli played seasons in Boston, Seattle, Sweden, Germany and Australia. Over the years, Elli’s passion for giving back to her community has strengthened. She continues to use her platform to support causes she believes in.

Elli and I recently partook in a trip with the nonprofit Crooked Trails to help construct a soccer field in the remote village of Vicos, Peru.

In our conversation talk about:

-how this Peru trip changed her outlook on life and her future aspirations
-why she thinks Vicos, Peru completely curbed her anxiety about everyday worries
-Schooling little boys in pick-up soccer on the street
-Dealing with the ups and downs of athletics and her ever-changing relationship with soccer
-The documentary she watched that influenced her decision to go vegan
-Her go-to artists that get her to drop it low on the dance floor

And more.

Enjoy my conversation with the nature-loving, traveler Elli Reed

Shownotes:

:46              Who is Elli Reed?

2:42             Crooked Trails

7:21              Miraflores, Lima Peru and playing soccer in the town square

14:23            Experience of building a soccer field in Vicos, Peru

15:37             expectations of non-profit trip

17:15              Typical day for Crooked Trails trip

18:57              First experience of playing on manure high altitude field

23:23              Pachamama ceremonial dinner

26:24              Elli’s feeling about retirement

27:39               What contributed to her peace about retirement

28:09               Has Elli always been involved in volunteering?

29:50                Elli’s vegan restaurant searching skills and why she chooses the vegan lifestyle

32:45                Racing Extinction

33:36                 Did Elli always have a connection with nature?

35:05                  How soccer obsessed was Elli as a child?

36:07                  How has Elli’s relationship with soccer changed over her career?

38:15                   Has the volunteering in Peru changed her perspective on her future?

42:45                   Elli’s morning routine

43:47                    The best advice Elli’s ever been given.

45:45                     Elli’s favorite song

45:54                    One belief other’s think is crazy

46:12                     Elli’s favorite app

46:33                     Her favorite failure

47:49                      One tip for female athletes

 

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Follow Elli Reed 

On Twitter:  @ellireed

On Instagram:  @ellireed

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December 01, 2017 /Kendall Johnson
arrowliving, Elli Reed, female athletes, passion, Peru, travel
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“There isn’t anything Kendall does without pouring everything she has to offer into it. She cares enough to not be scared to say what you might not always want to hear. She’s already been a great mentor. She is someone I admire so much. She doesn’t make excuses and will achieve what she is after.”
— Allie Long, USWNT World Cup Champion
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— Michelle Betos, NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year
“In the world of professional athletes, you are surrounded by self-motivated people who are all working to a varying degree of “obsessive” to push themselves as hard and far as they can physically, mentally, and psychologically go. This doesn’t even begin to describe Kendall’s approach to all aspects of life. She lets nothing slip through the cracks and has a natural ability to put her passion to practice. Anyone who sits down in a conversation with Kendall will leave smarter, challenged, and with their perspective on life considerably altered.”
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“I met Kendall at a challenging time in my life, and from the start, I felt comfortable sharing those challenges with her. After I first opened up to her about it, it was easy from then on out because she always helped me see my feelings are valid; my experiences and my story are my own, and I can make them to be what I want. She helped me find the beauty in times of struggle and she somehow managed to respond to my life hurdles, and her own, with an open mind and a good laugh. She has helped me to believe life works for us, not against us, and my life has become better for that. She is an amazing teacher.”
— EJ Proctor, Duke goalkeeper
“I have played soccer almost my entire life, and something that I have always struggled with is my mindset and confidence. As someone who strives to train, play, and perform at the highest level all of the time, it is very frustrating to be set back by my tendency to let my mind get in the way of my play. My goal is to play soccer at the highest level possible–to be recognized as a top player at Kentucky, play professionally, and compete on the national team. I have tried many mental techniques surrounding my game in order to help maintain a steady mindset throughout my seasons, but I have struggled to find strategies that are the best fit for me. 

I have calls with Kendall very consistently and she always creates a space that makes me feel completely at ease and comfortable to share whatever is on my mind. Something that I really appreciate about talking with her is that she really wants to know and learn about me as a person, and we never immediately get into the soccer portion of the call. It is really comforting to know that I always have someone as knowledgeable and thoughtful as Kendall to talk to about the highlights and setbacks of my life and soccer journey, and I feel really confident in my future plans after talking with her. Not only do I feel like I am doing everything I possibly can to accomplish my goals as a result of the training schedule that we often work on together, but we also discuss and build upon different approaches to improve my mindset, such as journaling, visualization, mental plans and steps going into training, and morning routines.

I have learned so much from Kendall and have felt such a big difference in my confidence not only as a player, but also as a person. I have grown to trust my own voice and opinion on another level, as well as increasing my confidence in my knowledge and preparation. I have seen such a big difference in my mental and physical space as a whole and I always look forward to our next call. Thank you so much Kendall, I cannot express how much I appreciate all of the time, effort, support, and thoughtfulness you put into and bring to every one of our calls!”
— Elle, University of Kentucky commit

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