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Phoebe Wright 28, Seattle
Elite runners lead an enviable but unforgiving lifestyle. They do what most of us only dream of— and deal with things most of us are glad not to. And while only a very few in the sport truly speak out against injustices like corruption, doping or better compensation, no one does it better—or at least funnier—than 800m runner Phoebe Wright. Through Twitter, Instagram and her own blog, Stop Phe, Wright documents the life of an elite and sheds light on the world of running and racing in ways that few others do—in any sport. “The track life is awesome, but often it’s not as glamorous as fans think it is,” Wright says. “It’s less ‘professional athlete’ and more ‘starving artist.’ It’s still the best job you can get though, if you’re lucky enough to get it and not get discouraged by doping, scandals, bribes and whatnot.”
“It’s like professional runners are taught to only train and then sit in a vacuum, isolated from the outside world,” Wright says. “It’s changing though! I think this new wave of passionate people is good for the athletes, fans and sport in general.” Wright also tackles issues in an actionable way. When an old teammate confessed to battling an eating disorder, Wright wrote a long, nuanced article instructing and explaining how to confront this common and insidious disease in the running world. More recently she’s shared cautionary advice for runners looking to turn pro about the murky world of agents and professional contracts. Wright is 28, and while she says she’ll definitely be racing next year, she’s not sure what will happen after that. “My dream job would be to live tweet events—or Snapchat them” Wright says. It’d be a running fan’s dream too.—A.E.
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photo: courtesy (Wright), carlos white (Jackson), TrackTown Movie (Pappas)
Wright wades through weighty topics like doping by using her current pharmacology studies to explain in simple terms why it’s dangerous and immoral. Or she’ll demonstrate through role-playing the funny difficulties that arise when an elite runner tries to have a relationship with a non-runner. Or she’ll make a devastating but hilarious point by calling out telling details in the background of an innocent-looking photograph.
8/17/16 2:44 PM