Katie Steele: A Harrowing Running Story, Inspires a Book

Women's Running Stories

Katie Steele fell in love with sports at an early age. By the time she reached high school, that love had developed into a passion for competitive running.

But the fun of racing turned destructive as Steele progressed through the competitive world of top level collegiate racing in the US, the NCAA. Her experiences were further exacerbated by the involvement of now banned running coach Alberto Salazar, whose influence had a traumatic and life-long impact on Steele's mental, emotional, and physical health.

Despite all that Steele's been through, however, she has an enduring love of life as an athlete. She just wants to see it become better.

Steele's running story and love of being an athlete fuel her passion to help create this change, and her professional life is dedicated to making it happen.

Because, the unfortunate reality is that, while Steele's running story took place several years ago, many of the harms she experienced in the name of performance, as well as those she's identified in her subsequent professional life, still exist today. These are practices and approaches to coaching, training, and competition that need to be addressed. In the meantime, female athletes continue to pay an unnecessarily high price, with their mental, physical, and emotional health, to achieve their athletic goals.

Reimagining a system of sport that works to support whole female health, for athletic pursuits and beyond, is the central focus of the new book The Price She Pays: Confronting the Hidden Mental Health Crisis in Women's Sports—from the Schoolyard to the Stadium by Steele and Dr. Tiffany Brown, with Erin Strout. This episode is being released on the occasion of the book's publication.

Steele is a licensed marriage and family therapist and the co-founder of Thrive Mental Health, which is an outpatient medical health clinic in Bend, Oregon. Steele is also the executive director of the Athletes Mental Health Foundation, which is a nonprofit created to help young athletes understand and address their internal wellbeing. Additionally, Steele is the co-host with Tiffany Brown of the excellent new podcast Sports Shrinks.

Steele's story is important, difficult, and powerful. Ultimately, it is hopeful.

Keep Up with Katie Steele

Athletes Mental Health Foundation: athletesmentalhealthfoundation.org

Athletes Mental Health Foundation, Instagram: @athletesmentalhealthfoundation

Thrive Mental Health: thrivementalhealththerapy.com

Sports Shrinks: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sports-shrinks/id1734751976

Music Credits

Cormac O'Regan, of Playtoh

penguinmusic, via Pixabay

Coma-Media, via Pixabay

chillmore, via Pixabay

Lidérc Bell, via Pixabay

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