Best Day Ever W/ Kara and Rudy

Maggie Malone-Hardin is one of the most accomplished javelin throwers in American history. She is a three-time Olympian, World Championship finalist, NCAA champion, and the second-best American of all time. Over more than a decade at the highest level, Maggie has overcome countless setbacks and moments of adversity to become one of the most respected athletes in the sport. Maggie joins hosts Rudy...

Brooke Andersen is one of the most prolific hammer throwers the United States has ever produced. The 2022 World Champion, Brooke made history in Eugene by delivering a stunning 78.96m final throw to claim gold on American soil. A 2021 Olympian, two-time US Champion (2022, 2023), and the owner of an 80.17m personal best that ranks her among the top four women in the all-time history of the event, B...

Payton Otterdahl is one of the top shot putters in the world and one of the most consistent competitors of his generation. A two-time Olympian and World Championship finalist, Payton has spent years establishing himself among the elite in one of the deepest eras the event has ever seen. Payton burst onto the elite scene while attending North Dakota State University, where he broke through the 21-m...

Jill Camarena-Williams' is one of the greatest shot putters in history. She took a stellar career at Stanford long past her collegiate days to make statements across the globe both indoor and outdoor. As a two-time Olympian (Beijing 2008 finalist) and a medalist at the NACAC championships, Pan-Am games, indoor world championships, and outdoor world championships, Jill pushed the American women...

Kim Kreiner’s stellar and US-dominant javelin career spanned a change in the implement in 1999, and took her from Ohio to across the whole world. She broke the American Record nine times throughout her 2x Olympic, Pan American Games-winning, and globally successful career (we chat about how tough it can be to perform on different continents, and she sure did). With a PB of 64.19m that still sits a...

Chuk Enekwechi is one of the top shot putters in the world and the greatest the event has ever seen from Nigeria. A three-time Olympian and the African record holder, Chuk has spent years competing against the very best in the world, consistently proving himself on the biggest stages, and cementing his place among the greatest generation of shot putters we have ever seen. But Chuk’s story is defin...

Matthew Denny (Matt/Matty) is one of the top discus throwers in the world and a leading force for Australia on the global stage. He currently owns the second-farthest throw in history at 74.78m, surpassing a world record that had stood for over 37 years. An Olympic medalist, Diamond League Final champion, and owner of one of the most impressive single-meet series the sport has ever seen, Matt has...

Mac Wilkins' career is one that is hard to summarize in short order. He one of the true legends of the throwing world and a pioneer of modern discus. Mac is four-time Olympian, an Olympic gold and silver medalist, a former world record holder and the first man ever to break the 70-meter barrier in the discus. He also touts impressive PRs in the shot put (21.06m) and javelin (78.54m). Mac's...

Alex Young has built his career the hard way, carving out a place among the best hammer throwers in the United States through persistence and grit. An Olympian in Tokyo and a consistent presence on the international stage, Alex has represented Team USA at multiple World Championships and major global competitions. He first made his mark in college at Southeastern Louisiana, where he became the sch...

Tripp Piperi has already had a long and successful career as a shot putter despite being our youngest guest yet. A World Youth Champion and World U20 silver medalist, Tripp carried that momentum into a standout career at the University of Texas, where he became a two-time NCAA Champion, a nine-time Big 12 champion, and one of the most decorated throwers in program history. His 21.74m school record...

DeAnna Price is one of the greatest hammer throwers in American history. The 2019 World Champion, DeAnna made history in Doha by becoming the first American woman ever to win a world title in the hammer throw. She’s a three-time Olympian and the American record holder, having launched the hammer 80.31 meters in 2021. Along the way, she’s added a World Championship bronze medal, a Pan American Game...

Curtis Thompson is one of the top javelin throwers in the world and is a consistent force for Team USA. A two-time Olympian, five-time US champion, and an NCAA champion at Mississippi State, Curtis has built a reputation as one of the best American Javelin throwers of his generation. Curtis's incredible career is highlighted by a 2023 Pan American Games win, two NACAC titles in 2022 and 2025,...

Laulauga Tausaga (Lagi) is one of the greatest female discus throwers of all time. Lagi burst onto the pro scene in 2018, where she placed 3rd at the USATF Outdoor National Championships. Then, in 2019, she made the final at her first World Championships, all while still attending the University of Iowa (go Hawkeyes). Since then, Lagi's career has been nothing short of incredible. She has earned m...

Sam Mattis is one of the best discus throwers of all time. He currently holds a PR of 71.27m, which puts him at #2 all-time in the USA and #15 all-time in the world. He is an NCAA champion, multiple time USATF Outdoor champion, World Championships finalist, and an Olympic games finalist. Sam has had a long career containing many twists and turns. What day will he say is his Best Day Ever ?

Alex Rose has experience as a professional discus thrower as far back as 2012. He has an extremely storied career; he currently holds the 13th best throw of all time, is a 9 time Oceana Championships medalist (with 8 golds), and is a World Championships bronze medalist. With a long history filled with all sorts of ups and downs, what day will Alex say is his Best Day Ever?

With two decades of throwing experience, encompassing 2 American records, 3 Olympic teams, multiple national titles, and many more special moments under his belt, what day will our co-host Rudy Winkler say is his Best Day Ever ? In this episode, Rudy and Kara unpack his Best Day Ever. It is a conversation about his journey in this sport as a pro, how our best moments often follow moments of great...

After more than two decades in the sport, spanning four Olympic Games, two American Records, a World Championship silver medal, a Diamond League Final win, and countless moments in between, what day would our beloved co-host Kara Winger call her Best Day Ever ? In this episode, Kara and Rudy unpack her Best Day Ever and everything behind it. It’s a conversation about defining success on your own t...

Welcome to Best Day Ever! The podcast where your hosts, Kara Winger and Rudy Winkler, talk with fellow athlete's about their Best Day Ever. So much of sport happens when the cameras are off, or, in niche sport, when cameras might be on but it’s not the biggest stage, so only die-hard fans are watching or will ever know. Athletes are measured by athletic performance, at the right time. By medals, t...