Zoom Conversations Connected People In The Sport With Something To Say

By Doug Binder and Erik Boal, DyeStat Editors

After the spring track season was wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to make a serious pivot away from meet coverage and start to embrace interviews via Zoom. We certainly weren't the only ones to learn all about the Zoom platform, and what it was capable of, in 2020. 

We realized that the best way to make new content was to invite people into conversations so that we could ask questions, get informed and empathize. 

Since the first Zoom interview April 10 with Ella Donaghu and Fiona Max, our little group has recorded 299 conversations with athletes, coaches and other stakeholders in track and field. 

The great benefit of conducting these interviews was communicating with so many of the important voices in the sport and also presenting peoples' stories in their own words. It was particularly useful in June and July during the protests around racial inequality and police brutality and some of the conversations from that period were deeply moving and personal. Zoom has proved to be an incredibly valuable reporting tool that we will use going forward into 2021. 

Here, we have attempted to single out 40 of our best interviews of 2020 but it's far from a complete list of favorites. All 299 were important to us and we thank everyone who agreed to spend the time and share their experiences with us. 

In addition to the videos we conducted ourselves, thank you to Mary Albl, Todd Grasley and John Nepolitan for pitching in contributing some great interviews as well. 

Here are some of DyeStat's best Zooms of 2020 and they are free to view again for a limited time. (Placing them behind the RunnerSpace+PLUS paywall after the first initial week was a move made to help keep the business alive during a trying year).

MEN

Colin Gallagher, Kam Jones and Danny Shaughnessy of Save Clemson Track, DyeStat Discussions No. 165, Dec. 1 - By Doug Binder

 

Kent Taylor, DyeStat Discussions No. 122, Oct. 7 - By Mary Albl

 

Obsa Ali, DyeStat Discussions No. 105, Sept. 18 - By Erik Boal

 

Clayton Murphy, DyeStat Discussions No. 100, Sept. 13 - By Doug Binder

 

Michael Bergmann, Jeff Merrill and Jeff Sherman, McKenzie Community Track, Oregon Wildfires No. 1, Sept. 11 - By Doug Binder

 

Dean and Mitch Crouser, DyeStat Discussions No. 98, Sept. 9 - By Doug Binder

 

Grant Holloway, DyeStat Discussions No. 64, Aug. 4 - By Todd Grasley

 

Jack Pfeifer, DyeStat Discussions No. 39, July 12 - By Doug Binder

 

Trayvon Bromell, DyeStat Discussions No. 32, July 7 - By Todd Grasley

 

Joe Lee, Justin Byron and Brandon Jiles, Quarantine Conversations No. 92, June 7 - By Doug Binder 

 

Charles Brockman III, Quarantine Conversations No. 89, June 5 - By Erik Boal

 

Abdi Abdirahman, Quarantine Conversations No. 68, May 25 - By John Nepolitan

 

Matthew Boling, Quarantine Conversations No. 66, May 24 - By Todd Grasley

 

Phil English and Jim McLatchie, Quarantine Conversations No. 60, May 21 - By Doug Binder

 

John O’Malley, Quarantine Conversations No. 52, May 16 - By Doug Binder

Chris Fox, Quaranting Conversations No. 41, May 9 - By John Nepolitan

 

Galen Rupp and EJ Holland, Quarantine Conversations No. 34, May 6 - By Doug Binder 

 

Rai Benjamin and Michael Norman, Quarantine Conversations No. 28, May 2 - By Erik Boal and Doug Binder

 

WOMEN

 

Amber Schulz, DyeStat Discussions No. 169, Dec. 3 - By Todd Grasley 

 

Nancy Steinberg and Sydney Thorvaldson, DyeStat Discussions No. 144, Oct. 31 - By Doug Binder 

 

Stacy Dragila, DyeStat Discussions No. 112, Sept. 26 - By Erik Boal 

 

Jenna Hutchins, DyeStat Discussions No. 50, July 24 - By Erik Boal

 

Quanesha Burks, DyeStat Discussions No. 51, July 21 - By Erik Boal 

 

Claire Green, DyeStat Discussions No. 44, July 19 - By Erik Boal

 

Gabby Thomas, DyeStat Discussions No. 34, July 8 - By Erik Boal 

 

Taliyah Brooks, DyeStat Discussions No. 30, July 2 - By Erik Boal

 

Tori Franklin, DyeStat Discussions No. 19, June 22 - By Erik Boal 

 

Chloe Abbott, DyeStat Discussions No. 9, June 18 - By Erik Boal

 

Rosalie Fish, Young Athlete-Activist Interviews No. 4, June 16 - By Doug Binder

 

Aly Conyers, Young Athlete-Activist Interviews No. 1, June 12 - By Doug Binder 

 

Dalilah Muhammad, Quarantine Conversations No. 100, June 11 - By Erik Boal

 

Deborah Riley Draper, Quarantine Conversations No. 97, June 10 - By John Nepolitan

 

Jasmine Todd, Quarantine Conversations No. 96, June 8 - By Erik Boal

 

Nia Akins, Quarantine Conversations No. 86, June 3 - By Erik Boal

 

Eleanor Wikstrom, Quarantine Conversations No. 76, May 27 - By Erik Boal 

 

Erica Birk-Jarvis, Bailey Cossentine and Valexsia Droughn, Quarantine Conversations No. 59, May 20 - By Erik Boal 

 

Tianna Bartoletta, Quarantine Conversations No. 49, May 14 - By Todd Grasley

 

Aliphine Tuliamuk, Quarantine Conversations No. 27, May 1 - By John Nepolitan  

 

COED

Tim O'Rourke and Carrie Tollefson, DyeStat Discussions No. 181, Dec. 11 - By Erik Boal

Conor McCullough, DeAnna Price and Trey Knight, Quarantine Conversations No. 61, May 22 - By Doug Binder

 

Hunter Family, Quarantine Conversations No. 40, May 8 - By Mary Albl