Rei Halloran Explains How She Turned A Distant Dream Into Olympic Reality

We sit down with Olympic goalie Rei Halloran right after she represents Team Japan and talk through what the Games actually feel like from inside the village. We dig into the work, mindset shifts, and support system that carry her from being overlooked in Division III to believing she belongs on the biggest stage. 

• Olympic Village reality, beds, food, and meeting athletes across sports 
• Handling goalie pressure, going in cold, and choosing fun over fear 
• The bullet train phone call that confirms her Olympic roster spot 
• Building confidence through strength work, extra skates, and “little things” 
• Training camp as a tryout mindset versus clinics as a test lab 
• Recovery routines, warm-ups, and why readiness changes performance 
• Nutrition with gluten and dairy allergies and finding clean protein 
• Favorite goalies, film study habits, and learning from InGoal resources 
• Family support, advocacy, and finding an agent as a D3 player 
• Playing pro overseas in Norway and Sweden and adapting to European style 
• Growing on TikTok, mentoring young women, and making women’s hockey bigger 
• Biggest advice for athletes, set a goal and refuse limits 

Transcript

Cold Open And Show Setup

SPEAKER_00 0:00

We were in the same building. Uh it's kind of like we there were different buildings, but as the the US, so you would get into an elevator and it could be like an NHL player and you're like trying to act cool, like you belong there, and you're like, hey, what's up? Like, not like fangirling inside, you're just like super cool about it, and then the they'll leave and you're like, Oh my god, it was like Charlie McAlboy.

Olympic Village Life And Nerves

SPEAKER_01 0:20

So like you'll freak out a little bit after, but you're the most decorated racquetball player in US history. World's strongest man from childhood passion to professional athlete, eight-time Iron Man champion. So, what was it like making your debut in the NHL? What is your biggest piece of advice for the next generation of athletes? From underdogs to national champions. This is the Athletes Podcast, where high performance individuals share their triumphs, defeats, and life lessons to educate, entertain, and inspire the next generation of athletes. Here we go. Ray Halloran, 281st episode of the Athletes Podcast. Welcome back to the show. Someone who's already listened a couple of times, but you're the ray of sunshine that we get to chat to today on this fine Friday. Thank you so much for coming on the podcast. Can't thank you enough. Fresh off the Olympic Games, representing Team Japan, no big deal. You also went from something like seven followers to 17,000 followers on TikTok. It's been a crazy parabolic journey for you over the past month. I want to get the first scoop from you. What were the Olympic Games like? Were the beds bad? Was the food good? Give us the rundown.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

Yeah. Well, it was all super surreal and like just like unbelievable. The beds were not as bad as everyone was saying. They were real beds with like a real mattress. It was just dorm-style rooms, which was a little bit hard, definitely being there for like a month. But it was just great kind of being there with everyone, meeting all new athletes and from different countries, different teams, different sports. And yeah, it was great. I mean, the dining hall food was dining hall food. I can't really say more than that. But yeah, it was all right.

SPEAKER_01 2:01

When you were a kid in Japan, first stepping on the ice, did you ever imagine the Olympics were possible to achieve?

SPEAKER_00 2:09

No, not at all. Like it truly was such a far, far dream. Like it was like when kids would say they wanted to become like a superhero. That's kind of what it was like to me when I was thinking about the Olympics. I was like, it's just a dream I can have and kind of pushing myself to become better, but it wasn't something that I thought was a reality ever.

SPEAKER_01 2:31

I grew up wishing I could throw on the Canadian maple leaf. Obviously, it's something that everyone kid who grows up playing sports wants to be able to achieve. You actually got to live it. You were on the Olympic ice, you stepped on, you played, you made some incredible saves. We have some incredible photos on Cookstart Management's Instagram page highlighting some of your work. What was that pressure like? Because goalie is the most pressure-filled position in hockey. I can attest to that. What's going through your mind when the puck is in your zone? Thousands of people, millions of people are watching.

The Call That Made It Real

SPEAKER_00 3:03

Yeah, I mean, I was super nervous, especially like going in cold. It's really hard to just kind of step on the ice and feel 100% ready. But definitely nerves are taking over a little bit. But I think I was fortunate where it was a little bit of like a real no pressure situation for me in a way, other than everyone watching me and all the eyes on me. As a team, it was kind of a low pressure situation. So I was really fortunate in that sense of my first experience being a super positive one. I just wanted to have fun and wanted to enjoy it and really just appreciate the fact that I was on Olympic ice. Um, so that's kind of how I went in. I just honestly had one like some of the most fun I've ever had playing hockey when I played there for like 15 minutes. But I don't know if people watched, but I was like smiling the whole time and like having so much fun. So in that sense, it was just really low pressure. We were already losing. So, and we it was kind of a game we had to win if we wanted to keep going. And so us already losing just made, I think took a lot of the pressure off of me coming in with like 15 minutes left. So I honestly I really enjoyed it. It was super fun.

SPEAKER_01 4:12

Do you remember the exact moment you found out you made the Olympic team and what that felt like?

SPEAKER_00 4:18

Yeah, I was actually on a bullet train going to a ski trip with my family uh for Christmas. And I was supposed to receive a call a couple days ago, like beforehand, on if I made the team or not, but I hadn't received a call. So my mindset was that I got cut and I was, you know, I'm gonna go enjoy this ski trip with my family, go ski. I hadn't skied in years because of hockey and really enjoy that time with my family. But right as I was getting off the bullet train, I got a call from my head coach, and he was like just chatting it up, like super positive. But I was just really nervous about what he was gonna say. And so I was just like, Can you just kind of tell me did I make the team or not? And he's like, Oh yeah, like, do you think you can come to training camp in three days? And I was like, Oh, of course, yeah, no problem. And he's like, and also, do you do you feel up to coming to Milan? And I was like, of course. But it was he was trying to keep it like a super casual conversation and just like talking about my trip with my family. And I was just like, Can you please get to the point? I kind of want to know. But it was yeah, it was a really last minute call, I think, in comparison maybe to other um national teams. So it was a lot of pressure leading up to it, but yeah, it was like a great moment. I was with my whole family as well, so they were all like eager to hear what the call was. Um, but I wasn't allowed to tell anyone for like three days, I think, before, because it had to be a media release before I told anyone. So those three days were kind of the hardest three days of just like keeping it on the low the whole time.

SPEAKER_01 5:57

Yeah, it's like the winners of Survivor or Amazing Race, they have to wait months before they release the results. But I I remember vividly driving you back in Denver after the Cook Stark Management Mile Hockey Mile High Summit camp that we hosted last summer and driving you back to the airport, and you literally were like, you know, I I have to keep this going to be able to live out my dream of playing in the Olympic Games. And you were dead set, you knew it was gonna happen, you spoke it into existence existence. Sorry. I can't speak today. And like it happened. You you made it happen, and it I feel like that was I don't want to say a pipe dream in August or July, June, whenever that was, but take me through because I I feel like you knew in the back of your mind you were gonna make it.

Work Ethic That Built Confidence

SPEAKER_00 6:43

Yeah, I mean I've put in a lot of hard work, I think, especially in the last two, three years. I like really made it my goal and my dream, like a hard set dream that I thought could become a reality when I was a senior in college. And I just I've I don't think I've ever worked this hard ever in my life. I'm typically a person when something gets a little bit hard. I do give up pretty easily. I get pretty discouraged easily. But I honestly, I just put my head down and just worked super hard. I've gotten so much stronger in the gym. It's like the little moments of when people don't want to skate because maybe they're hungover and they want to go hang out with their friends in the summer. I skated almost every day. And I just really wanted to achieve this dream of playing in the Olympics in the last, so in the last three years, I really just worked really hard for it. And I think this summer being able to skate at the summit and kind of felt like I did belong, even with other like PWHL players, D1 players. I felt like I really didn't feel out of place. So it I think that was like a little bit of that confidence that I needed for that last six months or seven months to go to the Olympics. I always felt like I didn't deserve to be there. I didn't belong just because I've always been overlooked in my career. And I think this past year I've had this confidence where I do feel like I belong, and I do feel like I can play at the highest level, and I'm not just some, you know, girl they picked up on the street because they were missing a goalie. And so I think that mindset change for me was like really critical in being able to make it to the Olympics and honestly being having opportunity to go play with some of the best players in the world really helped that confidence for me.

SPEAKER_01 8:31

Yeah, because you have a Cinderella story, right? You know, you come from a D3 institution that maybe people don't necessarily think that D3 hockey is gonna produce Olympic level athletes. You were the first Olympian to come from your school, so congratulations, kudos. That's pretty incredible. I was it also first D3 Olympian?

SPEAKER_00 8:54

No, no, there was another girl from my conference that was also on Team Italy, I believe. But yeah, not a lot of us.

SPEAKER_01 9:03

Yeah, I was gonna say very few and far between, but that mindset shift over the past couple years is probably what did it, right? And obviously, you knew you could play, you were hitting that D3 level and seeing success. But Alani made a point of making sure that you were out there in Denver for that mile high summit, and she knew that if you got on that ice that you would see you belonged there with the rest of the team. And I thought that was pretty incredible for her to be able to get you out there. I think the goalies got a bit of extra work that week, anyways, too. So it worked out, eh? You and Sandy were sweating.

SPEAKER_00 9:36

Yeah, really bad.

SPEAKER_01 9:38

I know some of the gals were asking for Mel to skate them harder, but I don't think that was you or Sandy's case. You guys were getting lots of shots. Yeah. Do you uh when you when you go to camps, when you go to training, are you focused solely on producing the best puck stopping abilities, or do you have a lot of we'll say, thoughts? I I come from golf, so swing thoughts. As a goalie myself, I try and not think too much. I just react, stop the puck. For you, is there a lot of thought that goes into the sport, the position itself?

SPEAKER_00 10:10

I mean, I love learning within the sport. I just so I love watching film and I love watching other goalies play and stuff like that. And I always find ways to get better for sure. But I think when I'm specifically, it really depends on the environment, I think for me. Like when I'm at training camp, I'm for me, it feels like a tryout. So I'm giving it my all. I want to stop every single puck. I I want to make no mistakes. I want, you know, if I make one mistake, I don't want to make it again. So that mindset is there. But when I am, you know, training in the summers and at goalie clinics or at just other shooter clinics that I step in as a goalie for, I'm definitely finding ways of, okay, can I try something new? Can I try something that I've seen before on film that I've always, you know, wanted to just see if it works for my play style. So I am trying new things in that way and kind of adjusting my play a little bit throughout those clinics. But I think the environment really changes my mindset a lot for me. Like training camps for me was always a tryout. It was always, you know, if I don't play well there, they're gonna draw me. So I didn't really have the confidence and kind of guts to try something new there. But I think depending on the time, when we had free skates, I would obviously try new things and have people, you know, do breakaways and do like little things that I knew I needed to work on. But yeah, I think most practices, it's kind of every shot is like game-winning shot, could be. So I play it like that.

SPEAKER_01 11:37

Do you speaking of trying new things? Have you had a chance to break out your hyperized gear that they sent to all of our CSM Olympians?

SPEAKER_00 11:45

Yeah, I love it. I I really love it. It's been amazing. I love the back vibration wrap. I didn't think I was that was like the thing that I thought I wasn't gonna use because I was like, oh, like my back is fine. I don't I don't really see like how I would be using this. I was gonna give it to my dad because he has a bad back. And then I started using it and I was like, oh my god, I cannot give this up. I wear it like all the time. I wear it like before my workouts, after my workouts. Like I'm I'm hyping it up to everyone. I was like, you need to get this. This is life-changing. No, it's been amazing. I love it. It honestly has changed like my pre-warm-up, like my warmup routine. I feel so much more ready to into my workouts and my skates.

Goalie Thinking Versus Reacting

SPEAKER_01 12:26

Alex and the crew are gonna love you. That clip right there could go viral for a hyper race on its own. That's honestly that's part of what their products are doing. You know, we had their our six Olympians hooked up with it. Sandy was using it every single day down in Denver. I myself am an advocate for any way that you can be prepared and feel better when you jump on the ice on the core, on the field, wherever you're playing. A lot of people underestimate the value of a warm-up and making sure that you are prepared when that puck drops. I play a lot of beer league hockey right now, or I don't necessarily warm up, show up 15 minutes before, not exactly stretching, and it makes an impact. Especially when you know you are called upon in the middle of a game where you are cold. You can't just take a couple shots pre-game, you're jumping right in. Those play an impact. You're also rocking or using some new protein powder that uh is like good for your gut, apparently, because you're you have some sensitivities.

SPEAKER_00 13:21

Yeah, so I have a gluten and dairy allergy, so I have like a hard time finding good protein that doesn't make me feel bloated. And there's this company called Space Milk, and I'm not like a hundred percent sure how like they engineer the protein, but it's like allergen-free, super clean ingredients, and they just came out with a creatine as well. It's a Wesleyan alum who I used to go to school with, so shout out to him, Michael. He's been great in like hooking me up with products and letting me try things just to see how it works with my body. But I've loved it, I've been using it for over a year now, and they've been great. They like the protein has it's super clean, super light. I put it into my smoothies. I drink it just as like a protein shake with some milk, like oat milk or something. But a lot of people like to put it, I think, into like you know, protein muffins and stuff like that. But it's been great. I love it. It's super clean, super like I just don't feel bloated and I feel super ready. And I I have trouble with protein a lot.

SPEAKER_01 14:21

So well, and a lot of people do, right? I obviously Perfect Sports is a sponsor of ours. They have some of the best protein on the market. But if you can't consume gluten, dairy, there's differences in what people's bodies can absorb. So obviously, you've got to find something that works for you. I I'm thrilled that you found it, that you've got something that works. Obviously, it's something that we can suggest to others, but mainly is like making sure you get your nutrition covered as an athlete. A lot of people, again, don't look at what they're putting into their body. They just think if they train hard, they're gonna see success. What part of your personality do you think made you capable of becoming an elite athlete?

Warmups Recovery Gear And Nutrition

SPEAKER_00 14:58

Yeah, I think that I don't take like no for an answer. I'm super stubborn. It and it's good and bad, I think, but I think not taking no for an answer from coaches in the sense of, you know, when they tell me I'm not good enough or when they tell me I'm not gonna make to a certain level, it kind of I'm kind of like, well, what do you know? You know, like I can do it. Like just because you didn't want to play me doesn't mean that a different team is not gonna want to play me. So I think that kind of mindset of I can just if I put my mind to it, I can do it. But in the hockey sense, like on the ice, I don't give up. I hate when the goal, like the puck goes into the goal. So I'll like do everything in my power to keep it out. I'll dive, I'll literally throw things like it's it's crazy. But I think that kind of mindset of just not wanting that puck to go in to the goal whatsoever has helped me just make like some insane saves that I don't even I don't even know how I made it. Like, I think someone, something else inside my body like started to just like I don't even know. So yeah, that's kind of what makes me, I think, an elite athlete is just being stubborn in good ways, I think.

SPEAKER_01 16:10

I am nowhere near at the level of athlete that you are, but I can confirm that I I feel the exact same way. Sometimes I make some stops, I'm like, I don't even know how I got there, but it's that tenacity, that determination that never sit take no for an answer. And a lot of guys will look at me, they're like, yo, most guys wouldn't even try to stop that puck. It was like, yeah, I've got that. I'm like, I'm gonna not sleep if I don't get to that puck, so I gotta do whatever I can, right? I uh I know you mentioned other goalies looking, watching, analyzing how they work. I know you just were highlighted, featured on NGO Mag Radio with Kevin Woodley from NHL.com, NGO. I was curious what athletes' goalies did you look up to, admire, or try and emulate growing up? Have you used NGOal Mag's resources since chatting with Kevin?

SPEAKER_00 17:01

Yeah, well, my some of my favorite goalies, I wouldn't say I really emulate their style because it's a little bit hard, but I've loved like Tim Thomas. I'm a huge Boston fan, so like Tim Thomas is kind of a goalie that I always looked up to when I was younger. And then I also love Marc-Andre Fleury. So I love that kind of yeah, I love that like athletic style of like just not giving up. They make some crazy saves. Like you're like, why did you even do it like that? You probably could have got there like a normal goalie, but props to you, sort of thing. So I love that kind of style, but I don't think I can personally play it. But I do take little parts of it of just you know, the athleticism and the saves that you don't think you're gonna make and just kind of sticking something out there and it hits you, sort of moments. I think are a little bit like Marc-Andre Fleury and Tim Thomas. But yeah, I mean, I don't I watch at all goalies. I love, I mean, Erin Frankel is amazing, she's great. Just what she's done with her size, and I think she was overlooked prior to going to college because of her size. I think she's she's been amazing. I love watching her. I've had the opportunity to skate with her as well a couple times, and that's been amazing. Just seeing her thought process throughout practice as well has been really cool to learn from. But yeah, and like Ingle and Mag, I mean, I've looked at their resources and stuff and have been reading a few of their articles as well, just trying to get better and kind of see kind of how the game. I coach a bit, so I also want I love looking at how the game, the projection of the game and how things are changing as well. Um, so that's been super helpful to me.

SPEAKER_01 18:39

They have the best resource online for goalies part none, as the best in the business. I'm fortunate to have been able to watch take tidbits. My goalie here currently that I'm using is thanks to Ingoal Meg. So shouto to NGol Meg for highlighting us. They've had Sandy, you, a couple of our clients on, and you know, there's not a lot of goalie-specific info out there. So having that hub is such an incredible resource. I know you talked about like playing with other players on that highest level. Obviously, Team Japan wasn't in the finals. Did you watch the team USA versus Canada final?

SPEAKER_00 19:15

Yeah, I did. I didn't watch it in person, unfortunately. I watched the bronze medal game and then I watched the gold medal game in like the common room in the Olympic Village, but it was amazing. I okay, no offense to Canada. I thought it was gonna be like a blowout game by US just because of how like the rivalry series was going, and then also like the round robin wasn't too much of a game, so I was like, Oh, I'm just gonna watch it in in the Olympic Village, but it was a great game, it was amazing, it was so fun to watch.

Goalies She Studies To Improve

SPEAKER_01 19:48

I even myself thought it was gonna be a blowout. We had some CSN group chats going on, and everyone and their mom was saying the US was gonna blow them out, and kudos to them. They played a hard game for basically 55 minutes. Yeah. I mean, Canadian goaltender stood on her head too, but it's tough, you know. The the US were a good team, and obviously they proved that at the end. Tough one for the men on that side, too, you know. It was just heartbreaking for Canadians in general. Obviously, you down in Boston, you probably saw a bit more of the parades, the excitement. It's been gloomy up here past the 49th parallel, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_00 20:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:27

With you mentioned the Olympic village. What was that experience like?

SPEAKER_00 20:32

It was great. My favorite part was we were in the same building. It's kind of like we they were different buildings, but as the US, so you would get into an elevator and it could be like an NHL player, and you're like trying to act cool, like you belong there, and you're like, hey, what's up? Like, not like fangirling inside, you're just like super cool about it. And then the they'll leave and you're like, oh my god, it was like Charlie McAvoy. So like you'll freak out a little bit after, but it was super cool to just see how normal everyone was. And you also like you go to the gym in the Olympic village and you just see how much hard work everyone's putting in into their sport, and that was awesome to see as well. And it's very motivating, I think, for me, just thinking about like maybe next four years if I want to keep playing, just like how much work actually goes into it and seeing everyone around me get so much better. I'm like, okay, I also have to put in that work too. So it was just inspiring, I think, to see all the athletes.

SPEAKER_01 21:27

I think you you proved, like you said, you belong that you shouldn't be fangirling that you're one of them, right? They're probably fangirling over you and the fact that you were generating millions of views on your social platforms. I I also mentioned it earlier, but I I want to highlight Eleni and the work that she's done with you. I know she's worked with your dad. Did you get some of that tenacity from your dad? Is that where some of that came from?

SPEAKER_00 21:51

Yeah, for sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:53

Tell me about your parents.

Seeing Stars In The Village

SPEAKER_00 21:54

Yeah. Well, my mom's Japanese and my dad's from Boston, and my dad kind of grew up with nothing. and kind of built his life from like the ground up for our family. And he's been great. He's he's my number one supporter. He's been my number one supporter. He's just, yeah, he's a great dad, honestly. Like I just can't say enough about him. He's he's amazing. He he shows up to everything. He'll put like literally put everything in his life on hold just for me. If I just give him a call and like I'm freaking out or something. So he's been amazing and he's kind of like one of the reasons why I've gotten here. I mean I've tried to quit hockey so many times and he's really talked me off that ledge so many times. But he, you know, he would support me with anything that I would do. So if I wanted to stop playing he'll be like, all right, let's stop playing. Like you'll you're good. You can find a different path in your life. And so he's been great and just he's always my number one advocate as well. So if I if I don't want to kind of step up and talk, talk for myself sometimes where I just I think that's a Japanese way I don't like to like hype myself up in any way or advocate for myself sometimes when I need to he's just he's out there. Like you just unleash my dad and he's he's like all in your face about it. So he's been amazing. And my mom's great as well. She's she doesn't understand hockey as much but she's you know she's all at all my events and she's always there to support me as well but she's a little bit more of like a toned down version. So it's also nice to you know rant to her sometimes because she doesn't get as heated. She's just like yeah it's okay Ray like you're gonna be okay like she doesn't get as like emotionally invested in my in some of the moments when I'm emotionally invested. So it's kind of like nice nice balance I think between the two of them. Yeah I think that's also what Eleni has added to the Cook Stark management team is that level headed lawyer that will say and you know she can come in and like she sounds like the same kind of advocate that your dad is right like she's what she's done over the past year and a half with us at CSM's been nothing short of remarkable and obviously you've been working with her for a few years now like starting in division three hockey right like what yeah you know not many D3 players have agents to begin with right yeah I mean I was looking for an agent when I was trying to go after I was gonna graduate and go play abroad and I honestly got turned down by so many agencies just because they didn't think I could play professionally or they didn't think I had a future in hockey and in the last three years hockey has really changed the woman's side the landscape of the pro teams but I mean even three years ago a D3 athlete should have been able to go play abroad if they wanted to but it's it's a hard I think world a little bit in that sense because people don't understand the level D3 sometimes and Eleni was someone that I was introduced to by one of my my high school coach and she just was like of course you can play like we're gonna find you a place to play like it's we're not gonna take no for an answer kind of thing and I really felt supported and heard and seen and I think it was nice to finally have someone that was like who cares if you play D3 like you're still a good hockey player and that you're gonna be able to play professionally somewhere and like we're gonna find you a place to play instead of like oh you played D3 no thank you like you're not gonna go anywhere. Good luck with your career if you have one sort of conversations I was having so Eleni was great in that sense and she she's been amazing in helping me kind of find my my identity in the pro hockey world.

Parents Advocacy And Getting An Agent

SPEAKER_01 25:35

So well your identity is not Tim Thomas but it's close in my books at least I saw you in Denver it was pretty phenomenal. Obviously you mentioned Tim Thomas a bit of a sore squad for me 2010 2011 Vancouver capitalism that's Stanley Cup he did play phenomenally well as a goalie I have to respect getting a shout out in game seven he's a stud. And honestly like the way he plays like you said it's just the making stops whatever it takes to get the job done I think that's what separates good from great goalies. That's why you were on the Olympic stage this year. And I think it's a testament to your hard work a lot of people should take some of the insights knowledge that you've dropped today recognize the fact that if they're in high school if they're in D1, two or three they could be playing professionally overseas what was that experience like for you overseas playing because it's a couple different teams a couple different leagues countries like what was that bouncing around how'd you feel yeah I started in Norway and it was honestly a great stepping stone for me.

SPEAKER_00 26:34

I met some really great people and some of them even came and visited me in the US already so it's been great in that sense and the team culture was great. But I will say the hockey for me was not the step up that I was looking for but it was a great stepping stone in me getting used to European hockey. It's very different from North American hockey so that I they play more of like organized super clean hockey not as physical but super reliant on you know like tape to tape passes and super structured for check and super structured D-zone and I think it was just different from my Wesleyan experience which was like super hard for check when like anything kind of goes at some moments really yeah really physical a lot of dump and chase and so it was just a different style of hockey in that sense but it was great and I really enjoyed my time in Norway and then I moved to Sweden which was only for like two months um because I had some visa issues but similar hockey style in Europe like between Norway and Sweden but it was yeah I mean I had a great time in like the two months I was there there was I had a lot of imports of a lot of people from North America and England and kind of different countries it was super international.

Pro Hockey Abroad In Europe

SPEAKER_01 27:58

So that was super fun everyone thinks it's P dub or nothing but you know having a stepping stone in Norway to Sweden and then going back to North America or wherever it is like there's a so many opportunities and like you said over the past three years the women's game has gone absolutely parabolic and there's a lot of opportunity so if athletes young athletes young women are listening to this conversation if you take nothing else make sure you remember Ray's story and the fact that wherever you're at you could be hitting the Olympic stage right like I'm I'm not off to say that if you put your mind to something you put it out in the ether like you said you manifest it you can make it happen. It's not just that you gotta require a lot of hard work yeah absolutely like the league that you play in shouldn't put you in a box I think of where you can get to if you were to just maybe highlight a couple other brands that you'd love to work with since you've started to gain a considerable following on TikTok and other social platforms I always like to give our athletes an opportunity to manifest what they're going to make happen over the next couple years. You said in four years maybe you're in LA on the Olympic stage again. What is the next few years Gina in a bottle hold for Ray? How do you proceed after you know playing on the Olympic stage?

SPEAKER_00 29:19

Yeah I mean I'm hoping I keep playing hockey at a high level and then obviously I want to grow my social media presence I just think spreading the message about you don't have like if you work hard you can make your dreams come true like truly so continuing to like push that social media presence for me is really important. And yeah I mean I would love to work with so many brands um I'm a dog mom so I love yeah and I have a rescue so I love working with like some rescues and just kind of I used to work at like a the MSPCA which is an animal shelter here and they do some great work. But yeah I would love to work with rescues uh I my dog is like my baby so what kind of dog he's a German shepherd and short hair sorry tree walking coon hound and a lab mix but yeah he he looks like a lab he looks like a black lab with like really long legs but yeah I just I just want to continue kind of being a mentor to young female athletes I think and even after I retire I coach so I would love to just like keep pushing and kind of making women's sports and especially women's hockey bigger and make it something that all girls can achieve regardless of their background or anything.

Social Media Goals And Final Advice

SPEAKER_01 30:42

So you're doing it literally right here these past 32 minutes over the past three plus years you've inspired hundreds of thousands of women I guarantee it like just through your content through what you've done doing conversations like this it's gonna go a long way we're only scratching the surface here Ray that's the best part. You're a Ray of Sunshine I've been very grateful to be able to work with you over the past couple of years. The way we wrap up every episode of the Athletes Podcast is we ask our guests their biggest piece of advice for the next generation of athletes and I'd love to hear Ray Halloran's piece Yeah I think my biggest piece of advice would be to create a goal for yourself and don't let anyone tell you you can't achieve that goal. And I think do anything in your power to become a better person, teammate, everything human and get to that goal by hard work not taking no for an answer and doing the little things right and doing the little things with no one's looking oh my God sorry no it's good hey you're an athlete you're coming out here when you're feeling under the weather we appreciate your time sincerely right hey first of many conversations are we gonna see in Calgary here for the not our first rodeo yeah I hope so I love the rodeo so I really want to attend heck yeah we got a little Calgary Stampede CSM special it's gonna be so much fun again round two for the old camp. Right can't thank you enough for coming on the show. We hope you feel better first off and get that hyper rice back on you know the venom keep using all those products we can't wait to highlight you again in a couple years maybe in four years again when you're back on the Olympic states we'll get you back on but we'll probably do something in the meantime in July in Calgary. So until then stay safe yeah thank you appreciate your time that's the pod thanks so much Rip thank you for having me