tradition of the show which is about accountability and earning your trust. meet the press has always been a place for diverse voices and challenging conversations. it is essential to our democracy and who we are as a country. on behalf of everyone here we wish you a happy and healthy new year. that is all for today. thank you for watching. we will be back next week, because if it is sunday it is meet the press. . . as we ring in the new year all eyes turn to iowa the count

down to the caucuses is on and donald trump is still far and away the favorite. the question is, could anything shake up the race between now and caucus day? plus, with just a few days to go before another anniversary of the january 6th attack on the capitol, we will hook at some of the republicans who are still trying to rewrite history. also today, my one-on-one conversation with harry dunn who defended the democracy and the capitol and so much to be concerned about in 2024, there are so many reasons to be excited. at the top of my list is the olympic games in paris. i will introduce you to two paraolympians some of the move the inspiring people i talk to all year. as we ring in 2024, i want to take just a moment to talk about what this next year has in store. because we have a little more than two weeks left until the official kick off of the

presidential race. that is when republican caucus goers in iowa will cast the first votes of the 2024 election cycle. what happens in that state could have big implications for the country. and those implications may extend far beyond the upcoming year. for the candidates who spent months barn storming the state iowa represents the first real opportunity to break free of the pack and propel the campaign forward. and with a little luck, become the front-runner for the nomination. at least that's the tradition for the last four decades. now this year, however, feels a little different. donald trump led the field by such a wide margin for such a long time, that the race is less than open condepth and foregone conclusion. but that being said, let's dig into what makes iowa iowa. i did live there on and off for two years including during the caucus in 2004 when john kerry staged a comeback victory for one cakeous goers in the state expect to meet the candidates personally. typically not enough to hear a

speech and leave. they want to be courted. they also tend to be more politically committed and informed. while republican cactus meetings do use anonymous ballots voting in the cactus takes a little more effort than simply pulling lever in voting booth at the teem of their choose being and the electorate itself. given that almost half of likely republican caucus goers eadvantage jell cals are religious more isolationist when it comes to foreign policy than voters in other states. consider the last several candidates who won the iowa caucus. people like governor mike hucka bee and santorum in 2012 and ted cruz in 2016. all three of those candidates were more conservative, underdogs who notched surprise victories in iowa. each also received endorsementp bob vanderpl at the most influential leader in the state hoping to extend the winning

streak into a fourth psych pel but rather than endorse trump he took a riskier vote backing desantis and predicted back in november that eye would republicans will rise up against trump, that prediction has not exactly played out yet. joining me now is my former boss david who is the campaign manager for barack obama's 2008 presidential race and briean who is the chief politics report are for the des moines register. okay, thank you both for being with me. i will start with you. trump as i outlined felt inevitable for a long teem. but there are often things in iowa that happen in the final weeks and david knows this as well. what do you see on the ground and what are you watching for over the next couple of weeks since you are close to this and a lot of people watching mae not be? >> think one thing to keep in mind is people don't make up their mind until the very end. they are going and trying to meet the people face-to-face. they are going to see everyone

maybe even a couple times before they make up their minds. and so our polling has shown consistently that you know about half of likely republican caucus goers have not made up their minds and so even if the very final weeks, final days, there's room for things to shift even in the final hours. you talked about caucuses being different than a primary. pool are going no a room with neighbors and having conversations and there's chance for teem people to make the room on caucus night but there's room for movement and we will see what happens over the feel weeks. >> and david, iowa winners earn the victories the old fashioned way. i mean, barack obama did. he spent a lot of time on the ground, shook a lot of hands and answered lots and lots of questions. trump this year on the other hand, has been swooping in on the jet, had large-scale rallies he was the former president i guess, haley is betting on new hampshire.

desantis needs to do well in iowa to stay in the game. how do you expect it to play out in terms of what's happening on the ground over the next couple of weeks? >> well, it's also interesting if you look at '16 when trump narrowly loss to cruz and he said caucuses were rigged, something four years later. you know, he not quite like this, but he was not hustling in all 99 counties. he was not shaking hands before events and after events. he probably could have beaten cruz if he run better campaign. cruz had a better iowa operation. we will see at the end of the day, trump's got such a passionate base that perhaps the operation matters less. perhaps the way he campaigns less. i think that's interesting is we could be in for a surprise where trump's number on caucus day doesn't match the polls. but it is that battle for second. and it's fascinating because you know, if polls are to believe and hale is gaining in new hampshire, she ought to be able to do okay in south carolina her own state, so if she were somehow able to get in

second place in iowa, and everybody else dropped out may vive wouldn't drop out but could get a clear shot at trump and would be the underdog. if desantis would come in second he would say i have to continue clogging up antitrump lanes. so a lot depends on who comes in second and if trump wins by 40 points that's different story. perhaps let's say he drops to 40 or 38 and someone gets 18 or 20, even though that's a big lead, you know the expectations came -- so we get surprised in iowa so i would be surprised if we don't have surprises in store over the next few weeks. >> yeah, the expectations game as david outlawed and from covering this you know well, is a big part of this. are you seeing momentum behind haley talked about on the national level and this happening in new hampshire? or less of that in iowa? >> well, think we saw that in the fall.

our polling at the register des moines register showed her from 10 points from summer into october. we saw that being the only movement in the he's. ron desantes was stagnant. donald trump was leading. nikki heal yea was the only person to show movement in the poll. and so for a while, it seemed like there was a lot of energy behind her. she has gotten big endorsements including from americans for prosperity action, which is putting boots on the ground helping her door knock and put some, you know, bones into her operation. so we saw that, but going here into the end of the year, we have seen less movement in the polls, but there's a lot of energy. it feels like a two-person race and the fight for second between desantis and haley. i think iowans tend to be pretty pragmatic as they think about their choices, being first in the nation. they are looking to new hampshire and south carolina to see how people are weighing the

field in those later states. and they are saying, you know make nikki haley has the best path beyond iowa and that's compelling. >> that's the race for second is probably the most interesting thing to watch right now. but let me go back to the trump aspect given he is so far ahead. he's multiples of double digits ahead. but if he doesn't win by as much as 40 points or however much he is leaking, could that why am pact hem? how could that expectation impact him negatively? >> history suggest that it will, jen. so i think, you know, we are not far away from the caucuses. and his lead is mass he have. so, it wouldn't take much, again, for him to finish at 40, which, you know, would seem like a big number. and there's somehow, you know, desantis or haley can get to 18, 20, 22, you know, he will look wounded, which is he didn't match expect stations. and then you head into new hampshire like iowa has a deep

capacity to surprise. and so, i do think that at the end of the day, the margin matters, and the private most important thing is does it get down to a two-person race. going back to $16, rubio, cruz, they all hung in. and you know, trump, you know, for a while was winning states. you know 38, 40, 42 was not getting 50. and it is clear that there's probably 55 depending on the state maybe 58% of republican primary voters open to somebody else. but it has to get down to the two-person race and iowa is the first moment and so i think that is the important thing, as it relates to trump. if he finishes at 52, 55, 56, doesn't mean he doesn't get upset in new hampshire. makes it less likely. but if it narrows and history suggest it does, particularly trump is not necessarily, you

know, maniccally campaigning around the state going to all 99 counties doing tons of otrs he is doing what he likes to do. and he think that's the thing to watch. is -- does this become a two- person race after iowa or latest after new hampshire and think that margin in iowa will help dictate that. >> i mean, desantis feels like he has the most to lose. if he doesn't do well, what's his path? or that seems to be the my take on it. i want to ask you about the des moines register poll, long been the gold standard for the unless and where candidates sit, and there were numbers about where republican caucus goers more or likely to support trump stood that just stood tout me. 42% are more likely to support him for claim immigrants are poisoning the blood of the country. 43% more likely for saying his enemies need to be rooted out like vermin so my question is that because that's where they

stand or because he is saying it and they like him and what ever it is he is saying? >> we will polled questions over and over again about donald trump, and some of the controversial things he said, some of the controversial stands he has taken. we have polled about his legal issues. and you know, alf these different things and it seems that no matter what question we asked, there's going to be a certain amount of iowa republicans who are with him. so, i think we are sewing that again where it is kind of a rally around the flag effect where we are seeing it through the indictments where if he is being attacked people republicans here in iowa tend to gravitate more closely to him. and so, you know, it's been an interesting year in iowa because it started out you know we would talk to republican caucus goers, people attending events early in the year. and there are a lot of people who would tell us and still do tell us this they want someone besides donald trump. they are interested in another

option. and yet, we have seen the polling that he only getting stronger here in iowa. even despite all of the things that are coming his way. you know, he leads with every demographic group we tested in this last poll. and so, to talk about all of the things that he faced, the things that he is saying, his support is only getting stronger here in iowa. >> lots to watch. you are saying there could be surprises. i guess we will see. coming up, we remember what happened on january 6th, 2021. but as we approach another anniversary of that day, the efforts to rewrite history continue. plus, my conversation with harry dunn, one of the officers who guarded the capitol that day. and you won't want to miss my conference with two u.s. paralympians ahead of 2024. we are back after this. 2024. we are back after this.

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in just a few days it will be the third anniversary of the january 6th attack on capitol. we are in an active unprecedented political violence hundreds of donald trump supporters violently stormed the capitol in an attempt to halt the peaceful transfer of power. and in the immediate aftermath of that attack, the facts of what happened were not in question everyone knew what they saw. >> it was surreal and definitely a dark day in the history of america. >> our nation mourns the unacceptable violence and anarchy that took place in this capitol last week. >> it's an unprecedented event. nothing any of us have seen in our lifetime. we have to prosecute the people and from my perspective put them under the jail. >> the president bears responsibility for wednesday's attack on congress. >> all i can say, is couldn't me out enough is enough. >> january 6th was a disgrace. american citizens attacked their own government. they used terrorism to try to

stop us specific piece of domestic business they didn't like. they built a gallows and chanted about murdering, vice president. they did this because they had been fed wild, falsehoods by the most powerful man on earth. because he was angry he lost an election. >> but in the three years since there has been a concerted effort to rewrite that history. to intentionally ignore disregard improvise and whatever ever everyone saw with their own eyes. >> americans to know the truth it's fraught with an unbelievable amount of misinformation and untruths, and i think this when you see the footage yourself it had give you an understanding what was there. and what occurred that day. because we are currently only depending upon partisan descriptions of what happened. >> i let people make their

decision. >> we want the american people to draw their conclusion. we have to blur the faces of persons that participated in the events of the day because we don't want them to be retaliated against, and to be charged by the doj and to have other, you know, concerns and problems. >> they are going to take this and milk this for anything they could to try to be able to smear anyone who ever supported donald trump. >> let mow be clear, there was no insurrection and to call it an insurrection in my opinion a boldface lie. if you didn't note tv footage was from january 6th you would think it was a normal tourist visit. >> fbi operatives were organizing the attack on the capitol. >> i have all the evidence i am showing you. >> why am i only person on this stage at least who can say that january 6th now looks like it was an inside job. >> these people were set up it was an inside job, and people

should see for themselves. the thing is, we did see for ourselves everyone did. and as we approach another anniversary of that day, none of this, none of it should be in question. a group of people motivated by the lies of the then sitting president of the united states attacked the capitol, in a des from the attempt to keep him in power. but for the coalition that supports donald trump, what happened on january 6th is thea pay aren't and-fortunately up for debate. as we enter the new year, that specter of political violence continues to hang over the country. joining me next is someone who dedefended the cap at that harry dunn conversation is coming up after a short break. we will be right back. eak. we will be right back. the market from wherever you are. e*trade from morgan stanley power e*trade's easy-to-use tools make complex trading less complicated. custom scans help you find new trading opportunities, while an earnings tool helps you plan your trades and stay on top of the market. e*trade from morgan stanley

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capitol police. many of whom engaged in hand-to- hand combat while protecting the capitol that day. they were assaulted with the bats, clubs, and pepper spray, even fire extinguishers and flag poles. they were stabbed on stomped and crushed and pushed downstairs and many had concussion and cracked ribs and one lost an eye. that's not to mention the psychological trauma. among the brave offers was harry dunn who shared the story while testifying before the committee investigating january 6th two years ago. now he is out with a new book standing my ground a capitol police officer's fight for accountability and good trouble after january 6th. i recently sat down with officer dunn to discuss his book, his job and his life in the aftermath of the insurrection. harry dunn, thank you for taking the time to sit down with me today. congratulations on being an author. >> thank you. >> i wanted to ask, your a so candid about your level of fear, your level of trauma, and

you experienced on january 6th than in the weeks and months afterwards. why did you decide to write the pack and what do you want people to take away from it. >> you know, i -- have been telling my story from day one. and said everybody has a story from that day. this is my story. i don't pretend to speak for the capitol police or speak for individual officers. this is me. it's important especially in this day and age so many people are trying to whitewash what happened. and they want silence. and silence actually helps them win. them meaning people trying to rewrite what happened. and i can't let that happen. you know, everybody has a role and i believe this is part of my role just by telling my story. >> your job for all of the years you've been in it, is to protect people of all parties of all backgrounds. >> yeah. >> of all viewpoints. >> yeah. >> which i think is so important for people to understand. how has that been in the years

sense january 6th. >> it's challenging because you know, every thing is become so partisan and so divided. my job just the job, is to bible to protect members of congress who i afree with and doesn't agree with. it's not my job to agree with them as a police officer. it's my job to disagree or agree with them as an american citizen with vote at the ballot box. but to be able to distinguish between the two i think that's where i am now that, knowing that democracy my job is to protect it and defend those individuals responsible for preserving it and keeping it. but as an american citizen, still being able to hold them accountable. it's a delicate balance. >> you write that most of the insurrectionists didn't go-side because they were too busy fighting with us as in you. >> yeah. >> and others in and your colleagues not trying to run around us but trying to take our lives. >> they had the opportunity look how outnumbered we were. if they wanted to go in

officers were on the ground why not go in then in you had officers on frowned. instead of going around they were beating the officer on the ground and attacking him. it was not just an obstacle, it was hate in their heart and vitriol that they had. they had the opportunity to go in. some did, but some continued to attack officers while they were down. and yeah, i can't explain that. >> you don't often reflect on how much worse things could have been but you did an interesting job of reflecting on that in your booky said in the fact that only one shot was fired speaks to the caliber of the officers of the force, and everything we saw was so bad, and so horrific around that day. but, it sounds like your view is it could have been worse. >> it could have been. and also not even just the officers, but the individuals there, too. i am not giving them credit, but you know, there were weapons pulled off individuals. if they just said you know what, f this i am going to

start shooting what if we got to that .? but the caliber the bravery displayed and professionalism mixed with the heroism of that day by those men and women capitol police metropolitan police, was second to none. you know, no members were hurt. no staff was hurt. and not even that, they went back and certified the election later that night. so that speaks to the job that was done by the men and women. >> i mean, i know you dropped a lot of f bombs it's okay. >> yeah. >> i don't know what mom aunts, grandmas think of that. >> it's funny. my dad said why did you cuss so much. that's not usually me, you know, but, it was a lot of anger. >> yeah. >> in there, and i wanted to be as candid as he could be. >> i wanted to ask you because you talk about withdrawing from friends and family. and you've been very open about your struggle with ptsd with many pool struggle with out there. >> yeah. >> why is it so important for you to be sharing your story

and sharing that part of your experience with people? >> because somebody else is going through it. just as simple as that. and, he think it helps people know that i am not the only -- not me, that if somebody else reading this, i am not the only one going through this or this big strong police officer guy, you know, thiss's crying it's okay to cry. just it is bring out the human in us. not we are not just robots. we are individuals that have feelings and emotions. and your emotions are valid and your feelings are valid. >> one of the factors here that feels unfair that you and others have to navigate is that you have the leading republican candidate for the nomination who is talking about glorifying insurrectionists and glorifying people involved in that day. how do you deal with that. >> will the me ask you a question? does that say more about donald trump or more about the people

who this country? you know? there's an audience for him, a large audience not just small demographic. and those people exist and have say and they have a vote. we can't discredit them. i don't understand it, but, they exist. and we need to meet people where they are. i think one of the things i learned through all the people i met when people want to be heard and seen and respected. and if people are turning to donald trump for that, we are failing somewhere else. instead of meeting people where they are. >> sounds like you are saying we have to leave a bridge. >> you have to. what other choice do we have? >> there are sometimes as discussion about this as if it is happened and it is never going to happen again. so, you are out there every day, nearly every day. >> yeah. >> outside of the capitol and

she what happens and see it do you fear that this could happen again? >> yeah. because domed trump doesn't think he did anything wrong. there have been, you know, thousands of arrests and hundreds of convictions, and maybe those people have learned their lesson. but, when you have arguably the most powerful individual on the earth emboldening people to do what happened on january 6th, then yes, youer for that it will happen again. >> harry dunn, congratulations on. >> thank you. >> becoming an author. >> thank you. >> no one can take at that away from you. everyone can be proud even with the f bombs included. i appreciate you. >> thank you. >> having the courage to tell your story. and also at that tuck about a your struggles. >> i appreciate it thank so much. >> his book standing my ground is now available wherever you purchase your books. up next, an important

conversation about the tireless work military caregivers in the united states. the wife of a military veteran whoer is informed iraq and afghanistan will join me to share her family's personal story. and talk about the challenges faced by caregivers across the country. after this break. we will be right back. after this break. we will be right back. from v in people 60 years and older. arexvy does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients. those with weakened immune systems may have a lower response to the vaccine. the most common side effects are injection site pain, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and joint pain. i chose arexvy. rsv? make it arexvy. ♪♪ here's to... one year bolder. ♪♪ ♪boost♪ nutrition for now. sometimes your work shirt needs to be for more than just work. like when it needs to be a big soft shoulder to cry on.

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asway as we like head to the new year one of the foe can yous i have is support organization that do remarkable

work and give back more myself. one of the organizations that's struck me over the years because of the impact of the work they do is the elizabeth dole foundation. senator elizabeth dole started the foundation after her husband senator bob dole was hospitalized for 11 months due to service related injuries. and she saw the challenges military caregivers faced in the lack of a assistance available for them. the foundation mission is to support and empower the caregivers that are often forgotten. and for this new year's show i wanted to highlight the story of one of the many remarkable caregivers jennifer's husband will served in iraq. a few years after returning from the second deployment, he with as diagnosed with a blood; lation disorder and also a rare auto i flamtory disease doctors believed is linked to environmental toxins he was, posed to while serving in afghanistan. she said her role is one of the most challenging roles she had the honor of fulfilling and joining me now is jennifer a caregiver and fellow at the

elizabeth dole foundation. and it's such a pleasure to be here with you. i am sorry, you are very inspiring. okay. i want to ask you about your husband will because he is a vat ran of afghanistan and iraq and a dad, and he's an avid reader and pays ball fan my husband is baseball fan tell us about will. >> so, will, he is a go getter. when his condition often renders him bedridden when he is up he is going 1 hup lin miles per hour advocating for others. he is diving into his girls' lives and best husband and father and present as he can be when he is be and avid reader and we have a library in our house full of history books. >> i love that big history buff and baseball fan. your responsibilities as a caregiver and other caregivers change day to day and this is something people don't always recognize. you are raising twin 13-year- old girls. so that alone is a full-time job. >> yes. >> tell us a little bit about the challenges you face or how

the responsibilities change day to day. >> sure. so, you know when people think of wounded warriors they think of illnesses they see and be able to understand. but for my husband and others they are invisible. you can't tell what's going on from day to day until you see for yourself. for him, his -- he has pots and another condition that often means he has flare-ups that keep him in bed all day. and this is not the type of like he's sit up and we go and play games and watch tv. he is out and he has brain fog fatigue joint pain migraines and all sorts of issues. day to day, each morning when i wake up, i kind of assess is he up today? is it going to be good day or down and you know we need to help him accordingly. so, it's helping him with meals, bringing him food. my daughters do that lot with me and for me. and they will bring in food for their father. and happening with medications, and there's not a cure so it's

not so much that we are working towards something. it's just hoping each day is a good one. you are now a part of the community of caregivers that people don't understand. people often think of the veterans who return but they don't think about the caregivers. >> right. >> what do you think is most misunderstood about the challenges that caregivers face? >> i think a country is great getting behind veterans and i am proud of that. but second and third order affects when they come back wound or ill. and those fall down on the families if they are married it's the spouse or maybe if they have children the children are affected greatly. think mental and financial repercussions are huge. i talk a lot about mental health. i've had really dark days feeling lonely and isolated and knowing there's not necessarily an end in sight that you know it can feel overwhelming. and same for my children. and they didn't sign up for

this although we are very proud of my husband's military service and have no regrets. the consequences of the day to day and toll it takes on us is really hard for people to fathom until they stepped inside our homes. >> one of the things reading about you that was surprising is you were at event for the elizabeth dole foundation, and they are inspiring. i been to some of these events. and you heard the term military caregiver and even as everything you described you didn't think of yourself as one previously. but that seemed like it changed for you. that moment changed for you. >> it did. yeah, it was an moment i was at an event and i think we had gone to just like a military fair of some sort with vendors and they said hey, you know you might want to come to this. your husband is going to be medically retiring out of the military and this might interest you. i came and heard a fellow caregiver speaking a as she described the scenarios it hit

me and i was sitting in the room crying and i was caring for my husband and i thought nothing of it. it was my vows for better or worst but realize there had was a whole demographic of people 5.5 million out there that were also caregivers. >> remarkable number of people impacted. we -- elizabeth dole home care act passed in the house. just a few weeks ago. how would this bill help caregivers and what is missing from -- it's a big step forward but what more should people watching when more needs to be done. >> with this act, what it helps with is that currently, if someone is they are ailing and aging at a certain threshold they go into the va nursing homes. but when we want is caregivers is for our veterans to be home with us as they age because we know them best. we know exactly what they need. but that takes resources, right. and so this bill allows them to age at home for the caregivers to be able to continue to give

them the best care possible. >> and what more for people watching who just are just learning about military caregivers, the large community, what is the one thing you wish this they would know? >> so, what i always say to people is, a, know they are out there. the people that care for veterans, there are so many of us oftentimes you can't spot them. so go hook for them and find them tell them they are not alone and what i say is instead of saying let me know if you need anything, be specific. figure out what your strength and your skill sets are and offer that to them because that's what we need. >> incredible advice. jennifer you are incredibly inspiring. i hope you have happy holiday. >> thank you. >> with your family and thanks for being here today. comingp my conversation with two incredibly impressive paralympic act let's talking about their personal stories and plans for paris 2024 and beyond. we are back after a quick break. we are back after a quick break.

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as we look ahead to 2024, there are a lots of things i am worried about. the future of democracy for one. i am sure many of you are

worried but things are things i am super excited about and at the top of the list is the 2024 olympics and pair olympics in paris. but i am an olympics super fan. the pair limbic games kick off august 28th and i sat down with two paralympians to hear about how they overcommassive ops obstacles to become incredible athletes. >> brad and tatiana thanks for spending some time with me on your busy day in washington. so, brad, you three time paraolympian and you are dad and you graduated from the naval academy and served in afghanistan and won the first gold medal a year after the first injury which is remarkable. what did you apply from your career in the navy. >> the military teaches you how to learn new skills. so, as a i was an eod officer explosive ordinance officer

part of the bomb squad for the navy. i have to do different things. i have to learn how to jump out of aircraft and scuba dive. >> no big deal jumping out of aircraft. >> it's a lot of fun, i can it will you that. but i have to learn how to do electronic circuits and maneuver warfare and how metal detectors work and different skills. so you go to the different schools as a person in the military and on day one of jump school or dive school, you know nothing about the particular thing. but by week one, week two, week three you achieved a level of mastery and approach it gradually with the sort of incremental loop. and so, i know how to learn things. >> you were born in russia and spent the first six years of your life in an orphanage in st. petersburg where you faced unique orphanage in st. peters where you faced some unique ers challenges, it is fair to say. explain how your life changed when you were adopted and moved to the united states. >> living in the orphanage the first six years of my life, i

didn't have medical treatment, there wasn't a wheelchair available, and my legs were atrophied because i didn't receive treatment. it was a miracle i survived until then. the sixth year changed my life when my mom happened to walk through that door. she was purely on a work trip and coming to the u.s. >> she was just there for work and walked into the orphanage. did she know she wanted to adopt a child? >> no, she didn't. it was faith that brought us together. i knew at that moment that was going to be my mom. everything changed when i came to the u.s. i started school for the first time. i had about 15 surgeries because my legs were atrophied behind my back, so i have to straighten them out so i could sit in a chair like this and do normal day activities. she found a local parasports club called the blazers and that

changed my life forever. it was the first time, around 8 years old, i could dream, that i could become anything. when you're living in the orphanage, you're not taught to dream. you're taught to survive. so i wanted to become an olympic athlete. i say olympic athlete because, at the time, i didn't know the paraolympics existed. it wasn't on tv. we didn't have social media. it's been such an amazing journey. >> tatyana, many people call you, arguably, the world's best female wheelchair racer of all time. no pressure at all. >> no pressure. >> how do you deal with the pressure, though, and kind of the -- there is a mental health challenge, i think, of being an elite athlete. i'm not one, i don't know, but i imagine. how do you deal with that, and what are your coping mechanisms for dealing with the pressure? >> i really do believe that taking care of your mental health is absolutely first because your body can't respond if you're not mentally healthy.

you get tightness, and you just can't move in your sport. you almost forget how to do your sport. you build up high anxiety, and you just freeze. i'm a really big advocate for that, especially being involved with sports for so long and all the changes that has happened and the social media pressure, the fans, you know, all the comments sometimes you can receive. >> what are the misconceptions about the paralympics and paralympians out there you think need to be dispute snd. >> we spend a lot of time explaining we are not olympians. i'm introduced, and people will say, it was great to watch you in the olympics. i'm really proud to talk about my olympian friend, brad snyder.

i have to say, i'm a paralympian. we're confused with the special olympians. they play a role in society, but they are different. we're always trying to explain how we're different. >> the london paralympic games was a new movement, bringing paraolympics to the uk. what are you hoping for as the olympics and paralympics come to the united states in 2028? >> what was unique about the london games in 2004 was the advertising that the london olympics and paralympics did. so their whole narrative was the op, the olympics and paraolympics. it's how they came in, and it was brilliant. we outsold tickets at the london games. 1 million tickets. we outsold the olympics. it says something, if people know about the olympics, they want to see it. i think what people are starting to find is that paralympic

athlete stories are remarkable. >> you're amazing athletes, paralympians. thank you for spending time with me this afternoon. my thanks to tatyana mcfadden and brad snyder for speaking with me. since we taped the interview, brad decided to sit out these upcoming paralympic games to spend more time with his wife, sarah, and young daughter. we're hoping he is ready to compete in los angeles in 2028. we'll be right back after a quick break. r a quick break. downy rinse and refresh. ♪ i have type 2 diabetes, but i manage it well. ♪ ♪ jardiance ♪ ♪ it's a little pill with a big story to tell. ♪ ♪ i take once-daily jardiance, ♪ ♪ at each day's staaart. ♪ ♪ as time went on it was easy to seee. ♪ ♪ i'm lowering my a1c. ♪ jardiance works 24/7 in your body

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that does it for me today. i want to wish everyone a happy new year. thank you for watching this year. 2023 was a wild one, but i think it is safe to say 2024 is going to be even crazier. follow the show on twitter, tiktok, and instagram. listen to every episode of the show as a podcast for free. as we say good-bye on this new year's show, a look at some of the names and faces of the incredible team what made what we do possible each and every week. they are brilliant, creative, dlso great human beings, which matters. i could not be more grateful for every singlene of them. thank you so much for spending time with us this year, and we'll see youexweek. u next week.

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