(Un)Common Threads

Liliia and Ioraslav are a married dance pair who have ascended to the top of the global ballroom standings. In this episode, Justin is explores their journey growing up in dance and in Ukraine, both in terms of their shared experiences and the ones unique to each of them. 

Zach Buhler is a Paralympic Goalball player whose story is one of grit, perseverance, and optimism. In this episode, Justin and Zach discuss Zach's path to the paralympics and what advice he has for people searching for the will to keep growing. 

Jaymee Sire is a broadcaster with experience reporting on the sidelines for the San Diego Chargers, San Francisco,  the Giants, A’s, Warriors, and San Jose Sharks. She then switched to the East coast, where she debuted as an anchor for ESPN and helped launch Sportscenter AM. After a few years there, in 2017, she was among the group of over 100 people ESPN laid off and used that as an opportunity to pivot from a focus on sports to another: food. That focus has led to appearances on Beat Bobby Flay and her current role, hosting Food Network’s first ever official podcast, called Food Network Obsessed. In this episode Jaymee talks about taking feedback, putting in the reps, and exploring her passions. 

Stephania Haralabidis is a water polo player for the US National Team who recently won Gold at the Olympics in Tokyo last summer. Since 2017,  she’s led the US to many victories including the FINA world cup in 2018, and the Pan American Games and World Championships in 2019. Before that, she was a collegiate player at USC where she led the team to an NCAA victory in 2016 and was awarded the prestigious Peter J. Cutino Award which goes to the best collegiate water polo player of the year. Stephania was born in Greece and previously competed for the junior and senior national teams for Greece. In this episode she talks about finding your passions, maintaining the right mindset, and a strong worth ethic.

In high school Bershawn earned his infamous nickname “Batman” from his flight-like running. He ran for Saint Augustine's University and set a Division II National Championship Record in the 400m hurdles. He went on to win three medals (two gold, one bronze) at the World Championships and one gold medal at the World Indoor Championships. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Bershawn won a bronze medal in the 400m hurdles. In 2015 he started Run U Xpress and now coaches over 60 youth athletes in North Carolina. In this episode, Bershawn talks about the importance of having a support system filled with family and coaches to encourage him and the desire to push yourself to get better no matter what.

Ben Bratton is a world champion Épée fencer. He started fencing at age 10 with the Peter Westbrook Foundation and was a #1 ranked junior. At St. John's University, he was a 3 time All American and won two individual silver medals and one silver team medal in the NCAA Fencing Championships. Ben and the US Men's Épée Team made history in 2012 when they won Gold at the World Team Championships, a first for any USA Men's Fencing Team and he became the first African-American fencer to win a World Championship title. In this episode he talks about channeling his energy and passion into the sport, what it's like to be on the strip with him, and why he's excited to give back to the next generation of fencers as a coach at NYU and the Fencing Academy of Philadelphia. 

(Un)Common Threads features extraordinary people and open discussions about their defining moments. From failure and heartbreak to triumph and fulfillment, (Un)Common Threads is a weekly examination of the experiences that distinguish individuals of remarkable achievement. All featured guests are also available to chat on www.TinnCann.com, an online marketplace where aspiring athletes, enthusiasts, and creatives access world-class mentorship via paid 1-on-1 video calls.

Dave McGillivray is the current race director of the Boston Athletic Association Boston Marathon and Founder of DMSE Sports, Inc. an event company that has organized more than 1,000 mass-participatory endurance events since he started the organization in 1981. He is known for some of his spectacular athletic feats including running across the country (3,452 miles in 80 days) in 1978 and then 40 years later completing the World Marathon Challenge (7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days). Dave has run his age in miles every year since he was 12, completed 49 consecutive Boston Marathons, and was only the 30th person ever to complete a full Ironman. He was a pioneer in running for a cause and has run over 150,000 miles, nearly all for fundraising efforts for charities, research funds, and non-profits. An incredible athlete and passionate philanthropist, in this episode, Dave talks about setting big goals, following through on what you say you'll do, and some of the defining moments in his life so far. 

Chef Ed Leonard is an award-winning chef, culinary gold medalist, author, and international lecturer. He is one of only 73 Certified Master Chefs in the country. As the winner of over 50 gold medals in cookery, he is globally recognized as a distinguished culinary leader and a true agent of change. Further, he has an established legacy of chefs who have trained under him and built impressive careers of their own. His mentorship has even helped four chefs pass the grueling 8-day CMC exam, which has an estimated pass rate of just 27%! In this episode Chef Ed talks about what food and building a culture of excellence  in the kitchen means to him.

Jamie Whitmore is the most successful female XTERRA athlete (off road triathlons) winning 37 championships in a dozen different countries, including the XTERRA World Championship in 2004. In 2008, Jamie survived a rare cancer and was told she would never run or bike again. So, in 2016 she won a Gold and Silver medal at the Summer Paralympics in Road Cycling. Jamie is an XTERRA Hall of Fame inductee and the 2014 ESPY winner for Best Female Athlete with a Disability, and is the mother of twin boys. In this episode of (Un)Common Threads, Jamie talks about the importance of optimism, grit, and doing what you love no matter what life throws at you.