Overview
Olympic athlete. Filmmaker. Author. Alexi Pappas has reached the heights in diverse arenas, as recounted in her memoir "Bravey: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas.” Hear how you can conquer the things holding you back in life as Pappas shares the lessons that have propelled her forward. Become a Bravey and chase your dreams, by flipping a switch in your mind.
Key takeaways:
Actionable insights to guide your career journey and personal development
Practical strategies for overcoming hardships and powering ahead
Connect and interact with industry peers
Bring your questions for a unique and inspiring discussion that you won’t want to miss! You are encouraged to invite your colleagues for this complimentary interactive event.
About BRAVEY
The Olympic runner, actress, filmmaker and writer Alexi Pappas shares what she’s learned about confidence, self-reliance, mental health, embracing pain, and achieving your dreams.
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY REAL SIMPLE • “Heartbreaking and hilarious.”—Mindy Kaling • “A beautiful read.”—Ruth Reichl • “Essential guidance to anyone dreaming big dreams.”—Shalane Flanagan • “I couldn’t put it down.”—Adam Grant
run like a bravey
sleep like a baby
dream like a crazy
replace can’t with maybe
When “Renaissance runner” (New York Times) Alexi Pappas—Olympic athlete, actress, filmmaker, and writer—was four years old, her mother died by suicide, drastically altering the course of Pappas’s life and setting her on a search for female role models. When her father signed his bereaved daughter up for sports teams as a way to keep her busy, female athletes became the first women Pappas looked up to, and her Olympic dream was born. At the same time, Pappas had big creative dreams, too: She wanted to make movies, write, and act. Despite setbacks and hardships, Pappas refused to pick just one lane. She put in a tremendous amount of hard work and wouldn’t let anything stand in her way until she achieved all of her dreams, however unrelated they may seem to outsiders. In a single year, 2016, she made her Olympic debut as a distance runner and wrote, directed, and starred in her first feature film.
But great highs are often accompanied by deep lows; with joy comes sorrow. In Bravey, Pappas fearlessly and honestly shares her battle with post-Olympic depression and describes how she emerged on the other side as a thriving and self-actualized woman. Unflinching, exuberant, and always entertaining, Bravey showcases Pappas’s signature, charming voice as she reflects upon the touchstone moments in her life and the lessons that have powered her career as both an athlete and an artist—foremost among them, how to be brave.
Pappas’s experiences reveal how we can all overcome hardship, befriend pain, celebrate victory, relish the loyalty found in teammates, and claim joy. In short: how every one of us can become a bravey.
Featured Speaker
Alexi Pappas is an Olympic runner, mental health advocate, and an award-winning author and filmmaker. Alexi's bestselling memoir-in-essays, "Bravey," with a foreword by Maya Rudolph, was published in January 2021 by Random House with blurbs of support from Mindy Kaling, Richard Linklater, Adam Grant, Ruth Reichl, Abby Wambach, and others. Bravey has had a major impact on the cultural conversation around mental health; she recently led a featured discussion about mental health with Bill Hader at SXSW, and also gave a speech at the Pentagon by invitation of the Army Resilience Directorate to soldiers around the world. Alexi was featured in a New York Times op-doc about mental health, a Forbes cover story, and is a frequently turned to source for quotes on mental health and athletic-related news (she was recently quoted in The NY Times, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, and Rolling Stone, among others). Alexi has been profiled on the cover of the New York Times Sports Page, in Rolling Stone, on NPR's All Things Considered, and was also featured on the cover of Runner's World Magazine's 50th anniversary issue alongside Kevin Hart, named as one of the two faces of the "new boom" in running.
A Greek-American, Alexi is the Greek national recordholder in the 10,000 meters with a personal best of 31:36 set at the Rio Olympics. As a creative, Alexi most recently appeared in Mindy Kaling's upcoming HBO show SEX LIVES OF COLLEGE GIRLS and the upcoming feature film NOT AN ARTIST alongside RZA, Horatio Sanz, and Haley Joel Osment. Alexi co-created and starred in the feature film OLYMPIC DREAMS alongside Nick Kroll, premiering at SXSW 2019 and was distributed by IFC Films. In 2016 Alexi co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in the feature film TRACKTOWN, produced at the Sundance Labs, with a cast including Rachel Dratch ("Saturday Night Live") and Andy Buckley ("The Office"). Alexi's writing has been published in the New York Times, Lenny Letter, and many more.
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Have a question for Alexi? We’d love to hear it! Questions submitted in advance will receive priority. Sent us your questions at [email protected]!
CFA Institute Qualified Activity: Eligible for 1.25 PL credit hours