800. Aisha Praught Leer, on Life After Professional Running
Episode description
"There’s a stigma about retiring from pro running, that it’s this huge thing and it’s so hard. And there are parts of it that are challenging. But I’m seriously so great. I’m loving life."
Aisha Praught Leer is no stranger to the Ali on the Run Show. She returns today for her fifth appearance — but it's her first in this new phase of life. Last year, Aisha officially retired from professional running. The longtime Puma athlete, two-time Olympian, Commonwealth Games champion, and six-time Jamaican record holder is now embracing a career in corporate America, while also continuing to be an advocate for professional athletes, and working in front of the camera and on the mic with Citius Mag. In this episode, we're catching up on all of it, including how Aisha feels about that 9–5 life, what her relationship with running is like now that she's no longer competing professionally, and what it's actually like retiring from your dream job in your thirties — and figuring out what comes next.
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In this episode:
- How Aisha is doing right now, and how she’s feeling about “racing” this weekend at the New Balance Marathon Relay in Boston (4:15)
- Aisha’s takeaways from the first Grand Slam Track event (16:15)
- Why Aisha decided to retire from professional running in 2024 (24:00)
- What it was like working with a career coach (35:40)
- All about Aisha’s job in tech sales at Adobe (48:30)
- How Aisha’s relationship with running has changed since retiring (59:40)
- How Aisha’s personal relationships have changed since retiring (1:04:10)
- What’s next for Aisha? (1:12:00)
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