© 2026 Western New York Public Broadcasting Association

140 Lower Terrace St.
Buffalo, NY 14202

Toronto Address:
130 Queens Quay E.
Suite 903
Toronto, ON M5A 0P6


Mailing Address:
Horizons Plaza P.O. Box 1263
Buffalo, NY 14240-1263

Buffalo Toronto Public Media | Phone 716-845-7000
BTPM NPR Newsroom | Phone: 716-845-7040
Differing shades of blue wavering throughout the image
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Beyond the Podium: Steve Mesler on Life After Olympic Gold and Leading With Purpose

turf field as the background. SITG logo at the top, INSIDE THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS in green text below that. Photo of Steve Mesler centered with his name and "Olympic Gold Medalist & Founder, The Mesler Performance Group" in white text underneath.
Mariann Do

What happens after you achieve the dream?

In this episode of Skin In The Game, hosts John Cimperman and Tim O’Shei sit down with Steve Mesler, Olympic bobsled gold medalist and founder of Mesler Performance Group, for a deeply honest conversation about success, identity, and life after elite competition.

Mesler reflects on his journey from Western New York to Olympic gold in 2010, the pressure and danger of competing at the highest level, and the unexpected emotional challenges that followed the peak of his athletic career. He is candid about his struggle with depression years after retiring from competition and the moment he realized that achievement alone was no longer enough. Now an executive performance coach and nonprofit founder, Mesler shares how those experiences shaped his approach to leadership, fulfillment, and sustainable performance.

This conversation extends far beyond sports. Whether you’re an athlete, a business leader, or someone navigating a major life transition, Mesler offers powerful insight into what it really means to perform, and live, at your best.

The following program contains mature content, including conversations about suicide, self-harm and mental health challenges.If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or a crisis, please reach out immediately to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741. In Canada, call or text 9-8-8, the Suicide Crisis Helpline. Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Skin in the Game 2026
Latest Episodes
  • In this episode of Skin In The Game, hosts John Cimperman and Tim O’Shei sit down with Craig Custance, author of The Franchise: The Business of Building Winning Teams and Head of Creative Development at The Athletic, for a deep dive into leadership behind the scenes of professional hockey.
  • In this episode of Skin in the Game, award-winning investigative journalist Rick Westhead joins John and Tim for a powerful and deeply reported conversation about his book “We Breed Lions” and the culture of junior hockey in Canada.
  • In this episode, John and Tim dive into the psychology, history, and surprising power of trash talk with journalist and author Rafi Kohan, whose latest book explores how a few well-timed words can shape competition, performance, and culture.
  • This episode explores the influence and leadership that impacts the future of sports. In the first half of the episode, hosts John Cimperman and Tim O’Shei are joined by Josh Barnett of Sports Business Journal. Then the episode features an encore presentation of a conversation with Troy Vincent, Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the NFL.
  • Lake Placid has long been synonymous with Olympic history, but today it’s also a case study in how sport, tourism, and economic development work hand in hand. In this episode, John Cimperman sits down with Darcy Norfolk Rowe, Director of Communications for the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), to explore the business and impact of winter sports in New York State.
  • Golf is more than a game. It’s an economic engine, a job creator, a tourism magnet, and a powerful steward of green space. In this episode, John and Tim unpack the findings of New York State’s new Golf Impact Study with guests Gina Rizzi and Tom Kaplan, revealing a side of the sport most people never think about.
  • What began in 2006 as two brothers with a van, a camera, and a belief that overlooked sports deserved real coverage has grown into a powerhouse that streams 50,000 events a year across more than 25 sports, from wrestling and track to cheer, motorsports, and elite global hockey.
  • In 2028, flag football heads to the Olympics, and USA Football is steering the ship. In this episode, John and Tim talk with Scott Hallenbeck, CEO of USA Football, and Callie Brownson, former NFL coach and current head of high-performance for the U.S. national teams, about the rapid rise of the sport and what it means for athletes across the country.
  • This week on Skin In The Game, John Cimperman and Tim O’Shei connect with Nick DeLuco, senior vice president and general manager of the newly transformed TD Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario.
  • New York Times reporter Ken Belson, author of “Every Day Is Sunday,” joins John and Tim to unpack the business and culture behind America’s most powerful sports league, and to share why this story resonates even if you’re not a football fan.