HeyJaredRU STRONG
Welcome to RU Strong, hosted by Jeff Durr! This podcast is a platform for current and former college athletes to share their stories of resilience, perseverance, and strength.
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 17
- Latest publication
- Sep 20, 2026
- Audience
- Checking…
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 19, 2026
Latest episodes
After The Final Whistle - JR Butler - Episode 165 (opens the original)
Read excerpt
What happens when the sport that has defined you your entire life comes to an end? My guest today, JR Butler, grew up in a competitive hockey family in Massachusetts. His father was a Hall of Fame hockey coach, and both of his younger brothers played college hockey. JR worked his way to Holy Cross, where he was part of the team that pulled off a historic NCAA tournament upset over top-seeded Minnesota. JR says almost nobody expected Holy Cross to win except the players in their locker room. But
She Was Afraid To Jump - Gabi Leon - Episode 164 (opens the original)
Read excerpt
What if the sport you were most afraid to try turned out to be the one that took you around the world? Growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Gabi Leon played all kinds of sports. When she joined the track team as a high school sophomore, she wanted to try the high jump. Her math teacher and coach, Dave Emeott, had another idea: pole vault. Gabi was terrified, and for weeks she told him no. Eventually, she agreed to try it. She fell in love with the sport at her first practice. Gabi went on to co
Vaulting Through Legacy - Colton, Macey, Reece Emeott - Episode 163 (opens the original)
Read excerpt
Today’s episode of the RU Strong Podcast is a special one because I’m joined by three members of one remarkable athletic family: Colton, Macey, and Reece Emeott. The Emeott siblings grew up immersed in the championship track-and-field culture their father, Dave, helped build at East Kentwood High School in Michigan. All three became pole vaulters, competed at the collegiate level, and developed their own unique stories of success, adversity, and growth. Colton was a Michigan indoor and outdoor s
Effort Changes Everything - Meg Rembielak - Episode 162 (opens the original)
Read excerpt
Today’s guest is Megan Rembielak, a former Division I softball standout at Appalachian State University who has turned her passion for the game into a career developing and inspiring the next generation of athletes. Megan grew up in a baseball family with a Division I coach as her father, learning early that nothing is guaranteed, nothing is handed to you, and effort is one of the few things you can control. At Appalachian State, Megan became a four-year starter, earned SoCon All-Freshman, Secon
Do It Afraid - Kota Umeda - Episode 161 (opens the original)
Read excerpt
Today’s guest is Kota Umeda, whose journey is a powerful story of perseverance, faith, and finding an identity beyond sports. Born in Tokyo, Kota moved to Cleveland at eight years old without speaking English. By age 12, he was translating for his parents while his family faced financial struggles, evictions, and his mother’s cancer diagnosis. Soccer became his escape and purpose. Despite being told his dream was unrealistic, Kota became the top-ranked recruit in Ohio at his position and played
Publishing over time
Last 90 days. Choose a month to open its work.
Recurring subjects
Named in the text we hold. One piece can cover several.
Audience
No verified audience measurement yet.
About this data
Counts cover the work we have indexed. Tone needs enough text and a confident classification. Excerpts and episode notes are not full articles or transcripts.
Identity or attribution wrong? Suggest a correction.