GIRL v. HORSE
The 7th Annual Awards
- Best Podcast
- Best Women’s Sports Podcast
ABOUT THIS ENTRY
Hosted by Nicole Teeny, a queer Lebanese American runner and podcast creator, GIRL v. HORSE is an audio documentary that follows one woman’s sudden, brunt, and life-altering epilepsy diagnosis. Determined to prove her strength and reclaim her agency, Nicole pushes her body to the limits of human endurance and trains to outrun a horse in a 50-mile ultramarathon.
How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?
Nicole’s story proves that an audience exists on 30 for 30 podcasts for a story that is outside of what audiences may perceive as a typical sports story. The podcast set a new bar of excellence in engagement for a sports podcast pursuing audience demographics that don’t typically listen to the 30 for 30 feed at the same rate as the traditional demographics.
Objective
The goal of this project was to weave together several concurrent threads: the struggle to overcome a devastating epileptic condition, the physical challenge of outrunning a horse over the course of fifty miles, and deepest of all, the need to push the mind and soul to new limits and to understand what one is truly capable of.
The hope was to convey a story about much more than running or a medical condition: one that speaks to the most profound aspects of who we are. It aims to answer weighty questions: how do we ever truly know what we can do if we’ve ever been pushed to the brink? How do we respond when confronted with mortality or frailty? How do we find that extra strength to dig deep and transcend what we’ve long been conditioned to believe about ourselves?
Strategy & Execution
GIRL v. HORSE does not shy away from how being female influences Nicole’s experiences with health and sports. It addresses complex topics head-on, such as the intersection of Nicole’s identity as a queer woman with her health, and boldly delves into topics often considered taboo, like her menstrual cycle’s influence on seizures and the relationship between physical activity and menstruation. These topics provide insights into the unique health and sports challenges women face.
However, this story isn’t just for women audiences, it’s designed to be an entertaining sports story—and through that—it expands its reach, fostering an inclusive dialogue and championing the voices of all women. By integrating these powerful elements, the podcast becomes a story that successfully empowers, informs, and entertains.
Organizations
- ESPN Films
- 30 for 30 Podcasts
Credits
Nicole Teeny
Executive Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts
Jazmine (JT) Green
Story Editor
30 for 30 Podcasts
Audrey Quinn
Additional Editing
30 for 30 Podcasts
Mariah Dennis
Associate Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts
Michelle Macklem
Sound Design & Mixing
30 for 30 Podcasts
Morgan Kibby
Original Music and Theme Song Composer
30 for 30 Podcasts
Mariel Sarkis
Production Assistant
30 for 30 Podcasts
Adizah Eghan
Lead Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts
Preeti Varathan
Senior Editoral Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts
Catherine Sankey
Line Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts
Gus Navarro
Associate Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts
Isabella Seman
Associate Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts
Andrew Distler
Production Assistant
30 for 30 Podcasts
Diamante McKelvie
Production Assistant
30 for 30 Podcasts
Anthony Salas
Production Assistant
30 for 30 Podcasts
Andrea Gomez Carrillo
Production Assistant
30 for 30 Podcasts
Heather Anderson
Executive Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts
Marsha Cooke
Executive Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts
Brian Lockhart
Executive Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts
Burke Magnus
Executive Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts
Marquis Daisy
Senior Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts
Gentry Kirby
Senior Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts
Carolyn Hepburn
Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts
Celebrate in NYC
Join us for the 7th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards™ on the evening of June 24, 2025 as we celebrate finalists and reveal the winners of this year's awards live during the show.
