859. Hope Walz, Runner & Activist

"I'm a firm believer that there are more good people than bad. No matter what, I believe that."

Hope Walz is a runner who works the night shift at a homeless shelter in Bozeman, MT. She is also the daughter — and running buddy — of Minnesota governor Tim Walz. This conversation was recorded the day after Governor Walz, Kamala Harris's running mate in the 2024 presidential election, announced that he wouldn't be seeking reelection in Minnesota. Hope talks about what that day (which started with a run, of course) was like from her vantage point. She talks about growing up in a political family and about the role running has played throughout her life, including on the campaign trail with her family in 2024. Plus: a very special guest pops into the Zoom room!

FOLLOW HOPE @hopewalz

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In this episode:

• What's making Hope happy today (3:50)
• What it was like running with dad Tim Walz the day he announced he wouldn't be seeking reelection as governor of Minnesota (5:35)
• What Hope's relationship with the news is like, and how she protects her peace online (10:00)
• Hope's role in big family decisions, and her earliest memories of being raised in a political family (12:25)
• How Hope manages public scrutiny toward her family and herself (20:45)
• How Hope found out her dad would be running alongside Kamala Harris as the vice presidential nominee in the 2024 election (22:05)
• "My dad's here if you wanna say hi!" (26:15)
• What it's like when your dad runs for Vice President of the United States (27:45)
• What it's like having a Secret Service detail (34:40)
• On the run on the campaign trail (37:10)
• How Hope maintains hope in an increasingly intense, scary, and divided world (40:30)
• Why running is a privilege, and why Hope wanted to talk about that publicly (43:30)
• Hope's take on the running community, and how running first came into her life (46:15)
• How Hope is feeling after her dad's big announcement (56:40)

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