The Virtues of Quitting, with Ultra-Distance Cyclist Lael Wilcox
The Virtues of Quitting, with Ultra-Distance Cyclist Lael Wilcox  
Podcast: Sports In America with David Greene
Published On: Thu Sep 24 2026
Description: With an explosive offense and a star quarterback, the Chicago Bears have high hopes for a deep playoff run this year. But will Caleb Williams’ hamstring injury put a damper on the team’s promising season? We’re sitting down with Kevin Fishbain, a senior writer at The Athletic who covers the Bears, to check on one of the highest-ceiling teams in the league.Then, we’re going to talk about something that most elite athletes never even allow themselves to consider: quitting. Lael Wilcox is an ultra-distance cyclist who became the fastest woman to ride her bike around the world in 2024. This summer she wanted to try for the men’s record too, and become the fastest person to cycle around the world. But early on in her effort, a historic heatwave in Europe made it unsafe for her to keep going. How did Lael make the tough decision to stop, and what good came out of it?Show Notes Lael Rides Around the World | Full Film Why is the heat in Europe so deadly? | CBS Evening News So you want to ride around the world? | Cyclist Listen to Lael Wilcox’s podcast Lael Rides Around the World Listen to Kevin Fishbain’s podcast Breaking In With Kevin Fishbain Show CreditsHost: David GreeneExecutive Producers: Joan Isabella, Tom GrahslerSenior Producer: Michael OlcottProducer: Michaela WinbergAssociate Producer: Bibiana CorreaTalent Booker: Britt KahnEngineers: Mike VillersTile Art: Bea WallingTheme Song: Emma MungerSports in America is a production of WHYY, distributed by PRX, and part of the NPR podcast network.