Sometimes the most powerful journeys begin with a choice — a choice that costs you everything
you’ve worked for.
My guest today knows that feeling well.
Denise Mazal grew up behind the Iron Curtain in what was then Czechoslovakia, where freedom
was limited and opportunity was tightly controlled. Denise was a talented athlete, a member of
the Czech national rowing team, with a real chance to compete in the 1976 Olympic Games in
Montreal.
But she made a remarkable decision.
In pursuit of freedom, Denise walked away from that Olympic dream — and from the country
she had always known.
Her story feels especially relevant right now. Just this week, several members of Iran’s women’s
national soccer team defected during an international tournament, choosing freedom over
returning home.
Different countries. Different generations. But the same courageous choice.
Denise took that risk decades ago. Today she shares what it was like to leave everything behind,
the courage it took to start over, and how that decision shaped the rest of her life.

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