Welcome to the Party

What happens when a very fast cyclist decides men on Strava are taking themselves a little too seriously? Enter Laini Bones.

Julie Foudy and Abby Wambach sit down with the viral cyclist who went from a few hundred followers to more than 160K by stealing men’s King of the Mountain crowns, talking an outrageous amount of trash, and creating one of the funniest alter egos in sports. Lainey breaks down what it means to “get boned,” why some men absolutely do not get the joke, the difference between Lainey and her WWE-style “Bones” persona, and how she balances internet chaos with being a legitimately elite endurance athlete — and the CFO of a growing company.

She also opens up about her ambitions to race professionally, the realities of breaking into elite cycling, and why she wants more women to discover just how powerful they can be on a bike.

Plus, Abby and Julie answer Party People questions about parents coaching from the sidelines, teaching young athletes to respect referees, and how coaches can set the standard for both kids and parents. And in “Know Your History,” they go back to the 1890s to uncover why the bicycle became a surprising symbol of women’s freedom and independence.

Come for the Strava crowns. Stay for Abby seriously considering a new career in spandex.



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Keep the Party Going:

You have to go follow Laini Bones on Instagram. You’re welcome. Trash talk, Strava crowns, spandex and a whole lot of men getting boned: https://www.instagram.com/lainibones/

Lainey wants more women on bikes. If this episode has you cycling curious, she and Carbs Fuel put together a guide to getting started, bike boyfriend not required.

https://carbsfuel.com/blogs/news/how-to-unlock-cycling-for-more-women

Got a question for Julie, Abby or Kinger? Keep them coming. We love hearing from Party People and we want to keep answering more of your questions on the show. Email us at partypeoplequestions@gmail.com.

Party People, it’s time to do More Than Four. Juggle anything, nominate your friends and help Zoe’s Goal push for more funding for childhood cancer research. And this month, a portion of proceeds from every purchase in the Welcome to the Party merch store supports Zoe’s Goal too.

https://zoesgoal.org/

Thank you to our sponsors:

-Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC

Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy are back with a packed Party Starter and first, a very proud-parent moment as Amma Melton scores her first collegiate goal for Santa Clara! Then, they break down the Ballon d’Or’s glaring lack of American representation, Team Europe reclaiming the Solheim Cup, Team USA storming back against France to win its fifth straight FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, and Elena Rybakina dethroning Aryna Sabalenka to claim her first US Open title and the world No. 1 ranking.

Then, from the Power of Women’s Sports Summit in New York, Abby and Julie sit down with Billie Jean King and Deloitte US Chair Lara Abrash to ask the question that matters now: Women’s sports are booming, so what do we build next? They discuss how sports create leaders, why $3 billion is only the beginning, what sustainable growth will require, and Deloitte’s new collaboration with Billie Jean King to strengthen the infrastructure and leadership pipeline behind women’s sports.

Plus: Kinger’s iconic signature shoes, nachos as a leadership test, and one clear message for anyone waiting to enter the space go build it.



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Keep the Party Going:

Billie Jean King + Deloitte are teaming up to help build what’s next in women’s sports. The new collaboration will focus on leadership pathways, better infrastructure and building the business of women’s sports for the future:

https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/about/press-room/deloitte-teams-with-billie-Jean-king-to-help-grow-the-next-generation-of-leaders-through-womens-sports.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com

**Run, don’t walk to watch Give Me The Ball! ** Julie and Abby finally got an early look at Kinger’s new documentary and, yes, they have FEELINGS. The film premieres November 22 on ESPN:

https://espnpressroom.com/press-release/espn-films-award-winning-documentary-give-me-the-ball-to-premiere-november-22-on-espn/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Who’s in the running for the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or? Check out the full list of nominees ahead of the October 26 ceremony in London:

https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a9-218b019cbca5-cb4b9be51c4b-1000--2026-ballon-dor-awards-nominees-revealed/

Thank you to our sponsors:

-Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC

- Thank you to Apple Card

In 1995, sailing’s most prestigious competition had existed for nearly 150 years without an all-women’s team. Then came Mighty Mary. Dismissed as a publicity stunt, the groundbreaking crew took on the best sailors in the world, defeated four-time America’s Cup winner Dennis Conner—and nearly disappeared from sports history.

Abby and Julie sit down with Mighty Mary director and Olympian Mary Mazzio, team captain Dawn Riley, sailor Merritt Carey, and executive producer and narrator Elizabeth Banks to unpack the team’s incredible rise, the leadership failures and shady backroom decisions that changed everything, and why women must be in the rooms where decisions are made.

Plus, Abby and Julie reflect on the moments they didn’t realize were history while living them, debate the 1999 USWNT vs. today’s team, and reveal Abby’s hilarious “logical consequence” for her kids: watching all 184 of her goals.

Mighty Mary opens in select theaters September 11. Visit MightyMaryFilm.com to find a screening near you.



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Keep the Party Going:

GO SEE Mighty Mary. Seriously. The incredible story of the groundbreaking 1995 women’s America’s Cup team opens in select theaters September 11. Find a theater near you and grab tickets: https://www.mightymaryfilm.com/

Party People, it’s time to do More Than Four. Take the More Than 4 Challenge and learn more about Zoe’s Goal, our September charity supporting childhood cancer research. A portion of proceeds from our merch store this month goes to Zoe’s Goal, too. https://zoesgoal.org/

Want to see where Dawn Riley is building the next generation of sailors? Check out Oakcliff Sailing in Oyster Bay, New York, where Dawn serves as Executive Director and trains sailors for the America’s Cup, Olympics and beyond. https://www.oakcliffsailing.org/

Mighty Mary awakened your inner sailor? The Women’s Match Racing World Championship is coming to San Francisco September 30–October 4: FOLLOW ALONG: https://www.sailing.org/our-sport/types-of-sailing/sailing-match-racing/

“Historically Speaking”? “The Party Before the Party”? We still need a name for our new history segment. Got something better? Send it to partypeoplequestions@gmail.com.

And mark your calendars for the next America’s Cup. The 38th America’s Cup heads to Naples, Italy, in 2027, with the Match beginning July 10. https://www.americascup.com/38th-americascup

And learn more about the woman who finally brought Mighty Mary’s story back to life. Mary Mazzio is an Olympic rower turned award-winning filmmaker whose work centers on overlooked people doing extraordinary things: https://www.50eggs.com/about/

From Mighty Mary to Maine lobster. Merritt Carey now works in fisheries and rural economic development and helped build the Tenants Harbor Fisherman’s Co-op, connecting local fishermen more directly with consumers and helping protect a working waterfront in Maine. https://lobsterfrommaine.com/lobstermen/merritt-carey/



Thank you to our sponsors:

-Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC

Party people, actor, producer and entrepreneur Gillian Anderson and former New Zealand captain and Crux Football founder Bex Smith are joining the party!

Bex breaks down why women’s football can’t reach its full potential by simply copying the men’s model—and how Crux is building dedicated ownership, investment and infrastructure around the women’s game. Gillian shares why she invested in the mission, how Sex Education inspired her bestselling book Want and her G-Spot drinks, and why creating spaces for women to speak openly about desire has become part of her purpose.

Plus, Billie Jean King explains why women’s teams need their own sales and commercial operations, Abby and Julie reflect on athletes becoming owners, and the group gets into player power, financial literacy, five Coca-Colas a day—and why the G-Spot remains so hard to find.



Follow @welcometothepartyshow on:

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Email — partypeoplequestions@gmail.com

Keep the Party Going:

Want to see what Bex is building with Crux? Learn more about Crux Football and its mission to build women’s football around the women’s game, not just copy and paste the men’s model: https://www.cruxfootball.com/

Party People, Abby said it: get this book. Gillian Anderson’s Want is a collection of anonymous fantasies from women around the world — and yes, Gillian’s own is hiding in there somewhere: https://www.abramsbooks.com/product/want_9781419777301/

After all that G-Spot talk, obviously we had to give you the link. Meet Gillian Anderson’s line of functional drinks:https://us.thisisgspot.com/

The party before the party is WILD. Go deeper on the Dick, Kerr Ladies, the enormous Goodison Park crowd and the FA ban that pushed women’s football off its grounds for nearly 50 years: https://nationalfootballmuseum.com/stories/12-games-1920/



Thank you to our sponsors:

-Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC

Welcome to the Party is coming to you from Billie Jean King’s house…literally. Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy make their first-ever trip to the US Open, joining Kinger inside the Ralph Lauren suite at Arthur Ashe Stadium for a special episode celebrating the tournament she helped transform.

Billie Jean shares what it feels like to see her name across the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, how the women fought to make the US Open the first major to offer equal prize money and the unforgettable 1974 final she somehow pulled back from the brink. The trio also gets into New York’s gloriously rowdy tennis crowds, athletes as entertainers, the intersection of sports and fashion, Billie Jean’s beloved childhood tennis sweater, Honey Deuces, Anna Wintour, and whether Abby and Julie have officially peaked sartorially.

Come for the history, stay for the fits.



Follow @welcometothepartyshow on:

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Email — partypeoplequestions@gmail.com

Substack - https://welcometothepartyshow.substack.com

Welcome to the Party Merch - https://welcometotheparty.voila.store — and for September, a portion of proceeds supports Zoe’s Goal and childhood cancer research.



Keep the Party Going:

How exactly did the whole place become Kinger’s house? Go back to the 2006 night the USTA National Tennis Center was officially renamed for Billie Jean King: https://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/articles/2023-06-06/milestones_in_equality_home_of_the_us_open_renamed_in_billie_jean_kings_honor.html?

Equal pay at the US Open started with a threat not to come back. Go deeper on how Billie Jean and the women helped make the US Open the first Grand Slam to award equal prize money in 1973. https://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/articles/2023-03-30/milestones_in_equality_a_long_climb_to_equal_prize_money_at_the_four_grand_slams.html?

Look good. Feel good. Play good. Check out the Ralph Lauren US Open Collection, including the looks inspired by the tournament’s iconic ball crew: https://www.ralphlauren.com/tennis-tournament-cg?ab=en_US_BANNER_SEO_1_S1_L2_



Thank you to our sponsor:

-Ralph Lauren