MONTCLAIR Bounce Presents
A Conversation with
Alexi Pappas
Olympian, Filmmaker and Author of
BRAVEY: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas
and MHS Coach and Guidance Counselor Sophia Kenny
MONTCLAIR Bounce, A Creative Project to Build Community and Resilience presents a conversation with Alexi Pappas, groundbreaking Olympic athlete, mental health advocate and creative artist upon the publication of her new memoir, Bravey: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, And Other Big Ideas. Pappas will be joined in conversation by Sophia Kenny, Montclair High School guidance counselor and track & field coach.
The evening will feature Pappas sharing her funny, fearless and empowering journey and the lessons she’s learned through her struggles with post-Olympic depression and grappling with the impact of her mother’s suicide when she was four-years-old. Pappas strives to help others work through challenges to develop their own winning resilience.
A Greek American, Pappas holds the Greek national record in the 10,000-meters and competed for Greece in the 2016 Olympics. Pappas’ writing has appeared in The New York Times, Runner’s World, Women’s Running, Sports Illustrated, The Atlantic, and Outside, among other publications. A filmmaker and actor, Pappas co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in the feature film Tracktown with Rachel Dratch and Andy Buckley and most recently, co-wrote and starred with Nick Kroll in Olympic Dreams, filmed at the Olympic Games.
The evenings' moderator, Montclair High School Guidance Counselor Sophia Kenny, has over a decade of experience in high school general and special education settings. She coached Montclair High's Track & Field program for nine years and was herself a competitive runner at MHS and Rutgers University, where she earned her Bachelors of Science degree. Mrs. Kenny also holds a Master’s degree in School Counseling from Seton Hall University.